Biology Commons^™

Measuring Mtdna In Drosophila, Lola Demurger

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Mitochondria have long been studied in relation to aging as they are critical to cell operation, and their dysfunction is linked to several age-related factors, such as shortened lifespan and increased innate immunity. In this study, we use a mitochondrially targeted nuclease called UL12.5 to artificially induce mitochondrial dysfunction by degrading the mitochondrial genome in Drosophila. Degraded mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has many downstream effects, including mtDNA depletion, mtDNA leakage into the cytoplasm, chronically upregulated innate immune response, and shortened lifespan. We began the process of developing an assay that measured mtDNA depletion as a result of UL12.5-mediated mtDNA degradation in …

White Lies Matter: The Evolution, Persistence, And Impact Of Scientific Racism, Kim Keay

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

A dissection of the origins, history, persistence, and impacts of various threads of scientific racism. This paper traces scientific racism from its roots in evolutionary biology through Social Darwinism and eugenics. By exploring the historical connection between scientific racism and white supremacy, this research aims to reveal some of the ways in which contemporary science, racism, and society at large have been shaped by the past. Tracing these threads will follow scientific racism from its origins to the beginnings of Social Darwinism and eugenics, through American cultivation of eugenics and its connections to Nazi Germany, to ongoing eugenicist policies and …

The Effect Of Polyunsaturated Aldehydes On Zebrafish Larvae Heart Rate And Mortality, Soraya Jessa

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This research provides insight on the effects that polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs) have on model species zebrafish heart rate and mortality. Zebrafish were used as an analog for forage fish, which are of both ecological and economic importance. Forage fish often interact with diatoms, some species of which have been known to emit allelopathic chemicals, PUAs. These chemicals can have a deleterious effect on invertebrates that cohabitate with or consume diatoms, but their effects on vertebrates was unknown. In the lab, zebrafish eggs were exposed to three different concentrations of PUAs plus two controls and observed to determine any effects on …

All Creatures Great And Small: The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Veterinary Medicine, Amelia Schlemmer

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented many changes and challenges to veterinary medicine during the past two years. These challenges have created barriers to veterinary care that both veterinary professionals and pet owners have had to overcome. The goal of this project is to elucidate the impacts of the pandemic on veterinary medicine through the review of journal and research papers and interviews with veterinary professionals who have worked during the pandemic. The main challenges faced by veterinary professionals throughout the pandemic have been practice shutdowns, short staffing, increased caseloads, decreased work efficiency, and increased burnout as veterinarians work under increased …

Breeding Sweet Corn For Vitamin A, Sam Herr, Dan Pollard

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Improvement of prediction accuracy in genomic selection models is important to increase the genetic gains in plant breeding. Here we will apply multi-kernel genomic selection models to the prediction of carotenoid levels in sweet corn and compare this type of model to others. As multi-kernel genomic selection techniques require some computational expertise, we have created a tutorial that will walk users through the theory and the code to perform genomic selection.

The Secret Life Of Diatoms: An Exploration Of The Fascinating World Of Diatoms Through The Art Of Printmaking, Zofia Danielson

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Diatoms are a type of microscopic primary producer that fall within the group of phytoplankton. They are named for their two halves: two cell walls made of glass (silica). These glass walls have a variety of forms depending upon the species that allow diatoms to adapt to their marine environments. Diatoms also contribute to productive coastal ecosystems, global oxygen production, and nutrient cycles. This project explored the significance of diatoms to marine ecosystems and their beauty in form through relief linocut printmaking in a workshop setting. The final result of this project is a relief printmaking workshop curriculum about diatoms …

The Evil Genius Of The Brassica Genus: An Investigation Of The Chemical Cross-Talk Between Aspergillus Nidulans And Non-Host Seeds, Emma Smith

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Aspergillus is a widespread saprophytic fungus that contaminates important grain and seed crops postharvest. Many different plants within the Brassicaceae family, and within the Brassica genus more specifically, are known to produce a variety of antimicrobial volatile defense chemicals. Three Brassica plants- Arabidopsis thaliana, Novantina (cultivar of Brassica rapa), and Tatsoi (cultivar of Brassica rapa)- were incubated with Aspergillus nidulans spores in an experimental test chamber. The test chambers were created by fitting together two GMM agar plates and sealing them with microporous surgical tape, so headspace gases were shared between the plates but gaseous exchange with the ambient environment …

Cupid’S Arrow: A Tale Of A Complex And Dynamic Protein, Nadine Tietz

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

My capstone project sought to investigate the degree to which ARO4 gene expression is influenced by local vs distant genetic variants. This involved engineering allele-swap strains of ARO4 tagged with a co-expressing fluorescent protein. I then compared protein expression between each strain's genotype which provided an estimate of the proportion of the overall phenotypic variation that can be explained by genetic variation between the underlying genomes.

From my experiment I was able to conclude that ARO4 protein expression was complex and dynamic as both strain background and allele had genetic influences on ARO4 protein expression. In addition, not only did …