Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (8)
- Biochemistry (7)
- Engineering (6)
- Medicine and Health Sciences (5)
- Nanotechnology (4)
-
- Biological Engineering (3)
- Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering (3)
- Cancer Biology (3)
- Cell and Developmental Biology (3)
- Neuroscience and Neurobiology (3)
- Physical Sciences and Mathematics (3)
- Agriculture (2)
- Biotechnology (2)
- Chemicals and Drugs (2)
- Chemistry (2)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (2)
- Nanomedicine (2)
- Plant Sciences (2)
- Agronomy and Crop Sciences (1)
- Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins (1)
- Anatomy (1)
- Animal Sciences (1)
- Bioelectrical and Neuroengineering (1)
- Biology (1)
- Biomechanical Engineering (1)
- Biomechanics (1)
- Biomedical (1)
- Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation (1)
- Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering (1)
- Keyword
-
- Actin (1)
- Biofouling (1)
- Bioluminescent reporter (1)
- Biosolids-based fertilizers (1)
- Biosynthesis (1)
-
- Bone (1)
- Cancer (1)
- Cell division cycle 14 (Cdc14) (1)
- Ciliates (1)
- Colony PCR (1)
- Cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) (1)
- Data (1)
- Degradation (1)
- Double cones (1)
- ERβ (1)
- Emerging contaminants (1)
- Entomology (1)
- Epigenetics (1)
- Estrogen Receptor (1)
- Fatigue (1)
- Field stress (1)
- Flowability (1)
- Forensics (1)
- Fragile X (1)
- Fusion protein (1)
- Gene therapy (1)
- Germination (1)
- Hydrocephalus (1)
- Hypoxia (1)
- IFly (1)
Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Effect Of An Enhanced Isopentenyl Monophosphate Pool On Terpenoid Biosynthesis In Vivo, Evan T. Adams, Laura K. Henry, Dr. Natalia Dudareva
The Effect Of An Enhanced Isopentenyl Monophosphate Pool On Terpenoid Biosynthesis In Vivo, Evan T. Adams, Laura K. Henry, Dr. Natalia Dudareva
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Found in all living organisms, terpenoids make up the largest group of natural products and are essential compounds for many major processes, including photosynthesis, respiration, hormone production, and electron transport. Additionally, they have commercial and medical value in products including fragrances, cosmetics, and medicines. Terpenoids originate from the five-carbon building blocks isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), which are synthesized by the mevalonic acid (MVA) and methylerithritol phosphate (MEP) pathways. An alternative MVA pathway was discovered in Archaea with the final two enzymes being phosphomevalonate decarboxylase (MPD) and isopentenyl phosphate kinase (IPK). Even though this alternative pathway is not …
Persistence Of Trace Organic Contaminants From A Commercial Biosolids-Based Fertilizer In Aerobic Soils, Travis A. Banet, Jihyun R. Kim, Michael L. Mashtare
Persistence Of Trace Organic Contaminants From A Commercial Biosolids-Based Fertilizer In Aerobic Soils, Travis A. Banet, Jihyun R. Kim, Michael L. Mashtare
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Municipal biosolids are recycled as agricultural fertilizers. Recent studies have raised concerns due to the presence of emerging contaminants in municipal biosolids. Previous research suggests that these contaminants have the potential to reside in biosolids-based fertilizers that are commercially distributed. Use of these products in urban/suburban areas may provide a pathway for these contaminants to enter ecosystems and impact human and environmental health. Soils from Purdue University’s community garden and MiracleGro Potting Mix were chosen to represent commonly used urban/suburban growth media. Triclosan, triclocarban, and methyl parabens were selected as compounds of interest for this study. A heat treated commercial …
Expression And Site-Directed Mutagenesis Of Type Iii Polyketide Synthases, Logan R. Richards, Odessa Goudy, Lee M. Stunkard, Aaron B. Benjamin, Bethany P. Manning, Jeremy Lohman
Expression And Site-Directed Mutagenesis Of Type Iii Polyketide Synthases, Logan R. Richards, Odessa Goudy, Lee M. Stunkard, Aaron B. Benjamin, Bethany P. Manning, Jeremy Lohman
