Life Sciences Commons^™

Transplanting A Bacterial Immune System: Determining The Function Of A Novel Crispr System, Riannon Smith, Melena Garrett

Research on Capitol Hill

CRISPR (Clusters of Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) loci and cas (CRISPR-associated) genes provide adaptive immunity (see panel below) in bacteria and have recently been repurposed for genome editing.

Systems are structurally and functionally diverse.

• 2 classes, 6 types, 33 subtypes
• Very few have been studied experimentally
• None of the Type IV systems have been characterized

Effects Of Seed Coating And Water Level On Alkali Bulrush Germination And Biomass, Anders Hart, Emily Martin

Research on Capitol Hill

Alkali bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus) is an important plant species in Great Salt Lake (GSL) wetlands. GSL managers are interested in restoring alkali bulrush following the removal of the invasive grass Phragmites australis. However, low moisture availability may hinder alkali bulrush germination, especially in light of continuing water diversions from GSL tributaries and ongoing climate change.

Surfactant seed coatings have aided the germination of upland plant species in restoration projects by increasing the water available for seeds. However, these coatings have not been tested on wetland species. In the project, we tested the effect of a surfactant seed …

Great Basin Forb Restoration: Lupine Response To Altered Precipitation Predicted By Climate Change, Andrea Jo Johnson, Kristin Hulvey, Scott Jensen, Tom Monaco

Research on Capitol Hill

Abundance of native forb species is declining, leading to degraded ecosystems within the Great Basin.

Forbs provide many ecosystem functions, including wildlife habitat for species such as Sage Grouse, increased biodiversity, resistance to erosion, and protection from invasive plant species.

Climate change is predicted to affect timing, frequency, and intensity of precipitation within the Great Basin. During the fall season, precipitation is expected to increase by 30%.

Changes in precipitation will likely affect fall emergence of forbs, which is essential for overwintering and establishment.

Learning how precipitation affects forb emergence could lead to new methods that increase fall emergence and …

Decreasing Blue Light From Led Increases Growth In Four Diverse Species, Boston Swan

Research on Capitol Hill

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) facilitate research into the effects of light quality and quantity because of their narrow band wavelength and the ability to control the quantity of light output.

•Light Quantity: Light intensity, measured as µmols m2s-1 •Light Quality: Light wavelength, measured as nm, indicates light color.

In some crops, decreasing blue light (400-500 nm) has been shown to increase growth. For this research, I studied four crops; kale, lettuce, tomato and cucumber. These crops were chosen because of commercial interest in light sensitivity.

The system included 16 chambers with eight unique spectral outputs (Table 1).

Motor Affordance For Grasping A Handrail, D. Mcdannald, M. Mansour, Garrett Rydalch

Research on Capitol Hill

Mere observation of objects around us can potentiate motor action by priming specific areas in the brain. This concept, referred to as the affordance effect, suggests that humans put viewed objects into motor terms automatically. Such automated linking of observations to action offers potential advantages to interact with our environment quickly and efficiently when producing goal-directed movements.

One possible application of this affordance effect includes the rapid balance reactions needed to avoid a fall. In reactive balance control, movements must be extremely fast yet simultaneously appropriate for a given environment (e.g. quickly grasping a nearby handrail to avoid a fall). …

The Effect Of Gender And Socioeconomic Factors On Reporting Of Concussions Among Ncaa Student-Athletes, Joshua Hansen

Research on Capitol Hill

Concussions are traumatic brain injuries that result from “brain shaking” as a result of transmit force to the head. Concussions result in immediate and transient post-traumatic impairment of neural functions which lead to both psychological and physiological symptoms.

As knowledge of the long-term implications of these injuries grows, concussions are becoming an increasing health concern worldwide. One subset, sports-related concussions, are receiving an increasing amount of attention from scientists and health-care practitioners.

More than 3.8 million sport-related concussions occur annually in the United States alone, and some studies suggest that up to 43% of these go unreported and untreated.

How Pesticide Additives Alter Feeding Behavior And Viral Infections In Honey Bees, Matthew Thompson

Research on Capitol Hill

Honey bees are vital to agriculture; the decline of honey bee populations in Utah and worldwide is concerning. Several factors can reduce honey bee health and when they interact can increase in magnitude (Fig. 1). We are investigating the interactions of a pesticide ingredient, organosilicone surfactant (OSS), and viral pathogens.

Goals

• Determine if OSS exposure alters honey bee feeding behavior.
• Determine if OSS synergizes with and increases the negative impact of viruses on honey bees.

Does Requiring Participation In Research Have A Positive Effect On Students’ Perception Of Undergraduate Research?, Mikayla Austin

Research on Capitol Hill

Undergraduate research is not only beneficial to the university and community for all the new ideas it brings to light, but plays an important role in student development.

Studies have shown that students who are involved in research as undergraduates are proficient in:

• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Confidence
• Problem solving

There have been many studies conducted on the best ways to get students involved in research in order to gain these benefits, most of which are based around increasing awareness.

My research is focused on the impact of bringing research into the classroom and requiring students to participate. Will this increase …

Can Adding Black Raspberries To The Western Diet Reduce Factors That Lead To Colorectal Cancer?, Tess Armbrust, Canyon Neal

Research on Capitol Hill

• Americans with leaky gut, or increased intestinal permeability, often develop chronic inflammation (colitis) and are at a greater risk for developing colorectal cancer (CRC).
• A poor diet, high in processed foods but low in fruits and vegetables, is another notable risk factor for CRC.
• Micronutrient supplementation reduces colitis and prevents progression to colitis associated colorectal cancer (CAC).
• Due to their high concentration of anthocyanins, black raspberries have demonstrated protective effects against inflammation in the body.
• Certain antibodies are indicative of inflammation which leads to CRC.

An Examination Of The Prevalence Of Intimate Partner Violence Training In U.S. Medical School Curriculum, Tyson Lumbreras

Research on Capitol Hill

• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men living in the United States experience some form of Intimate Partner Violence or IPV (Black, et al. 2011).
• Although there is some research that examines the role health care professionals play in identifying IPV (Richardson, et al. 2002), there is less research on how effectively they are trained to handle it.
• My research will determine whether medical students are receiving adequate IPV training through comprehensive data on the quality of IPV training across U.S. schools.

Testing Rearing Diets For A New Invasive Insect Pest In Utah, The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, James Withers, Loren Linford

Research on Capitol Hill

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, is an invasive insect from Asia. It has caused millions of dollars in damage to fruit, vegetable, ornamental, and field crops since its arrival in North America, and can be a severe nuisance pest when it congregates on human structures to overwinter. The BMSB caused $37 million of apple crop damage in the Mid-Atlantic Region in 2007 to 2010. To study the insect, effective rearing methods are needed. Previous research (Funayama 2004 & 2006; Medal et al. 2012) showed that carrot, raw peanut and soybean increased rearing efficiency. Recent lab experience …