Research and its rewards

Christa Robey is from Stewartville, a small community south of Rochester, Minnesota. She graduates this spring from with a B.S. in biology and minor in art. After graduation, Christa plans to take a year off to work and travel before entering medical school to pursue a career in pediatric medicine or family medicine.

Project abstract

Sodium Retention in Mice With Huntington’s Disease
Huntington Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern characterized by late onset, jerking movements, difficulty with reasoning/cognition and change in personality. The exact mechanism of the pathology is not known but current research is focusing on the hypothalamus and the endocrine system. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) provided evidence that HD mice had elevated metabolite (esp. sodium) concentrations in their blood, which led Dr. Janet Dubinsky to believe hypernatremia and resulting sodium retention may be the mechanism of brain shrinkage in HD mice. Subsequently, an experiment was designed to observe and analyze the cause and effect of sodium retention in mice with Huntington disease. A change in the metabolic activity of transgenic mice was observed upon the onset of HD, characterized by increased overall water consumption, decrease in urine osmolarity and increase in plasma osmolality.

 

Anna Testen graduates this spring with a double major in microbiology and environmental horticulture. She grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. While at the U, Anna participated in the CBS Honors program and worked in two faculty labs. She also served as president of the U of M Horticulture Club. After graduation, Anna plans to complete an internship at the National Arboretum in Washington D.C. before starting graduate school in fall 2010. Her ultimate goal is to obtain a doctorate studying plant-microbe interactions, particularly those involved in biological control of plant pathogens, with an eye to one day teaching and conducting research at a large public university.

Project abstract

Non-Conventional Methods of Soil-borne Fungal Disease Management in Soybean and Pea
As demand increases for organic and sustainable methods of agricultural production, interest also increases in non-conventional methods of disease management. Non-conventional methods for managing fungal disease, such as biological control and biorational pesticides, are becoming more important as chemical inputs are scrutinized and fungicide resistance develops in pathogen populations. In this study, non-conventional methods of managing soybean sudden death syndrome, a fungal disease caused by Fusarium virguliforme, and Aphanomyces root rot of peas caused by A. euteiches, were compared to conventional (chemical) methods of control. A biological control agent Bacillus pumilus and rapeseed meal were compared to two chemical fungicides in greenhouse assays to determine which treatments could reduce disease severity and maintain plant biomass when plants were subjected to conditions suitable for disease development. B. pumilus was also tested for antagonism in vitro against these pathogens, and all fungi showed reduced growth in the presence of B. pumilus. The results of this study showed that conventional methods of fungal disease control were more effective than non-conventional methods in maintaining plant biomass under conditions conducive to disease. However, the non-conventional methods reduced disease severity and may possibly have value in organic production systems. In the United States, Minnesota is the third largest producer of soybeans and the largest producer of organic soybeans and a major producer of peas, so any treatment that reduces the impact of soil-borne pathogens has the potential to make a large economic impact.