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Ghani N, Baker H, Huntsinger A, Chen T, Familara TD, Itorralba JY, Vanderford F, Zhuang X, Chang CL, Vo V, Oh EC. Science Education for the Youth (SEFTY): A Neuroscience Outreach Program for High School Students in Southern Nevada during the COVID-19 Pandemic. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0039-24.2024. [PMID: 38527805 PMCID: PMC10999729 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0039-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Laboratory outreach programs for K-12 students in the United States from 2020 to 2022 were suspended or delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. While Southern Nevada also observed similar closures for onsite programs, we and others hypothesized that in-person laboratory activities could be prioritized after increasing vaccine doses were available to the public and masking was encouraged. Here, we describe how the Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) collaborated with administrators from a local school district to conduct training activities for high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Science Education for the Youth (SEFTY) program's curriculum was constructed to incorporate experiential learning, fostering collaboration and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. Leveraging neuroscience tools from our UNLV laboratory, we engaged with 117 high school applicants from 2021 to 2022. Our recruitment efforts yielded a diverse cohort, with >41% Pacific Islander and Asian students, >9% African American students, and >12% multiracial students. We assessed the impact of the SEFTY program through pre- and postassessment student evaluations, revealing a significant improvement of 20.3% in science proficiency (p < 0.001) after participating in the program. Collectively, our laboratory curriculum offers valuable insights into the capacity of an outreach program to actively foster diversity and cultivate opportunities for academic excellence, even in the challenging context of a global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabih Ghani
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Hayley Baker
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Audrey Huntsinger
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Tiffany Chen
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Tiffany D Familara
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Jose Yani Itorralba
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Fritz Vanderford
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Xiaowei Zhuang
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
- Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Ching-Lan Chang
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
- Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Van Vo
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
| | - Edwin C Oh
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine, College of Sciences, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
- Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
- Department of Brain Health, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
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Calvo-Villamañán A, San Millán Á, Carrilero L. Tackling AMR from a multidisciplinary perspective: a primer from education and psychology. Int Microbiol 2023; 26:1-9. [PMID: 36224500 PMCID: PMC9556281 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-022-00278-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently one of the most concerning threats in public health. The efforts to tackle the problem require a global One Health approach, using multidisciplinary approaches and a thorough understanding of the topic both by the general public and the experts. Currently, the lack of a shared mental model of the problem, the absence of a sense of responsibility amongst the different actors and a deficient education on the topic burden the efforts to slow down the emergency and spread of antimicrobial resistant infections. We here propose a multidisciplinary approach to tackle the AMR problem, taking into consideration not only the input from the biological and medical sciences but also the input from the social sciences. Specifically, we suggest strategies from education and psychology to increase awareness about antimicrobial resistance and to implement more effective interventions. Finally, we advocate for a comprehensive and a solidaristic model as the only solution for a problem which knows no borders. As such, political will and international cooperation will be key to achieve the desired change in antibiotic resistance trend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Calvo-Villamañán
- grid.428469.50000 0004 1794 1018Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología–CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro San Millán
- grid.428469.50000 0004 1794 1018Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología–CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Carrilero
- grid.11835.3e0000 0004 1936 9262School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
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Lin Y, Xu X, Maróti G, Strube ML, Kovács ÁT. Adaptation and phenotypic diversification of Bacillus thuringiensis biofilm are accompanied by fuzzy spreader morphotypes. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2022; 8:27. [PMID: 35418164 PMCID: PMC9007996 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00292-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus group (Bacillus cereus sensu lato) has a diverse ecology, including various species that produce biofilms on abiotic and biotic surfaces. While genetic and morphological diversification enables the adaptation of multicellular communities, this area remains largely unknown in the Bacillus cereus group. In this work, we dissected the experimental evolution of Bacillus thuringiensis 407 Cry- during continuous recolonization of plastic beads. We observed the evolution of a distinct colony morphotype that we named fuzzy spreader (FS) variant. Most multicellular traits of the FS variant displayed higher competitive ability versus the ancestral strain, suggesting an important role for diversification in the adaptation of B. thuringiensis to the biofilm lifestyle. Further genetic characterization of FS variant revealed the disruption of a guanylyltransferase gene by an insertion sequence (IS) element, which could be similarly observed in the genome of a natural isolate. The evolved FS and the deletion mutant in the guanylyltransferase gene (Bt407ΔrfbM) displayed similarly altered aggregation and hydrophobicity compared to the ancestor strain, suggesting that the adaptation process highly depends on the physical adhesive forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicen Lin
- Bacterial Interactions and Evolution Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Xinming Xu
- Bacterial Interactions and Evolution Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Gergely Maróti
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, ELKH, 6726, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Mikael Lenz Strube
- Bacterial Ecophysiology and Biotechnology Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ákos T Kovács
- Bacterial Interactions and Evolution Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark.
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