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Articles 1 - 30 of 34
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Another Route For Amino Acid Production?: Reverse Genetic Probing For A Functional Cytosolic Shikimate Pathway In Plants, Gabrielle C. Buck, Joseph Lynch, Natalia Dudareva
Another Route For Amino Acid Production?: Reverse Genetic Probing For A Functional Cytosolic Shikimate Pathway In Plants, Gabrielle C. Buck, Joseph Lynch, Natalia Dudareva
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The shikimate pathway is a metabolic pathway that produces the three aromatic amino acids—phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine—which are essential to human diets and necessary for many plant functions. Consequently, the shikimate pathway is commonly targeted for antibiotic and herbicide strategies as well as genetic engineering in several fields. This pathway is known to be localized in the plastids, or double membrane-bound organelles, of plant cells; however, there is enzymatic evidence of another shikimate pathway in the cell fluid, or cytosol. To determine whether a complete cytosolic shikimate pathway exists, we used a modified gene for the first enzyme of the …
Temporal Resolution Of Cell Death Signaling Events Induced By Cold Atmospheric Plasma And Electroporation In Human Cancer Cells, Danielle M. Krug, Prasoon K. Diwakar, Ahmed Hassanein
Temporal Resolution Of Cell Death Signaling Events Induced By Cold Atmospheric Plasma And Electroporation In Human Cancer Cells, Danielle M. Krug, Prasoon K. Diwakar, Ahmed Hassanein
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Cancer treatment resistance and their invasive and expensive nature is propelling research towards developing alternate approaches to eradicate cancer in patients. Non-thermal, i.e., cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and electroporation (EP) applied to the surface of cancerous tissue are new methods that are minimally invasive, safe, and selective. These approaches, both independently and synergistically, have been shown to deplete cancer cell populations, but the signaling mechanisms of death and their timelines of action are still widely unknown. To better understand the timeframe of signaling events occurring upon treatment, human cancer cell lines were treated with CAP, EP, and combined CAP with …
Finding Human Proteins That Bind To A Lassa Virus Protein, Maria Alejandra Pardo Ruge, Veronica J. Heintz, Douglas J. Lacount
Finding Human Proteins That Bind To A Lassa Virus Protein, Maria Alejandra Pardo Ruge, Veronica J. Heintz, Douglas J. Lacount
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Viral hemorrhagic fevers are severe illnesses caused by many different viruses. Lassa Virus is one of these important pathogens in Western Africa, causing hemorrhagic fever and eventually death without early medical treatment. There is no vaccine and there is little information on host-pathogen interactions. Therefore, the interaction between viral proteins and host targets is useful to understand Lassa virus’s lifecycle and pathology, and to develop ways to prevent infection. In this project, we study the nucleoprotein of Lassa virus (NP), which has been reported to have anti-interferon (IFN) activity through elimination of double stranded RNA (dsRNA). These features could be …
The Response Of Schwann Cells To Weak Dc Electric Fields, Alexander T. Lai, Jianming Li
The Response Of Schwann Cells To Weak Dc Electric Fields, Alexander T. Lai, Jianming Li
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Schwann cells are glial cells that serve the vital role of supporting neurons in the peripheral nervous system. While their primary function is to provide insulation (myelin) for axons, they also help regenerate injured axons by digesting severed axons and providing scaffolding to guide the regeneration process. This specific role of Schwann cells makes them highly important cellular targets following nerve injury. Although some efforts have been made to encourage Schwann cell migration after nerve damage, the use of electric fields to control cell responses remain unexplored; therefore, this experiment serves to characterize the behavior of Schwann cells to weak …
Determining The Structure Of Phospholipase C Epsilon, Hannah O'Neill, Monita Sieng, Elisabeth Garland-Kuntz, Angeline Lyon
Determining The Structure Of Phospholipase C Epsilon, Hannah O'Neill, Monita Sieng, Elisabeth Garland-Kuntz, Angeline Lyon
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The phospholipase C (PLC) epsilon subfamily of PLC enzymes are found at highest concentration within the cardiovascular system. Improper functioning of the enzyme, whether due to overstimulation or changes in expression, has far-reaching effects within the human body Stunted heart valve development and cardiac hypertrophy and are two such examples. The mechanisms by which PLC epsilon activity is regulated in these processes remain unknown, as does the physical structure of the enzyme. In this study, we seek to determine the structure of a PLC epsilon fragment that retains enzymatic activity and is amenable to crystallization. Mutagenesis of PLC epsilon cDNA …
