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Unraveling The Antiviral Mechanisms Of Bat Cells: Processing Of Genomic Rnas By Dicer In Bat Cells Limits Sars-Cov-2 Replication, Iyanuoluwani Owolabi May 2025

Unraveling The Antiviral Mechanisms Of Bat Cells: Processing Of Genomic Rnas By Dicer In Bat Cells Limits Sars-Cov-2 Replication, Iyanuoluwani Owolabi

Dissertations

Bats are reservoirs for numerous viruses that cause serious diseases in other animals and humans. Several mechanisms are proposed to contribute to the tolerance of bats to these pathogens. This study investigates the response of bat cells to double-stranded RNA generated by SARS-CoV-2 replication. Here, we found the involvement of Dicer in the processing of viral genomic RNAs during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Examining RNA sequencing of infected cells, small-interfering RNA (siRNA)-like fragments were found derived from viral RNAs. Depletion of Dicer showed a reduction in these RNAs and an increase in viral loads suggesting unlike other mammals, bats may use Dicer …


Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Quadrata) As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish May 2025

Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Quadrata) As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish

Poster Presentations

Coastal erosion is heavily impacting coastal ecosystems across the Gulf. For instance, the state of Louisiana loses a football field worth of land every 100 minutes (Couvillion, 2017). The drastic loss of coastline highlights the dire need for restoration in the Northern Gulf Coast. An unexpected solution to this sediment loss may solve two major environmental issues at once by diverting millions of tons of glass waste from entering America’s landfills each year. By crushing glass to create sand and gravel for coastal restoration, we may generate a consistent and sustainable source of substrate. Our goal is to determine the …


Effect Of Soil Amended With Biochar On Growth Dynamics Of Radishes, Colin Brennan, Jake Werner, Ian Townley May 2025

Effect Of Soil Amended With Biochar On Growth Dynamics Of Radishes, Colin Brennan, Jake Werner, Ian Townley

CURCI Student Research

How do different percentages (15%, 10%, 5%, 0%) of biochar in soil affect the initial growth rate and final mass of radish plants (Raphanus sativus). We used 15%, 10%, 5% biochar, and using pure soil as our control group. For each soil type, we prepared 12 samples, totaling 48 samples across all conditions. After germination and initial plant growth, the number of leaves and the plant’s height from the top of the plant to the soil (in centimeters) were recorded every school day. The purpose of this study is to better understand if biochar is an effective way to stimulate …


A Sex Comparison On The Effects Of Caveolin Scaffolding Domain On Fibrosis Formation After Chronic Sympathetic Stimulation, Crimsyn Price May 2025

A Sex Comparison On The Effects Of Caveolin Scaffolding Domain On Fibrosis Formation After Chronic Sympathetic Stimulation, Crimsyn Price

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. There are various trends that influence the rates of cardiovascular disease in each country. Factors that create these trends involve diet, exercise, genetics, socioeconomic status, and geographical location. Additionally, CVD is typically higher in middle-income and lower-income classes. Hospital routes, rates of poverty, insurance policies, and lifestyle culture are all factors that can impact the time of treatment which in turn affect the rate of CVD. However, we explored in this study the shift in CVD women experience after menopause. Women were excluded from clinical trials until 1986, and the …


Genomic Analysis Of The Lyme Disease Vector Across Virginia’S Spatial Expansion Front, Amy Jablonski May 2025

Genomic Analysis Of The Lyme Disease Vector Across Virginia’S Spatial Expansion Front, Amy Jablonski

Honors Theses

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States and is expanding with rising incidence in Virginia . This study investigates populations of lxodes scapularis across Virginia using RAD-seq to analyze SNPs from ticks collected in seven Virginia counties and four U.S. states as references . Results show a clear genetic split between western and eastern Virginia ticks . These results follow previously noted patterns in regional differences in Lyme disease risk.


