1. DCE SMART Team 2011-2012: The Bubonic Plague
By Zach Peterson and Matt Gargulak
Mentor: MSOE CBM Dr. Colton

2. What is SMART? - Students Modeling A Research Topic - Organize groups
- Research the topic
- Write an abstract
- Use Jmol to recreate biomolecular
structure

3. History of the Bubonic Plague
- Plague of Justinian (500s) - First recorded
epidemic
- Black Death (1347) - Major outbreak in
Europe
- Treatment - Eat well, rest, and leave
infected areas
- Biological Warfare - 14th century armies
used bubonic plague to their advantage

4. http://upload. wikimedia

5. Importance of the Bubonic Plague
- Common in rats
- Transmitted through
fleas to humans
- Extremely contagious
- Fast-acting
- Had no cure
/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Y ersinia_pestis.jpghttp://uplo ad.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ commons/d/d0/Yersinia_pest is.jpg
/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/F lea_infected_with_yersinia_p estis.jpg

6. Surface Protein - Pla - Gram-negative bacteria
- Attaches to cell walls in the lymph nodes
- Attracts Plasminogen activator inhibitors
(PAI) into negative pocket
- Breaks peptide
bonds

8. Yersinia Pestis (Scientific Name)
- Most commonly caused by the bite of an
infected rodent or parasite
- Rarely transmitted by human contact
- Common in unsanitary rural areas
- Oftentimes fatal

9. Yersinia Pestis (Scientific Name)
- Comes in three forms
- Bubonic (Lymphatic)
- Pneumonic (Respiratory)
- Septicemic (Circulatory)

10. Symptoms (Bubonic Plague)
- Gangrene
- Chills
- High fever
- Muscle cramps
- Seizures
- Swollen lymph glands
- Skin discoloration
- Bleeding of the ears

11. Why is it less common today?
- Increase in overall hygiene
- Decrease in infected organisms
- Change in climate
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