Degree Name

MS (Master of Science)

Program

Biology

Date of Award

5-2023

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Erik Petersen

Committee Members

Jennifer Hall, Bert Lampson

Abstract

A rising problem in agriculture is the increase of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella cases associated with chicken eggs, which transmit infection to humans. To counter this, new approaches to combat Salmonella in chickens and desiccated on eggshells are vital in the prevention of human foodborne illness. Disrupting signaling pathways with naturally occurring compounds provides a potential novel avenue for prevention of Salmonella infections, as this would disrupt sensing of these environments and inhibit subsequent optimal gene expression. Starting with signals identified in previous studies, salicylic acid was found to inhibit Salmonella desiccation survival on both eggshells and plastic. To expand upon this, a desiccation inhibition screen of 285 signals resulted in 9 additional potential desiccation inhibitors, including deoxyribose and guanine. By using natural signals to disrupt bacterial communication pathways, novel therapeutics that serve as viable antibacterial alternatives could be developed to prevent Salmonella contamination at a major source.

Document Type

Thesis - embargo

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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