University of Lethbridge Theses
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- ItemApplication of antimicrobial peptides to control leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) infection in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciences, 2024) Panthi, Urbashi; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Kovalchuk, Igor; Bilichak, AndriyScreening and developing novel antifungal agents with minimal environmental impact are needed to maintain and increase crop production constantly threatened by various pathogens. Small peptides with antimicrobial and antifungal activities have been known to play an important role in plant defense both at the pathogen level by suppressing its growth and proliferation as well as at the host’s level through activation or priming of the plant’s immune system for faster, more robust response against fungi. Rust fungi (Pucciniales) are plant pathogens that can infect key crops, threaten global food security and are capable of overcoming the resistance genes introduced in elite wheat cultivars. We performed an in vitro screening of 19 peptides predominantly of plant origin with antifungal or antimicrobial activity for their ability to inhibit leaf rust (Puccinia triticina, CCDS isolate) urediniospores germination. Nine peptides demonstrated significant fungicidal properties compared to the control. Foliar application of the top three candidates, β-purothionin, Purothionin-α2 and Defensin-2, decreased the severity of the leaf rust infection in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings. Additionally, increased pathogen resistance was paralleled by elevated expression of the defense-related genes.
- ItemMultigenerational UV stress effects in Arabidopsis thaliana offspring(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciences, 2024) Lopez Virgen, Andres Guadalupe; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Kovalchuk, IgorContinuous exposure to environmental stress contributes to species diversity and drives microevolutionary processes. However, whether epigenetic alterations, such as differential DNA methylation, are prerequisites for speciation events remains unclear. We hypothesized that prolonged stress exposure would increase epigenetic diversity more than genetic diversity. In this study, we analysed the effects of 25 consecutive generations of UV-C stress on the genome and epigenome of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results showed that multigenerational UV-C exposure led to significant genetic and epigenetic changes in the progeny. Genomic analysis of the UV-stressed progeny (F25UV) revealed a higher frequency of genetic variations compared to controls (F25C, F2C), with deletions being more prevalent than insertions, probably due to the mechanisms of DNA damage and repair processes triggered by UV radiation. F25UV also exhibited a significantly higher proportion of nonsense mutations, with C-to-T transitions being the most common, likely due to deamination of methylated cytosines. Epigenomic analysis showed that F25UV plants had more differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) across all contexts than the F2C group. F25UV also had more DMCs than the F25C group in the CHG and CHH contexts, with the most striking difference in the CHH context, where F25UV had over 10-fold more DMCs than the F25C group. Despite these genetic and epigenetic changes, no differences in progeny resilience under stress were observed, based on root analysis, reactive oxygen species levels, and overall growth at both the seedling and mature stages. Our findings suggest that UV radiation stress can induce genetic and epigenetic changes that are capable of being inherited in transgenerational manner. Although these changes did not result in more resilient plants, their non-random nature suggests an evolutionary and adaptive direction.
- ItemLeading professional learning: comparative perceptions of teachers and school leaders(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2025) Good, Brandon; Adams, Pamela; Wood, KevinA comparison of responses from teachers and school leaders is used to assess the effectiveness of various leadership strategies in facilitating teacher professional learning. Analysis used t-tests at a 95% confidence level to determine significant differences between the responses of the two groups. Results about effectiveness of strategies used by school leaders show agreement between the teachers and school leaders, and confirm existing research about their efficacy. However, results about the frequency that school leaders use these strategies show statistically significant differences between teachers and school leaders’ experiences of their use. These strategies include the use of school leader/teacher collaboration on professional learning, professional learning that is directly applicable to a teachers’ classroom, and the use of inquiry in the learning process. Additionally, significant differences were reported in the frequency with which school leaders observe teachers teach.
- ItemIndigenous anarchism: a story of resistance, reconcilliation and becoming through the decolonization of ways of knowing(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Sociology, 2024) Fox-Grey, Elizabeth K.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Hogue, Michelle M.; Ramp, WilliamABSTRACT The purpose of this thesis is to examine some aspects of what is needed to work reconciliation (healing) into western academic institutions via the art of resistance and the decolonization of methodologies in social science. The decolonization of methodologies will entail freedom to engage in a rigorous effort to engage with Indigenous ontologies and epistemology, and Indigenous selfhood and the spirit, as well as recovering and extending particular Indigenous knowledge systems. The decolonization of methodologies will foster not only better research but also the autonomy of Indigenous graduate students and their agency to embrace their cultural, landed and ancestral selves. Decolonization of methodologies could be a sign of the seriousness of commitment by Canadian universities to reconciliation. Indigenous students need to be able to feel at home on the territory where universities are located – their territories. Decolonization of methodologies will reconcile the precolonial past and the still-colonized present colonization by helping to remove the hegemonic claims of the European Enlightenment to govern all knowledge production. I hope to have demonstrated how I see Michelle Hogue, Kori Czuy, Casey Eagle Speaker, Robin Wall Kimmerer and others as having fostered, in their different ways, new approaches to Indigenous theory and/or research. I take a decolonizing approach to western epistemology, ontology and methods to highlight the way that Indigenous ontology and epistemology can add value to the future of research and scholarship.
- ItemTeaching and learning foundational knowledge about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2024) Morrow, Melanie K.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education; Adams, Pamela; Burleigh, DawnThis study examined the primary question of: What characteristics of professional learning do elementary teachers perceive to be influential in relation to increasing confidence in applying foundational knowledge about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people? A qualitative research approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews with ten elementary school teachers from a Southern Alberta school division. The study incorporated elements of Indigenous methodology, an interpretivist approach, and thematic analysis as described by Neuman (2014) for data coding. Drawing on relevant literature and frameworks such as the Leadership Quality Standard (LQS) and the Teaching Quality Standard (TQS), the research emphasizes the profound moral and professional responsibility of educators in effectively teaching and learning about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit foundational knowledge. The findings reveal significant challenges faced by educators, including fear, pan-Indigeneity, and differing perspectives from colleagues and parents/guardians. Despite these challenges, several key characteristics of professional learning were identified as particularly impactful: collaboration, experiential learning, immediate applicability, credible facilitators, alignment with teacher needs and passions, learning alongside, and the ability to sit in discomfort. These insights highlight the need for school leaders to actively support teachers in building confidence and competence in teaching Indigenous knowledge, while providing clear guidance and resources to help them succeed.