Life Sciences Commons^™

Medical Illustration As A Tool For Health Literacy, Courtney Anne Wombles

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Health literacy is most commonly described as the ability of an individual to obtain, comprehend, and utilize information related to their health. Including the ability to read, write, speak, and display numeracy in medical situations, rates of health literacy impact the ability of an individual to navigate the healthcare system and make informed decisions. As reported by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, only 12% of individuals have the proficiency to understand and manage their health. This research identifies problems existing in health literacy and doctor-patient communication, with an emphasis on consumer health information. It explores resources used for science …

A Novel Approach For Characterizing The Ultra-Micro Size-Fraction Community, Abdullah Ahmed Salim, Priscilla Nicole Pineda, Isabella Alamilla, Andrew Dean Putt

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

A Novel Approach for Characterizing the Ultra-Micro Size-Fraction Community

Students: Abdullah Salim, Priscilla Pineda, Isabella Alamilla

Mentors/Supervisors: Andrew Putt, Terry C. Hazen

ABSTRACT

The ultra-micro size-fraction (UMSF) are bacteria that can pass through the 0.2 µm pore membrane filters employed in environmental surveys. Despite being ubiquitous and having high metabolic activity, UMSF remain elusive and largely uncultured. Investigations of UMSF are skewed by difficulties in culturing and a lack of techniques for measuring UMSF biogeochemical signatures. This study measures surface stream UMSF community diversity, and community response to the addition of the synthetic pharmaceutical and cosmetic carbon product cyclodextrin which …

60. Epfl Genes And Their Role In Flower Development In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Rachael Deboe

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Flowers are composed of four floral organ types: sepals, petals, stamens, and a pistil. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the ERECTA family leucine rich repeat receptor like kinases (LRR-RLKs) have been shown to regulate plant morphology. Epidermal Patterning Factor-Like (EPFL) genes encode for small secretory proteins that are ligands for ERECTA Family (ERf) receptors. It is suspected that EPFL’s act as a signal to coordinate proper lateral organ number, patterning, and spacing. ERf mutants have significant defects in flower development, including difficulty forming anther lobes and pistils, yet little is known about how individual EPFL ligands contribute to ERf signaling. In order …

Developing A Hands-On Food Science Curriculum With Bilingual, Elementary-Aged, Hispanic Heritage Students, Jaime Leia Ragos

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

In the United States alone there are over 48 million cases of foodborne illness, with most of these cases deriving from food cooked in the home (Young 2016). Many themes have been assessed such as confidence, knowledge, habits, taste in food preferences, and societal/social influences (Young 2016). However, when food safety curricula are targeted toward younger populations, including young adults and children, attitudes and behavior change (Mullan 2018 and Young 2016). As there is a lack in home economics education in today’s current curriculum, students and their families may not know food safety behaviors (Finch 2005; Young 2016). It has …

Exploring The Structure-Activity Relationship Of Various Seh Inhibitors In Promoting Brown Adipogenesis, Sue Lim Choi

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Background: Brown adipose tissue has emerged as a novel target for obesity prevention and treatment due to its responsibility for heat production. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a cytosolic enzyme that degrades epoxy fatty acids (EpFAs) (lipid signaling molecules) into inactive diols. Potent sEH inhibitors (sEHIs) are beneficial for many chronic diseases as they stabilize endogenous EpFAs by blocking the degradation. Our preliminary results have shown that trans-4- [4-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-cyclohexyloxy]-benzoic acid (t-AUCB), a potent sEH inhibitor, dose-dependently promotes brown adipogenesis.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the structure and activity relationship of various sEHIs with different sub-structures of …

The Function Of Ecdysone And Inhibiting Programmed Cell Death In Death Class Iii Neurons Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Nikolas Richard Likourentzos

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The inhibition of programmed cell death is a factor believed to be responsible for the survival of cancer cells. Using Drosophila as models, factors contributing to the process of programmed cell death can be studied. Neurons die throughout Drosophila melanogaster development to allow the addition of new neurons. The groups of neurons programmed to die are Death Class I neurons, Death Class II neurons, and Death Class III neurons. Ecdysone is a hormone responsible for the timing of programmed cell death (PCD) in the Death Class neurons. Elevated levels of ecdysone are associated with the initiation of PCD of Death …