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Natural products are a well-established source of drugs, and evolution has yielded polyketides such as leinamycin and iso-migrastatin that have demonstrated anti-tumor activity. Polyketides are large metabolites with a high degree of chemical variability and are commonly produced by soil bacteria. Polyketide synthases (PKS) exist as three different archetypes, and the reaction mechanisms of ketosynthases from all archetypes is not understood. Type III PKSs exist as an independently functioning ketosynthase (KS), which primarily use coenzyme A (CoA), with some exceptions, for the biosynthesis of polyketides. We elected to focus our studies on ketosynthases, because they are responsible for forming the …
Ifly: Code Development For An App To Support Automating Entomological Data Collection, Michael P. Cosentino, Trevor Stamper
Ifly: Code Development For An App To Support Automating Entomological Data Collection, Michael P. Cosentino, Trevor Stamper
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
We are developing a prototype entomological data-collection application called "iFly," which runs on a field-capable iPad device. In this phase, we tackled refining screens and introducing a database manager to streamline operations as info is entered, stored, retrieved and delivered. We used SQLite3 database in Apple's Xcode Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Xcode gives mixed programming results. Apple's iOS environment ensures functional and fairly error-free apps can be built. But the sophisticated Xcode IDE requires specialist developers and valuable project time is spent as new programmers learn key techniques. The iFly prototype was advanced with improved database integration; however, more work …
Mutational And Biochemical Analysis Of Isoprenylcysteine Carboxyl Methyltransferase, Sahej Bains, Amy L. Funk, Christine A. Hrycyna
Mutational And Biochemical Analysis Of Isoprenylcysteine Carboxyl Methyltransferase, Sahej Bains, Amy L. Funk, Christine A. Hrycyna
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Ninety percent of pancreatic cancers are attributed to mutations in the Ras protein, making it paramount to concentrate on Ras activity. This study focuses on Ras activity by targeting a post-translational modifying enzyme of Ras called Isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (Icmt). Elucidation of the binding site of Icmt will allow the development of therapeutics that effectively inhibit Icmt causing the mislocalization of Ras, and in turn, aid in the treatment of Ras driven cancers. Currently, the hydrophobic substrate binding site of Icmt is unknown. In order to characterize the substrate binding site of Icmt, site-directed mutagenesis was used to design mutations …
Increasing Maize Tolerance To Drought And Flood With Seed Coating Treatments, Jacob E. Bennett, Achint Sanghi, R. P. Kingsly Ambrose
Increasing Maize Tolerance To Drought And Flood With Seed Coating Treatments, Jacob E. Bennett, Achint Sanghi, R. P. Kingsly Ambrose
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The lack of irrigation in regions prone to drought, and flooding due to high rainfall or lack of drainage affects seed viability and the subsequent germination and crop establishment. Seed treatment in the form of coatings shows promise as an effective method to preserve the viability of corn (Zea mays) seeds in drought and flood conditions. Chemical formulations may help improve the seed corn vigor under these stressed conditions. This study examined the efficacy of β-aminobutyric acid [BABA] and N-isopropylacrylamide [NIPA] in inducing drought resistance, as well as the ability of lanolin and linseed oil to provide flood …
In Vitro Motility Of Actin Filaments Powered By Plant Myosins Xi, Cesar A. Quintana-Cataño, Christopher J. Staiger, Weiwei Zhang
In Vitro Motility Of Actin Filaments Powered By Plant Myosins Xi, Cesar A. Quintana-Cataño, Christopher J. Staiger, Weiwei Zhang
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The actomyosin network is thought to support fundamental processes of plant development and cell expansion such as polarized elongation of root hairs and the diffuse growth of epidermal and mesophyll cells. Inhibition of myosins via pharmacological treatments represents one of the key approaches for understanding of their roles in different cellular processes. However, the use of the standard plant myosin inhibitor, 2,3-butanedionemonoxime (BDM), is questioned as it requires a high concentration and may not be as specific as desired. By testing drugs that inhibit animal and yeast myosins V, the Staiger laboratory previously found pentabromopseudilin (PBP) as a potential inhibitor …
