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The Effects Of Recent Climate Change On Spring Phenology, With A Special Focus On Patterns Of Bee Foraging, Michael Stemkovski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The date on which plants flower and on which bees begin to pollinate varies year-to-year depending on differences in weather. This seasonal timing is known as phenology, and it is already clear that climate change has pushed the spring phenology of many species earlier by increasing temperatures. This is particularly clear in flowering plants, but studying how and why the phenology of pollinators is shifting is more difficult. Most flowering plants rely on pollinators such as bees for their reproduction, and most bees rely on flowers for their sustenance, so bee and flower phenology has to overlap for the crucial …

Maureen Biology: Teaching Environmentalism Through Television, Maureen Kennedy

Senior Honors Projects

Children’s television is proven to be an effective instrument for educational material for young age groups and can be utilized to teach social awareness, traditional educational content, and about worldly issues. Highly successful shows for varying adolescent ages, such as Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and Bill Nye the Science Guy, exist for the sole purpose of increasing young viewers’ cognition and knowledge. Differing formats are used to convey educational content, such as narrative and expository structures, depending on the material and target age group. This project will develop the script for a children’s television show in the expository format that …

Silk Production In Mature And Penultimate Female Dolomedes Scriptus, Dylan J. Haley

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Male Dolomedes scriptus are able to determine female maturity status by silk alone, as demonstrated by increased courtship in the presence of silk from mature females (Roach and Benson, unpublished). However, the mechanism by which the males determine female maturity status is unknown. It is possible that there are pheromonal signals indicating reproductive status. Specifically, I test whether mature female D. scriptus produce a different amount of silk than penultimate females, particularly if mature females produce more than immatures. If mature D. scriptus females produce more silk than penultimate females, male D. scriptus may determine maturity status of females via …

Nutritional Ecology Of The Western Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon Piscivorus Leucostoma), Jason Ortega

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutritional ecology aims to understand the factors that shape the diets of animals, how these ingested meals are processed, and how the assimilated nutrients are used to shape an organism’s interactions with its environment. As environmental parameters are altered due to anthropogenic changes, the availability and quality of prey may be altered. The alteration of the nutritional landscape can be devastating to nutritional specialists, yet generalist predators may be able to cope with these changes. The western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) is a unique semiaquatic pitviper that can both forage along the land-water interface and in upland habitat when faced …

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Modulates Electron Transport And Mitochondrial Structure And Function, Lucas Nelson Potter

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Pulsed power treatment has been used to induce regulated cell death (RCD) in cells or ablate tumors in animals. A subset of pulsed power as electroporation with high voltage and pulse duration of milliseconds is used for biomedical treatment to induce pores in the plasma membrane of cells. Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields (nsPEFs)– an extension of electroporation, uses waveforms with pulse durations on the order of 10-900 nanoseconds. nsPEF treatment has demonstrated intracellular effects for potential biomedical applications. In this work, nsPEF treatment is used to demonstrate changes that affect viability, plasma membrane permeability ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) in the …

Investigating The Nectar Preferences Of Bumblebees While Foraging: Are Total Responses A Good Metric?, Alexander Entwistle, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Dr

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The declining population of bumblebees worldwide poses an unmistakable threat to ecological systems and biodiversity. Therefore, a deep understanding of the factors at play when bees are foraging is crucial to conservation efforts. This research aims to explore the energy that foraging bumblebees are willing to expend at a known food source after the food has stopped, and if these responses reveal sugar concentration preferences. In this experiment a novel approach was used, adapted from psychology research on addiction, to measure bee’s preferences for different concentration of sugar-water (nectar). First, how many rewards the bees earned if they were given …

Does A Bumblebee’S Size Influence Foraging Behavior?, Alametta Thompson-Hinton, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Dr

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Current studies of Bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) have shown that they prefer plants that have a higher concentration of sugar over those that are of a lower concentration. However, there is little research analyzing the impact of the size difference amongst bumblebee foragers. During our experiment, we tested if larger bumblebees demonstrate a propensity to pursue nectar rewards more frequently compared to smaller bees. We hypothesized that the smaller bumblebees would forage less than the larger ones under a fixed ratio and three different sugar concentrations. We found that our hypothesis was partly correct: smaller bees initially earned fewer rewards, …

