Mississippi State University

The ability of embryonic germinal cells to differentiate into primordial germinal cells during early development stages is a perfect model to address our hypothesis about cancer and infertility. This protocol shows how to isolate primordial germinal cells from developing gonads in 10.5-11.5 days post coitum mouse embryos.

Here we describe a procedure allowing the labeling of Edwardsiella ictaluri in situ in histological sections from channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus using indirect immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies Ed9 as a primary, and fluorescent FitC labeled antibodies as a secondary. This allowed for the detection of the bacterium using fluorescent microscopy.

A cyclic pressure bioreactor capable of subjecting heart valve tissue to physiological and pathological pressure conditions has been designed. A LabVIEW program allows users to control pressure magnitude, amplitude and frequency. This device can be used to study the mechanobiology of heart valve tissue or isolated cells.

The current study prescribes a coupled experiment-finite element simulation methodology to obtain the uniaxial dynamic mechanical response of soft biomaterials (brain, liver, tendon, fat, etc.). The multiaxial experimental results that arose because of specimen bulging obtained from Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar testing were rendered to a uniaxial true stress-strain behavior when simulated through iterative optimization of the finite element analysis of the biomaterial.

This article provides a novel technique to assess the performance characteristics of American football helmets by inclusion of faceguards during NOCSAE Standard drop tests. Additionally, two more impact locations are proposed to be added to the NOCSAE certification.

This video article details a straightforward in vivo methodology that can be used to systematically and efficiently characterize components of complex signaling pathways and regulatory networks in many invertebrate embryos.

Phenotypic differences among cervid populations may be related to population-level genetics or nutrition; discerning which is difficult in the wild. This protocol describes how we designed a controlled study where nutritional variation was eliminated. We found that phenotypic variation of male white-tailed deer was more limited by nutrition than genetics.

This protocol provides researchers with a new tool to monitor the fidelity of transcription in multiple model organisms.

Allelopathy has shown promise as a useful supplemental weed control strategy in cropping systems. To determine the allelopathic potential of a desired plant specimen, a stair-step screening method is provided.

By running the Pathway Association Study Tool (PAST), either through the Shiny application or through the R console, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the biological meaning of their genome-wide association study (GWAS) results by investigating the metabolic pathways involved.

We present a cost-effective method to the scratch migration assay that provides a new approach for determining cell migration without the use of equipment-intensive methods. While fibroblasts were used in this protocol, it can be adapted and utilized to study additional cell types and influences on cell migration.

The article describes an embryo rescue protocol for the regeneration of immature embryos derived from the interspecific hybridization of Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita moschata. The protocol can be easily replicated and will be an important resource for squash breeding programs.

We describe how to generate a widely used surgical model of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in rodents. The procedure involves occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery followed by the restoration of blood flow. This model is useful for studies investigating occlusive causes of intestinal IRI in both veterinary and human medicine.

This protocol describes flow cytometric assays that can evaluate the effects of toxin exposure on the endocytic functions of different subpopulations of zebrafish leukocytes. The use of specific functional inhibitors in the assay allows differentiation of the altered endocytic mechanisms.