The Full Genome Sequence Of An Antarctic Microbe Constructed Using A Rapid, Portable Sequencer And A Hybrid Assembly, Bruce Wyatt Boles

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Microbial genomes contain combinations of nucleotides that code for genes which subsequently determines the function of the cell. This information provides significant insight into the unique niche of microbes from extreme environments. Here we use two sequencing technologies, the Oxford Nanopore MinION with accompanying software and Illumina HiSeq, to generate a hybrid genome for a Shewanella strain isolated from an Antarctic glacier. Bioinformatic programs, Albacore and SPAdes, allowed us to decrease the time of genome assembly while also obtaining a large quantity of information related to the Shewanella sp. Our combined approach yielded a high quality genome assembly 5.3 …

What’S For Dinner? Different Carbon Compounds Influence Host Metabolism In A Model Roseobacter-Roseophage System, Kaylee Rae Jacobs

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Viruses that infect bacteria (temperate phages) engage in complex interactions with their hosts. These phages can have two life cycles: lytic and lysogenic. For the latter, the phage can integrate its genome into that of its host and harmlessly replicate alongside with it. Conversely, upon induction, these integrated viruses can excise from their host genome and initiate the lytic cycle. A current paradigm is that phage induction is in response to host cell stress. However, in the absence of stressors, a low level of induction in a population occurs. This poorly understood phenomenon is referred to as spontaneous prophage induction …

A Cell Cycle Cue Triggers Cell Growth Resumption After Division, Afton R. Russell

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The decoupling of the fundamental processes of cell division and growth is important for maintaining cell integrity. Through a chemical approach, we delayed the clock that controls when cells separate, uncoupling cell division and cell growth. This led to polarized cell growth before the cells completed separation. Using fluorescent markers to denote the cell’s stage in the cell cycle, we observed that only cells that were in mitosis exhibited this uncoupling. Previously it was thought that growth resumption occurred after completion of cell division, but this observation suggests that growth is triggered earlier, from a mitotic cue. This mitotic cue …

Cell Separation Delay And Membrane Trafficking Defects In Cdc42 Gap Mutants, Haylee Grace Young

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Cytokinesis is the final step in cell division, where a cell separates into two daughter cells. Cytokinesis involves many steps that must be organized in a spatiotemporal manner. In many eukaryotes, it involves the assembly and constriction of an actomyosin ring. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe serves as a good model system to study cytokinesis because they divide via actomyosin-dependent-cytokinesis.

The Rho-family of small GTPases are molecules involved in the regulation of cell growth and division. The GTPase Cdc42 helps promote timely onset of ring constriction and septum formation in fission yeast. Studies with many other organisms show that Cdc42 …

Circadian Rhythmicity And Neurodevelopment Of Disco And Grim Mutations In Drosophila Melanogaster, John Patrick Story

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The death gene grim and its pathway for apoptosis has been studied extensively in Drosophila Melanogaster. The effects of grim mutations on circadian neurodevelopment and locomotor assays have yet to be investigated. Mutations in the gene disconnected (disco) has been shown to disrupt the normal development of the circadian circuitry, specifically the small ventro-lateral neurons (s-LNv’s). Which has shown to severely decrease rhythmicity during free-running periods. Alternatively, we have observed an increase in rhythmicity during free-running periods in grim mutations. Our goal is to investigate the neurodevelopment of the circadian circuitry and their associated locomotor activities in these Drosophila mutations.

