![134076-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-05/134076-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=g5h_pwy1HTLpSetZj547hmMAeUw6PEyS&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240616/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240616T152417Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=75d206f063327e2fbf9cb26cdc31d441de99b4324a8984ae478f12e87d148a6f&itok=uMai1uiN)
![134629-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-05/134629-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=OC9g74iOm.etL1picmp9ZcdhOaeqoZ67&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240616/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240616T054141Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=ef0e6b061d625a42c57d9e4b0d140c8ac6597803612e19b8f0611bec093e2fed&itok=WhZvIOEL)
![134507-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-05/134507-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=DOnwCGey_.Gz8WS6q1zuavelth5qkkbR&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240615/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240615T041130Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=c25fc6596fcb9b1afc9580e32e43e51d3e03f5c8703d01f084e41692407d84d8&itok=R9FFMlAi)
![160710-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-09/160710-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=LSziIUH1jWiSDY_vyPnYsP7dcYCdjOne&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240616/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240616T123250Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=74cc9a5e7f4668704c80282fba844cb4cbb72ecd88b006cf8fbcfc37aa09a28f&itok=jMg6Ep8a)
In order to determine whether the spatial organization of FRCs and their expression of maturation markers (such as Ltbr) are altered with age, I performed immunofluorescence on frozen and cryosectioned whole lymph nodes from young and aged mice. My second aim was to perform RT-qPCR and flow cytometry in order to determine whether FRCs from aged mice have altered expression of maturation markers when compared to young mice. Thus, the goal of the honors thesis research was to determine whether lymph node FRCs in the aged mouse exhibit signs of impaired maturation in their protein and gene expression. As the immune system is profoundly impacted by aging, my project supports a cellular mechanism by which defects in aged tissues disrupt immune cell function. Therefore, understanding the age-associated decline in host defense could provide new avenues for the treatment of many diseases of which the elderly are most vulnerable, in particular re-emerging and novel pathological agents such as COVID-19.
![172007-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2022-12/172007-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=23bG0B33U9FGc9rb570wLglbFh49m7uA&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240616/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240616T083415Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=22939fc41da3473f64898d0380552bb932f0dbd5a9e65fababc504decd930d6a&itok=iig2uQ8z)
![171464-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2022-12/171464-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=WVN9N6UmN53OYbCrGSxWwiEyLgTQwv7j&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240615/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240615T192405Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=191bf3b2ccde8d91b5c74cdefb92ad82d5209cb5bb90f2addd17e1c676c14233&itok=c2ytKVOR)
![190960-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2023-12/190960-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=32KLLZcCnSnnlYNG_0BMKWsFRakZLkk5&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240615/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240615T044554Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=862d6b464f244d2ce346038db2dce7a0ae9025ae9a7e0c659be70c55ed4d46b0&itok=jSoAlJOS)
![190893-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2023-12/190893-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=TIFppnEX0j7M9t7OJR.En9zaqth0e8H8&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240616/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240616T144138Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=6705a6fb68bc7796cd9812be31a0447b8b870f49e2fca5668b8464fb48a6ab37&itok=c_K4WbEY)
![171382-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2022-12/171382-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=qR9xKEVv5hFS0XOs0IKAE.ynolyjbGor&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240616/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240616T034203Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=1a49c61982933fa97dbc6d47556d736b3f37ff8f3d39a06d1a748ab862e613fa&itok=OljC0Ti_)
One of the identified health risk areas for human spaceflight is infectious disease, particularly involving environmental microorganisms already found on the International Space Station (ISS). In particular, bacteria belonging to the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) which can cause human disease in those who are immunocompromised, have been identified in the ISS water supply. This present study characterized the effect of spaceflight analog culture conditions on Bcc to certain physiological stresses (acid and thermal as well as intracellular survival in U927 human macrophage cells). The NASA-designed Rotating Wall Vessel (RWV) bioreactor was used as the spaceflight analogue culture system in these studies to grow Bcc bacterial cells under Low Shear Modeled Microgravity (LSMMG) conditions. Results show that LSMMG culture increased the resistance of Bcc to both acid and thermal stressors, but did not alter phagocytic uptake in 2-D monolayers of human monocytes.