Amongst The Trails: Analysis Of A Small Predator Location Survey, Jesse Laseter

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Small predators, despite their size, play pivotal roles in ecosystem balance. Primarily, through their predation of herbivores, they indirectly benefit native plant communities. By reducing the damage from herbivory, herbaceous plants have a higher likelihood to thrive and proliferate. This is crucial in the restoration of Missouri glades. However, for small predators to achieve this, they rely heavily on their ability to navigate through their environment. One factor that may influence their ability to traverse their environment is recreational trails. Trails can cause habitat fragmentation by disconnecting one larger area into two. Trails also have significantly different microclimate than the …

Speyeria Beyond The Bay Area: Utility Of Dna Barcode In A Region Known For Mixed Phenotypes, Lorraine S. Lee, Alan H. Lin, Karine T. Nguyen, Jiwon Woo

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

Variability Of Color Patterns In The Ventral Skin Of The Túngara Frog, Emily Yuxin Sun

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Age And Size On The Mating Call Of Male Túngara Frogs, Sonia Mathur, Dr. Marcos Gridi-Papp

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

Gonads Without Glp-1: Silencing Glp-1 In The Male Somatic Gonad In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Matthew Titus

Undergraduate Theses

In C. elegans, the gene glp-1 encodes for a Notch receptor called GLP-1, one of two found in C. elegans’ genome. The gene has been previously implicated in the development of the hermaphroditic germline as well as playing a role in the mitosis/meiosis decision. Genetic screening has further identified it as potentially playing a role in the development of the male somatic gonad, making it an ideal candidate for a reverse genetic. We did this by silencing glp-1 and observing if any alterations to the gonad’s phenotype occur.

Normally this could be done by performing a gene knockout. …

Mechanical Properties And Morphological Alterations In Fiber-Based Scaffolds Affecting Tissue Engineering Outcomes, James Dolgin, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Stephen Farias, Carl G. Simon, Smitha Rao

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Electrospinning is a versatile tool used to produce highly customizable nonwoven nanofiber mats of various fiber diameters, pore sizes, and alignment. It is possible to create electrospun mats from synthetic polymers, biobased polymers, and combinations thereof. The post-processing of the end products can occur in many ways, such as cross-linking, enzyme linking, and thermal curing, to achieve enhanced chemical and physical properties. Such multi-factor tunability is very promising in applications such as tissue engineering, 3D organs/organoids, and cell differentiation. While the established methods involve the use of soluble small molecules, growth factors, stereolithography, and micro-patterning, electrospinning involves an inexpensive, labor …

Understanding The Expression And Role Of Pros-1 In The Male Gonad Of C. Elegans, Jack Bozik

Undergraduate Theses

The gene pros-1 is a transcription factor that is highly expressed within neuronal sheath cells, glial cells, and excretory canal cells. pros-1 plays a role in cell determination of those cell types in the nematode C. elegans, which promotes organismal development. But the degree to which pros-1 presence is important is still not fully understood, because there are many genes involved in development that when mutated or damaged can result in unexpected phenotypes or even total loss of function to a certain developmental mechanism. What makes pros-1 valuable to research is that it is a functional homologue to a …

Using Crispr To Genetically Engineer Two Genes Involved In Gonadogenesis In The Model Organism C. Elegans, Peyton Young

Undergraduate Theses

C. elegans is a nematode model organism commonly used in research because of its small size and similarity to humans. Of the known protein sequences of C. elegans, 40%-80% have human homologous genes, making C. elegans an ideal organism for study of human proteins (Lai et al. 2000). Additionally, there are two sexes of C. elegans, male and hermaphrodite. Of the two sexes, this research focuses on the males, especially the development of the gonad and the genes involved in this process. Two genes were chosen for study, C10E2.6 and pig-1, based on essentiality and mRNA expression …

Physiological, Temporal, And Environmental Determinants Of Forage Fish Caloric Content In The Gulf Of Mexico, Rebecca R. Walsh

Honors Theses

Within the Gulf of Mexico, forage fish species serve as an important link between lower trophic levels and higher trophic levels, supporting economically valuable predator fish, birds, and mammals. Despite the key ecological role of forage fish, fisheries management efforts are often directed elsewhere; as a result, input data for fisheries models is unavailable for many forage fish species. To fill this knowledge gap, we sought to produce species-specific caloric content values for four forage fish species in the Gulf of Mexico: Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), white trout (Cynoscion arenarius), bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), …

See You Later Alligator: Forelimb And Wrist Of Alligators Walking The Treadmill, Erin Trammell, Inthavha Singharaj, Sasha Rudich