Nanobubbles Provide Theranostic Relief To Cancer Hypoxia, Christopher M. Long, Pushpak N. Bhandari, Joseph Irudayaraj
Nanobubbles Provide Theranostic Relief To Cancer Hypoxia, Christopher M. Long, Pushpak N. Bhandari, Joseph Irudayaraj
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Hypoxia is a common motif among tumors, contributing to metastasis, angiogenesis, cellular epigenetic abnormality, and resistance to cancer therapy. Hypoxia also plays a pivotal role in oncological studies, where it can be used as a principal target for new anti-cancer therapeutic methods. Oxygen nanobubbles were designed in an effort to target the hypoxic tumor regions, thus interrupting the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) regulatory pathway and inhibiting tumor progression. At less than 100nm, oxygen nanobubbles act as a vehicle for site-specific oxygen delivery, while also serving as an ultrasound contrast agent for advanced imaging purposes. Through in vitro and in vivo studies, …
The Role Of Habitat Shaping Motion Detection In Two Songbirds, Elena A. Ritschard, Luke P. Tyrrell, Esteban Fernández-Juricic
The Role Of Habitat Shaping Motion Detection In Two Songbirds, Elena A. Ritschard, Luke P. Tyrrell, Esteban Fernández-Juricic
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Double cones of birds are photoreceptors associated with motion perception, and perceiving motion is highly important to detect predators. Predation risks varies between habitats and may impose selective pressures that could affect organisms’ traits. There is evidence that birds show interspecific variations in visual system properties, such as the photoreceptor densities (single and double cones) and distribution across the retina. However, little is known about the relationship between the distribution of double cones and predator scanning strategies in birds living in different habitats. The goal of this study was to compare double cones distributions of birds that live in open …
Developing Strategies For Anatomical Characterization Of Locus Coeruleus - Cortical Projections, Kendra Wang, Qiuyu Wu, Alexander A. Chubykin
Developing Strategies For Anatomical Characterization Of Locus Coeruleus - Cortical Projections, Kendra Wang, Qiuyu Wu, Alexander A. Chubykin
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small noradrenergic nucleus located in the midbrain that releases the neurotransmitter norepinephrine to diverse brain regions. Through release of norepinephrine, the LC plays a central role in modulating numerous physiological functions including attention, arousal, and mood and behavior. Although the LC projects to many brain region, there is limited information about the organization and the afferent projections to the LC that modulates its activity. The goal of this study was to characterize the anatomical projections between LC and cortical areas using a variety of different experimental techniques, including survival brain surgery, stereotaxic injections of …
A Compact System For Photon Counting Based On Silicon Photomultiplier, Youngwoo Cho, Youngkee Jung, Euiwon Bae
A Compact System For Photon Counting Based On Silicon Photomultiplier, Youngwoo Cho, Youngkee Jung, Euiwon Bae
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
A compact and portable detection system is necessary to measure the amount of pollutant from environmental sample by detecting and quantifying the light emitted by bioluminescent reporters. This silicon photomultiplier based project is hoping to acquire even more accurate data at a far lower light level than previously developed smartphone based system. After pre-amplification and comparator, the signal is separated from the internal noise present in the overall circuit. Next, the microcontroller counts the number of pulses generated by the comparator in a set amount of time and transfers the data to the Bluetooth module for the smartphone to receive …
Coffee Powder Wettability, Flowability And Characterization Thereof, Natalia Atuesta, Afolawemi Afolabi, Teresa M. Carvajal
Coffee Powder Wettability, Flowability And Characterization Thereof, Natalia Atuesta, Afolawemi Afolabi, Teresa M. Carvajal
