Life Sciences Commons^™

Ab Blood Type And Its Genetic Relationship To Alzheimer’S Disease, Mark Wadsworth, John S. K. Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a debilitating disease that has increased the hardship of many lives. Many people above the age of 65 have been diagnosed with this genetically complex disease, which financially and emotionally burdens those diagnosed and their families. Earlier this year a study was released that found, using a dataset of individuals that have had strokes, that individuals with AB blood type are more at risk of developing cognitive impairment[1]. This study however was not looking at the genetics of AD. My objective in performing this study was to see if there is a genetic association between Alzheimer’s …

Secondary Metabolite Production And Biological Activity Of Endophytic Microbes Of Mahonia Aquifolium, Christopher Rufus Sweeney, Bradley Geary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Secondary metabolites are a result of natural evolutionary mechanism used to aid in plant development and defense, and the research of these metabolites have led to important discoveries in medicines, pesticides and even fossil fuels. In this project, we studied secondary metabolites of microorganisms in Mahonia aquifolium, otherwise known as Oregon grape. This plant is known to produce the chemical compound berberine as a secondary metabolite. Berberine has been shown to have similar effects to metformin and other diabetes treatments, as well as a host of other medicinal qualities. We looked at endophytic fungi and bacteria to see if they, …

Byu Undergraduates Execute A Familial Study Of Non-Demented Individuals In High-Risk Alzheimer’S Disease Pedigrees, John S. K. Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Successful enrollment in and completion of graduate programs requires a constellation of skills. Students must be prepared to plan and execute experiments, present their findings both verbally and in manuscript form and interact effectively with senior scientists in the field of their choice. In this MEG I will mentor four undergraduate students (Kevin Boehme, Lyndsay Staley, Kaitlin Bell and Mark Wadsworth) as they develop skills in study design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, presentation and networking while identifying genetic factors that protect individuals from Alzheimer’s disease.

Neofunctionalization Of Dual-Targeted Plant Organelle Dna Replication Proteins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Neofunctionalization is the process by which genes gain a new or modified function as a result of gene duplication and modification of one or more of the new genes. This exciting area of research helps explain the diversification of protein functions in cells. The number of documented examples has increased in recent years in all classes of organisms (Deng et al., 2010; Han et al. 2011; Cannela et al. 2014; Sakuma et al. 2013; Zhang et al. 2014). In some cases a protein that was previously thought to function in only one cellular compartment has been shown to also function …

Identifying Genetic Factors In The Development Of Diabetes In The Wasatch Front Population 2013-2014, Julianne H. Grose

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The academic objectives of this MEG were to train undergraduate and graduate students on the scientific process while providing valuable insight into the genetic factors that may play a role in the development of diabetes in the Wasatch front population. We were able to meet these objectives as evidenced by the training of two graduate students and seven undergraduates and by the identification of a novel genetic allele which most likely contributes to diabetes.

Examining The Relative Contributions Of Genes, Diet, And The Gut Microbiome To The Development Of Obesity And Diabetes, Laura C. Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project began as a collaboration with Dr. Julianne Grose in MMBIO to study the effect of PAS kinase on diabetes and obesity in a mouse model system. Due to our initial findings, the study has grown to include Dr. Ben Bickman in PDBIO (an expert in metabolism) and Dr. Scott Weber in MMBIO (an immunologist). We have found that PAS kinase knockout mice have an increased metabolic rate—not only in their overall system but also specifically in skeletal muscle. Metabolic rate can have a profound influence on the immune system, so we began working with Dr. Weber to measure …

Biophysical Actions Of Nsaids And Volatile Anesthetics, David D. Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This award led to a wonderful confluence of mentored research experiences for 9 undergraduates and 1 graduate student. The academic goal was to evaluated the role of NSAIDs and general anesthetics in modulating lipid bilayer mechanics, particularly as they influenced pressure area curves and dye absorption rates in purified lipid vesicles. The studies were augmented and informed by molecular dynamics simulations of such molecules being positioned at different levels in the lipid bilayer and measuring the average normal force on the molecules.

2013-2014 Final Report : Ephedra (Each Person Has Essential Disciplinary Research Abilities) In Interdisciplinary Climate Change Studies, Richard Gill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The central aim of this proposal was to provide opportunities for students from diverse academic backgrounds to work collaboratively on a number of federally funded projects that include Colorado Plateau grasslands, the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin sagebrush steppe, and the Uintah Mountains. This proposal funded a portion of the salary for 9 students from life sciences, and engineering. The mentoring environment and plan focused on allowing students with diverse interests and training to work together on complex problems with frequent interaction with faculty and graduate students. We have a novel undergraduate lab that integrates training in science across the …

Final Report For 2013 Meg: Improving The Memory Response Of Pathogen Specific Helper T Cells, Scott Weber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The following two aims are from my 2013 MEG. We made great progress and completed most of both Aim 1 and Aim 2. Details on the progress for each aim are described below.