Metabolic Comparison Of Wild-Type And Transgenic Synechocystis Pcc 6803 Cyanobacteria, Ian A. Mcluckey, John A. Morgan, Joel Yu King Hing
Metabolic Comparison Of Wild-Type And Transgenic Synechocystis Pcc 6803 Cyanobacteria, Ian A. Mcluckey, John A. Morgan, Joel Yu King Hing
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The Calvin-Benson (CBB) cycle is an essential part of nature. This phenomenon allows carbon molecules in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to be converted into useful energy in the form of sugars. Cyanobacteria are single-celled organisms capable of utilizing energy from sunlight to drive this cycle and are also readily engineered. In hopes of improving this cycle, we compared a wild-type version of the Synechocystis PCC6803 cyanobacteria to an engineered version overexpressing the enzyme FBA (fructose-biphosphate aldolase), called 70 glpX, to deduce how the overexpressing strain is able to be more photosynthetically efficient. To do this, comparative metabolomics were done …
Performing A Genetic Screen To Identify Factors That Promote Lncrna-Dependent Gene Repression, Chrishan Fernando, Cecilia Yiu, Sara Cloutier, Siwen Wang, Elizabeth Tran
Performing A Genetic Screen To Identify Factors That Promote Lncrna-Dependent Gene Repression, Chrishan Fernando, Cecilia Yiu, Sara Cloutier, Siwen Wang, Elizabeth Tran
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were once thought not to have useful functions in organisms but rather to be products of aberrant transcription. However, roles are being found for lncRNAs in beneficial processes such as controlling gene expression. In some of these cases, lncRNAs form R-loops in vivo. R-loops are nucleic acid structures consisting of hybridized strands of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) as well as the displaced strand of ssDNA. Formation of these R-loops is important for gene regulation by the lncRNAs. However, factors that promote formation of lncRNA R-loops are not known. The gene PHO84 is being …
Fret Biosensors: Engineering Fluorescent Proteins As Biological Tools For Studying Parkinson’S Disease, Nathan J. Leroy, Jacob R. Norley, Saranya Radhakrishnan, Mathew Tantama
Fret Biosensors: Engineering Fluorescent Proteins As Biological Tools For Studying Parkinson’S Disease, Nathan J. Leroy, Jacob R. Norley, Saranya Radhakrishnan, Mathew Tantama
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with over 200,000 new cases each year. In general, the cause of the disease is unknown, but oxidative stress inside of neurons has been associated with the disease’s pathology for some time. Currently, techniques to study the onset of PD inside of neurons are limited. This makes treatments and causes difficult to discover. One solution to this has been fluorescent protein biosensors. In short, these proteins can be engineered to glow when a certain state is achieved inside a cell. The present research discusses the engineering of a genetically-encoded fluorescent protein (FP) …
Fluorescent Protein Biosensor For Use In Parkinson's Research, Piper R. Miller, Keelan Trull, Mathew Tantama
Fluorescent Protein Biosensor For Use In Parkinson's Research, Piper R. Miller, Keelan Trull, Mathew Tantama
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Purinergic signaling is a type of extracellular communication that occurs between cells, mediated by adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine. In Parkinson’s Disease, purinergic signaling is disrupted, which contributes to neurodegeneration. In order to monitor this change in cell-to-cell signaling, there is a need for the development of a fluorescent protein (FP) biosensor to study the changes in the concentration of the signaling molecule ATP and its decomposition bioproduct ADP. This summer a genetically encoded ADP sensor that measures changes in ADP concentration was developed. This sensor utilizes Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) which is a sensing technique …
Assessing The Influence Of Socials Calls On Bat Mist-Netting Success In North America, Karly A. Rushmore, Laura E. D'Acunto, Cheyenne L. Gerdes, Patrick A. Zollner, Joy M. O'Keefe
Assessing The Influence Of Socials Calls On Bat Mist-Netting Success In North America, Karly A. Rushmore, Laura E. D'Acunto, Cheyenne L. Gerdes, Patrick A. Zollner, Joy M. O'Keefe
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Since the introduction of the fungal disease White-Nose Syndrome in 2006, millions of North American bats have perished. For many species, the disease has caused over a 90 percent decline in abundance. With populations fluctuating as the pathogen spreads, biologists require improved methods of estimating bat demographics and abundance. Previous research indicates that mist netting success may be improved with the use of acoustic lures at mist-netting locations. Our research investigates which type of social calls improve the capture rates of North American bats, including the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). Social call types used include antagonistic buzzes, distress calls, …
