Greg Hampikian

Boise State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty Member

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Address: Boise, Idaho, United States

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Papers by Greg Hampikian

A simple method to tune the gross antibacterial activity of cellulosic biomaterials

by Dimitris Argyropoulos, Greg Hampikian, and John Heitmann

Carbohydrate Polymers, 2007

A very preliminary approach for grossly tuning the antibacterial activity of cellulosic fibers ha... more A very preliminary approach for grossly tuning the antibacterial activity of cellulosic fibers has been developed and its preliminary findings are described herein. The approach is universal for cellulosic-based substrates and first involves a physico-chemical adsorption phenomenon between fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and cellulose. The cellulose biomaterials were in the form of disks 2 cm in diameter that were subjected to standard agar growth plates containing a gamut of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Zones of inhibition were measured around the biomaterials which displayed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. This activity could be tuned simply by grossly changing the surface area of the cellulosic surface topology as indicated by the surface fibrillation of the microfibrils and hence the bioactive availability of the fatty acids. Thus, the potential application of these materials in the biomedical field appears promising.

format_quoteResearch focused on surface-active antimicrobial mode by using cellulosic substrates to accumulate fatty acids.format_quote

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Morphologic and molecular description of Metopus fuscus Kahl from North America and new rDNA sequences from seven metopids (Armophorea, Metopidae)

by Laura Wendell and Greg Hampikian

European Journal of Protistology, 2014

Most species in the large ciliate genus Metopus Claparède & Lachmann, 1858 lack detailed descript... more Most species in the large ciliate genus Metopus Claparède & Lachmann, 1858 lack detailed descriptions based on modern morphologic and molecular methods. This lack of data for the vast majority of species hampers application of a morphospecies approach to the taxonomy of Metopus and other armophorids. In this report we redescribe the large species, Metopus fuscus Kahl, 1927 based on in vivo observation, silver impregnation, scanning electron microscopy, and single-cell 18S rDNA sequencing of a freshwater North American (Idaho) population. Metopus fuscus invariably has a perinuclear envelope of endosymbiotic bacteria not found in other species. Unlike the original description of a single row of coarse granules between ciliary rows, the Idaho population has five loose rows of small interkinetal granules. We discuss the possible importance of this character in metopids. We also provide a phylogenetic analysis including seven other new metopid 18S rDNA sequences: Brachonella spiralis, B. galeata, Metopus laminarius, M. setosus, M. striatus, M. violaceus, Palmarella lata. Metopus fuscus and M. setosus form a fully supported clade, challenging previous morphospecies groupings. We discuss some ambiguities of armophorid morphologic terminology in the earlier literature. Our phylogenetic analysis of Idaho metopids indicates that the genera Metopus and Brachonella are both nonmonophyletic.

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A Solution for Microfluidics: Contact-Free Magnetic Shape Memory Micropump

by Laura Wendell and Greg Hampikian

The genetics of innocence: analysis of 194 U.S. DNA exonerations

Annual review of genomics and human genetics, 2011

This new analysis of 194 DNA exonerations, representing 171 criminal events, examines the types o... more This new analysis of 194 DNA exonerations, representing 171 criminal events, examines the types of evidence and DNA testing that have been used to free the victims of wrongful conviction. The types of DNA testing used to free the innocent parallels the growth of these techniques in forensic science. Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis now prevails (70%), though Y-STR analysis (16%) and mitochondrial testing (10%) are still used when STR analysis is not feasible, and the recently developed mini-STRs have been used for exonerations since 2008 (2.6%). The types of exculpatory evidence included intimate swabs (65%), clothing (53%), hair (13%), fingernail evidence (5%), cigarettes (3%), and other evidence. The most common factor associated with wrongful convictions was misidentification (75%), including misidentification by the victim (65%). False confessions (including admissions and pleas) were obtained in 30% of the cases, and informant testimony (including jailhouse and government inf...

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The First Successful Use of a Low Stringency Familial Match in a French Criminal Investigation

Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2014

We describe how a very simple application of familial searching resolved a decade-old, high-profi... more We describe how a very simple application of familial searching resolved a decade-old, high-profile rape/murder in France. This was the first use of familial searching in a criminal case using the French STR DNA database, which contains approximately 1,800,000 profiles. When an unknown forensic profile (18 loci) was searched against the French arrestee/offender database using CODIS configured for a low stringency search, a single low stringency match was identified. This profile was attributed to the father of the man suspected to be the source of the semen recovered from the murder victim Elodie Kulik. The identification was confirmed using Y-chromosome DNA from the putative father, an STR profile from the mother, and finally a tissue sample from the exhumed body of the man who left the semen. Because of this identification, the investigators are now pursuing possible co-conspirators.

