Life Sciences Commons^™

Biochemistry, Chavonda Mills, Shaundra Walker

Chemistry Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Biochemistry was created under a Round Five ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

The Effects Of Mercury Exposure On The Cytochrome C Oxidase 1 Gene Of Larval Dragonflies, Megan C. Little

Honors College

Mercury is an environmental pollutant; its most toxic form is methylmercury. Once mercury is converted to methylmercury in a body of water it is able to bioaccumulate in organisms and biomagnify up the food chain. Mercury is able to cause DNA damage through the generation of free radicals and binding to sulfhydryl groups of cysteines in zinc finger DNA binding domains, inhibiting DNA repair machinery. In this study the potential mutagenic effects of mercury were investigated on larval dragonflies (Odonta: Anisoptera) collected from national parks across the United States. Since mercury is a known mutagen it was hypothesized that the …

The Crowding Effects Of Rmlc On R67 And Chromosomal Dihydrofolate Reductase Enzymes, Michael A. Craig

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Lipid Binding Studies Of Blood Coagulation Factor Viii C1 And C2 Domains, Rachel L. Blazevic

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Blood coagulation factor VIII (fVIII) is an essential cofactor in the mammalian blood-clotting cascade. fVIII must bind the phospholipid membrane of activated platelets to function as a cofactor for fIXa. The blood coagulation cascade culminates in the formation of a stable blood clot. In humans, the C1 and C2 domains are implicated in binding phospholipid membranes, however the relative contribution of different residues in the lipid-binding mechanism is unclear. Using site-directed mutagenesis, expression of the isolated C1 and C2 domains in Escherichia coli cells, protein purification with metal affinity chromatography, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, liposome sedimentation assays, …

The Extension Of Rbc Longevity And Functionality In The Prevention Of Graft Versus Host Disease, Shanmuka Gadiraju, Megh Kumar

Undergraduate Research Posters

Given today’s current scientific method of preservation, red blood cells (RBCs) donated or drawn from live humans have a storage life of approximately 42 days, after which the blood will be discarded due to of degradation of the RBCs. The mechanism that drives said degradation is known as oxidative stress, in which the cells’ inability to balance out the creation and excretion of free radicals causes a conformational change in the shape and efficacy of RBCs. In order to counteract the oxidative actions upon the cells, it has been thought that the addition of reducing agents, specifically ascorbic acid, the …

Using Fluorescence Lifetimes To Characterize Lipid Behavior In Nanodiscs, Cynthia Janku

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Cellular uptake of molecules, including drugs, can be affected by the fluidity of the membrane. Nanoparticles have been hypothesized to alter membrane fluidity resulting in inflammation and its related clinical effects. Variations in phospholipids can alter membrane structure and its interaction with drugs or nanoparticles. To study membrane lipid differences and dynamics, we are using nanodiscs and liposomes as model systems. Nanodiscs are a lipid bilayer surrounded by a membrane scaffold protein, which is a derivative of Apolipoprotein A1, a protein involved in the removal of cholesterol from the body. There are important unresolved questions about how the belt protein …

Separation Of Blood Mixtures Using Fluorescently Labeled Antibodies, Christopher Ehrhardt, Dani Jabado, Emily Brocato

Undergraduate Research Posters

Identifying and analyzing biological mixture samples at a crime scene are of paramount concern for forensic scientists, especially if that type of evidence contains only one cell type. The presence of multiple contributors in a biological evidence sample reduces the probative value of DNA evidence and can sometimes lead to its eventual loss of value. As such, this study was performed in an attempt to examine and evaluate flow cytometry analysis as a means to separate blood mixture samples labeled with fluorescent antibodies. Fluorescein Isothiocyanate (FITC) antibodies were specifically targeted and bound to HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigens) markers present on …