Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Sex On Zebrafish Bone Metabolism, Simon Bagatto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I investigated the effects of diet and sex on zebrafish bone metabolism. Zebrafish were subjected to either a high-calorie or low-calorie diet over a five-week period. After this diet, zebrafish scales were used to measure alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) enzyme activity with a fluorescent substrate. The enzyme activities were markers of the osteoblasts (ALP) and the osteoclasts (TRAP). These data were compared among sex and diet of the zebrafish using a repeated measures ANOVA statistical test. I also measured the number of resorption lacunae per scale (another indicator of osteoclast activity). The results showed higher TRAP …

Knockout Of Endospanin 1 Via Crispr In Zebrafish, Danio Rerio, Jared Kittinger

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I made endospanin 1 knockout (KO) zebrafish to examine its effects on lipid and bone metabolism. Endospanin 1, or leptin receptor overlapping transcript (leprot), is a cytosolic protein linked to the protein hormone leptin that influences the trafficking of leptin receptors to the plasma membrane of cells. Genes for endospanin and tyrosinase (a pigmentation enzyme) were targeted via a microinjection of guide RNAs and CRISPR Cas9 into zebrafish embryos at 2-4 cell stages. I was able to disrupt the endospanin 1 gene (based upon the disruption of tyrosinase), but very few mutant zebrafish fully developed into adults. Only low KO …

Protocadherin-19 Expression And Function In Vertebrate Brain Review, Makana Mcguire

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For this project, a systematic review will be conducted on published studies on protocadherin-19 expression and function in vertebrate central nervous system development in the last 10 years. Protocadherin-19 (pcdh19) is a member of the cadherin superfamily. Cadherins are calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecules show to play important roles in vertebrate tissue development including the formation of the central nervous system. Understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the function of pcdh19 will help aid in understanding disease(s) caused by malfunction of this molecule, and lead to potential strategies for treatment. Data will be collected via online search of databases. The project …

Role Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 Pathway Due To Preeclampsia: A Review, Firdous Ali

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication that is characterized mainly by hypertension in the mother. The exact pathogenesis of preeclampsia is unknown, although the disease is attributed to a number of factors such as angiogenic factor levels and endothelial dysfunction. Presently, the control program for the disease involves the delivery of the fetus and the placenta. There is a need to develop novel therapies that would control preeclampsia from the moment it is diagnosed to minimize the effects on the mother and child. VEGF is a protein involved in the pathogenesis of the condition. The defect in one of its receptors, …

Assessing Morphology Of Iprgcs After Traumatic Brain Injury, Brian Foresi, Matt Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

ipRGCs are retinal ganglion cells that project to visual processing centers of the brain for nonimage forming visual functions. The relation of ipRGCs to tramatic brain injury (TBI) is emerging as data has been published describing ipRGC functional changes in TBI affected military veterans. Major symptomologies of concussions, a mild form of TBI, also overlap with the function governed by sites in the brain with major ipRGC projection percentages. Assesing if a morphological change is occuring in the ipRGCs after a TBI could support the idea of a pathological mechanism of the injury. This study could also indicate further relevance …

Functionalizing Titanium Implants With Bioactive Peptides To Increase Osseointegration, Neil Bernard

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Orthopedic surgeries have continued to increase, but the material of choice remains constant: titanium. Titanium has become the benchmark implant material due to its durability and non-immunogenic properties. However, while high rates of success are correlated with joint replacement surgery, certain patients with predisposed diseases such as diabetes or arthritis may have increased complications.¹ This can be due to lack of osseointegration due to decreased bone formation and mineralization,² which will lead to increased rates of infection or aseptic loosening of the implant from the bone. ³ Current methods to alleviate these complications include invasive revisional surgeries, which …

Biomarkers Of Sepsis: A Retrospective Approach, Jose M. Roberts

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Background: Biomarkers are taking the spotlight in becoming the norm for early diagnoses. Sepsis is an inflammatory disease that increases metabolic rate in children. The first biomarker is hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a frequent electrolyte imbalance in clinical practice, often observed in children with inflammatory disease and infection. Presence of hyponatremia is associated with electrical signaling imbalances, inflammation and renal dysfunction. The clinical value of hyponatremia in pediatric patients is unknown. The C-reactive protein is a second biomarker. Its presence signifies that necrotic cells and inflammation are present.

Objectives: To evaluate the use of biomarkers in children seen in the Emergency …

The Role Of Tgfβ1 And Ep Receptors In The Differentiation Of Normal And Diseased Lung Fibroblasts, Madison A. Hexter

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Fibroblasts, and their differentiation into myofibroblasts, are important in the pathology of several lung diseases including asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The differentiation process is dependent on several factors, such as soluble factors like transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) and mechanical signals such as matrix stiffness. Additionally, the soluble arachidonic acid metabolite Prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) prevents TGFβ1 induced differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, but the molecular mechanism is not completely understood¹⁵. Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), a mechanosensitive ion channel, has previously been implicated in the differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts^12,13. …