Full-Water Column Turbulence Parameterization Of Stratified Waters In Southern Lake Michigan, Kyla A. Prendergast, Cary D. Troy, David Cannon
Full-Water Column Turbulence Parameterization Of Stratified Waters In Southern Lake Michigan, Kyla A. Prendergast, Cary D. Troy, David Cannon
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Full water column mean flow and turbulence structure was characterized at two stratified locations in Lake Michigan (a. Muskegon, MI; b. Michigan City, IN) in order to better understand the filtration potential of invasive quagga mussels. Invasive quagga mussels in Lake Michigan are filter feeders and can dramatically alter clarity as well as the biological/chemical characteristics of the water column. This filtering capacity is highly contingent on turbulence characteristics throughout the water column, which is poorly understood in the Great Lakes. Using velocity, temperature, and turbulence data collected from these locations, the structure of the water column turbulence was modeled …
Low-Cost Diagnostics: A Novel Aptamer Screening Process, Junkai Xie, Kalie Janece Dicks, Oscar C. Sanchez-Medina, Chongli Yuan
Low-Cost Diagnostics: A Novel Aptamer Screening Process, Junkai Xie, Kalie Janece Dicks, Oscar C. Sanchez-Medina, Chongli Yuan
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Low-Cost diagnostic and screening tools are of vital importance for low resources countries like those in Africa. DNA aptamers are becoming an important detection analytical tool to recognize small molecule targets, drugs and metabolites. Compared to alternative recognition motifs, such as antibody, protein and peptides, aptamers are cheaper to produce via chemical synthesis, stable at room temperature and relatively faster in R&D lead time (year). Over the past 15 years, various aptamer based sensors have been developed. Conventionally, aptamers were screened via a Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment(SELEX) process. We have improved the SELEX process to improve the …
Acoustic Signatures Of Habitat Types In The Miombo Woodlands Of Western Tanzania, Sheryl Vanessa Amorocho, Dante Francomano, Kristen M. Bellisario, Ben Gottesman, Bryan C. Pijanowski
Acoustic Signatures Of Habitat Types In The Miombo Woodlands Of Western Tanzania, Sheryl Vanessa Amorocho, Dante Francomano, Kristen M. Bellisario, Ben Gottesman, Bryan C. Pijanowski
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The Miombo Woodlands of Tanzania comprise several habitat types that are home to a great number of flora and fauna. Understanding their responses to increasing human disturbance is important for conservation, especially in places where people depend so directly on their local ecosystem services to survive. Soundscapes are a powerful approach to study complex biomes undergoing change. The sounds emitted by soniferous fauna characterize the acoustic profile of the landscapes they inhabit such that habitats with the highest acoustic abundance are considered as the most diverse and possibly more ecologically resilient. However, acoustic variability within similar habitat types may pose …
Supplemental Effects Of Ruminal Bypass Arginine And Lysine For Improving Meat Quality And Oxidative Stability Of Aged Beef Loins, Jacob Tuell, Hyun-Wook Kim, Juliana Guedes, Derico Setyabrata, Jin-Kyu Seo, Jon Schoonmaker, Yuan H. Brad Kim
Supplemental Effects Of Ruminal Bypass Arginine And Lysine For Improving Meat Quality And Oxidative Stability Of Aged Beef Loins, Jacob Tuell, Hyun-Wook Kim, Juliana Guedes, Derico Setyabrata, Jin-Kyu Seo, Jon Schoonmaker, Yuan H. Brad Kim
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Postmortem aging is widely practiced in the beef industry to improve eating quality characteristics. However, the oxidative stability of aged beef muscle could be negatively affected by extending aging period. The use of ruminal bypass amino acids allows levels of crude protein in the diet to be lowered and may also positively impact oxidative stability of aged beef muscle. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ruminal bypass arginine (Arg) and lysine (Lys) supplementation on meat quality and oxidative stability of beef loins (M. longissimus lumborum, LL) under two durations of postmortem aging (14 and 28 days). …
Determination Of Amino Acids Involved In Specificity And Activity Of Chladub2, Trent S. Arbough, John M. Hausman, Chittaranjan Das
Determination Of Amino Acids Involved In Specificity And Activity Of Chladub2, Trent S. Arbough, John M. Hausman, Chittaranjan Das
