Biology subjects

Price, L.

Publications and source records attributed to Price, L..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

A Multi-Model Ensemble Reveals Soil Carbon Gains from Regenerative Practices in the U.S. Midwest Cropland

Process-based cropping systems models (CSMs) are key components of measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) frameworks of carbon markets, but their application suffers from model-specific differences that keep any one model from working well across all combinations of soils, climates, crops, and agronomic practices at varying scales. Multi-model ensemble (MME), successfully used to quantify soil, management and climate impact on crop productivity, provide an opportunity to better estimate changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) outcomes for agronomic practices that have the potential to mitigate SOC loss at scale. We used an MME across 46 million hectares of US Midwest cropland at a resolution of 4- km2 to assess the aggregate ability of different regenerative practices to sequester SOC at this scale compared to their dynamic baselines. MME was validated with long-term experimental data and compared to its constituent CSMs, showing greater accuracy and lower uncertainty. The results show that adopting no-till combined with cover crops increased SOC stocks by 0.36 {+/-} 0.12 Mg ha-1 yr-1 aggregated across the entire U.S. Midwest cropland. At the regional scale, this corresponds to a net SOC gain of 16.4 Tg C yr-1 compared to business-as-usual baselines. These benefits are approximately halved when each management change is practiced individually, and the modest gains are only fully realized when continued over the long-term in soils with low initial carbon stock. Results demonstrate the power of MMEs run at high resolution for providing robust estimates of environmental outcomes following agricultural practice change, and for pinpointing locations for most effective intervention. This approach can alleviate many producer carbon market participation barriers and help address market issues while ultimately supporting large-scale regenerative agriculture initiatives.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Dry surface biofilm formation by Candida auris facilitates persistence and tolerance to sodium hypochlorite

Candida auris is an enigmatic fungal pathogen, recently elevated to the critical priority group of pathogens by the World Health Organization. Of key concern is its ability to cause outbreaks within intensive and chronic care units, facilitated through its environmental persistence. We investigated the susceptibility of phenotypically distinct C. auris isolates to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) disinfection, and the subsequent role of biofilms in surviving disinfection using a dry-surface biofilm (DSB) model and transcriptomic profiling. Planktonic cells were tested for susceptibility to NaOCl in suspension, with biofilm formation using the DSB model consisting of consecutive 48 hr cycles with/without media across a 12-day period, assessed using viable counts, biomass assays, and microscopy. Disinfection efficacy was assessed using clinically relevant protocols of 500-1000ppm for 1-5min. RNA-sequencing was performed on untreated DSBs in comparison to planktonic cells. Isolates were found to be sensitive to NaOCl planktonically at concentrations [≤]62.5 ppm, and grew robust biofilms using the DSB protocol. Biofilms developed tolerance to all NaOCl treatment parameters, with only 2-4 log10-reductions in viable cells observed at highest concentrations. Transcriptomics identified ABC transporters and iron acquisition pathways as strongly upregulated in DSBs relative to planktonic cells. Our novel findings have optimised a DSB protocol in which C. auris biofilms can mediate tolerance to adverse conditions such as NaOCl disinfection, suggesting a lifestyle through which this problematic yeast can environmentally persist and transmit. Mechanistically it has been shown for the first time that upregulation of small-molecule and iron transport pathways are potential facilitators of environmental survival. IMPORTANCECandida auris is a pathogenic yeast that has been responsible for outbreaks in healthcare facilities across the globe, predominantly affecting vulnerable patients. This organism displays a concerning ability to persist within the healthcare environment that is likely facilitated by attaching onto surfaces and developing protective microbial communities knows as biofilms. These communities allow cells to survive and tolerate disinfection with bleach. In this study, we show that C. auris forms robust biofilms on surfaces which promote survival up to 12 days, even with prolonged drying periods. We also demonstrate that development of these biofilms over time significantly reduces the efficacy of hypochlorite disinfection. By investigating the molecular mechanisms of biofilms, we have shown that these biofilms express efflux pumps, which may actively remove hypochlorite molecules from cells, allowing them to tolerate disinfection, and that uptake of iron from the external environment is also important for survival of these communities.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

Molecular Genetic Analysis of Rbm45/Drbp1: Genomic Structure, Expression, and Evolution

RNA recognition motif-type RNA-binding domain containing proteins (RBDPs) participate in RNA metabolism including regulating mRNA stability, nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling, and splicing. Rbm45 is an RBDP first cloned from rat brain and expressed spatiotemporally during rat neural development. More recently, RBM45 has been associated with pathological aggregates in the human neurological disorders amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and Alzheimers. Rbm45 and the neural developmental protein musashi-1 are in the same family of RDBPs and have similar expression patterns. In contrast to Musashi-1, which is upregulated during colorectal carcinogenesis, we found no association of RBM45 overexpression in human colon cancer tissue. In order to begin characterizing RNA-binding partners of Rbm45, we have successfully cloned and expressed human RBM45 in an Intein fusion-protein expression system. Furthermore, to gain a better understanding of the molecular genetics and evolution of Rbm45, we used an in silico approach to analyze the gene structure of the human and mouse Rbm45 homologues and explored the evolutionary conservation of Rbm45 in metazoans. Human RBM45 and mouse Rbm45 span {bsim}17 kb and 13 kb, respectively, and contain 10 exons, one of which is non-coding. Both genes have TATA-less promoters with an initiator and a GC-rich element. Downstream of exon 10, both homologues have canonical polyadenylation signals and an embryonic cytoplasmic polyadenylation element. Moreover, our data indicate Rbm45 is conserved across all metazoan taxa from sponges (phylum Porifera) to humans (phylum Chordata), portending a fundamental role in metazoan development.

genetics↗