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The production efficiency and high-quality results in industrial processes usually rely on how well product characteristics are understood as well as how well processes are controlled in order to obtain specific results. Therefore, in a billion-dollar industry as is the case of the instant coffee market, understanding the properties of the compounds produced using different techniques is a very important tool to enhance performance and delivery of high-quality coffee powders. The aim of the present study is to provide a framework of some powder properties such as particle size, shape, diameter, circularity, convexity, aspect ratio and surface energy among others, …
Using Pupillometry To Characterize Visual Perception In Autistic Mouse Models, Chirag B. Patel, Samuel T. Kissinger, Alexandr Pak, Nicholas Dicola, Alexander A. Chubkyin
Using Pupillometry To Characterize Visual Perception In Autistic Mouse Models, Chirag B. Patel, Samuel T. Kissinger, Alexandr Pak, Nicholas Dicola, Alexander A. Chubkyin
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading genetic cause of autism. Individuals with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) commonly display social, behavioral, and intellectual disabilities. Perceptual deficits and their underlying neural activity remain poorly characterized in FXS and other autism spectrum disorders (ASD’s). To explore visual perception in autism, we developed camera based pupil tracking software using OpenCV (an open-source computer vision library) capable of measuring visually evoked changes in pupil area and position in the FXS mouse model (Fmr1 KO). Changes in pupil area and position are believed to correlate with changes in arousal or visual processing and may …
The Role Of Osteocyte Estrogen Receptor Beta (Erβ) In Regulating The Skeletal Response To Mechanical Loading, Julia P. Townsend, Russell P. Main
The Role Of Osteocyte Estrogen Receptor Beta (Erβ) In Regulating The Skeletal Response To Mechanical Loading, Julia P. Townsend, Russell P. Main
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Estrogen’s biological functions are mediated by estrogen binding to estrogen receptors (ER). Understanding what role both ERα and ERβ have in bone maintenance and formation can contribute to possible treatment of osteoporosis. This study examined osteocyte specific deletion of ERβ in mice. The cross of ERβ-floxed mice with DMP1-8kb-Cre mice provided both experimental knockout mice as well as littermate control mice. At 24 weeks of age the left tibiae of all mice were mechanically loaded five days per week for two weeks to induce bone formation. Analysis of cortical bone was conducted using microcomputed tomography (microCT) to measure load-induced changes …
Biochemical And Structural Characterization Of Cdc14 Phosphatases From Pathogenic Fungi, John Whitney, Kyle Wettschurack, Mark Hall, Jeremy Lohman, Aaron Benjamin, Lee M. Stunkard
Biochemical And Structural Characterization Of Cdc14 Phosphatases From Pathogenic Fungi, John Whitney, Kyle Wettschurack, Mark Hall, Jeremy Lohman, Aaron Benjamin, Lee M. Stunkard
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdk) drive cell cycle progression and reversal of Cdk phosphorylation is essential for mitotic exit. Cdc14 is a widely conserved family of protein phosphatases that reverse Cdk phosphorylation. Recently, Cdc14 was also found to be essential for pathogenicity of some fungal plant pathogens. Fungal pathogens, like Ustilago maydis, decrease agricultural crop yield costing global agriculture by some accounts $60 billion per year. Since Cdc14 is absent in plants, a fungi specific Cdc14 inhibitor could be made to reduce the pathogenicity of U. maydis and other fungal plant pathogens to increase crop yields. To guide inhibitor development, a …
Assembly Of Nucleic Acid-Based Nanoparticles By Gas-Liquid Segmented Flow Microfluidics, Matthew L. Capek, Ross Verheul, David H. Thompson
Assembly Of Nucleic Acid-Based Nanoparticles By Gas-Liquid Segmented Flow Microfluidics, Matthew L. Capek, Ross Verheul, David H. Thompson
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The development of novel and efficient mixing methods is important for optimizing the efficiency of many biological and chemical processes. Tuning the physical and performance properties of nucleic acid-based nanoparticles is one such example known to be strongly affected by mixing efficiency. The characteristics of DNA nanoparticles (such as size, polydispersity, ζ-potential, and gel shift) are important to ensure their therapeutic potency, and new methods to optimize these characteristics are of significant importance to achieve the highest efficacy. In the present study, a simple segmented flow microfluidics system has been developed to augment mixing of pDNA/bPEI nanoparticles. This DNA and …
