Jenkins, J.A. and D.D. Ourth. 1990. Membrane damage to Escherichia coli and bactericidal kinetics by the alternative complement pathway of channel catfish. Comparative Biochemisty and Physiology, 97B:477-481. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2286064
Jill Jenkins, Ph.D.
Biography
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Microbiology, Memphis State University, 1991
M.S., Microbiology and Biochemistry, Idaho State University, 1985
B.S., Biology, Rochester Institute of Technology, 1981
RESEARCH
Jill Jenkins’ efforts emphasize the study of potential impacts of environmental stressors at the cellular and molecular levels. Her major areas of focus include biomarker development, endocrine disruption, genetics, and comparative immunology. Key laboratory biotechnologies she uses are photomicroscopy and flow cytometry. Primary cell types studied are blood and spermatozoa, and assays are tailored to the particular species requirements and hypotheses being addressed.
Jenkins specializes in the development and application of biomarkers; these are measures of variables that respond in quantifiable ways to changes in the environment. The choice of particular biomarkers at specific biological levels of organization (such as genetic, cellular, tissue, hormonal, and organismal levels) depends on the study at hand. Because molecular and biochemical responses of cells are preceded by chemical changes in nuclei, cytoplasm, membranes, and extracellular fluids, these responses can be diagnostic and contribute to an assessment of ecosystem health.
BACKGROUND
1991-1992: Postdoctoral Res.; Reproductive Genetics Labs, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Univ. of TN, with Stephen Wachtel
Science and Products
Date published: December 14, 2020
Status: Active Detecting Sublethal Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms in Mammalian and Avian Cells
USGS Researchers are collaborating to study avian and mammalian cells to detect sublethal toxin effects following exposure to harmful algal blooms.
Date published: October 2, 2019
Status: Active Comparative Freshwater Fish Toxicity Testing of Antimycin A
Researchers are investigating the influence of Antimycin A on Asian carp and non-target fishes by measuring the effects of a novel species-specific bait formulation.
Contacts: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D., Robin D Calfee, Bonnie Brown
Date published: August 29, 2018
Status: Active Photomicroscopy and Flow Cytometry — Lafayette, Louisiana
About the Research
The Environmental Health Program collaborates with microbiologists at the Photomicroscopy and Flow Cytometry Laboratory to develop and apply biomarkers to evaluate the potential impacts of environmental contaminants at the cellular and molecular levels. Because molecular and biochemical responses of cells are preceded by chemical changes in nuclei,...
Contacts: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D.
Date published: July 31, 2018
Status: Active Computer-Assisted Sperm Motion Analysis in Measuring Reproductive Effects in Bass
The objective of this research is to assess the sensitivity of female and male LMB reproductive capabilities at the time of year when they are physiologically preparing for spawning season (also known as gonad recrudescence).
Contacts: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D., Jessica K Leet, Ph.D.
Attribution: Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Date published: June 18, 2018
Status: Active Studying Immune Responses in the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
The objectives of this study are to (1) investigate whether the immune system will respond to chemical stressors, such as new flame retardant compounds, and (2) determine if such chemical stressors influence white blood cells (WBC) responses after exposure to a viral pathogen mimicking bird flu.
Contacts: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D., Natalie Karouna-Renier, Ph.D.
Attribution: Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Date published: October 31, 2017
Status: Active Detecting Differences in Bacterial Metabolism in the Buffalo National River
Each year, the Buffalo National River (BUFF) attracts 1.6 million visitors, many of whom enjoy recreational water activities. Since 2013, a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) for swine has been operating on Big Creek, a BUFF tributary.
Date published: August 1, 2017
Status: Active A Website Tool for Predicting Triploidy in Larval Fish Spawns
Differentiating diploids from triploids at the earliest life stage possible allows for a more efficient use of resources including production time and rearing space. Thus, a reliable flow cytometric (FCM) method has been developed to discriminate triploids from diploids at the larval stage. In order to help simplify the process of differentiating triploids from diploids, we propose a simple...
Contacts: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D., Rassa Dale, Ph.D., Bogdan Chivoiu
Date published: May 26, 2016
Flow Cytometry Applied to the Animal Kingdom in Studies of Natural Resource Science
Flow cytometry is a technique for rapidly analyzing large numbers of animal cells using light-scattering, fluorescence, and absorbance measurements.
Contacts: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D.
Attribution: Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Date published: April 16, 2016
Status: Active Determining the Ploidy and Resultant Reproductive Capability of Artificially Spawned and Wild Caught Asian Carp
The invasive grass carp and black carp are artificially spawned to produce triploids, which means they have three sets of chromosomes and are sterile. WARC scientists invented an early ploidy prediction process for produced fry, and a post-mortem assessment method for carp caught either in the wild or sold and hauled live to other states.
