Department of Biology
These digital collections include theses, dissertations, faculty publications, and datasets from the Department of Biology.
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Evolutionary increase in genome size drives changes in cell biology and organ structure
The evolution of large genome size has been associated with patterns of phenotypic change in cell and organismal biology. The most fundamental of these is between genome size and cell size, which share a strong positive ... -
Selenium accumulation in plants and implications for human health: a survey of molecular, biochemical, and ecological cues
To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document. -
Paralogy or reality? Exploring gene assembly errors in a target enrichment dataset
De novo gene assembly of short read data is inherently difficult – similar to the process of assembling a jigsaw puzzle. I describe three errors that occurred with the assembly of target enrichment data in the genus Cirsium ... -
Phytoremediation with hemp (Cannabis sativa L.): a look at hemp's potential for environmental cleanup and economic recovery
The aim of this thesis study was to test hemp's (Cannabis sativa L.) potential for phytoremediation (environmental clean-up). I tested hemp for tolerance and accumulation of four inorganic pollutants, to evaluate its ... -
Ectopic expression of R2R3-MYB transcription factors to control suberin biosynthesis
Minimizing the deleterious effects of abiotic stresses on cultivated plants is critical to maximizing crop yield. Suberin is a glycerol based polyester found in the endodermis, seed coat, cork cells, and areas of wounding ... -
Three guanylyl cyclases in the green shore crab, carcinus maenas: cDNA cloning and effects of molt stage on expression in molting gland (Y-organ)
YO ecdysteroidogensis is suppressed by molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH) and the pleiotropic neuropeptide crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) with these neuropeptides being produced in the X-organ of the eyestalk (ES) ... -
A new woody perspective on copper homeostasis: systemic copper transport and distribution, effect of copper on lignification, and water transport in hybrid poplar
Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for plants. Chapter 1, as background for this dissertation, reviews the functions and homeostasis of Cu. We know at the cellular level how Cu is delivered to target proteins in the ... -
Conservation genetics and phylogeography of a disjunct prairie plant: Clematis fremontii (Ranunculaceae)
Premise: Clematis fremontii has a unique disjunct distribution with populations found in multiple distinct and widely separated mixed-grass and xeric limestone prairie habitats in the Great Plains, Ozarks, and Southeast. ... -
Modeling Nation-Wide U.S. Swine Movement Networks at the Resolution of the Individual Premises
The spread of transboundary animal diseases (TAD) is a major cause for concern to the worlds agricultural systems. In the dynamics of the spread of TADs between agricultural premises, the movement of livestock between herds ... -
Ecological interactions involving plant selenium hyperaccumulation
To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document. -
Fine-scale habitat use by black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) released on black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies in New Mexico
Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are among the most endangered animals in North America. The dependency of ferrets on diminishing prairie dog {Cynomys spp.) colonies for prey and shelter has been detrimental to their ... -
Dataset associated with “Using isotope pool dilution to understand how organic carbon additions affect N2O consumption in diverse soils”
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a formidable greenhouse gas with warming potential ~300x greater than CO2. However, its emissions to the atmosphere have gone largely unchecked because the microbial and environmental controls governing ... -
Eco-physiological drivers of geographic range limits in two closely related euryhaline fish species
A fundamental goal in evolutionary ecology is to understand the problem of why species occur in some environments and not others. Indeed, a general pattern in nature is that many organisms occupy only a subset of the total ... -
Three-dimensional reconstruction and finite element modeling of anuran middle ear biomechanics
The ancestors of modern-day amphibians were the first vertebrates to evolve a middle ear for land-based hearing. Today's amphibians retain a simple and effective middle ear structure similar to those of their ancestors, ... -
Selenium transport in plants with a special focus on selenium hyperaccumulators
The aims of this thesis are to synthesize current knowledge of selenium (Se) transport and metabolism in plants and improve understanding of Se transport in a class of plant species known as Se hyperaccumulators (HAs). ... -
Data associated with "Modeling U.S. cattle movements until the cows come home: who ships to whom and how many?"
Livestock movements between agricultural premises is an important pathway for the spread of infectious disease. Data providing details about the origin and destination of shipments, as well as information about the shipment ... -
Dataset associated with “An in-frame deletion mutation in the degron tail of auxin co-receptor IAA2 confers resistance to the herbicide 2,4-D in Sisymbrium orientale”
The natural auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is a key regulator of many aspects of plant growth and development. Synthetic auxin herbicides such as 2,4-D mimic the effects of IAA by inducing strong auxinic signaling responses ... -
Loss and integration: tracing the functional replacement of mitochondrial tRNA genes
To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document. -
Soil nematode community response to climate change and associated alterations to precipitation and vegetation
Understanding of the belowground grassland response to climate change is much more limited than aboveground responses. This disparity in knowledge is partially due to the vast diversity in species in belowground ecosystems ... -
Are you what you eat? Assessing intracellular effects of supplemental lipid within mouse (C2C12) skeletal muscle cells
The expression of myoglobin, an oxygen-binding protein, facilitates aerobically-powered dives by effectively distributing a finite oxygen supply during breath-hold dives in marine mammals (Costa 2004, Kanatous et al. 1999, ...