Monday, March 25, 2024
OSU One Health research targets swine microbiome to reduce antibiotic reliance Courtesy of OSU News
Courtesy of OSU News
Youngsters look into a microscope during an outreach event from the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Association at the North Mabee Boys & Girls Club in Tulsa on Feb. 29.
Biomedical Sciences club brings STEM activities to elementary students Courtesy of OSU News
Marilao, an Anatomy and Cell Biology doctoral student at OSU Center for Health Sciences and president of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student AssociaLianna Marilao always liked tion. She and other members of science, but it wasn’t until she was in college that she realized scien- BSGSA are hoping to spark and nurture an interest in science in tific research was something she elementary-age students through could do as a career. a new outreach program funded “I’d never met a scienthrough the Full STEM Ahead tist who looked like me,” said
grant from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Lindsay Owens, shared resource officer with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at OSU-CHS, said the grant money is being used to purchase equipment and materials that are put together in STEM lab kits that BSGSA then takes to schools and afterschool programs. See STEM on 7
for animal agriculture. Scaria’s research is directly applying this research for improving swine health, but there are broader impacts that When piglets are also address the issue of 3 weeks old, they are mitigating antibiotic resisweaned. This change tance in agriculture, and abruptly switches their diet from liquid of a sow’s human health. These infections milk to a solid diet which are an issue for humans they eat for three months as well because if miuntil they are market crobes in animals develop ready. The change in diet is resistance, those resistances transfer to humans a highly stressful period through contaminated for piglets, making them pork, or by workers getsusceptible to infection, ting exposed, and then is diarrhea and other probspreading in the environlems. If the piglets can ment. be managed effectively “Reducing antibiotic during that phase, limitresistance generally in ing infection and sickness, then they are usually the environment and the healthy during the rest of food production system is critical for our wellproduction. Traditionally, infec- being,” Scaria said. “In this case, the underlying tion treatments are to science is more or less give piglets antibiotics. However, the mass use of the same because there’s a lot of overlap between antibiotics causes antipig microbiome and the biotic resistance, which has become a One Health human microbiome.” A study published problem affecting both in 2019 by The Lancet animal agriculture and estimated that 1.27 milhuman medicine. lion deaths were directly Dr. Joy Scaria, OSU’s Walter R. Sitling- caused by drug resistance they also estimated that ton Endowed Chair in globally, 4.95 million Infectious Diseases, has been awarded a $385,000 deaths were associated with bacterial antimicroU.S. Department of Agriculture grant to investi- bial resistance, includgate microbiome-targeted ing both deaths directly caused by AMR and those interventions for swine indirectly associated with gastric disorders over it. three years. According to the The collaborative Center for Disease Constudy includes researchers trol and Prevention the from Auburn University and Iowa State University COVID-19 pandemic attributed to 1.1 million who, along with OSU, deaths as of Sept. 12, split the total grant of $770,000 aimed at devel- 2023. “Antibiotic reoping antibiotic-reducing sistance now is sort of treatments for healthy considered as a silent swine. “We know that when pandemic, that takes out five million people every a healthy complex gut year,” Scaria said. “By microbiome is present, then these diarrheal issues 2050, if we don’t do anything, it will become like like E. coli infection do not happen. So, in mature close to 75 million per year. It’s a huge problem pigs, E. coli infection is of boiling and simmering, not an issue. We see that and we really need to adin human medicine too,” Scaria said. “A lot of diar- dress it. So, alternatives to antibiotics in all spheres rheal infections happen in the infant stage, and as of treatment, both in huwe age, and we develop a man as well as agriculture is critical.” healthy microbiome, unIn human health, less something disastrous fecal microbiota transhappens, we don’t get diarrheal infections. That plant, where microbiomes from healthy adults are is this pattern between what you’re seeing in hu- transferred to infected man medicine, as well as individuals, has shown effectiveness in treatanimals.” ing Clostridium difficile The team is applyinfection. ing lessons learned from human medical practice See Swine on 5
‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ combines new, old generations Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter
True to the Ghostbusters style, an ancient artifact is in play with the Ghostbusters’ most sinister foe yet, Garraka (Ian Whyte), an ice-wielding god of death who is out for revenge. It takes all Pick up the phone, Cowboys, bethe new and old Ghostbusters, and a Fire cause it’s time to give the Ghostbusters Master, to take down the monster. a call. The film did well for a second go “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” at this new generation of Ghostbusters. flew out of the ghost trap and into The team is now back at the fire station theaters on Friday. The modern sequel in New York, which allows for all the to the 2021 film, “Ghostbusters: Afterclassic spooky moments. However, the life” follows Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna nostalgia works. Grace), Trevor Spengler (Finn WolfThe movie is sometimes a little hard), Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) and cheesy, but given its ‘80s source mateGary Gooberson (Paul Rudd) as they rial, I’d say that fits. There are many hunt for ghosts around New York City. little moments and character cameos,
but they don’t feel forced or out of place. The old guard helping the new happens naturally. Another nostalgic beat comes from some clever set decorating. A VHS tape here, a tape player there, and the ‘80s style of Ghostbusters gear brings you right back to 1984. I love the characters. The Spengler family is a welloiled Ghostbusting unit; Gary is comedic gold. His journey from science teacher to father figure is one of my favorite character arcs in the movie. He’s sweet and wants Trevor and Pheobe to see him as family. His cheer at the movie’s end, when Pheobe calls him
dad, is the movie’s best moment. Trevor and Callie are doing their thing, but the focus is on Pheobe. After damaging city property, our old pal Walter Peck (William Atherton) informs Pheobe that she is too young to battle ghosts. Phoebe rebels and makes friends with a ghost girl (Emily Alyn Lind). Sadly, this fiery spirit uses Pheobe to free Garraka, but in the end, the girl helps Pheobe save the day. Phoebe walks away with a lesson every teen eventually learns: they don’t know everything. Her story is one of longing and a need to be understood. See Ghostbusters on 8