Biological Sciences thesis and dissertation collection
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Recent Submissions
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Epigenetic gene silencing by heterochromatin primes fungal resistance
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Genes embedded in H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me)–dependent heterochromatin are transcriptionally silenced. In fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, H3K9me-mediated heterochromatin can be transmitted through ... -
Ubiquitin ligases regulate chromatin organisation during meiotic prophase in Drosophila melanogaster
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Meiosis creates genetic diversity by recombination and segregation of chromosomes. Meiotic errors can lead to chromosome missegregation and consequently infertility or birth defects. In Drosophila oocytes chromosomes undergo ... -
Crosstalk between the plant circadian clock and immunity
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Molecular circadian clocks are found across taxa to anticipate predictable daily changes in the external environment. In plants, the circadian clock is important to coordinate agriculturally significant processes that ... -
Metagenomic surveillance of viruses at the human-animal interface
(The University of Edinburgh, 2020-11-30)Zoonotic viruses are a major contributor to emerging infectious diseases, and continuously burden public health systems. Early detection and effective response to viral emergence require an overview of what viruses are ... -
Molecular basis for CPC-HP1 interaction: Implications for chromatin association and phase separation
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)The ultimate goal of mitosis is the accurate transmission of the genome into daughter cells. The Chromosomal Passenger Complex (CPC, comprised by Borealin, Survivin, INCENP and Aurora B) is essential for the faithful ... -
Effect of diet macronutrient content, infection and injury stress on larval and adult life-history traits in Drosophila melanogaster
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Dietary restriction (DR), the limitation of calories or a particular nutrient intake without malnutrition, extends lifespan and delays ageing across a range of taxa. To understand this response better and therefore its ... -
Taxonomic complexity in eyebrights (Euphrasia L., Orobanchaceae) and the British flora
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Many plant groups are taxonomically complex with species that are difficult to distinguish. The main factors driving this complexity include apomixis, selfing, hybridisation, and polyploidy. Plant parasitism is a potential ... -
Rapid changes in genome organisation during exit from pluripotency and the role of the nuclear envelope in maintaining the pluripotent state
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)The majority of Nuclear Envelope Transmembrane Proteins (NETs) are tissue specific and many of these facilitate tissue-specific genome organization. Genome organization changes dramatically during differentiation and these ... -
Molecular basis for the centromere association of the CENP-A specific chaperone HJURP: a key regulator of centromere maintenance
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Centromeres are epigenetically defined by the histone H3 variant, CENPA, which is crucial for faithful chromosome segregation and genome stability. CENP-A is distributed equally to sister chromatids during DNA replication ... -
Investigating the role of S-nitrosylation in plant antiviral defense
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)S-Nitrosylation, a post-translational modification, involves specific reversible incorporation of nitric oxide (NO) moiety to protein cysteine thiol to form an S-nitrosothiol (SNO). The cellular level of S-nitrosylation ... -
Molecular mechanism through which phytochrome b controls leaf blade cell division in arabidopsis thaliana: light control of leaf cell division
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Plants are highly malleable organisms that utilise developmental plasticity as a strategy to respond to external challenges which threaten their survival. Adaptive growth is regulated by external cues, including light, ... -
Study on the evolution of genome dynamics across the mega-diverse genus Begonia L. (Begoniaceae)
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Understanding the drivers of angiosperm species diversity has always been one of the major goals of research in evolutionary biology. In this thesis, the genus Begonia L. (Begoniaceae) is used as a model to study some of ... -
Influence of rhizobial symbiosis on chickpea root system architecture
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Since most soil resources are heterogeneously distributed, root distribution, termed root system architecture (RSA), is critical for plant nutrition. Rhizobia are bacteria that establish symbioses with legume roots, where ... -
Evolution of remarkable chromosome dynamics in two insect families with paternal genome elimination
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)During meiosis in diploid organisms, Mendel’s laws suggest that homologous chromosomes should recombine and be randomly distributed to gametes. This is true for meiosis in most organisms, however, in some cases, chromosome ... -
Dynamic modelling of monogastric gut microbiota
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)The porcine gut microbiota is composed of a considerable number of microbial species with several levels of interaction with its host, including the production of energy from sources, otherwise not digested by the ... -
Systematic analysis of small RNA function in respiratory virus infection
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and parainfluenza virus (PIV) are among the most common causes of respiratory infections worldwide, causing morbidity and mortality especially in young children but also elderly or ... -
Structure and distribution of homologous recombination intermediates formed during Escherichia coli DNA double-strand break repair
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is crucial for both cell survival and genome integrity. In Escherichia coli, these breaks are repaired by the homologous recombination (HR) pathway, normally using an ... -
Regulation of polarised growth in fission yeast by the Stress-Activated Protein Kinase pathway
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Cell polarity is a critical feature of cells and refers to the spatial differences in their shape, structure, and function. Most cells are polarised, with structurally and functionally distinct regions. This polarisation ... -
Praziquantel drug modulation of human immune responses: a tool for schistosome vaccine discovery and immunotherapy
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Schistosomiasis is a devastating parasitic disease caused by infection with flatworms from the genus Schistosoma. Schistosoma haematobium is the most prevalent species in Africa and the Middle East and causes urogenital ... -
Proteolysis-dependent regulation of telomerase
(The University of Edinburgh, 2021-07-31)Eukaryotes maintain their genomes in the form of linear chromosomes. Because of the inability of the replication machinery to copy linear DNA molecules to the very end, the chromosomes were predicted to become shorter ...
