This community contains the theses and dissertations of the Department of Biology and Microbiology. raduate degrees available through the Department of Biology and Microbiology are the MS and the PhD in Biological Sciences. Students may choose specializations in Biology or Microbiology.
Due to copyright restrictions, the collection contains both open access and university access theses and dissertations. University access items are only available to SDSU users, and on-campus visitors. Non-SDSU users wishing to access restricted materials may request items through their institution’s interlibrary loan services.
Theses/Dissertations from 2023
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Rural Healthcare Workers, Jordan Neises
Theses/Dissertations from 2022
A Barley-Stripe-Mosaic-Virus-Based Delivery System for CRISPR/Casϕ2 Gene Editing Without Genetic Transformation and Tissue Culture, Aastha Acharya
Exploring Bioprocessing Technologies for Diverse Industrial Application of Canola, Ahmad Fawzi N Alhomodi
Genistein-Enriched Pig Gut Microbiota Library as a Potential Probiotic Consortium, Theresah Amponsah
Microbial Communities and Nitrogen Dynamics in Prairie and Cropland Soils, Bikram Kumar Das
Characterization of Porcine Respiratory Epithelial Cells and Their Innate Immune Responses to Bacterial and Viral Ligands, Yam Prasad Gautam
Decoding the Mystery of Antibiotic Persistence, Tahmina Hossain
Identifying ADP-Ribosylation as the Biochemical Signal that Marks DNA-Protein Crosslinks for SPRTN-Dependent Proteolysis, Katelyn Hurley
E. Coli Persister Cell Survival and Rhizobia Attachment to Soybean Roots, Tanim Islam
Leveraging Queueing Theory to Develop Advanced Synthetic Biological Circuits, Prajakta K. Jadhav
Role of Host Restriction Factors on Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) Replication, Pratik Katwal
Genome-Wide Identification of WRKY Transcription Factor Encoding Genes in Amborella Trichopoda Baill. (Amborellaceae), Bijaya Pradhan
Characterizing the LIR Domain of ABIN1 and Identifying its Role as a Regulator of Mitophagy, Andrew Rhiner
CRISPR/Cas9 Whole-Genome Screens Identify Genes Critical for Neutral Lipid Metabolism in Macrophages, Rifat Sultana
Optimization of Electrically Driven Fluid Flow Through Tissue Hydrogels, Joseph C. Walker
Beneficial Plant-Microbe Interactions to Improve Nutrient Uptake and Biotic Stress Response in Crops, Jaya Krishna Yakha
Theses/Dissertations from 2021
The Effects of Saline Soil on Microbiome and the Isolation Of Root-Associated Microbes to Relieve Salinity Stress, Duncan Jakubowski
Free-living Diazotrophs and the Nitrogen Cycle in Natural Grassland Revealed by Culture Dependent and Independent Approaches, Amrit Koirala
Improving Nutritional Properties and Extractability of Pea Proteins for Human Consumption via Fungal Bioprocessing, Camille Massmann
A Biocontrol Pesticide Derived From Mycovirus-Infected Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum Can Induce Plant Resistance, Connor Pedersen
Electrical Sensing in Non-Excitable Cells to Promote Galvanotaxis and Tissue Survival, Anyesha Sarkar
Pollinator Ecology in Agroecosystems of Eastern South Dakota, Isabela Beatriz Vilella-Arnizaut
ETDS from 2020
Interaction of Streptomyces Closely Associated with Bacillus in Nitrogen-limiting Conditions, Aminya Baniya
Characterization of Ovine Ileal Epithelial and Myofibroblast Cell Lines and their Role in Innate Immunity, Shaurav Bhattarai
Exploring Heterogeneous Phenotypes in Response to Stress, Heather S. Deter
Epitope Mapping and Mechanisms of Action of Human Influenza Antibodies Derived from Transchromosomic Cattle, Rongyuan Gao
Genetic Study of Alkane Production and Oxic Nitrogen Fixation in Anabaena SP. PCC 7120, Jaimie L. Gibbons
