Tommy Rodriguez

Researchers have shown that cancer susceptibility in BRCA1/2 occurs at disproportional rates and statistical degrees across a wide range of species, particularly non-human primates. This studyincorporates two primary scopes for examining BRCA 1/2 cancer susceptibility among closely related lineages: (1) phylogenetic reconstruction of mRNA BRCA1/2 genes (both cancer susceptible and non-cancer susceptible) in variously distinct primate families (including Homo sapiens); and (2) pairwise comparative analysis of breast cancer 1 early onset BRCA1 mRNA partial cds within immediate human populations. The results generated by phylogenetic reconstruction together with pairwise comparative analysis revealed that cancer-causing alterations in BRCA1/2 appear to originate within localized gene pools at separate junctures throughout evolutionary time. This supports the explanation that BRCA1/2 genes may be undergoing rapid evolution, as revealed by unusually high proportion of dissimilarities between cancer susceptibility sequences among members of each group or species.

Domesticated dogs are byproducts of controlled breeding practices that make it difficult to establish a historically accurate phylogeny of divergent events among any localized group. Despite the difficulties of arriving at an accurate inference, this study found distinct phylogenetic clusters within modernday British dogs that largely corresponded to phenotype or function. Here, I examine maternal lineages among post-Victorian dog breeds by way of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences. Two distinct sets of raw sequences were used in this investigation. My results will show that modern-day hounds, herding breeds, and spaniels fall nearest the midpoint of unrooted trees and contain the highest nucleotide substitution rates in the entire network, making these particular varieties strong candidates for the closest living relatives to the oldest lineages of European ancestry in Britain.

This investigation reexamines mammal class diversification from a comparative phylogenetic perspective. By reconstructing a large-scale phylogeny based on mitochondrial biomarkers, I seek to reaffirm models of mammal class diversification among lineages that endured through the K-T event and onward. Two hundred thirty-five complete mtDNA sequences and sixty-two major taxa families within the class mammalia were represented in this study. My results will show that divergence among early eutherian mammals can be traced to a single modern group that shares homologous traits with the oldest eutherian fossil species ever found. Moreover, molecular clock analysis of phylogenetic reconstruction highlights the position taken by others - rapid diversification between marsupial and placental mammals may have occurred much earlier than traditional models presume.

This study revisits antibiotic resistance as a source of evolutionary development in pathogenic bacteria. By taking a molecular phylogenetic approach to this inquiry, I seek to find homologous correlations in antimicrobial resistance gene families across a broad spectrum of bacteria, as to identify the possible acquisition of those genes through divergent events in evolutionary context. In order to test this, I examine the various degrees of genetic similarity in two antimicrobial resistance genomic datasets, namely aadA1 & aadA2 aminoglycoside resistance genes, among bacteria that occur in a multitude of environments. Moreover, the results from phylogenetic analysis suggests that pathogenic antibiotic resistance for aadA1 & aadA2 aminoglycoside resistance genes may have been acquired through evolutionary events with a common ancestor of a soil-dwelling bacterium.

Biological aging is marked by progressively degenerative physiological change that causes damage to tissues and organs. Errors in biopolymers accumulate over time; mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere attrition, and wider genomic instability lead to an altered state of intercellular communication. In this investigation, my focus will be aimed at examining and identifying specifically critical biomarkers in genetic variants of KLOTHO (a transmembrane protein involved in the genetic regulation of age-related disease) among organisms with varied life spans that range across wide taxonomical rankings. Here, I investigate the correlation between lower and higher frequency a-amino acid compositions in Klotho protein factors within a grouped methodology; as to also include several demonstrative techniques in comparative sequence analysis for inferring relatedness in evolutionary context.

This article seeks to emphasize a simplified approach to phylogeny research using complete mitochondrial genomes alone, while touching upon a number of technological perspectives, such as algorithmic selection, which can help improve accuracy and performance in comparative analysis. My results will show that reliable estimations can be obtained by using mitochondrial markers, even among time-extended taxonomical rankings. Six distinct mammalian groups of taxa were selected for comparison. In all cases, mtDNA models generated reliable phylogeny approximations when compared against other independent data, while rendering exceptional computational performance.

Curiosity has driven Tommy Rodriguez deep into the marshlands and swamps of sunny South Florida. Visions of the Everglades chronicles his experiences in the Florida Everglades. A sense of adventure compelled Rodriguez to take on the task of exploring and documenting its habitats in search of something new. What he found was an experience like no other. Apart from narrating those experiences, this illustrated book is meant to broaden Everglades awareness. Because of the recent environmental challenges facing this ecosystem, Rodriguez has taken it upon himself to educate the public about preservation and conservation efforts to restore Florida's Everglades.

His hope is that this book will serve as a launching board of interest in matters of ecosystem preservation and inspire individuals to get involved.

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