Unraveling The Causal Influences Of Drought And Crop Production On Groundwater Levels Across The Contiguous United States, Nitin K. Singh, Sheila M. Saia, Ruchi Bhattacharya, Hoori Ajami, David M. Borro May 2025

Unraveling The Causal Influences Of Drought And Crop Production On Groundwater Levels Across The Contiguous United States, Nitin K. Singh, Sheila M. Saia, Ruchi Bhattacharya, Hoori Ajami, David M. Borro

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Groundwater depletion in agricultural-dominated regions is attributed to climate and irrigation withdrawals that support crop production. However, despite decades of effort, knowledge gaps remain in understanding the relative influence of drought and crop production on groundwater levels at the continental scale. Here, utilizing empirical observations, we simultaneously track how long-term trajectories of groundwater levels, crop production of seven crops, and drought have evolved over time, and then integrate these observations with a causality-based attribution framework to unravel the relative impact of drought and crop production on groundwater levels across the contiguous United States (CONUS). We find a dominant pattern of …


Cationic Conjugated Polymers With Enhanced Doped-State Planarity For N-Type Organic Thermoelectrics, Jiu-Long Li, Xin-Yu Deng, Jupeng Chen, Peng-Xiang Fu, Shuang-Yan Tian, Yunfei Wang, Xiaodan Gu, Ting Lei May 2025

Cationic Conjugated Polymers With Enhanced Doped-State Planarity For N-Type Organic Thermoelectrics, Jiu-Long Li, Xin-Yu Deng, Jupeng Chen, Peng-Xiang Fu, Shuang-Yan Tian, Yunfei Wang, Xiaodan Gu, Ting Lei

Faculty Publications

To date, extensive efforts have been devoted to designing new conjugated polymers with long alkyl or ethylene glycol sidechains. However, these sidechains are insulators, limiting further performance enhancement in doped conjugated polymers. Moreover, the most widely used chlorinated solvents are toxic, limiting the practical applications of many conjugated polymers. Here, we report a water/alcohol processable n-type conjugated polymer P(Py2FT), featuring side chain-free cationic backbones. P(Py2FT) exhibits a high n-type electrical conductivity of up to 28.1 S cm−1 and a high thermoelectric power factor of up to 28.7 μW m−1 K−2, comparable to some conventional …


Assessment Of Nitrogen Source Utilization During Nitrogen Fixation And Nitrogenase Regulation By Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Avery Carter May 2025

Assessment Of Nitrogen Source Utilization During Nitrogen Fixation And Nitrogenase Regulation By Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Avery Carter

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nitrogen is a crucial element in biomolecules such as proteins and DNA, essential for all cellular life. Biological nitrogen fixation, a process utilized by certain bacteria and archaea, reduces dinitrogen (N₂) to ammonia (NH₃), enabling growth in the absence of fixed nitrogen sources like NH₃. This process is driven by the metalloenzyme nitrogenase, which catalyzes the reaction: N₂ + 16ATP + 8e⁻ + 8H⁺ → 2NH₃ + H₂ + 16ADP + 16Pi. Due to its high energy demand, nitrogenase production and activity are tightly regulated. Among archaea, nitrogenase is found exclusively in methanogens, where its regulation remains poorly understood. We …


Effects Of Common Herbicides On Organismal Interactions, Robert Chamberlin May 2025

Effects Of Common Herbicides On Organismal Interactions, Robert Chamberlin

All Theses

Pesticides are applied to agricultural lands to prevent undesirable weeds, animal pests, and fungi from harming crops and reducing crop yields. Pesticides are used in croplands at increasing rates around the world and have become an essential component of farming in recent decades. Often, rain, wind, and soil permeation move pesticides from farmlands to natural environments. Such contamination of natural environments by pesticides may threaten species by altering their behaviors, bodily functions, and the ways in which individuals interact. Atrazine and glyphosate are among the most widely used herbicides around the world and are useful in eliminating weeds, primarily in …


Advancement Of Wrongful Conviction Prevention Strategies In Forensic Science, Isabella Pinto May 2025

Advancement Of Wrongful Conviction Prevention Strategies In Forensic Science, Isabella Pinto

Honors Projects

The National Registry of Exonerations (NRE) has identified 1,051 of its logged cases to involve forensic evidence in some way, nearly one-third of the total 3,600 exonerations in its database. Analysis of the NRE and Innocence Project databases revealed the most common factors in forensic-related wrongful convictions: expert testimony, flawed methodologies (most of which are no longer in use), and statistical misinterpretations of results. The majority of scholars agree that oversight in forensic casework must be improved in order to meaningfully resolve issues. Creation of commissions in each state would address all of the identified errors, though not a catch-all …


Quantifying Freshwater Salinization Impacts On Nitrate Removal Via Denitrification In Urban Streams, Brynnen Beck May 2025

Quantifying Freshwater Salinization Impacts On Nitrate Removal Via Denitrification In Urban Streams, Brynnen Beck

