In Vitro Efficacy Evaluation of Synthesized Compounds Against Leishmania major Using Alamar Blue Viability Assays ‡ Christian Swart Project Mentor(s): Timothy Beng, PhD 1 ; Blaise Dondji, PhD 2 1 Chemistry; 2 Biological Sciences Leishmaniasis is a globally endemic disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania . With presence in over 88 countries and 12 million people infected worldwide, and over 20 Leishmania species, the disease has become a prevalent global health concern. Clinically, the disease can present in three manifestations including cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis. Although not inherently lethal, both cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis can cause permanent disfigurement. Visceral leishmaniasis, however, has an extremely high mortality rate if left untreated. The World Health Organization officially recognizes leishmaniasis as a neglected tropical disease that disproportionately affects impoverished countries with often existing socioeconomic issues. The current standard of treatment for leishmaniasis is the polyene antifungal Amphotericin B, which is known to be highly nephrotoxic. Along with increasing drug resistance, a need has emerged for a safer, more effective alternative treatment for leishmaniasis. My research focuses on drug discovery and compound testing for efficacy against the species Leishmania major . In vitro assays are conducted to assess the efficacy of various compounds against Leishmania using the metabolic activity reagent Alamar Blue. Alamar Blue is a blue, non-fluorescent redox assay that remains oxidized unless reduced by metabolically active cells. Reduction of the compound by metabolically active cells produces a red fluorescent color, indicating cell viability. Acting as a positive control, Amphotericin B is used along with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), the negative control for testing the compounds. After incubation, a spectrophotometer is used to measure the optical density of the wells. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords: Leishmaniasis, Drug discovery, Organic compounds, Leishmanicidal activity SOURCE Form ID: 203 Understanding how light quality, or spectral quality of light, affects the physiological processes of plants is an important topic in agriculture. This understanding allows us to grow plants to their optimal photosynthetic potential and increase agricultural product yields. Spinacia oleracea (spinach) is an important food crop that is also commonly used for photosynthetic research. Studies have shown that light quality can affect photosynthetic and developmental processes in plants. Therefore, to investigate effects of spectral quality on photosynthesis and growth for spinach, four different light environments were utilized in this experiment. Three different types of “daylight” LED lights from different manufacturers were used, along with natural light serving as the control. Spectral outputs from the lamps were determined by using a spectroradiometer. Spinach plants were grown in each light environment under the same photosynthetic flux density (intensity of light). When plants were mature, photosynthesis and respiration rates, chlorophyll content, days-to-flowering, total leaf area, and plant biomass were determined for plants grown under each light environment. Results from this investigation aim to show that spectral output of growth light is important for plants because different wavelengths of light impact plant development and physiological processes. Effects of Light Quality on Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea) Alora Van Auken Project Mentor(s): Mary Poulson, PhD
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords: Spinach, photosynthesis, light-quality, plant growth SOURCE Form ID: 177
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