Margarethe A Cooper

Interests

Teaching

Food Safety, Food Microbiology, Microbiology, Parasitology

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Journals/Publications

• Zuccolo, A., Joens, L. A., Cooper, M. A., & Cooper, K. K. (2013). Re-sequencing of a virulent strain of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC11168 reveals potential virulence factors.. Research in microbiology, 164(1), 6-11. doi:10.1016/j.resmic.2012.10.002
  More info

  In vitro passage of Campylobacter jejuni strains results in phenotypic changes and a general loss of virulence, as is the case with the genome-sequenced strain C. jejuni NCTC11168. Re-sequencing of a virulent strain of NCTC11168 identified 41 SNPs or indels involving 20 genes, four intergenic regions and three pseudogenes. The genes include six motility genes, two chemotaxis genes, three hypothetical genes and a capsule biosynthesis gene, which might have a critical role in C. jejuni virulence. Additionally, we found an insertion in both Cj0676 and Cj1470c, pseudogenes in avirulent NCTC11168, but functional proteins in virulent NCTC11168.
• Law, B., Zuccolo, A., Law, B., Joens, L. A., Cooper, M. A., & Cooper, K. K. (2011). Complete genome sequence of Campylobacter jejuni strain S3.. Journal of bacteriology, 193(6), 1491-2. doi:10.1128/jb.01475-10
  More info

  Campylobacter jejuni is one of the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in the world; however, there is only one complete genome sequence of a poultry strain to date. Here we report the complete genome sequence and annotation of the second poultry strain, C. jejuni strain S3. This strain has been shown to be nonmotile, to be a poor invader in vitro, and to be a poor colonizer of poultry after minimal in vitro passage.
• Sterling, C. R., Ortega, Y. R., Gilman, R. H., Cooper, M. A., Cama, V., & Adam, R. D. (2010). Molecular analysis of household transmission of Giardia lamblia in a region of high endemicity in Peru.. The Journal of infectious diseases, 202(11), 1713-21. doi:10.1086/657142
  More info

  Giardia lamblia is ubiquitous in multiple communities of nonindustrialized nations. Genotypes A1, A2, and B (Nash groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively) are found in humans, whereas genotypes C and D are typically found in dogs. However, genotypes A and B have occasionally been identified in dogs..Fecal Giardia isolates from 22 families and their dogs, living in Pampas de San Juan, were collected over 7 weeks in 2002 and 6 weeks in 2003. Samples were genotyped, followed by sequencing and haplotyping of many of these isolates by using loci on chromosomes 3 and 5..Human infections were all caused by isolates of genotypes A2 and B. Human coinfections with genotypes A2 and B were common, and the reassortment pattern of different subtypes of A2 isolates supports prior observations that suggested recombination among genotype A2 isolates. All dogs had genotypes C and/or D, with one exception of a dog with a mixed B/D genotype infection..In a region of high endemicity where infected dogs and humans constantly commingle, different genotypes of Giardia are almost always found in dogs and humans, suggesting that zoonotic transmission is very uncommon.
• Sterling, C. R., Worobey, M., Sterling, C. R., Cooper, M. A., & Adam, R. D. (2007). Population genetics provides evidence for recombination in Giardia.. Current biology : CB, 17(22), 1984-8. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.020
  More info

  Giardia lamblia (syn. Giardia intestinalis, Giardia duodenalis) is an enteric protozoan parasite with two nuclei, and it might be one of the earliest branching eukaryotes. However, the discovery of at least rudimentary forms of certain features, such as Golgi and mitochondria, has refuted the proposal that its emergence from the eukaryotic lineage predated the development of certain eukaryotic features. The recent recognition of many of the genes known to be required for meiosis in the genome has also cast doubt on the idea that Giardia is primitively asexual, but so far there has been no direct evidence of sexual reproduction in Giardia, and population data have suggested clonal reproduction. We did a multilocus sequence evaluation of the genotype A2 reference strain, JH, and five genotype A2 isolates from a highly endemic area in Peru. Loci from different chromosomes yielded significantly different phylogenetic trees, indicating that they do not share the same evolutionary history; within individual loci, tests for recombination yielded significant statistical support for meiotic recombination. These observations provide genetic data supportive of sexual reproduction in Giardia.

Poster Presentations

• Cooper, M. A., Mydosh, J., Sainz, J., Ignat, S., & Li, S. (2022, Summer). SaferFoodCats as a tool to engage students in Food Safety and train interns for Tribal outreach in Food Safety. 2022 Extension Conference.
• Li, S., Cooper, M. A., Sainz, J., Ignat, S., & Fournier, A. J. (2022, August). Increasing Knowledge in IPM and Food Safety among Underserved Communities. 2022 University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Annual Conference. August 10-12, 2022.
• Li, S., Cooper, M. A., Sainz, J., Ignat, S., & Fournier, A. J. (2022, October). Increasing Knowledge in IPM and Food Safety among Underserved Communities. 2022 UArizona Food Safety Conference, October 26-27, 2022.
• Cooper, K. K., Pinzon, J., Cooper, M. A., Skots, M., Flores, G. E., Mackelprang, R., & Suslow, T. V. (2019, July). Characterization of tree fruit bacterial communities during harvest. International Food Protection Association Annual Meeting,. Louisville, KY: International Food Protection Association.
• Lopez, G. U., Christman, K. A., Cooper, M. A., Carstens, R., Thoutt, E., Gonzalez, M., Vasovski, S., Cabrera, D. D., Lonchar, T., Geel, E., Torres, M. A., Lopez, J., Perez, S., & Villa Barbosa, G. (2019, Summer). The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension 4-H Program Collaborating Statewide in Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators. Arizona Cooperative Extension Conference "Pillar of the Community". Tucson, AZ: UA Cooperative Extension.
• Cooper, K. K., Pinzon, J., Cooper, M. A., Skots, M., Flores, G. E., Mackelprang, R., & Suslow, T. V. (2018, September). Characterization of Tree Fruit Bacterial Communities during Harvest. Lake Arrowhead Microbial Genomics Conference. Lake Arrowhead, CA.
• Cooper, K. K., Pinzon, J., Cooper, M. A., Skots, M., Suslow, T. V., Flores, G. E., & Mackelprang, R. (2018, July). Characterization of Tree Fruit Bacterial Communities during Harvest. USDA NIFA "Improving Food Safety" Meeting. Salt Lake City, UT: United State Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Others

• Cooper, M. A., Li, S., & Woolfolk, C. M. (2022, November). Keeping Food Safe at Home. IPM Newsletter.
• Li, S., Cooper, M. A., & Woolfolk, C. M. (2022, November). Food Safety Resources. IPM Newsletter.