Mentoring Environment: This MEG allowed me to expand the size of my lab and increase the amount and quality of mentoring. I met with student each week in lab meeting as well as individually. I also had each student email me a weekly update. Students were given opportunities to do hands on work, be involved in the data analysis and presentation at local and regional meetings.

BYU …

Analysis Of The Kinetics And Recombinatorial Mechanisms Of Hiv-1 Evolution In Vivo In Humanized Mice, Bradford Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Several of my students have moved on to future positions, as follows: Medical school: Sterling Adams, German Cuadra, Art Lee (still interviewing), and Tyler White (still interviewing) Graduate school: Steve Hallam

See below in the ‘academic deliverables’ section for further details on presentations, grant funding awarded directly to students, and publications.

Structural Variations In Articular Cartilage Associated With Osteoarthritis., David Kooyman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Thank you for this MEG award. It led to important research performed primarily by undergraduate students in my laboratory. Our work resulted in some molecular pathways leading to OA that can be exploited by pharmacologic intervention. We exceeded our stated goals for the project. Work from this MEG has already resulted in 2 publications (see below; undergraduate students are in yellow). In addition, we have another paper in review at this time and three others that will be submitted within the next 3-4 months. Besides those students listed as co-authors below, other students that participated in the project are Joshua …

The Neuroprotective Effect Of Exercise On Memory Impairment Induced By Stress, Jeff Edwards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The objectives of this award were met, especially in regard to the mentoring focus of the award. The students have been mentored and trained in an effective manner as outlined in my Mentoring Plan (abbreviated below). This includes mentoring students in research, writing, publishing, presenting at conferences, etc. Indeed, one measure of the success of mentoring is demonstrated by the fact that all the students graduating from my lab during this time were accepted to the professional school of their choice (see students listed below). Research, especially where the students are actually involved in all aspects of it including data …

Byu Undergraduates Explore The Flipped Classroom In Search Of The Best Pedagogy For Introductory Biology, Jamie Jensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This report will outline how effectively we met our academic and mentoring objectives.I have listed below both the academic and mentoring objectives put forth in the original proposal and have outlined how they were met or modified over the course of the past two years.

Academic Objective: To test two hypotheses about the causal mechanisms behind the flipped classroom.

Ab Blood Type And Its Genetic Relationship To Alzheimer’S Disease, Mark Wadsworth, John S. K. Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a debilitating disease that has increased the hardship of many lives. Many people above the age of 65 have been diagnosed with this genetically complex disease, which financially and emotionally burdens those diagnosed and their families. Earlier this year a study was released that found, using a dataset of individuals that have had strokes, that individuals with AB blood type are more at risk of developing cognitive impairment[1]. This study however was not looking at the genetics of AD. My objective in performing this study was to see if there is a genetic association between Alzheimer’s …

Phylogenetic Relationships In The Neo-Tropical Lizard Family Corytophanidae, Greg Taylor, Jack Sites

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The focus of this project was 1) to determine sexual dimorphism in head and body structures in the lizard family Corytophanidae 2) analyze phylogenetic relationships between the species within the family, and 3) analyze the relationship with other lizard clades.

Association Of Tm2d3 Gene With Lateonset Of Alzheimer’S Disease In Cache County, Eleni Tukuafu, Dr. John S. K. Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It is estimated that 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. It is currently the 6th leading cause of death in America, killing around 500,000 seniors every year. A 68% increase of death from Alzheimer’s disease was observed from the year 2000 to 2010. These numbers are expected to continue climbing.

Morphology Of Human Myoblasts In Cultured Muscle Cells By The Novel Small Molecule Sgi, Ryan Matekel, Robert Hyldahl

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Muscle wasting is a symptom of cancer, AIDS, renal failure, heart failure, aging, prolonged bed rest, and has been seen in rodent models for burn, and kidney disease (Han, 2013). Muscle wasting negatively impacts quality of life by decreasing functional independence and increasing morbidity and mortality (Anker, 1997). Muscle wasting is an especially serious issue given that the body weight of an average human is 40-50 percent skeletal muscle (Han, 2013). Myostatin is a protein that negatively regulates muscle mass and is primarily expressed within skeletal muscle (Lee & McPherron, 2001). Genetic studies have shown that inhibition of myostatin signaling …