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Chlamydia trachomatis is a pathogen which infects humans as a sexually transmitted disease or through ocular infection, causing ocular trachoma. Ocular trachoma is the leading cause of non-congenital blindness in developing countries. The bacteria employs the deubiquitinating enzyme ChlaDUB2 to remove ubiquitin from its inclusion membrane in order to avoid lysosomal degradation. Key amino acids involved in ubiquitin recognition and cleavage were mutated in order to probe substrate specificity and catalytic activity of ChlaDUB2. Mutants were used in fluorometry assays in order to determine how the mutations affect the ability of ChlaDUB2 to release the amino methyl coumarin (AMC) group …
Effect Of Particle Interactions On Powder Flow Behavior, Ivana A. Penagos, Carolina P. Mora, Teresa Carvajal
Effect Of Particle Interactions On Powder Flow Behavior, Ivana A. Penagos, Carolina P. Mora, Teresa Carvajal
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The study of powder flow behavior is essential for the development of processing technologies in many industries. In fact, powders have a major function in diverse types of manufacturing, such as pharmaceuticals, foods, chemicals, materials, minerals and cosmetics. This leads to an increasing demand for the development of reliable methods to assess powder flow problems in industry. This research intends to provide a general insight into how surface interactions and particle properties may alter powder flowability. The materials used for this study were lactose, starch, milk powder, cocoa and chocolate. These vary in their interparticle forces as well as on …
Investigation Of Low Cost Solar Drying Of Apricots For Tajikistan, Huimin Wang, Richard L. Stroshine Dr.
Investigation Of Low Cost Solar Drying Of Apricots For Tajikistan, Huimin Wang, Richard L. Stroshine Dr.
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Dried apricots are one of Tajikistan’s major export products. The country wants to expand its production in the southern region. However, the producers don’t have the expertise needed to produce dried apricots that meet the quality requirements of the European Union and other potential export markets. Local producers in southern Tajikistan would benefit from improvements in methods of applying sulfur and drying the apricots. This would allow them to gain a share of global markets. Methods that were studied include sulfur treatment prior to drying and approaches for rapidly drying the apricots while preventing contamination. Because the project has just …
Tumor Formation In Response To Loss Of Chromatin Remodeler Chd5 In Zebrafish, Taylor R. Sabato, Erin L. Sorlien, Dr. Joseph P. Ogas
Tumor Formation In Response To Loss Of Chromatin Remodeler Chd5 In Zebrafish, Taylor R. Sabato, Erin L. Sorlien, Dr. Joseph P. Ogas
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 5 (CHD5) has been identified as a tumor suppressor in humans. Deletion or mutation of CHD5 has been observed in numerous cancers, including neuroblastoma and melanoma. We hypothesize that chd5 is also a tumor suppressor in zebrafish, a powerful model system to study tumorigenesis. Many genes involved in tumorigenesis are conserved in zebrafish, and they develop fully penetrant tumor phenotypes. We have created chd5 knock-out zebrafish using CRISPR/Cas9 and are monitoring them for tumor development. In addition to the chd5 knock-outs, we are undertaking a double-mutant approach by coupling loss …
Ecological Responses Of Midwestern Snakes To Prescribed Fire, Zachary T. Truelock, Chelsea E. Clyde-Brockway, Elizabeth A. Flaherty
Ecological Responses Of Midwestern Snakes To Prescribed Fire, Zachary T. Truelock, Chelsea E. Clyde-Brockway, Elizabeth A. Flaherty
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Prescribed burning is a commonly used land management tool to reduce the risk of hazardous wildfires and improve wildlife habitat, especially for grassland ecosystems. However, prescribed fire has widely varying effects on differing wildlife taxa. The effects of prescribed fire on herpetofaunal biodiversity have been examined, but the responses of a common and wide-ranging species, the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), to fire and subsequent effects on its ecology have not been closely studied. The primary goal of this research was to evaluate differing resource use or movement patterns of common garter snakes in burned and unburned habitats. …
Co-Modulation Masking Release Begins In The Auditory Periphery, Kareem R. Hussein, Agudemu Borjigan, Mark Sayles
Co-Modulation Masking Release Begins In The Auditory Periphery, Kareem R. Hussein, Agudemu Borjigan, Mark Sayles
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Understanding speech in noisy environments can be difficult, especially for people with hearing loss. The background noise can cover up the sounds of interest. Normally, the auditory system works to alleviate this problem by tagging and then cancelling the noise. Our experiments are aimed at understanding the mechanism of this noise cancellation process. We hypothesize that non-linear signal processing in the mammalian cochlea (the most peripheral part of the auditory system) is the basis of noise cancellation. To test this hypothesis, we measured the responses of auditory-nerve fibers (ANFs) to sounds embedded in background noise with different statistical properties. ANFs …