Complete amino acid sequence of chicken cartilage link protein deduced from cDNA clones

by Ibolya Kiss and Greg Hampikian

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1986

cDNA clones coding for chicken cartilage link protein were isolated and sequenced. The DNA sequen... more cDNA clones coding for chicken cartilage link protein were isolated and sequenced. The DNA sequence for the entire core polypeptide of the mature link protein and the predicted signal peptide consists of 1065 nucleotides. The deduced primary translation product (355 amino acids) has a molecular mass of 40.7 kDa; the calculated molecular mass of the mature link protein core polypeptide (340 amino acids) is 39.06 kDa. The DNA sequence contains two tandemly arranged repeat sequences that may code for repeated functional domains of link protein involved in binding to hyaluronic acid. The mRNAs for chicken link protein are 6.0, 5.8, and 3.0 kilobase pairs, and the difference between the sizes of the RNA species lies in the 3&#39; untranslated region.

Y-STR Variation in the Basque Diaspora in the Western USA: Evolutionary and Forensic Perspectives

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2012

Individuals of Basque origin migrated in large numbers to the Western USA in the second half of t... more Individuals of Basque origin migrated in large numbers to the Western USA in the second half of the nineteenth century, and the flow continued with less intensity during the last century. The European source population, that of the Basque Country, has long been a cultural and geographical isolate. Previous studies have demonstrated that Y-STR frequencies of Basques are different from those of other Spanish and European populations [1]. The Basque diaspora in the Western USA is a recent migration, but the founder effect and the incorporation of new American Y chromosomes into the paternal genetic pool of the Basque diaspora could have influenced its genetic structure and could thus have practical implications for forensic genetics. To check for genetic substructure among the European source and Basque diaspora populations and determine the most suitable population database for the Basque diaspora in the Western USA, we have analysed the haplotype distribution of 17 Y-STRs in both populations. We have found that the Basque diaspora in the Western USA largely conserve the Y chromosome lineage characteristic of the autochthonous European Basque population with no statistically significant differences. This implies that a common 17 Y-STR Basque population database could be used to calculate identification or kinship parameters regardless of whether the Basque individuals are from the European Basque Country or from the Basque diaspora in the Western USA.

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MAGNETOMECHANICAL TRANSDUCER, AND APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR HARVESTING ENERGY

A Solution for Microfluidics: Contact-Free Magnetic Shape Memory Micropump

MAGNETOMECHANICAL TRANSDUCER, AND APPARATUS AND METHODS OF HARVESTING ENERGY

LAW, BIOETHICS AND THE CURRENT STATUS OF OWNERSHIP, PRIVACY, INFORMED CONSENT IN THE GENOMIC AGE

Biocomputing 2012 - Proceedings of the Pacific Symposium, 2012

LAW, BIOETHICS AND THE CURRENT STATUS OF OWNERSHIP, PRIVACY, INFORMED CONSENT IN THE GENOMIC AGE.

Morphology, Morphometrics, and Molecular Characterization of Bryophrya gemmea n. sp. (Ciliophora, Colpodea): Implications for the Phylogeny and Evolutionary Scenario for the Formation of Oral Ciliature in the Order Colpodida

Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 2011

We studied the morphology, morphometry, resting, and reproductive cysts, as well as the molecular... more We studied the morphology, morphometry, resting, and reproductive cysts, as well as the molecular phylogeny of Bryophrya gemmea n. sp., a colpodid ciliate that was discovered in ephemeral puddles in Idaho, northwest United States. This new species is distinguished from congeners by the irregularly pentagonal adoral organelles, four to five vestibular kineties, the single micronucleus, and one to three rows of brightly refractive protuberant interkinetal cortical granules to the right of the preoral suture. Resting cysts have two distinct membranes and an outer mucous coat. As typical for most colpodids, reproduction occurs in division cysts but details of ontogenesis are unknown. The 18S rRNA gene sequence shows only weak support for the phylogenetic relationship between Bryophrya and the bryophryid genus Notoxoma previously inferred from morphologic characters. Further, our molecular phylogenies classify bryophryids rather basal within the order Colpodida, not supporting ordinal status suggested by morphologists. Based on molecular data and morphologic characters, the colpodid genus Ilsiella is removed from the family Marynidae and placed in a new family, Ilsiellidae. Considering the molecular data, an evolutionary scenario for the formation of colpodid oral structures from a cyrtolophosidid ancestor through a bryophryid intermediate is proposed.

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A magnetic shape memory micropump: contact-free, and compatible with PCR and human DNA profiling

by Greg Hampikian and Laura Wendell

Smart Materials and Structures, 2012

ABSTRACT

Dynamic passivation with BSA overcomes LTCC mediated inhibition of PCR

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2013

ABSTRACT The increasing use of low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) for the fabrication of bio... more ABSTRACT The increasing use of low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) for the fabrication of biological microfluidic devices necessitates further research on LTCC biocompatibility. In this study we explore the inhibitory effect of DuPont&#39;s 951 LTCC on Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and demonstrate a novel mechanism to increase biocompatibility between LTCC and PCR with the addition of a common passivation substance, bovine serum albumin (BSA). We show that DuPont&#39;s 951 LTCC binds negatively charged proteins including BSA and ovalbumin (OVA). This is a significant discovery as proteins (enzymes) are an essential component of most biological reactions, and a frequent addition to microfluidic devices. A proposed model for LTCC inhibition of PCR by enzyme adsorption is presented.