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the urban world expands, the construction of impervious surfaces increases erosion and runoff into nearby streams. Urbanization also adds waste from human activity into the environment. One of these wastes is runoff from road salt application in winter months, which can increase stream salinization and interfere with other important ecological processes, such as denitrification. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare nitrate removal via denitrification between two urban streams to understand the role of road salts in freshwater salinization. We compared conductivity measurements between the streams to see how background conductivity (a proxy for salinity) influences resilience …


The Great Animal Rights Debate: From The Past Into The Present, Dayna Wiley May 2025

The Great Animal Rights Debate: From The Past Into The Present, Dayna Wiley

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Animal rights are not a novel concept, and everyone has their own beliefs about where animals should fit into the hierarchy of life. Not so different from today, a debate occurred in the ancient world between the Stoics, represented by Aristotle, and Plutarch, with each questioning whether animals are capable of rational thought or feelings, and therefore whether they are deserving of justice. There is much to learn from the ancient world about the modern debate on animal rights, and there is a striking comparison between this ancient debate and the modern questions of animal rights. But how similar are …


Investigation Into The Microbiome Of Blow Fly Eggs Using Microseqtm Id, Samantha S. Davis, Drusilla Sheridan, Jennifer Rosati May 2025

Investigation Into The Microbiome Of Blow Fly Eggs Using Microseqtm Id, Samantha S. Davis, Drusilla Sheridan, Jennifer Rosati

Undergraduate Research

There is little published research characterizing the microbiome associated with blow fly eggs and how they may affect the colonization behaviors of certain blow fly species. Once deposited, blow fly eggs are rapidly introduced to a diverse range of microorganisms, which can vary depending on the species of blow fly, the environment, and the decomposition stage of the substrate (Junqueira et al., 2017). Since blow flies are among the first insects to colonize decomposing remains, the microbial communities present on their eggs could serve as key indicators of the decomposition stage at the time of egg-laying, thus providing a potential …


Dental Microwear Of Miocene Primates From The Carpathian Basin, Rudabánya, Hungary, Anna K. Wilcox May 2025

Dental Microwear Of Miocene Primates From The Carpathian Basin, Rudabánya, Hungary, Anna K. Wilcox

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study reconstructs and compares the dietary habits of the late Miocene primates Anapithecus hernyaki and Rudapithecus hungaricus by analyzing dental microwear patterns on fossilized teeth recovered from Rudabánya, Hungary. Previous research suggested that these sympatric species were both primarily frugivores but were unable to separate them by diet. However, earlier studies were limited by smaller sample sizes and less advanced methodologies. This study used an expanded sample and modern microwear texture analysis techniques to compare molar and incisor microwear patterns between the two species. Results revealed that Rudapithecus molars exhibited higher complexity compared to Anapithecus molar complexity, suggesting a …


Life History Inhibits Deleterious Effects Of Dams On Genetic Health And Structure Of A Headwater Stream Fish, Riley Phelps May 2025

Life History Inhibits Deleterious Effects Of Dams On Genetic Health And Structure Of A Headwater Stream Fish, Riley Phelps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat loss, fragmentation, and land use changes in river networks are common globally. The resulting fragmentation of landscapes and riverscapes threatens biodiversity and can affect dispersal and subsequently, gene flow and genetic health of species. Headwater streams are an integral part of river networks and contribute to biodiversity by providing habitat for temporary and permanent residents, yet they are easily altered and fragmented. The sandhills chub (Semotilus lumbee) is an endemic headwater leuciscid that lives in highly fragmented streams of the sandhills ecoregion in North and South Carolina, USA. New knowledge on the population genetics of the sandhills chub is …


Don’T Be A Big Baby: Phenotypic Novelty In The Facultative Paedomorph Ambystoma Talpoideum., Andrew S. Kanes May 2025

Don’T Be A Big Baby: Phenotypic Novelty In The Facultative Paedomorph Ambystoma Talpoideum., Andrew S. Kanes

All Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between heterokairy and the skin microbiota of amphibians, specifically focusing on the facultatively paedomorphic salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum. Heterokairy refers to variations in developmental timing that generate phenotypic novelty within life stages. The first chapter investigates how reordering metamorphosis relative to sexual maturation affects the skin microbiota in this species. By sampling different life stages—larval, paedomorphic, and metamorphic—results show the emergence of novel microbial combinations, resulting from both microbial gain and loss in the heterokairic paedomorphic stage. These findings suggest that changes in microbial communities may lead to phenotypic novelty and have broader eco-evolutionary implications. …