Identifying The Effects Of Unprocessed Let-7a-1 And Let-7a-3 In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Hana Kubo, Phillip J. Mccown, Andrea L. Kasinski
Identifying The Effects Of Unprocessed Let-7a-1 And Let-7a-3 In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Hana Kubo, Phillip J. Mccown, Andrea L. Kasinski
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate protein levels typically by interacting with the 3′ untranslated region (3′-UTR) of target messenger RNA (mRNAs) and are often aberrantly expressed in cancer. The let-7 miRNA family members are commonly regarded as cancer suppressors, by down-regulating the expression of oncoproteins such as RAS, HMGA2, and MYC. However, prior work indicates that unprocessed let-7 RNAs may be positively correlated with cancer phenotypes in lung cancer cell lines. Our study aims to identify the effects of unprocessed let-7a-1 and let-7a-3 in non-small cell lung cancer, by transfecting plasmids that express unprocessed let-7a-1 and let-7a-3 …
Role Of Sumoylation In Mitochondrial Division In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Ramya Modi, James Forney
Role Of Sumoylation In Mitochondrial Division In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Ramya Modi, James Forney
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
SUMOylation is a post translation modification that involves the addition of a small protein called SUMO, Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier to a target protein. It is an important mechanism for the regulation of gene expression, the maintenance of genomic stability and in modifying nuclear proteins. More recently evidence has emerged for its importance in regulating mitochondrial fission and fusion in mammalian cells. This study evaluates the parameters for optimal staining of Tetrahymena thermophila mitochondria using two different dyes and then examines different cell lines with defects in the SUMOylation pathway. The first staining method uses Mitotracker Green, a vital stain that …
Mechanical Reliability Of Implantable Polyimide-Based Magnetic Microactuators For Biofouling Removal, Christian G. Figueroa-Espada, Qi Yang, Hyowon Lee
Mechanical Reliability Of Implantable Polyimide-Based Magnetic Microactuators For Biofouling Removal, Christian G. Figueroa-Espada, Qi Yang, Hyowon Lee
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder that typically requires a long-term implantation of a shunt system to manage its symptoms. These shunt systems are notorious for their extremely high failure rate. More than 40% of all implanted shunt systems fail within the first year of implantation. On average, 85% of all hydrocephalus patients with shunt systems undergo at least two shunt-revision surgeries within 10 years of implantation. A large portion of this high failure rate can be attributed to biofouling-related obstructions and infections. Previously, we developed flexible polyimide-based magnetic microactuators to remove obstructions formed on hydrocephalus shunts. To test the long-term …
Design And Development Of A Plasmid Vector For Protein Expression And Purification, Mahima Grover, Craig Sweet, David H. Thompson
Design And Development Of A Plasmid Vector For Protein Expression And Purification, Mahima Grover, Craig Sweet, David H. Thompson
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Production and isolation of proteins are difficult, costly and time-consuming processes. The aim of this project is for the development of plasmids, which allow for streamlined production and isolation of proteins. To allow for modular insertion of varying segments of DNA we are using ‘recursive directional ligation by plasmid reconstruction’. This technique uses type II restriction endonucleases, which cut downstream from their recognition site allowing multiple insertions without losing a restriction site. Using this process, we can ligate multiple DNA sequences together and express them to be able to construct a scar less fusion protein. In order to accomplish this, …