Nullomer derived anticancer peptides (NulloPs): Differential lethal effects on normal and cancer cells in vitro

Peptides, 2012

PolyArgNulloPs Pentapeptide Cancer LnCap MDA-MB-231 Prostate cancer Breast cancer Trehalose Solub... more

format_quoteThe nullomer approach shows anticancer effects, with NulloPs impairing growth in various cancer cell lines via mitochondrial disruption.format_quote

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Evolution of sex determination and the Y chromosome: SRY-related sequences in marsupials

Nature, 1992

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Safeguarding forensic DNA reference samples with nullomer barcodes

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2013

Unintended transfer of biological material containing DNA is a concern to all laboratories conduc... more Unintended transfer of biological material containing DNA is a concern to all laboratories conducting PCR analysis. While forensic laboratories have protocols in place to reduce the possibility of contaminating casework samples, there is no way to detect when a reference sample is mislabeled as evidence, or contaminates a forensic sample. Thus there is public concern regarding the safeguarding of DNA submitted to crime labs. We demonstrate a method of introducing an internal amplification control to reference samples, in the form of a nullomer barcode which is based upon sequences absent or rare from publically accessible DNA databases. The detection of this barcode would indicate that the source of analyzed DNA was from a reference sample provided by an individual, and not from an evidence sample. We demonstrate that the nullomers can be added directly to collection devices (FTA paper) to allow tagging during the process of sample collection. We show that such nullomer oligonucleotides can be added to existing forensic typing and quantification kits, without affecting genotyping or quantification results. Finally, we show that even when diluted a million-fold and spilled on a knife, the nullomer tags can be clearly detected. These tags support the National Research Council of the National Academy recommendation that &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Quality control procedures should be designed to identify mistakes, fraud, and bias&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; in forensic science (National Academy of Sciences, 2009).

Y-STR variation in the Basque diaspora in the Western USA: evolutionary and forensic perspectives

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2012

We used a standard handling protocol to examine the stress response of captive young western scre... more We used a standard handling protocol to examine the stress response of captive young western screech-owls during their active (nighttime) and inactive (daytime) periods and to compare the stress responses of captive and free-living owls. Circulating corticosterone levels were significantly higher during the inactive period than in the active period in this nocturnal species. This suggests that the daily pattern of corticosterone secretion is reversed in nocturnal birds and is correlated with activity period rather than with the light/dark cycle. Young (ca. 4-5 mo old) screech-owls of both sexes showed increases in plasma corticosterone up to 30 min after capture, followed by significant decreases at 60 min. This pattern is similar to those of other species of birds examined previously, except that decreases in corticosterone at 60 min rarely have been observed. Such decreases may be the result of physiological differences between adult and young birds, habituation to handling in captive birds, or the effects of body condition. Corticosterone levels and the response to capture and handling were comparable in captive and free-living owls, which suggests that the captive owls were not subjected to chronically high levels of stress.

format_quoteCorticosterone levels rose significantly in captive owls at 1, 5, and 10 minutes after stress, indicating a robust adrenal response to handling.format_quote

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The Y-STR Genetic Diversity of an Idaho Basque Population, with Comparison to European Basques and US Caucasians

Human Biology, 2011

Fifty unrelated Basque males from southwest Idaho were typed for the 17 Y-STR loci in the Yfiler ... more Fifty unrelated Basque males from southwest Idaho were typed for the 17 Y-STR loci in the Yfiler multiplex kit (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, YGATA H4.1 and DYS385a/b). In total, 42 haplotypes were identified, with no more than two individuals sharing a single haplotype. The haplotype diversity (HD) was 0.9935, and gene diversity (D) over loci was 0.457 Ϯ 0.137. The Idaho Basque population was compared to the source population from the Basque autonomous region of Northern Spain and Southern France, as well as a United States Caucasian population. The haplotype diversity for the immigrant Basque sample is within 0.4% of the haplotype diversity of the European Basques (0.9903); thus the power of discrimination is similar for each population. The Idaho Basque population has less diversity in 9 out of 16 loci (considering DYS385a/b together) and 3% less diversity across all loci, compared to the European Basque population. A multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) was created using pairwise R ST values to compare the Idaho Basques to other populations. Based upon R ST and F ST measures, no significant differentiation was found between the Idaho and source European Basque population.

format_quoteStatistical analysis revealed no significant differentiation between Idaho Basques and their European counterparts (F ST measures).format_quote

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Excessive praise for an extraordinary chromosome

Heredity, 2004

Greg Hampikian

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