Investigation of Influenza B Virus Replication Potential in Swine Primary Respiratory Epithelial Cells and Phylodynamic Analysis of Equine Influenza A H3N8 Viruses, Sunayana Shyam Jandhyala
In Planta Evaluation of Gene Regulation by Soybean Auxin Response Factors, Pratiksha K C
Small RNAs: Big Roles in White Mold Infecting Crop Plants, Achal Neupane
Molecular Facet of Host-Pathogen Interactions in Fusarium Head Blight in Wheat ( Triticum Aestivum L.), Bimal Paudel
Utilizing Rhizospheric and Bacterial Endophytes for Use as Potential Bio-fertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Production, Vincent Peta
Exploring the Properties of Chitin for Promoting Tissue Engineering and Repair, M. Jahir Raihan
The Role and Molecular Mechanisms of Wss1 in Preserving Genomic Stability, Daniel Kwesi Sam
Development of a Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) Platform for Rapid Wheat Quality Analysis, Lily Schimke
CRISPR/Cas9 Whole Genome Screens Reveal Novel Regulators of Endocytic Processes in Macrophages, Jared Wollman
The Biology of the Influenza D Virus, Jieshi Yu
Developing Microbial Based Process to Produce High Value Natural Antimicrobial (Glyceollin) in Soybeans and Pullulan from Sucrose, Andrea Zavadil
ETDS from 2019
The Effect of Proteolytic Queues on Antibiotic Tolerance and Persistence Cells Population in Escherichia Coli, Alawiah Abualrahi
Disease Resistance in Wheat and Its Relatives, Ethan James Andersen
Interactions of Arbuscular Mychorrhizal Fungi and Bacterial Endophytes on Disease Resistance of Common Root Pathogens in Wheat, Janice L. Eibensteiner
Bovine Cellular and Innate Immune Response to Hemostatic Polysaccharides, Brian Kobylkevich
Identification and Characterization of Stress Responsive Genes in Soybean and Sunflower, Surendra Neupane
Validation of Candidate Loci for Maize Regrowability and Selection of Near Isogenic Lines for the Loci, Tajbir Raihan
Isolation and Identification of Potential Bioinoculants based on Phosphate Solubilizing and Plant Growth Promoting Benefits, Rachel Raths
Development and Characterization of Wheat-Thinopyrum Junceiforme Chromosome Addition Lines, Dilkaran Singh
Maximizing Ecosystem Services provided to the New Oil Crop Brassica carinata Through Landscape and Arthropod Diversity, Shane Stiles
Comparing Gut Microbiome and Virome in the Breast Milk- and Formula-fed Late Preterm Infants, Zyi Wang
Identifying Critical Genes for Cholesterol Metabolism in Macrophages Using CRISPR-Cas9 Whole-Genome Screens, Kevin Wanniarachchi
Increasing Accumulation of Glyceollins in Soybeans via Optimization of the Fungal Incubation Process, Stephanie Wootton
Improvement of Dried Distillers’ Grains with Solubles Utilizing Pretreatments and Fungal Fermentation, Burgandy Zschetzsche
ETDS from 2018
Diversity of Free – Living Nitrogen – Fixing Bacteria in Soil of Sioux Prairie of South Dakota, Nabilah Ali Alshibli
Identification of QTL Modifying the Activity of the Tcb1-s Locus and Characterization and Sequencing of Two Plutonium-Beryllium Induced Reduced Gametophyte Transmission Mutants in Maize, Merritt Bryer Burch
Transcriptome Analysis of Root Development in Wheat Triticum Aestivum Using High Throughtput Sequencing Technologies, Ghana Challa
Mechanisms by which Mechanotransduction Promotes Proliferation in Keratinocytes, Chhavi Chaudhary
Expression Analyses and Identification of Key Molecular Participants in Plant Responses to Environmental Cues, Praveena Kanchupati
A PCR/Sequencing Technique to Identify Species and Genotypes of Haemonchus from Mixed Trichostrongyle Egg DNA Recovered from Livestock Fecal Samples, Pratiksha Khanal
Synthetic Biology for Heterotrophic Production of High-Value Chemicals, Matthew McKillop
