Project description:Apis mellifera syriaca is the native honeybee subspecies of Jordan and much of the Middle East. It expresses behavioral adaptations to a regional climate with very high temperatures, nectar dearth in summer, attacks of the Oriental wasp Vespa orientalis and in most cases it is resistant to varroa mites. The Thorax control sample of A. m. syriaca in this experiment was originally collected and stored since 2001 from Wadi Ben Hammad a remote valley in the southern region of Jordan. Using morphometric and Mitochondrial DNA markers it was proved that bees from this area had show higher similarity than other samples collected from the Middle East as represented by reference samples collected in 1952 by Brother Adam. The samples L1-L5 are collected from the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension breading apiary which was originally established for the conservation of Apis mellifera syriaca. Goal was to use the genetic information in the breeding for varroa resistant bees and to determine the successfulness of this conservation program. Project funded by USAID-MERC grant number: TA-MOU-09-M29-075.
Project description:The complete mitochondrial genome of the strawberry aphid Chaetosiphon fragaefolii Cockerell, 1901 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) from California, USA
Project description:Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) have promoted an understanding of commonalities and differences within or across patient populations by revealing the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms contributing to disease pathology. Here, we focus on developing a human model for PPP2R5D-related NDD, called Jordan syndrome, which has been linked to Early-Onset Parkinson’s Disease (EOPD). This disease model includes patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) which were differentiated into neural stem cells (NSCs) and subsequently specified into a midbrain neural stem cell and neuronal state. We sought to understand the underlying molecular and cellular phenotypes across multiple cell states and neuronal subtypes in order to gain insight into Jordan syndrome pathology. Our work revealed that iPSC-derived midbrain neurons from Jordan syndrome patients display significant differences in dopamine-associated pathways and neuronal architecture.