Life Sciences Commons^™

Snow Algae Of Mt. Watson, Fiona Mcbride

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The taxonomy and life history of all the organisms that belong to the category of “snow algae” is complicated and contentious. Though scientists publish studies every year investigating these questions, many gaps remain in our collective knowledge. We conducted a study over two years to investigate a newly described genus, Sanguina, in a subglacial habitat system on Mt. Watson. Using size and morphologic data we found yearly occurrences of cysts of both species and can conjecture about their life cycle changes according to microhabitat. Additional work will be done in sequencing and reviewing data before submission for publication.

Submission is …

The Marine World: Its Misrepresentation In Popular Depictions, Ryan T. Brubaker

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The underwater world is one of the least understood realms on our planet. It exists in our minds as a sort of alternative reality that has been shaped by underwater imaginaries such as Jacques Cousteau, Netflix, and Disney. These pop culture depictions of the ocean play off ideas such as a “stranger in this ecosystem” narrative and deceptions of the senses to present a more captivating version of the underwater world. Ones that’s purpose is not to inform, rather to entertain. Drawing on my own experience as a diver and marine biologist, I will explore these deceptions to provide a …

Tracking Our Progress Through The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alexandra Bogacz

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This project goes into the progression of the pandemic, from start to today. It covers topics such as coronavirus biology, replication, country approaches to shutdowns, basic immunology, vaccinations, and future predictions.

Catcher And The Fry: Ecology, Power, And My Life With Salmon, Olivia Mueller

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Pacific salmon serve a unique role in their ecosystem as network connectors. From transferring nutrients from the aquatic environment to terrestrial habitats, to subverting trophic hierarchies by nourishing the roots of trees and the bellies of orcas, salmon manage to fulfill an interesting role in connecting networks of biological communities. This connecting nature of pacific salmon is mirrored in the role they play as human community connectors, as is reflected in their part in food and land justice issues in the Pacific Northwest. I will explore the role of salmon in preserving Indigenous people against the imposed hegemony of settler …

The Possible Presence Of Mycorrhizae In The Chuckanut Marsh Wetland And The Lamentable Absence Of Personality In Scientific Communication, Evangeline Schmitt

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

A surge in research about mycorrhizae over the past few decades has revealed mycorrhizal associations to be critical to plant ecosystems. They are present in over 90% of plant species and allow them to share nutrients and information through fungal mycelia. The question of how pervasive mycorrhizae are in different habitats receives ever-changing answers as research continues. In this literature review, I explore what mycorrhizal species are likely to be present in a local ecosystem with diverse plant communities: the Chuckanut marsh estuary. I explain how I cross-referenced a plant species list from a Chuckanut marsh characterization study with plant …

Spike Protein Antibody Interactions Elicited By The Sars-Cov-2 Vaccine, Meghan Quinlan

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) arose as a novel virus in Wuhan China in December 2019. Then, as it rapidly spread across the world, it was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization in March 2020. SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has dramatically disrupted both normal life and the economy. In the past year and a half, there have been over 175 million cases globally1 (as of June 15, 2021). High death rates, disruption to education, and widespread job loss has necessitated the desperate need for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. A …

The Graph Menagerie: An Exploration Of The Intersection Of Math, Biology, And Art, Maggie Barry

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This project explores interdisciplinarity with a focus on how math and biology can interact with art. My main objective was to create art by graphing the silhouettes of animals. I selected ten animals from a variety of classes and habitats and used a collection of equation types such as linear, quadratic, trigonometric, and circular to draw an outline of each animal. I performed stretches, compressions, and shifts to control the size and position of each equation and set domains and ranges to determine how much of each line was visible on the graph. In the first section of this paper, …

Examining Perception Of Sti And Pregnancy Risk And Prevention Among A Sample Of College Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Emily Van Deinse

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Introduction: College students tend to engage in higher risk sexual behaviors. However, contraception use varies by prevention focus (STI vs pregnancy prevention) and a person’s perception of themselves as a contraceptive user. Research questions pertained to three main topics: sexual behaviors, STI perception and prevention, and pregnancy perception and prevention. This study examined if college students’ gender identity, sexual orientation, and relationship status affected their perception of STI and/or pregnancy prevention efforts.

Methods: We recruited a convenience sample of college students (N=924) at a mid-sized Pacific Northwest university to take an online survey during the months of October to January …

Wonder Women, Zoe O. Johnson

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This project seeks to explore the female microbiome through a series of artistic renderings of vaginal swab slides from female volunteers. The goal is to encourage a connection between people and their bodies through an understanding of their microflora and cultivate respect and curiosity about women's health.