Defining The Destruction Box: Understanding How The Apc Recognizes Its Substrates, Hana Maldivita Tambrin, Mark C. Hall
Defining The Destruction Box: Understanding How The Apc Recognizes Its Substrates, Hana Maldivita Tambrin, Mark C. Hall
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Cell division is the process by which mother cells give rise to two genetically identical daughter cells. All cells have protein networks to ensure that cell division is completed correctly because mistakes during cell division may cause diseases. The Anaphase-promoting complex (APC) is an important regulatory enzyme that ensures successful completion of mitosis. It acts by removing inhibitors of chromosomal segregation and cytokinesis, as well as other important cell division regulators. Existing chemotherapies, like taxol, act by indirectly inhibiting APC function. This makes APC a potential target for new cancer chemotherapies. However, designing APC inhibitors is challenging because how APC …
How Strongly Do Oysters Stick?, Nicolás M. Morato, Andrés M. Tibabuzo, Jonathan J. Wilker
How Strongly Do Oysters Stick?, Nicolás M. Morato, Andrés M. Tibabuzo, Jonathan J. Wilker
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Biological adhesives are a type of interfacial material that has incredible potential to generate new biomimetic compounds that can replace current strong, but toxic, adhesives. Therefore, a study of the chemical composition and mechanical properties of those bio-adhesives is necessary. However, in the case of oysters, despite known chemical characterization of the adult’s adhesive, there are almost no studies on its mechanical properties. Furthermore, there is no available information on the adhesive properties of spat (oysters in their larvae state). Herein, we present the first mechanical characterization of the spat adhesive, measuring its adhesion strength by hydrodynamic determination using a …
A Spatial Stochastic Model Of Ampar Trafficking And Subunit Dynamics, Tyler Vandyk, Matthew C. Pharris, Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem
A Spatial Stochastic Model Of Ampar Trafficking And Subunit Dynamics, Tyler Vandyk, Matthew C. Pharris, Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
In excitatory neurons, the ability of a synaptic connection to strengthen or weaken is known as synaptic plasticity and is thought to be the cellular basis for learning and memory. Understanding the mechanism of synaptic plasticity is an important step towards understanding and developing treatment methods for learning and memory disorders. A key molecular process in synaptic plasticity for mammalian glutamatergic neurons is the exocytosis (delivery to the synapse) of AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs). While the protein signaling pathways responsible for exocytosis have long been investigated with experimental methods, it remains unreasonable to study the system in its full complexity …
Bacterial Motility And Its Role In Biofilm Formation, Clayton J. Culp, Arezoo M. Ardekani, Adib Ahmadzadegan
Bacterial Motility And Its Role In Biofilm Formation, Clayton J. Culp, Arezoo M. Ardekani, Adib Ahmadzadegan
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Bacterial biofilms are known to cause millions of dollars in damage in the medical industry per year via infection of central venous catheters, urinary catheters, and mechanical heart valves. Unfortunately, there are some characteristics of biofilm formation that are yet to be fully understood. Recently much work has been done to investigate the motility characteristics of bacteria with hopes of better understanding the phenomena of biofilm formation. Still, one of the least understood stages is bacterial attachment or adhesion, a process designed to anchor bacteria in an advantageous environment. Providing a better understanding of bacterial motility near solid interfaces will …
The Effects Of Compaction On Reconstitution Characteristics Of Dairy Powder, Michelle P. Dixon, Rose Prabin Kingsly Ambrose, Dhananjay Ashok Pai
The Effects Of Compaction On Reconstitution Characteristics Of Dairy Powder, Michelle P. Dixon, Rose Prabin Kingsly Ambrose, Dhananjay Ashok Pai
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Milk powders are becoming more ubiquitous within the food industry, and they offer consumers a convenient form for direct intake of dairy. The costs associated with dairy are reduced when products are converted to powder, which markedly increases shelf life at ambient temperatures. Creating compacts from powders further improves cost efficiency by reducing volume. However, milk powders typically possess poor rehydration properties, such as a slow dispersion rate and low solubility, and powder compaction additionally prolongs rehydration time, reducing consumer acceptability. Previous studies have shown that modifying dairy products before or during the drying process can improve rehydration properties, but …