Biology Student Scholarship

Erin Trammell ’23, Major: Biology

Inthavha Singharaj ’23, Major: Biology

Sasha Rudich ’23, Major: Biology, Minors: Women and Gender Studies

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daivd Baier, Biology

We used XROMM, which combines biplanar X-ray video and digital bone models, to measure how the alligator skeleton moves during high walks on a treadmill. The crocodilian high walk and wrist structure are unique compared to other reptiles who walk with a sprawled limb posture. Here, we describe how bones of the forearm, wrist, and hand coordinate during alligator strides. We find that elbow is more than just a simple hinge, the forearm bones …

Genetic Disruption Of Metabolic Balance In Mouse Cerebellar Neurons Causes Deficits In The Postnatal Development Of Their Dendritic Tree And Mouse Motor Skills, Hayden Lens, Mary Boghos

Biology Student Scholarship

Hayden Lens ’23, Major: Biology

Mary Boghos ’23, Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ileana Soto Reyes, Biology

The Npc1nmf164 mutant mouse is an animal model for the human disease Niemann-Pick type C (NPC). NPC is a lysosomal storage disease that is acquired by autosomal recessive inheritance. It is mostly caused by mutations in NPC1, a protein that transports cholesterol out of the lysosomes, therefore abnormal accumulation of cholesterol in lysosomes is a hallmark of NPC. Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) are severely affected by NPC, in fact, PCs degenerate first and to a larger extent at childhood stages. Therefore, we have …

Circadian Rhythm Effects Of Social Jetlag And Exercise On Stress Levels And Weight Change Of Fischer Rats, Brian Schwalm

Biology Student Scholarship

Brian Schwalm ’23
Major: Biology
Minor: Economics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Snodgrass, Biology

Analysis Of Wild Rodent Gut Microbiota As A Function Of Exposure To Ticks And Tick-Borne Pathogens, Joshua Pandian

Honors Theses

Due to advances in high-throughput parallel sequencing, researchers have conducted novel studies exploring relationships between microbiome compositions and different aspects of organism health. Some of these studies have shown that the gut microbiome of rodent models has effects on organism health and behavior and that infection with pathogens and the composition of the skin microbiome are linked to changes in gut microbiome composition. While previous studies have shown how vector microbiota impact vector behavior and pathogen transmission, the effect vectors have on reservoir species microbiomes has been a less prominent focus. We were interested in the relationships between tick parasitism, …

Circadian Rhythms Effect On Brain Metabolism In Mutant Flies, Olivia Kozub

Biology Student Scholarship

Olivia Kozub ’23
Major: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Snodgrass, Biology

All organisms have an internal clock that drives physiological processes known as circadian rhythms. Being able to predict the environment and prepare for it, rather than simply react, is so critical to survival that this ability has been conserved from single cell organisms all the way to humans. These rhythms can be measured at the gene level, the protein level, the cellular level, the tissue level, all the way to oscillations in behavior. Measuring the metabolic activity of normal fly brains at different times of day will chart the …

Use Of Resources By Adult Karner Blue Butterflies (Lycaeides Melissa Samuelis) In Michigan: Comparisons Of Nectar Selections On Native And Non-Native Species, Afafia Herweyer

Masters Projects

Abstract

The endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) is at risk due to the decline of oak barrens and dry sand prairies, the butterfly’s sole habitat. Survival depends on effective conservation of remaining habitat and creation of new viable habitats. Successful management must consider resource needs for both larval and adult stages. Information on adult nectar requirements is limited (Grundel et al. 2000, Pickens & Root 2008). Sufficient nectar increases lifespan and fecundity of butterflies (Murphy et al. 1983, Hill & Pierce 1989, Fischer & Fielder 2001), and deters emigration. Encroachment of non-native nectar species into butterfly habitat warrants …

Vibrational Communication Of Hebetica Sylviae, Jenna Howard

Honors College Theses

There are many different modalities animals use to communicate. Substrate-borne vibrational communication is one that is in the infancy of research, but widely used by many members of the animal kingdom. The systems by which one species of treehopper, Hebetica sylviae, utilizes vibrational communication has yet to be described due to the recent nature of its discovery. This study aims to answer basic, but vital, questions regarding the key vibrational signals Hebetica sylviae use for the purposes of courtship. There were several calls found to be important to the male including a long-range signal, characterized by pulse trains produced …

An Investigation Of Second-Site Non-Complementation Among Motile Cilia Genes In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Gervette M. Penny