Microbe Hunters: Searching For Anammox Bacteria In The Tennessee Aquarium, Claire Elbon

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Ammonium and nitrite are toxic metabolic waste products generated by aquatic macroorganisms. They are of particular concern in closed systems, such as commercial aquaria. Typically, biological filtration systems are employed to regulate levels of toxic N species as they are more cost-efficient compared to water removal and replacement. Microbial communities that reside in these systems play vital roles in transformation of toxic N species. Commonly, nitrite and ammonium are converted into nitrate via nitrification. However, even nitrate is toxic at higher concentrations. Bacteria belonging to the phylum Planctomycetes can transform ammonium and nitrite to N2 via anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). …

Ultramicrobacteria Genome Database Project, Abdullah A. Salim, Tien Tran, Andrew Putt, Terry C. Hazen

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Ultramicrobacteria (UMB) are a largely uncultured, globally abundant, and metabolically active group of bacteria. UMB have cell diameters ≤0.3μm, cell volumes ≤0.1 μm3, and small streamlined genomes. Recent findings indicate that UMB aid in bioremediation and nutrient cycling, but future investigations and comprehension of current findings are skewed by highly variable nomenclature and a lack of databases for functional, genomic, geochemical, or spatial data specific to candidate UMB. We aim to develop a user-friendly open-access database of various UMB candidates linked to an open-access online map where researchers can gather genomic, spatial, and geochemical data. Our comprehensive review of literature …

Acute Social Defeat-Induced Neuroinflammation In The Vmpfc Of Syrian Hamsters Via Microglial Activation, Thomas Clarity

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Research suggests causal relationships between neuroinflammation and stress-related psychopathologies. Exposure to moderate or chronic psychological stress in rodents leads to increased activation of microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells. The ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is a key limbic region involved in top-down regulation of psychological stress and mediates the deleterious effects of microglial activity following prolonged restraint stress. While there is a growing body of literature indicating that chronic social defeat increases microglial activity in the vmPFC, there has been little research investigating the effects of acute social defeat stress. Here, we used an acute social defeat paradigm in …

Development Of A Molecular Genetic Method For Characterizing Amphibian Diets, Alexander T. Funk

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

DEVELOPMENT OF A MOLECULAR GENETIC METHOD FOR CHARACTERIZING AMPHIBIAN DIETS.Alexander Funk* and Todd W. Pierson, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, afunk4@vols.utk.edu

Dietary studies can provide key insights into the ecology and behavior of animals. Methods common in dietary studies of amphibians (e.g., gastric lavage, fecal analysis, dissection) often fail to identify prey beyond the level of Order, are time intensive, and can be biased against soft-bodied prey. Here, we are developing a DNA metabarcoding assay to characterize amphibian diets from non-invasive fecal samples. In DNA metabarcoding, barcoding loci from mixed community samples (e.g., feces) …

The Neural Circuitry Of Sweaty Palms: A Neuroimaging Meta-Analysis, Sydnie Colette Toler, Derek C. Wenger

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Emotion and cognitive processes often cause autonomic nervous system responses. A common example is when the palms of your hands become sweaty before giving a speech or when a police officer is driving behind you. Increased sweat on the palms is a marker of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. The aim of this study was to identify networks of brain activity that make our palms sweat. We compiled a list of neuroimaging studies that report brain activity associated with palm sweat. Our search resulted in sixteen studies, comprised of 251 participants. We used activation likelihood estimation analysis to determine nonrandom …

Improving The Analysis Of T Cell Movement, Viktor Zenkov

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Vaccine-induced T cells play an important role in combating malaria by eliminating infection in the liver stage. However, as millions of hepatocytes inhabit a mouse liver and only some are infected, how T cells locate the infection site and eliminate infection remains poorly understood. Are T cells moving intentionally toward parasites, or randomly successful? To answer this, I used timed position data of malaria-specific T cells, non-specific control T cells, and a parasite, obtained from experiments in a mouse liver; I performed analyses with the null hypothesis that T cells move randomly. I used two metrics, based on distances from …

Acute Social Defeat Stress Induces Microglial Activation In Key Limbic Regions, Thomas Clarity

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Research suggests a causal relationship between neuroinflammation and stress-related psychopathologies. Exposure to moderate psychological stress in rodent models leads to elevated markers of immune activity in the brain, for example, microglia. Research has shown that tail shock stress can prime the subsequent, immune-challenged activation of microglia, which can lead to a degradative, proinflammatory response. Although social defeat is an ethologically relevant model of acute stress, there has been little research investigating the effects of acute social defeat stress on immune activity. Here, we used an acute social defeat paradigm in Syrian hamsters consisting of three, 5-minute aggressive encounters in the …