Determining The Role Of Epigenetic Factors In Antifungal Drug Resistance, Abigail R. Gress, Scott D. Briggs, Nina Serratore
Determining The Role Of Epigenetic Factors In Antifungal Drug Resistance, Abigail R. Gress, Scott D. Briggs, Nina Serratore
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Epigenetic factors are proteins that regulate gene expression by altering transcriptional machinery access to nucleosomes, DNA wrapped around histone proteins. Two classes of epigenetic factors are ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers and histone modifiers such as histone methyltransferases (HMTs), proteins that add methyl groups to histone tails. This study focuses on AIF4 (Antifungal-Induced Factor 4), a possible HMT induced upon neutral lipid depletion that we hypothesize is regulating antifungal drug resistance genes. Overexpression of AIF4 results in hypersensitivity to antifungal drugs. Studying epigenetic factors in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including AIF4, can lead to better understanding of cell adaptation to their environments …
Mobility Characteristics Of Azithromycin In Soil, Ryan Minter, Jihyun Kim, Linda Lee
Mobility Characteristics Of Azithromycin In Soil, Ryan Minter, Jihyun Kim, Linda Lee
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment has become a widespread problem in recent decades. Azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic commonly prescribed for infections in humans, has been detected in waste treatment plant discharge and surface waters across the world. Data on the mobility characteristics of azithromycin in soil is scarce, and further studies must be performed to explore the potential for azithromycin leaching to groundwater or becoming available for plant uptake. In this study, azithromycin sorption isotherms were measured on eight soils varying in pH, organic carbon content, and clay content. Soil was equilibrated with …
Secreted Ns1 Aids In Dengue Virus Entry By Binding Heparan Sulfate, Morgan E. Schafer, Michael Dibiasio-White, Richard J. Kuhn
Secreted Ns1 Aids In Dengue Virus Entry By Binding Heparan Sulfate, Morgan E. Schafer, Michael Dibiasio-White, Richard J. Kuhn
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
A large portion of the world’s population lives in an area where they are at risk of contracting Dengue Virus (DENV). While infection with DENV can result in a wide range of clinical manifestations, from flu-like symptoms to hemorrhagic shock, vascular leakage, and even death, no treatments currently exist. Previous studies have shown that higher levels of viral non-structural protein 1 (NS1) in the blood of infected patients correlate with more severe disease. NS1 has been shown to play many roles in the viral lifecycle, but the mechanisms by which NS1 executes these functions are unknown. Preliminary data from our …
A Touchscreen Assay To Probe The Role Of The Serotonergic System In Learning And Visual Information Processing, Jeffrey M. Dorsch, Alexandr Pak, Alexander A. Chubykin
A Touchscreen Assay To Probe The Role Of The Serotonergic System In Learning And Visual Information Processing, Jeffrey M. Dorsch, Alexandr Pak, Alexander A. Chubykin
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The neurotransmitter serotonin is involved in numerous processes in the brain such as behavior, learning, memory, mood, and neurodevelopment. Serotonin signaling is regulated by the serotonin transporter protein (SERT), which maintains normal serotonin levels. Mutations in the SERT gene are known to correlate with cognitive and behavioral deficits seen in psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, and autism spectrum disorder. Researchers study these deficits using SERT knockout (KO) mice, a model that lacks functional SERT and displays changes in anxiety, learning, and motivation. We are interested in how the absence of SERT affects visual processing and learning. A popular …
Predictive Power And Validity Of Connectome Predictive Modeling: A Replication And Extension, Michael Wang, Joaquin Goni, Enrico Amico
Predictive Power And Validity Of Connectome Predictive Modeling: A Replication And Extension, Michael Wang, Joaquin Goni, Enrico Amico
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Neuroimaging, particularly functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), is a rapidly growing research area and has applications ranging from disease classification to understanding neural development. With new advancements in imaging technology, researchers must employ new techniques to accommodate the influx of high resolution data sets. Here, we replicate a new technique: connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM), which constructs a linear predictive model of brain connectivity and behavior. CPM’s advantages over classic machine learning techniques include its relative ease of implementation and transparency compared to “black box” opaqueness and complexity. Is this method efficient, powerful, and reliable in the prediction of behavioral measures …