Dissecting RNA Silencing Pathways in Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum, Pauline Mochama
Identification of Macropinocytosis Regulating proteins and Signaling from Macropinosomes, Louise Monga
Microbial Communities and Their Impact on Bioenergy Crops in Dynamic Environments, Brandon Monier
The Role of Genomic Versatility in Multi-Niche Preferences of Escherichia Coli, Gitanjali NandaKafle
Serological Evidence for the Co-Circulation of Two Lineages of Influenza D Virus in Equine Populations of the Midwest United States, Hunter Theodore Nedland
GTPase-activating Protein-binding Protein 1 Plays an Antiviral Role in Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) Replication, Kabita Pandey
Proteogenomic Study of Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacterium Anabaena Cylindrica, Yeyan Qiu
Replication, Virulence, and Pathogenesis of Influenza Viruses, Chithra Chembil Sreenivasan
Role of Bovine Ileal Sub-epithelial Myofibroblasts and Epithelial Cells in Innate Immunity, Tirth Uprety
Surveillance of South Dakota Mosquito Abundance, Infection Rate, and Insecticide Susceptibility, Geoffrey P. Vincent
Universal Swine Influenza Antigen and Vaccine, Zhao Wang
Improving the Nutritional Characteristics of Plant Feedstuff By-Products Using Fungal Metabolism, Jacob Zahler
ETDS from 2017
Phylogenetic and Associated Phenotypic Analysis of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Mbandaka, Linto Antony
Enhancing Cellulase Production of Aureobasidium Pullulans for Use in Converting Dried Distillers’ Grains with Solubles into a Higher Protein Feed, Emily L. Baldwin
Identification of Physiological and Morphological Traits Governing High Water Use Efficiency in Alfalfa, Krishna Ghimire
Relationship of the Fractal and Chemical Characteristics of Self-Assembled Natural Organic Matter, Dennis K. Gibson
The Synthetic Biology of N2-Fixing Cyanobacteria for Photosynthetic Terpenoid Production, Charles T. Halfmann
Genetic Interference and Receptor Biology of Neglected Influenza Viruses, Runxia Liu
Investigation of Candidate Loci Associated with Maize Perennialism, Anjun Ma
The Effect of Sport Participation on Bone, Maggie M. Minett
Macropinosome Maturation is a Clathrin Dependent Process in Bone Marrow Macrophages, Susmita Poudel
Lipid-Laden Macrophages Downregulate AKT Phosphorylation and Metabolize Lipid Droplets via Autophagy, Rifat Sultana
Intranasal Immunization of Pigs with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus like Particles Plus 2’, 3’ –cGamp Vaccigrade™ Adjuvant Exacerbates Viremia After Virus Challenge, Alexandria Marie Van Noort
Effects of Root Isoflavonoids and Hairy Root Transformation on the Soybean Rhizosphere Bacterial Community Structure, Laura White
ETDS from 2016
Synthetic Biology for Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Production of Ethanol, Nathanael Braselton
Diversity of Free-living Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria in the Badlands of South Dakota, Bibha Dahal
Role of Silencing RNA fgsiR34 in Fusarium Graminearum's Pathogenicity to Wheat, Subha Dahal
The Endophytes of Pediomelum Esculentum: A Unique Case in Legume Evolution, Tyrel Ryan Deutscher
Analysis of Starch Branching Enzyme 1 (SBE1) Gene in Maize, Abiskar Gyawali
Enhancing the Industrial Potential of Filamentous Cyanobacteria, Tylor J. Johnson
Proteomics Study of Pre-Harvest Sprouting in Wheat, Pramod Khadka
Cooperation and Punishment in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis: Implications for Resource Exchange & Biological Market Dynamics, Jerry A. Mensah
The Search for Modifiers of the Maze Gametophyte Factor Ga1-s and Quantitative Trait Polymorphisms Emerging from Doubled-Haploid Maize Lines, Vivek Shrestha