Computational Study Of Ligand-Dependent Oligomerization Of Ribonucleotide Reductase, Bill Pham

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Certain protein oligomerization can be strongly influenced by its ligand-binding status. We constructed a computational method to investigate how ligand-binding and oligomerization can be coupled. We tackle this issue using an approximate approach of studying the properties of individual monomers and how they associate. By connecting the dynamics at monomeric level and the information of oligomer interface, we quantify the synchronization of two types of contact dynamics: (1) between the ligand and its binding pocket, and (2) the contact dynamics at interface. In this work, we applied our methodology on protein ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), which is an essential enzyme for …

Secrets Of A Rare Bird: Breeding Behavior Of The Gray-Breasted Flycatcher (Lathrotriccus Griseipectus) In Ecuador, William Harris Kirkpatrick

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The Tumbesian region of southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru is home to a large number of endemic bird species. Many of these species are threatened with extinction, and little is known about their basic biology. Thus, information regarding natural history of species in the region is needed to guide conservation management. We studied the reproductive biology of the Gray-breasted Flycatcher, Lathrotriccus griseipectus, a small Tyrannid that lives in the Tumbesian region. Due to habitat destruction, the range size of L. griseipectus has dwindled and the species is now listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. We used a mounted …

Synechococcus As An Hooh-Consuming Helper For Prochlorococcus, Abigail Mcgettigan Jarratt

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is an abundant and globally important microbe that contributes an estimated 40% of bacterial production in the oligotrophic ocean. The success of this photosynthetic bacterium is largely a consequence of its small cell size and streamlined genome, which are advantageous in nutrient-limited environments. However, this genomic streamlining has also led to the loss of the gene (katG) encoding catalase, an enzyme that is essential for the degradation and detoxification of the reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide (HOOH). HOOH is naturally present in the illuminated waters of the ocean, and in the absence of catalase, Prochlorococcus is …

Determining If Host Serum Igg Titer Is Associated With Toxoplasma Gondii Virulence, Riley E Byrd

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that causes the disease toxoplasmosis in animals and humans. One third of the world’s human population is chronically infected with this parasite (1). Toxoplasma gondii has two infectious forms: oocysts shed in the feces of felids (domestic and wild cats) and tissue cysts in chronically infected animals (Figure 1). Humans may become infected via ingestion of food or water contaminated with oocysts, the consumption of tissue cysts in undercooked meats, or vertical transmission from the mother to the fetus. Previous studies have found that T. gondii strains from South America are genetically diverse from …

Arabidopsis Thaliana Nip2;1 , A Lactic Acid Transporter, Is Essential For Plant Survival During Hypoxic Stress, Samantha Jean Mcintire

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

NIPs are nodulin-intrinsic proteins that are specific to plants and involved in transport of water and other uncharged solutes. Arabidopsis thaliana consists of nine NIPgenes.

In the current study, attention has been focused on NIP2;1(NIPsubgroup I), one of the representative Arabidopsis NIPs, in accordance with its cellular and subcellular localization, tissue, transport activity, and biological roles in Arabidopsis.

It has been shown in experiments that AtNIP2;1is especially responsive to hypoxia-induced stress. Hypoxia is a condition in which most of the oxygen has been removed from an environment. In hypoxic environments, plants construct a …

Representation Of The Human Musculature In The Bronze Age Aegean, Emily R Brower

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Bronze Age sculptures range from abstract to realistic, but how accurate are the realistic sculptures? To answer this question, it is useful to compare three pieces of artwork: Prince of Lilies from Knossos, Kouros from Palaikastro, and the Boxer Rhyta from Ayia Triadha to a musculature replica. These pieces originate from the Bronze Age in the Aegean. What this comparison will tell us is how much the ancient peoples were studying the human body, along with the reasons as to why these sculptures were portrayed with such realistic characteristics. To accomplish this goal this paper takes the artifacts background into …

