Deciphering Quorum Sensing in Bradyrhizobium japonicum
Location
Havener Center, Miner Lounge / Wiese Atrium, 9:30am-11:30am
Start Date
4-1-2026 9:30 AM
End Date
4-1-2026 11:30 AM
Presentation Date
April 1, 2026; 9:30am-11:30am
Description
Bradyrhizobium japonicum lives in the root nodules of soybeans, which are important to Missouri's agriculture and economy. Cells of this symbiotic bacterium perform nitrogen fixation—which contributes to improved crop growth—by ‘conversing’ with one another with chemical signals or ‘autoinducers’. Such a manner of cell-cell communication, called quorum sensing (QS), regulates gene expression and, in turn, ‘all-or-nothing' behaviors that bacterial colonies collectively perform. This project continues with the progress done last year to characterize the chemical structures of autoinducers produced by selected B. japonicum strains via various biochemical analyses. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was conducted to verify descriptive results from thin-layer chromatography (TLC), wherein multiple strains were observed producing (at least) 1-2 kinds of classic acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs). Such information could help in further studying the significance of QS in colony coordination and, potentially, strain competition.
Biography
Sindhujaa Jaiganesh:
Sindhujaa Jaiganesh is a junior majoring in Biological Sciences at Missouri S&T and an international student from India who originally arrived on the classic pre-med track , only to take a plot twist into the worlds of cell biology and immunology. These days, she's especially interested in the intersection of health and technology, where things get just complicated enough to be fun. She is currently researching quorum sensing in Bradyrhizobium and diving deep into the mysteries of cell-cell signaling in the Westenberg Lab of Applied Microbiology.Beyond the lab, Sindhujaa is passionate about health advocacy, particularly in underrepresented regions, and hopes to balance research with meaningful patient interaction in hospital settings. When she's not thinking about signaling pathways or microbes, she enjoys reading and is always open to new book and music recommendations. Otherwise, you’ll probably find her on spontaneous side quests with her friends, exploring the small but surprisingly eventful city of Rolla.
Sophia Nicolette Petilla Militante:
Sophia Nicolette Petilla Militante is currently a junior majoring in Biological Sciences (BS) with a Minor in Chemistry. An international student from the Philippines, she graduated from Philippine Science High School-Eastern Visayas Campus where she started getting involved in multi- and inter-disciplinary research. She continues to do undergraduate research work on cell-cell signaling in Bradyrhizobium japonicum, and its role in B. japonicum-soybean symbiosis, in the Westenberg Lab for Applied Microbiology. Aside from becoming a medical laboratory scientist, she also aspires of conducting clinical microbiology/cytology research. It is very likely you will find her either laughing loudly with her friends in public, or engaging herself in one of her many hobbies/interests (silence is still far from guaranteed at that point).
Meeting Name
2026 - Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference
Department(s)
Biological Sciences
Second Department
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Document Type
Poster
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
event
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 The Authors, All rights reserved
Deciphering Quorum Sensing in Bradyrhizobium japonicum
Havener Center, Miner Lounge / Wiese Atrium, 9:30am-11:30am
Bradyrhizobium japonicum lives in the root nodules of soybeans, which are important to Missouri's agriculture and economy. Cells of this symbiotic bacterium perform nitrogen fixation—which contributes to improved crop growth—by ‘conversing’ with one another with chemical signals or ‘autoinducers’. Such a manner of cell-cell communication, called quorum sensing (QS), regulates gene expression and, in turn, ‘all-or-nothing' behaviors that bacterial colonies collectively perform. This project continues with the progress done last year to characterize the chemical structures of autoinducers produced by selected B. japonicum strains via various biochemical analyses. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was conducted to verify descriptive results from thin-layer chromatography (TLC), wherein multiple strains were observed producing (at least) 1-2 kinds of classic acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs). Such information could help in further studying the significance of QS in colony coordination and, potentially, strain competition.
Comments
Advisor: David J. Westenberg, djwesten@mst.edu