Life Sciences Commons^™

Purification Of Proteorhodopsin By Using Citrate And Phosphate To Induce Selective Precipitation, Jonathan Kim

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Abstract not Included

Identifying Proteins That Interact With The Novel Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Proteins Pdr19 And Pdr20 And Bioinformatic Characterization Of Genes Involved In Ttg Cellular Responses, Casey White

Honors Capstone Projects - All

One of the most critical structures in cellular biology is the plasma membrane, due to its ability to respond to environmental stresses. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a model, single-celled eukaryote that has been used to investigate many aspects of cell biology. A recent genetic screen in yeast for plasma membrane homeostatic proteins identified three related proteins of unknown molecular function that participate in these processes. These proteins, termed PDR19, PDR20, and PDR21 for Pleiotropic Drug Resistance, are each approximately one hundred amino acids in size and share a small conserved domain, namely the core sequence KITRYDL. In the case of PDR21 …

Evolution Of Craniofacial Architecture And Lateralization In Perissodini Scale-Eaters, Thomas A. Stewart

Honors Capstone Projects - All

To understand the evolution of craniofacial asymmetry within the Perissodini tribe, a group of scale-eating fish found in Lake Tanganyika, we performed shape analysis on their craniofacial architecture, and applied a simple lever model to measure asymmetry in lower-jaw mechanics. We found that craniofacial asymmetries were the consequence of sided differences in size and shape of craniofacial elements, and that sided differences in shape predict the lateralization of force and speed of the lower jaw in derived species. Quantitative Trait Locus analysis in Lake Malawi cichlids identified a single locus of major effect for jaw laterality, the first genetic marker …

Molecular Analysis Of The Genetic Heterogeneity Between Primary And Recurrent Glioblastoma, Anushi Shah

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Introduction: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer, and affects more than 18,000 new cases each year in the United States alone. The current standard of treatment for GBM includes surgical removal of the tumor, along with radiation and chemotherapy. Despite these treatments, recurrence of GBM is extremely common, and once it recurs, the life expectancy is measured in weeks or months. One of the reasons for the deadly nature of the recurrent GBM is thought to be selection for therapy-resistant tumor cells. In this project, we sought to characterize the molecular changes in recurrent …

The Effects Of Prenatal Exposure Of Valproic Acid On Cranial Nerve Nuclei: A Rat Model For An Autistic Phenotype, Shannon Pickup

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Autistic spectrum disorder is a term referring to five pervasive developmental disorders characterized by impairment in social interaction, deficits in verbal and non-verbal communication and stereotyped repetitive behaviors and interests. The underlying brain injury that leads to autism is also unknown. The cause is also unknown but appears to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. A study on prenatal thalidomide exposure found patients exposure on days 20-24 of gestation lead to a 1/3 rate of autism, a huge increase from the 1/150 rate of the general population. The thalidomide data suggests the initial injury leading to autism occurs …

Imaging Of Rnase Mitochondrial Rna Processing Localization Using Fluorescent Microscopy, Bryan Marascalchi

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This paper presents a method for imaging RNase mitochondrial RNA processing localization using fluorescent microscopy. RNase mitochondrial RNA Processing, MRP, is an essential ribonucleoprotein endoribonuclease that functions in the degradation of specific mRNAs that control the cell cycle. A mutation of the RNA component of RNase MRP leads to a genetic disorder called Cartilage-Hair Hypoplasia. This disorder results from the decreased rate of cell growth because the mutant cell no longer has the ability to assemble rRNA, and cyclin-dependent cell-cycle regulation no longer functions correctly. My Capstone Project will study the localization and regulation of RNase MRP so that we …

The Geographic Distribution Of Polyploidy In A Pacific Northwest Plant, Megan A. Larson

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Polyploidy is an important evolutionary mechanism of speciation in plants. Because polyploids may evolve cryptically, there can be several levels of ploidy in a species. The distribution of polyploid species is the first step in understanding the role of polyploidy in plant speciation. I examined the geographic distribution of polyploidy in Heuchera cylindrica (Saxifragaceae) by using flow cytometry to determine the ploidy level of 595 individuals from 39 populations spread across the geographic range of the species. Only single cytotype populations of diploids or tetraploids were found, and no triploids were observed. In contrast to other studies of polyploid distribution, …

The Evolution Of Skull Form And Function Among The East African Cichlids Of Lakes Malawi, Victoria, And Tanganyika, Alyssa Mcintyre

Honors Capstone Projects - All

An animal’s skeletal and muscular structures form a biological machine capable of interacting with its environment. When anatomical form changes the resulting modification in biomechanical function can allow it to occupy a new ecological niche. The cichlid fishes of the major East African Rift Lakes have been frequently regarded as one of the best know examples of adaptive radiations that have produced a large variety of skull shapes in an unusually short span of evolutionary time that has permitted the use of an extremely wide variety of feeding niches. I studied the anatomical diversity of this incredible lineage by dissecting …

Enhancing Bacterial Expression Of Mammalian Gprotein Coupled Receptors The Creation Of A Proteorhodopsin‐Bovine Rhodopsin Chimera, Chauncey Brown Jr.

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Bovine (cow) rhodopsin is a 7‐transmembrane (7TM), lightabsorbing protein located in rod cells. It is activated by the photoisomerization of retinal, a Vitamin A derivative. This light‐triggered reaction activates the G‐Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR), resulting in a signaling cascade within the cell. When previously cloned in an E. coli expression vector in the Braiman Lab, bovine rhodopsin expression was not successful, possibly due to E. coli’s lack of recognition of the foreign Nterminus portion of the protein, which may be a prerequisite for proper folding and insertion into the membrane. Our proposed solution is to create a chimera protein, replacing …

Characterization Of The Human Mixed Lineage Leukemia Protein Homolog Set1 In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Illona Savich

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Abstract not Included

Fatal Flu: History, Science, And Politics Of The 1918 Influenza Pandemic, Suzanne Vroman

Honors Capstone Projects - All

In 1918 an influenza pandemic killed over 50 million people world wide including 675,000 in the United States alone. This Capstone Thesis asks the question: what caused the 1918 pandemic to become so fatal? In order to understand how the influenza outbreak of 1918 turned into one of the world’s deadliest pandemics, I took a unique approach to tackling the mystery of the “Spanish Influenza,” by interpreting the high fatality rate from both a social and natural scientific approach. This project is broken into two parts.

The first part of this paper gives a historical analysis of the 1918 …

Physical Activity In Individuals With Down Syndrome: An Overview, And Suggestions For Appropriate Activities And Instructional Techniques, Lauren La Course

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) can benefit immensely from the physical as well as social and psychological aspects of sport and exercise. However, because their physical and mental capacities stray from the norm it can often be hard to find suitable activities for them, accessible venues and knowledgeable instructors. This paper outlines the physiological differences associated with DS in regards to the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, and the immune system, in addition to addressing the higher incidence of certain health conditions, such as diabetes, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease, and the relationship exercise has with these conditions.

The reasons for low …