Huntsinger, A. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2024

Science Education for the Youth (SEFTY): A Neuroscience Outreach Program for High School Students in Southern Nevada During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Laboratory outreach programs for K-12 students in the United States from 2020-2022 were suspended or delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. While Southern Nevada also observed similar closures for onsite programs, we and others hypothesized that in-person laboratory activities could be prioritized after increasing vaccine doses were available to the public and masking was encouraged. Here, we describe how the Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) collaborated with administrators from a local school district to conduct training activities for high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Science Education for the Youth (SEFTY) programs curriculum was constructed to incorporate experiential learning, fostering collaboration and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. Leveraging neuroscience tools from our UNLV laboratory, we engaged with 117 high school applicants from 2021-2022. Our recruitment efforts yielded a diverse cohort, with >41% Pacific Islander and Asian students, >9% African American students, and >12% multiracial students. We assessed the impact of the SEFTY program through pre- and post-assessment student evaluations, revealing a significant improvement of 20.3% in science proficiency (p<0.001) after participating in the program. Collectively, our laboratory curriculum offers valuable insights into the capacity of an outreach program to actively foster diversity and cultivate opportunities for academic excellence, even in the challenging context of a global pandemic. Significance StatementThe Science Education for the Youth (SEFTY) program at UNLV successfully engaged 117 diverse high school students in neuroscience-based experiential learning, demonstrating the viability of in-person education during a pandemic. Significant improvements in science proficiency (20.3% increase) underscore the programs effectiveness in fostering academic excellence and diversity. This initiative potentially serves as a model for maintaining high-quality, inclusive science education in challenging times.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2022

Alpha-mannosidase-2 modulates arbovirus infection in a pathogen- and Wolbachia-specific manner in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Multiple Wolbachia strains can block pathogen infection, replication, and/or transmission in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes under both laboratory and field conditions. However, Wolbachia effects on pathogens can be highly variable across systems and the factors governing this variability are not well understood. It is increasingly clear that the mosquito host is not a passive player in which Wolbachia governs pathogen transmission phenotypes; rather, the genetics of the host can significantly modulate Wolbachia-mediated pathogen blocking. Specifically, previous work linked variation in Wolbachia pathogen blocking to polymorphisms in the mosquito alpha-mannosidase 2 (Man2) gene. Here we use CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis to functionally test this association. We developed Man2 knockouts and examined effects on both Wolbachia and virus levels, using both dengue virus (DENV; Flaviviridae) and Mayaro virus (MAYV; Togaviridae). Wolbachia titers were significantly elevated in Man2 knockout (KO) mosquitoes, but there were complex interactions with virus infection and replication. In Wolbachia-uninfected mosquitoes, the Man2 KO mutation was associated with decreased DENV titers, but in a Wolbachia-infected background, the Man2 KO mutation significantly modulated virus blocking. In contrast, the Man2 KO mutation significantly increased MAYV replication in Wolbachia-uninfected mosquitoes and did not affect Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking. These results demonstrate that Man2 modulates arbovirus infection in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes in a pathogen- and Wolbachia-specific manner, and that Wolbachia-mediated pathogen blocking is a complex phenotype dependent on the mosquito host genotype and the pathogen. These results have significant impact for the design and use of Wolbachia-based strategies to control vector-borne pathogens.

microbiology↗