Honors Theses

Advisor

Yvonne Sun, Ph.D.

Department

Biology

Publication Date

4-1-2019

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Abstract

Excessive alcohol consumption is common in the United States, particularly among college campuses. Previous studies have shown that excessive drinking increases the risk of drug dependency, sexual assault and liver damage. Heavy drinking has also proven to impact immune capabilities. Immune cell function and numbers have been shown to be negatively impacted by alcohol treatment. This research project used different cell cultures to model human cells and investigated how exposure to alcohol affects susceptibility to bacterial infection. Listeria monocytogenes, a common foodborne bacterium, was used as a model pathogen. A high alcohol preferring mouse model was also used to examine the complex organismal responses to alcohol consumption prior to infections. These experiments were done in order to better understand the effects of alcohol consumption on the function of the human immune system and to help identify strategies to combat negative consequences associated with excessive drinking.

Permission Statement

This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes

Keywords

Undergraduate research

Disciplines

Biology

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