eprintid: 37398
rev_number: 12
userid: 8782
dir: disk0/00/03/73/98
datestamp: 2019-09-26 18:04:55
lastmod: 2019-09-26 18:04:55
status_changed: 2019-09-26 18:04:55
type: thesis_degree
metadata_visibility: show
contact_email: genevieve.weist@pitt.edu
eprint_status: archive
creators_name: Weist, Genevieve
creators_email: genevieve.weist@pitt.edu
title: Designing Biosensors to Detect the Activity of 
Signaling Pathways during Host-Microbe Interactions
ispublished: unpub
divisions: sch_as_chemistry
full_text_status: public
keywords: Biofilm; biosensors;
abstract: During chronic infections, pathogenic microbes colonize host environments by forming biofilms, a process that is orchestrated by signaling systems. These signaling systems, sensitive to both host and co-habitating bacteria, help to recruit individual microbes to the biofilm, selectively target and kill invasive microbes, and promote biofilm dispersal.1 Formation of bacterial biofilms in cystic fibrosis patients by Pseudomonas aeruginosa microbes triggers the transition from acute to chronic infection in compromised airways. Unfortunately, due to lack of direct methods to detect signaling activity in living cells, signals within signaling systems have been difficult to identify in P. aeruginosa. We propose the development of strategies to track the activity of bacterial signaling proteins to elucidate mechanisms of host-microbe interactions.  
We aim to develop tools to determine the signals utilized in biofilm formation, visibly and instantaneously. To do so, we utilize dimerization dependent green fluorescent proteins (ddGFPs),2 circular permuted green fluorescent protein (cpGFP),3 and a fluorescent protein gene reporter as outputs  of the two-component signaling system from P. aeruginosa. These biosensors will allow us to track the downstream activation of signaling systems and the corresponding biofilm formation in living cells.
date: 2019-09-26
date_type: published
pages: 98
institution: University of Pittsburgh
refereed: TRUE
etdcommittee_type: committee_chair
etdcommittee_type: committee_member
etdcommittee_type: committee_member
etdcommittee_name: Childers, Seth
etdcommittee_name: Weber, Stephen
etdcommittee_name: Deiters, Alex
etdcommittee_email: wschild@pitt.edu
etdcommittee_email: sweber@pitt.edu
etdcommittee_email: deiters@pitt.edu
etd_defense_date: 2018-11-09
etd_approval_date: 2019-09-26
etd_submission_date: 2019-08-20
etd_release_date: 2019-09-26
etd_access_restriction: immediate
etd_patent_pending: FALSE
thesis_type: thesis
degree: MS
citation:   Weist, Genevieve  (2019) Designing Biosensors to Detect the Activity of Signaling Pathways during Host-Microbe Interactions.  Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.    (Unpublished)  
document_url: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/37398/7/GMW-ThesisDocument4.pdf