Contacts: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D.
Date published: March 18, 2016
Pollinator Germplasm as a Genetic Resource for Conservation
Honey bee colony failure is primarily due to the infestation of mites and agricultural pesticides, including neonicotinoids. USGS researches the impacts these have on honey bee reproductive capabilities.
Contacts: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D.
Attribution: Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Date published: March 17, 2016
Use of a Sustained-Release Chemical Delivery Device in Assessing Effects of Systemic Insecticides
Neonicotinoid insecticides the fastest growing insecticide worldwide - and may play a role in the declines of terrestrial and aquatic vertebrate species.
Contacts: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D.
Year Published: 2021
Production of haploid gynogens to inform genomic resource development in the paleotetraploid pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus)
Order Acipenseriformes (sturgeons and paddlefishes) is an ancient lineage of osteichthyan fishes (>200 million years old) with most extant species at conservation risk. A relatively basal species, the pallid sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus, is a federally endangered species native to the Mississippi and Missouri River basins. Hybridization with...
Flamio Jr., Richard; Chojnacki, Kimberly; Delonay, Aaron J.; Dodson, Marlene J; Gocker, Rachel M.; Jenkins, Jill; Powell, Jeffrey; Heist, Edward J.
Year Published: 2020
Establishing genome sizes of focal fishery and aquaculture species along Baja California, Mexico
Genome size—the total haploid content of nuclear DNA— is constant in all cells in individuals within a species, but differs among species. Consequently, the genome size is a quantifiable genetic signature that not only characterizes a species, but it can reflect chromatin modifications, which play fundamental roles in most biological processes...
del Mar Ochoa-Saloma, Constanza; Jenkins, Jill A.; Segovia, Manuel A.; Del Rio-Portilla, Miguel A.; Paniagua-Chavez, Carmen G.
Year Published: 2019
Defensible standardized ploidy assessments for Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cyprinidae) intercepted from the commercial supply chain
Although methods are in place through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) program for ploidy testing of feral caught Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), no guidelines exist for carp hauled across state lines. Using 1200 Grass Carp purchased by undercover Ohio law enforcement during 2015–2016, we...
Jenkins, Jill A.; Chauvin, Megan D.; Johnson, Darren; Brown, Bonnie L.; Bailey, Jennifer; Kelly, Anita M.; Kinter, Bryan T.
Year Published: 2018
Assessing the risk of diploid grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella in the certified triploid supply chain in Ohio
Non-native grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) have been stocked in the United States for vegetation control since the 1970s, and recent evidence suggests some natural reproduction in the Great Lakes basin. Despite all states and provinces bordering Lake Erie either banning grass carp or requiring imports of only sterile, U.S. Fish and Wildlife...
Kinter, Bryan T.; Jenkins, Jill A.; Tyson, Jeff T.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Kinter, B.T., Jenkins, J.A., and Tyson, J.T., 2018, Assessing the risk of diploid grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella in the certified triploid supply chain in Ohio: Journal of Great Lakes Research, Available Online, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2018.07.004.
Year Published: 2018
Sperm quality biomarkers complement reproductive and endocrine parameters in investigating environmental contaminants in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) from the Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Lake Mead National Recreational Area (LMNRA) serves as critical habitat for several federally listed species and supplies water for municipal, domestic, and agricultural use in the Southwestern U.S. Contaminant sources and concentrations vary among the sub-basins within LMNRA. To investigate whether exposure to environmental contaminants is...
Jenkins, Jill A.; Rosen, Michael R.; Dale, Rassa O.; Echols, Kathy R.; Torres, Leticia; Wieser, Carla M.; Kersten, Constance A.; Goodbred, S.Attribution: Columbia Environmental Research Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Jenkins, J.A., Rosen, M.R., Draugelis-Dale, R.O., Echols, K.R., Torres, Leticia, Wieser, C.M., Kersten, C.A., and Goodbred, S.L., 2018, Sperm quality biomarkers complement reproductive and endocrine parameters in investigating environmental contaminants in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) from the Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Environmental Research, v. 163, p. 149-164, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.01.041.
Year Published: 2017
An accurate method for measuring triploidy of larval fish spawns
A standard flow cytometric protocol was developed for estimating triploid induction in batches of larval fish. Polyploid induction treatments are not guaranteed to be 100% efficient, thus the ability to quantify the proportion of triploid larvae generated by a particular treatment helps managers to stock high-percentage spawns and researchers to...