Evidence For Regulatory T Cell In Skeletal Muscle Repair, Amanda Gier, Robert Hyldahl

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Testing multiple immunohistochemistry protocols, I was unsuccessful at identifying Tregulatory cells in human skeletal muscle samples. A total of 5 months was dedicated to this original project before I was reassigned to look into the presence of CD8+ cells in skeletal muscle. The new project proved to be fruitful as I was able to confidently identify CD8+ cells and analyze their presence in the process of skeletal muscle repair. Furthermore, the data I collected has be incorporated into a paper Dr. Robert Hyldahl is currently working on titled “Skeletal muscle inflammation following repeated bouts of lengthening contractions in humans.”

Effect Of Myostatin Pathway Inhibition On Fibroblast Activity Using A Novel Small Molecule, Seth Hampton, Dr. Robert Hyldahl

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Fibroblasts play a key role in repairing injured tissue by secreting collagen and growth factors into the tissue. In states of disease and overuse, fibroblast activity can become overly abundant and can lead to skeletal muscle fibrosis, decreasing strength and muscle elasticity. This fibrotic condition can lead to muscle wasting disorders, such as muscular dystrophies, that severely decrease the length and quality of life. Previous studies have shown that the TGF-beta signaling family directly increases fibroblast proliferation. It has also been shown that inhibition of myostatin, a member of the TGF-beta family, reduces symptoms of muscular dystrophies and decreases fibrosis. …

The Role Of Pas Kinase And The Gut Microbiome In Metabolism And Diabetes Onset In Mice, Andrew Rees, Laura Bridgewater

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Diabetes and obesity are among the most prevalent health concerns in the modern world. However, prevention of their onset and control of their symptoms are still largely limited by our understanding of how these diseases arise. Recent research has indicated that the composition of the gut microbiome is one of the important factors in development of these diseases (5). However, current thinking is not definitive on the relative importance of genetic factors, diet and the gut microbiome, among other factors (5,6). PAS Kinase provided a model through which we could compare the relative affects of genetics, gut microbiome and diet …

Discovery And Characterization Of Bacteriophage To Control Mrsa, Jacob B. Hatch, Bradford Berges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

About 20% of humans are carriers of Staphylococcus aureus (SA). There were an estimated 11,000 deaths in the United States in 2005 attributed to SA, with the majority caused by MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) isolates [1]. Many MRSA isolates have developed resistance to all but one antibiotic drug: vancomycin. However, other bacteria have developed resistance to vancomycin, suggesting that in time MRSA will likewise become non-responsive to this last available drug and MRSA infections will be untreatable. This project looks to find an alternate method of MRSA treatment. Bacteriophage (phage) are viruses that infect bacterial cells in order …

The Role Of Cdk5r1 In Β-¬Cell Survival From Apoptosis, Amanda Hobson, Jeffrey Tessem

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are classified as a decrease in functional ß-cell mass, which results in impaired blood glucose regulation. Functional ß-cell mass is defined as the glucose stimulated insulin secretion rate multiplied by the total cellular mass which is determined by the proliferation and cell death rates. Though ß-cell mass proliferation rates generally decrease by adolescence, obesity and pregnancy have been shown to be times of significant ß-cell proliferation (1). This implies that the inherent molecular pathways necessary for ß-cell proliferation are present, but highly regulated. Discovering the molecular pathway of ß-cell proliferation could lead to diabetes …

Determining If C-Fos Protects Β-Cells From Apoptosis, Kyle Kener, Jeffery Tessem

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Diabetes, a disease characterized by the inability of the body to maintain a normal blood glucose level, continues to affect the lives of many. In both Type I and Type II diabetes, eventual β-cell destruction results in decreased β-cell mass. Regeneration of functional β-cells and protection of such, could help reverse the effects of this disease and could possibly lead to a cure. Many studies have been done to increase functioning β-cell mass, but protecting regenerated β-cells from further apoptotic insults could greatly increase the effectiveness of β-cell transplants and other future treatments of the disease.

