Design. Network. Achieve. Background History of White Nose Syndrome - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

• Design. Network. Achieve.

Background

History of White Nose Syndrome and Science behind P. destructans

• Design. Network. Achieve.

Photo by: Minnesota Wildlife Control

White Nose Syndrome

• Originated in Eurasia
• First seen in the US in 2006
• Defined in 2007
• Began in New York
• Confirmed in Missouri in early 2012
• Caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Photo by: US Fish and Wildlife Services

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri, especially in the Rolla area, has been greatly affected by WNS

P. . destructans

• Confirmed sole cause of WNS
• Deadly effect only in bats
• Bat to Bat transmission confirmed
• Cave to cave transmission by humans

unconfirmed

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Photo by: US Forest Service

Effects on Bats

• Ear, wing, and nose invasion
• Disruption of hibernation
• Insufficient fat storage
• Surviving bats can clear infection, if they make it to spring

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Photo by: Nancy Heaslip

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Photo by: Jonathan Reichard – Boston University

Death Toll

• Proved fatal in 6 species of

bats

• >7 million bats have died
• 90-100% mortality rate

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Photo by: Al Hicks

Our Proje ject

Helping Bats Survive Winter

• Design. Network. Achieve.

Photo by: Minnesota Wildlife Control

Project Overv rview

• Health threat only during hibernation
• Bats’ immune system can clear infection
• VOCs can slow fungal growth

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Objectives

• Produce ocimene in E. coli
• Introduce high-throughput mevalonate pathway into E. coli
• Determine production/expression levels
• Test inhibition with Pd fungus

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Results

• Secondary structure in the overlap regions prevented Gibson

assembly of gBlocks

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Future Pla lans

• Redesign of overlap regions
• Inhibit the enzymes that break down bat’s skin
• Ocimene synthase GST-tag purification
• Characterization of the enzyme

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Human Practices

Teaching Synthetic Biology and Inspiring leaders

• Design. Network. Achieve.

Photo by: Minnesota Wildlife Control

White Nose Syndrome Symposium

• Shelly Colatskie
• Anthony Elliot
• Dr. Sarah Hooper
• Dr. Lynn Robbins

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Student Desig ign Teams

• SDELC
• Student Design and Experiential

Learning Center

• 15th Team
• 14 and counting design teams
• Team of the leaders from all 14 teams
• Experiential learning
• New Graduation requirement

Missouri University of Science and Technology

The Im Immortal Lif ife of Henrietta Lacks

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Celebrations of f Nations

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Open Lab

References

• Beck, Z. Q., Calabria, A. R., Miller, M. C., Vaviline, D. V., Nielsen, A. T. (2013). Increased isoprene production using the archaeal lower mevalonate
• pathway. US Patent 8361762 B2.
• Cornelison, C. T., Keel, M. K., Gabriel, K. T., Barlament, C. K., Tucker, T. A., Pierce, G. E., & Crow, S. A. (2014). A preliminary report on the contact-

independent antagonism of Pseudogymnoascus destructans by Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain DAP96253. BMC microbiology, 14(1), 246.

• Cornelison, C. T., Gabriel, K. T., Barlament, C., & Crow Jr, S. A. (2014). Inhibition of Pseudogymnoascus destructans growth from conidia and mycelial

extension by bacterially produced volatile organic compounds. Mycopathologia, 177(1-2), 1-10.

• Hahn, F. M., Hurlburt, A. P., & Poulter, C. D. (1999). Escherichia coli Open Reading Frame 696 Is idi, a Nonessential Gene Encoding Isopentenyl

Diphosphate Isomerase. Journal of Bacteriology, 181(15), 4499–4504.

• Hoyt, J. R., Cheng, T. L., Langwig, K. E., Hee, M. M., Frick, W. F., & Kilpatrick, A. M. (2015). Bacteria isolated from bats inhibit the growth of

Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of white-nose syndrome.

• Martin, V. J., Pitera, D. J., Withers, S. T., Newman, J. D., & Keasling, J. D. (2003). Engineering a mevalonate pathway in Escherichia coli for production of
• terpenoids. Nature biotechnology, 21(7), 796-802.
• Matasyoh, L. G., Matasyoh, J. C., Wachira, F. N., Kinyua, M. G., Muigai, A. W. T., & Mukiama, T. K. (2007). Chemical composition and antimicrobial

activity of the essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum L. growing in Eastern Kenya. African Journal of Biotechnology, 6(6).

• Primak, Y. A., Du, M., Miller, M. C., Wells, D. H., Nielsen, A. T., Weyler, W., & Beck, Z. Q. (2011). Characterization of a feedback-resistant mevalonate

kinase from the archaeon Methanosarcina mazei. Applied and environmental microbiology, 77(21), 7772-7778.

• Vickers, C. E., Bongers, M., Liu, Q., Delatte, T., & Bouwmeester, H. (2014). Metabolic engineering of volatile isoprenoids in plants and microbes. Plant,

cell & environment, 37(8), 1753-1775.

• Yoon, S. H., Lee, S. H., Das, A., Ryu, H. K., Jang, H. J., Kim, J. Y., ... & Kim, S. W. (2009). Combinatorial expression of bacterial whole mevalonate pathway

for the production of β-carotene in E. coli. Journal of biotechnology, 140(3), 218-226.

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Acknowledgements

• Our advisors, Dr. Westenberg & Dr. Shannon
• Donor Fred Kielhorn
• Shelly Colatskie, Anthony Elliot, Dr. Sarah

Hooper, and Dr. Lynn Robbins

• Missouri S&T SDELC
• Missouri S&T Department of Biological

Sciences

• Missouri S&T Department of Chemistry
• Missouri S&T Department of Chemical

Engineering

Missouri University of Science and Technology

• Design. Network. Achieve.