Jenkins, Jill A.; Draugelis-Dale, Rassa O.; Glennon, Robert; Kelly, Anita M.; Brown, Bonnie L.; Morrison, JohnAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Jenkins, J.A., Dale, R.O., Glennon, R.P., Kelly, A.M., Brown, B.L., and Morrison, J.R., 2017, An accurate method for measuring triploidy of larval fish spawns: North American Journal of Aquaculture, v. 79, no. 3, p. 224-237, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15222055.2017.1296517.
Year Published: 2016
A pilot study testing a natural and a synthetic Molluscicide for controlling invasive apple snails (Pomacea maculata)
Pomacea maculata (formerly P. insularum), an apple snail native to South America, was discovered in Louisiana in 2008. These snails strip vegetation, reproduce at tremendous rates, and have reduced rice production and caused ecosystem changes in Asia. In this pilot study snails were exposed to two molluscicides, a tea (Camellia sinensis...
Olivier, Heather M.; Jenkins, Jill A.; Berhow, Mark; Carter, Jacoby
Year Published: 2015
Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope’s gray treefrog) x Hyla cinerea (green treefrog): putative natural hybrid
Naturally–occurring hybrid treefrogs have been occasionally found in the eastern United States. However, these hybrids are almost always between members of the same species group. On 10 Jun 2014, at 2145 h, we located an individual making an unusual advertisement call along Bayou Manual Road in Sherburne Wildlife Management Area in the...
Glorioso, Brad M.; Waddle, J. Hardin; Jenkins, Jill A.; Olivier, Heather M.; Layton, Rebekah R.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Glorioso, B.M., Waddle, J.H., Jenkins, J.A., Olivier, H.M., and Layton, R.R., 2015, Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope’s gray treefrog) x Hyla cinerea (green treefrog): putative natural hybrid : Herpetological Review, v. 46, no. 3, p. 410-411.
Year Published: 2015
Novel associations between contaminant body burdens and biomarkers of reproductive condition in male Common Carp along multiple gradients of contaminant exposure in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, USA
Adult male Common Carp were sampled in 2007/08 over a full reproductive cycle at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Sites sampled included a stream dominated by treated wastewater effluent, a lake basin receiving the streamflow, an upstream lake basin (reference), and a site below Hoover Dam. Individual body burdens for 252 contaminants were...
Patino, Reynaldo; VanLandeghem, Matthew M.; Goodbred, Steven L.; Orsak, Erik; Jenkins, Jill A.; Echols, Kathy R.; Rosen, Michael R.; Torres, LeticiaAttribution: Cooperative Research Units
Year Published: 2015
Are endocrine and reproductive biomarkers altered in contaminant-exposed wild male Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) of Lake Mead, Nevada/Arizona, USA?
Male Largemouth Bass were sampled from two locations in Lake Mead (USA), a site influenced by treated municipal wastewater effluent and urban runoff (Las Vegas Bay), and a reference site (Overton Arm). Samples were collected in summer (July '07) and spring (March '08) to assess general health, endocrine and reproductive biomarkers, and compare...
Goodbred, Steven L.; Patino, Reynaldo; Torres, Leticia; Echols, Kathy R.; Jenkins, Jill A.; Rosen, Michael R.; Orsak, Erik
Year Published: 2015
Flow cytometric method for measuring chromatin fragmentation in fixed sperm from yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Declining harvests of yellow perch, Perca flavescens, in urbanized watersheds of Chesapeake Bay have prompted investigations of their reproductive fitness. The purpose of this study was to establish a flow cytometric technique for DNA analysis of fixed samples sent from the field to provide reliable gamete quality measurements. Similar to the...
Jenkins, Jill A.; Draugelis-Dale, Rassa O.; Pinkney, Alfred E.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Blazer, VickiAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Jenkins, J.A., Draugelis-Dale, R.O., Pinkney, A.E., Iwanowicz, L.R., and Blazer, V.S., 2015, Flow cytometric method for measuring chromatin fragmentation in fixed sperm from yellow perch (Perca flavescens): Theriogenology, v. 83, no. 5, p. 920-931. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2014.11.028)
Year Published: 2014
Proper handling of animal tissues from the field to the laboratory supports reliable biomarker endpoints
In the endeavor to assess potential effects to the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem from the Mississippi Canyon 252 incident, referred to as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, various environmental data have been collected. Whereas initial efforts have included satellite tracking and sediment and water sampling to estimate the geographical scope of oiling,...
Alford, J. B.; Peterson, Mark S.; Green, Christopher C.; Olivier, Heather M.; Jenkins, Jill A.