This Project Focused On The Effects Of Palmitate On Transcription Factors, Nr4a1 And Nr4a3. All Experiments Were Preformed On A Beta Cell Line. The First Experiment Was Done To Show If Palmitate Effected Proliferation Of Nr4a1 And Nr4a3 Knockout Cell Lines. This Experiment Was Preformed Adding .2 Mmol Palmitate To All Cells And Comparing Them To Untreated And Treated Unknocked Down Cell Lines. This Showed Exactly What Was Expected Which Was That Proliferation Was Decreased In Nr4a1 And Nr4a3 Knockdown Cell Lines., Jordan Tingey, Jeffery Tessem

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project focused on the effects of palmitate on transcription factors, Nr4a1 and Nr4a3. All experiments were preformed on a beta cell line. The first experiment was done to show if palmitate effected proliferation of Nr4a1 and Nr4a3 knockout cell lines. This experiment was preformed adding .2 mmol palmitate to all cells and comparing them to untreated and treated unknocked down cell lines. This showed exactly what was expected which was that proliferation was decreased in Nr4a1 and Nr4a3 knockdown cell lines.

Alzheimer’S Disease And The P.V236e Variant In The Apoe Gene, Alton Chad Sorensen, John Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I was interested in trying to validate the findings of the publication by Medway et al. concerning the SNP rs199768005 using data from the Cache Country data set. Unfortunately, of the 4703 people from our data set, only 10 were carriers. Using R statistical analysis, I found that the p-value for this SNP with an association to protect for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) was not significant. It was similarly not significant in its association with Any AD. I also ran other models to include for factors such as education or age in conjunction with this SNP and its association with AD …

Anatomical Variation Of The Ulnar Collateral Ligament And Implications For Joing Stability And Surgical Rehabilitation, Jakob Gamboa, Dr. Jonathan Wisco

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 1974, the first ulnar collateral ligament reconstructive surgery was performed on Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher, Tommy John. The damaged ligament of the medial elbow was repaired with tendons from the pitcher’s body. Since then, the surgery has been colloquially termed “Tommy John’s Surgery”, and the alarming increase of the rates of the procedure has now become a concern, being recently called an “epidemic” by the American Sports Medicine Institute¹. The procedure possesses risk of complications, and can lead to shortened careers, decreased performance over time², and can carry a heavy financial toll on individuals and …

Testing The Effect Of Antioxidants On The Pathogenesis Of Alzheimer’S Disease Through The Rage/Nf-Kb Inflammatory Pathway, Harrison Snyder, Jonathan Wisco

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts (RAGE) is known to have a role in inflammatory processes. When produced in excess it induces oxidative stress by activating a number of ligand enzymes, resulting in the generation of excessive cytosolic reactive oxidant species. This oxidative stress then stimulates Nuclear Factor Kappa-B (NF-kB), which regulates immune response and inflammation. When RAGE is incorrectly regulated, inflammation occurs in otherwise healthy tissue, a process implicated in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. RAGE is found throughout the body and is seen in greater concentration in inflamed tissues; it has also been found in the brain tissue …

Ligament Microstructure Analysis, Michael Gillespie, Jonathan Wisco

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Due to the relatively poor fiber contrast of tendons in comparison with muscles, the anatomical, and therefore, functional relationship of muscle attachments to bones via tendons has not been well mapped. We were interested in mapping the 3D gross anatomical structure of tendons using a MicroScribe 3D digitizer (GoMeasure3D, Amherst, VA), with the goal to compare fibrous architecture between tendons of various types of muscles and muscle classes. We developed a stain made of blue dye and powdered sugar to increase fiber visibility, thus allowing for 3D digitization. This technique was applied to human cadaveric calcaneal tendon and quadriceps tendon.

Analyzing Structural Differences In Quadriceps Femoris Tendon Fibers Using Microscribe Technology, Nathaniel Hainsworth, Jon Wisco

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Not all tendons and ligaments are created equally. Many have different structural characteristics based on functionality or need for stability. This turns out to be true even between different portions of the same tendon. This project’s purpose was to analyze and compare structural differences between tendon fibers of the patellar portion and quadriceps portion of the quadriceps femoris tendon. We hypothesized that there are significant structural differences between these two portions because they act very different biomechanically, as well as different in the amount of tension/strain put on each portion. We mapped individual tendon fibers of both portions using MicroScribe …

Three-Dimensional Model Of Undocumented Lingual Nerve Branches For The Education Of The International Anatomy, Medical, And Dental Population, Craig D. Clayton, Dr. Jonathan Wisco

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The floor of the oral cavity is covered by a mucosal layer to protect underlying structures against the digestive events of the mouth. Ducts of the salivary glands open into this mucosa along the lingual frenulum. The lingual nerve from the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve immediately begins to branch after passing through the foramen ovale, and continues its descent medial to the inferior alveolar nerve. Just superior to the angle of the mandible, the nerve turns anteriorly 90 degrees and continues a lateral to medial path to the anterior of the mouth. It crosses the submandibular salivary duct …