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION An Investigation of Second-Site Non-Complementation among Motile Cilia Genes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by Gervette M. Penny Doctor of Philosophy in Biology and Biomedical Sciences Molecular Genetics and Genomics Washington University in St. Louis, 2023 Professor Susan K. Dutcher, Chair Motile cilia are complex microtubule-based organelles used by eukaryotic cells for locomotion or directing fluid flow. In humans, motile cilia defects cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), characterized by neonatal respiratory distress, recurrent lung infections, bronchiectasis, and low nitric oxide. Situs inversus and/or male infertility are present in about 50% of cases. PCD inheritance is recessive; both copies …

Acoustic Sampling Of Arkansas Bat Species Richness Across Different Seasons And Habitats, Lark E. Sybrant

ATU Scholars Symposium

Arkansas is home to sixteen bat species belonging to the Vespertilionidae and Molossidae families. Bats are keystone species and provide numerous ecosystem services that also benefit people. This study explores factors that impact species richness between the spring and fall seasons in a wooded rural site (Washburn Park) and an urban field site (Arkansas Tech University campus), Russellville, AR. The non-invasive Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro, from Wildlife Acoustics, was used to record calls and identify bat species from these locations. Nearly 1,050 calls were recorded from 11 different species across the spring and fall between both sites. Results showed …

Notes On Lung Development In South African Ghost Frogs (Anura: Heleophrynidae), Jackson R. Phillips, Jens Reissig, Gary Kyle Nicolau

Biology Student Research

Lungs are a prototypical trait of most tetrapods, but some amphibians have become secondarily lungless over evolutionary time. Anuran (frog) tadpoles offer an opportunity to examine lung loss from an evolutionary perspective, because there are many independent instances where lungs are not inflated until adulthood, and so are functionally lost. Lung loss is typically associated with living in fast-flowing streams, and so we examined larval lung development in the stream specialist family Heleophrynidae. We find that one genus, Hadromophryne Van Dijk, 2008, has large lungs as tadpole, while the other genus, Heleophryne Sclater, 1898, has much smaller, stunted lung buds. …

Comparison Of Globalfiler Pcr Amplification Inhibition Due To Humic Acid And Canine Dna, Mckinzie Bundy

Honors Projects

To obtain a DNA profile from a crime scene sample, the DNA must undergo amplification through the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The PCR process can be inhibited by factors that increase DNase I activity or by factors that interfere with Taq polymerase binding to the DNA. This study compares inhibition to the PCR process caused by dog DNA with inhibition caused by humic acid. The GlobalFiler PCR Amplification Kit was tested using mixtures of dog DNA and human control DNA and mixtures of humic acid and human control DNA. The profiles obtained from these mixtures were then analyzed for instances …

Evidence Of Continuing Downward Trends In American Kestrel Populations And Recommendations For Research Into Causal Factors, David M. Bird, John A. Smallwood

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We analyzed long-term datasets from nest box programs, Breeding Bird Surveys run by the US Geological Survey, Christmas Bird Counts run by the National Audubon Society, and counts from two key fall migration watch sites, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and Cape May Hawkwatch. We found that populations of American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) in North America are generally still declining, albeit with some caveats. Some populations are actually increasing, while others are remaining stable. Overall, the magnitude of annual change appears to be decreasing slightly during recent years. To understand potential causes of the decline, we recommend the following courses of action …

Literature Replication: Insect Gut Cell Isolation Protocols, Sophie Pickelner

Honors Theses

A large problem in science is the lack of literature replication, especially for subjects in which there is little published research. Literature replication is an integral part of the scientific method and is important for validating methods and results of published studies. A study from Nature found that out of 1,500 scientists interviewed, over 70% have been unable to reproduce literature studies and over half of them have been unable to reproduce even their own studies (Baker, 2016). This problem is even more pronounced in the field of biology, with 80% of scientists reporting that they are unable to replicate …

Developmental Exposure To Corn Grown On Lake Erie Dredged Material: A Preliminary Analysis, Kaylyn A. S. Flanigan, Madelyn I. Czuba, Victoria R. Riesgo, Megan A. Rúa, Louise M. Stevenson, Jari Willing

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

While corn is considered to be a healthy food option, common agricultural practices, such as the application of soil amendments, might be introducing contaminants of concern (COC) into corn plants. The use of dredged material, which contain contaminants such as heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as a soil amendment is increasing. Contaminants from these amendments can accumulate in corn kernels harvested from plants grown on these sediments and potentially biomagnify in organisms that consume them. The extent to which secondary exposure to such contaminants in corn affect the mammalian central nervous system has been virtually …