North Carolina State University

About: North Carolina State University is a education organization based out in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Thin film. The organization has 44161 authors who have published 101744 publications receiving 3456774 citations. The organization is also known as: NCSU & North Carolina State University at Raleigh.

Two Semi-automatic Elutriators for Extracting Nematodes and Certain Fungi from Soil

Abstract: Two efficient, senti-automatic elutriators for assaying soil samples for nematodes are described. The first apparatus is a four-unit elutriator which combines conventional extraction methods with the following major features: atttomatic mixing of 500- to 1,500-cm³ soil samples with water (± air); "turbinate" sample splitters from which fractions of 1/15 or greater are passed onto 26- or 38-μm sieves for collection of larvae and adult nematodes; the capacity for collecting roots, intact egg ntasses, and cysts on 250-425-μm sieves; and a variable speed motorized sieve-shaker. Nematodes, after being collected on 38-μm sieves, are separated from debris by centrifugation or by Baermann trays. Secondary features include: air cylinders, solenoid valves, and time clock for atttomatic dumpittg residual soil and water; relay-controlled coarse spray nozzles activated for 5 sec every 30 sec for washing nematodes through 250-425-μm sieves; adjustable rates of water amt air flow, and tinting. The second type of elutriator operates on similar principles but costs less to construct. It requires somewhat more operator participation; sieve spraying is carried out by the operator, anti elutriators are dumped manually. Both elutriators also show promise for monitoring populations of certain other soil microorganisms.

Solving the protein sequence metric problem

Abstract: Biological sequences are composed of long strings of alphabetic letters rather than arrays of numerical values. Lack of a natural underlying metric for comparing such alphabetic data significantly inhibits sophisticated statistical analyses of sequences, modeling structural and functional aspects of proteins, and related problems. Herein, we use multivariate statistical analyses on almost 500 amino acid attributes to produce a small set of highly interpretable numeric patterns of amino acid variability. These high-dimensional attribute data are summarized by five multidimensional patterns of attribute covariation that reflect polarity, secondary structure, molecular volume, codon diversity, and electrostatic charge. Numerical scores for each amino acid then transform amino acid sequences for statistical analyses. Relationships between transformed data and amino acid substitution matrices show significant associations for polarity and codon diversity scores. Transformed alphabetic data are used in analysis of variance and discriminant analysis to study DNA binding in the basic helix-loop-helix proteins. The transformed scores offer a general solution for analyzing a wide variety of sequence analysis problems.

A Broadly Implementable Research Course in Phage Discovery and Genomics for First-Year Undergraduate Students

Abstract: Engaging large numbers of undergraduates in authentic scientific discovery is desirable but difficult to achieve. We have developed a general model in which faculty and teaching assistants from diverse academic institutions are trained to teach a research course for first-year undergraduate students focused on bacteriophage discovery and genomics. The course is situated within a broader scientific context aimed at understanding viral diversity, such that faculty and students are collaborators with established researchers in the field. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) course has been widely implemented and has been taken by over 4,800 students at 73 institutions. We show here that this alliance-sourced model not only substantially advances the field of phage genomics but also stimulates students’ interest in science, positively influences academic achievement, and enhances persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Broad application of this model by integrating other research areas with large numbers of early-career undergraduate students has the potential to be transformative in science education and research training. IMPORTANCE Engagement of undergraduate students in scientific research at early stages in their careers presents an opportunity to excite students about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and promote continued interests in these areas. Many excellent course-based undergraduate research experiences have been developed, but scaling these to a broader impact with larger numbers of students is challenging. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunting Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program takes advantage of the huge size and diversity of the bacteriophage population to engage students in discovery of new viruses, genome annotation, and comparative genomics, with strong impacts on bacteriophage research, increased persistence in STEM fields, and student self-identification with learning gains, motivation, attitude, and career aspirations.

Advances in modifying and understanding whey protein functionality

Abstract: Whey protein ingredients are used for a variety of functional applications in the food industry. Each application requires one or several functional properties such as gelation, thermal stability, foam formation or emulsification. Whey protein ingredients can be designed for enhanced functional properties by altering the protein and non-protein composition, and/or modifying the proteins. Modifications of whey proteins based on enzymatic hydrolysis or heat-induced polymerization have a broad potential for designing functionality for specific applications. The effects of these modifications are demonstrated by discussing how they alter gelation and interfacial properties.