Impact Of Ultrasonication On Physicochemical Properties And Digestibility Of Sorghum Starch, Zhihong Wang

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Sorghum, a highly nutritious grain, is usually not considered as a main staple in many families because it is not as easy to be digested as other grains such as rice or maize. But recent studies of ultrasonication shed a light on potential utilization of this world’s fifth important cereal other than being raw material source of biofuel or liquor. This experiment was meant to compare the differences between unsonicated and sonicated sorghum starch in terms of their physical chemical properties and digestion ability. Despite their similarities in shapes under microscopes and their thermal properties, but sonicated sorghum starch was …

The Use Of Potato (Solanum Tuberosum) Suspension Cells For Rapid Screening Of Chloroplast Transformation Vectors, Lindsey Shover

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Chloroplast genetic engineering is unique in that it allows for high levels of gene expression while providing a means of natural bio-confinement. Although the chloroplast genome sequence of over 800 plant species is known, the elements that naturally regulate chloroplast gene expression are poorly understood. Recently, our lab has developed a 264 part modular cloning kit that contains known chloroplast regulatory elements. This kit can be used for the construction of novel chloroplast transformation cassettes; however, functional testing of these cassettes is currently hindered by standard chloroplast transformation technologies. Therefore, the aim of this experiment was to develop a rapid …

Bg-4, A Bioactive Peptide From Momordica Charantia, Promotes Apoptosis In Ovarian Cancer Cells, Ashley D. Bloom

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Momordica charantia is a perennial plant with reported health benefits. Food-derived molecules, like the novel peptide BG-4 found in Momordica charantia, have been shown to have anticancer properties by promoting apoptosis in colon cancer cells. Ovarian cancer (OVCA) is the deadliest form of all gynecological cancers. The high fatality rate of OVCA is due to late presentation of the disease, cancer persistence, and recurrence in patients. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of BG-4 to cause cytotoxicity to ovarian cancer cells (A27801AP and COV318) and determine the mechanism involved by measuring proteins associated with apoptosis. …

Frequency Of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Information Provided In The Media: Impacts, Ecology, And Citizen Outreach, Anna Killeen Cameron, Casey Fellhoelter, Bevin Hardy, Lucas Smith

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

An analysis of 165 media articles about the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), an invasive insect killing native hemlocks in eastern North America, was undertaken to determine possible influences of the public’s desire and ability to help with invasive species prevention and control. All of the articles mention at least one of the following: HWA impacts to ecosystems (55.2%), hemlock characteristics (47%), and the value of hemlocks (38.8%). Articles that mention HWA impacts and hemlock value also mention associated topics such as subsequent impacts from hemlock loss to shade and temperature control of forests and streams, trout and recreational fishing, and …

Interactions And Growth Dynamics Of Prochlorococcus, Rhodospirilaceae, And Alteromonas In A Coculture Environment, Vasily Giovanni Carniello

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Interactions between different species of microorganisms have a significant role in the growth dynamics within the environment. (Morris 08) The specifics mechanisms of these interactions, however, are overall poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to study the interactions between the heterotrophs Rhodospirilaceae (EZ54), and Alteromonas (EZ55) and the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus (Vol 1). Here we establish the effects the cyanobacterium has on the growth dynamics of each of the heterotrophs as well as the effect the two heterotrophs have on one another.

Constitutive Expression Of Thioglucoside Glucohydrolase 1 (Tgg1) Decreases Intercellular Trafficking In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Alessandro Francesco Sarno

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Plasmodesmata (PD) are pores that traverse plant cell walls, providing a route for intercellular trafficking of essential metabolites, nutrients, and signaling molecules between adjacent plant cells, thereby aiding communication. The increased size exclusion limit 2 (ise2) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana has an increased abundance of branched PD, as well as a greater flux of intercellular trafficking. A search for proteins that interact with ISE2 identified THIOGLUCOSIDE GLUCOHYDROLASE 2 (a myrosinase). A. thaliana also encodes a second, closely-related myrosinase, TGG1. Myrosinases are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of glucosinolates, a type of secondary metabolite that are amino acid derivatives. The breakdown …