Investigating Stress Hormone Variations In Green Frogs (Lithobates Clamitans) During The Mating Season, Abby Mciver May 2025

Investigating Stress Hormone Variations In Green Frogs (Lithobates Clamitans) During The Mating Season, Abby Mciver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Monitoring stress hormones in wildlife populations is increasingly used to understand how human activities may impact the environment. The goal of this study was to quantify corticosterone in green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) at baseline levels and in response to an acute stressor throughout the mating season. The project was conducted from May to September of 2024 at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport, Tennessee. Corticosterone levels were determined over six consecutive days each month from May to September using a non-invasive dermal swab technique. Additionally, body metrics, water chemistry, and weather and habitat conditions were evaluated on each sampling …


Risky Genes: The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health On Dna Methylation In Indigenous Communities, Ella Martin May 2025

Risky Genes: The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health On Dna Methylation In Indigenous Communities, Ella Martin

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Epigenetics is the study of molecular modifications to DNA structure that do not impact the sequence of the DNA itself. This biological study works to link health outcomes later in life with environmental interactions that affect our genetic predispositions. These complex factors can greatly impact longevity and quality of life. DNA methylation is one type of epigenetic mark that happens through natural biological processes. However, this marking has been shown to be detrimental to the process of aging and can be accelerated by harmful exposures such as stress, substance-use, or chemicals in the environment. Exposure to these compounds is exasperated …


Is There A Difference In Bird Diversity Among Prairie And Lake Habitats In Central Minnesota?, Emmi Edel, Morgan Cromwell, Maddy Fuller, Preston Mcgraw May 2025

Is There A Difference In Bird Diversity Among Prairie And Lake Habitats In Central Minnesota?, Emmi Edel, Morgan Cromwell, Maddy Fuller, Preston Mcgraw

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Biodiversity plays an essential role in ecosystem stability. Habitat changes from human activities also threaten this role. Our study examined how habitat type and urbanization affect the number of birds and bird diversity across two campuses in central Minnesota. The first campus is rural Saint John’s University (SJU), and the second is suburban College of Saint Benedict (CSB). We predicted that more bird species would be in habitats with water than habitats without water bodies. We also predicted that bird species numbers would be more significant on SJU, which has a large natural area, which CSB lacks. Observations were conducted …


Attention Deficits & The Biological Foundations Of Effective Learning Strategies, Matthew Scribner May 2025

Attention Deficits & The Biological Foundations Of Effective Learning Strategies, Matthew Scribner

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This capstone project will conduct a focused literature review on learning strategies for individuals with Attention Deficits Disorders. The project will explore various study strategies and modifications that have been found effective in improving learning outcomes for individuals with ADHD. Specifically, the project will delve into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying ADHD, focusing on how impairments in attention, executive function, and working memory might affect learning. It will also explore how specific modifications to study techniques can help mitigate these challenges and enhance learning outcomes. My interest in this topic stems from both my academic background as a teaching assistant in …


Positive Impact Of Mangroves On Periwinkle Snail (Littoraria Angulifera) Population Size, Anna Jones, Eva Kolbow, Lucy Petschel, Morgan Stone May 2025

Positive Impact Of Mangroves On Periwinkle Snail (Littoraria Angulifera) Population Size, Anna Jones, Eva Kolbow, Lucy Petschel, Morgan Stone

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Mangroves play a crucial role as shoreline aquatic nurseries and provide infrastructure along bodies of water to protect inland areas from extreme weather and storm surges. Mangroves also provide a secure habitat for animals, and trap and filter pollutants. Their stilt roots provide shelter for fish species and are critical to the survival of many small species that use this ecosystem. We investigated mangrove periwinkle snail populations on the red mangrove species (Rhizophora mangle). Data was collected along Pigeon Creek, San Salvador Island, Bahamas in March 2025. We hypothesized that there is a relationship between mangrove density and snail population …


The Effect Of Anthropogenic Sound On Foraging Behavior In Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus), Dayna Wiley May 2025

The Effect Of Anthropogenic Sound On Foraging Behavior In Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus), Dayna Wiley

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Anthropogenic noise can have adverse effects on fish populations. High-amplitude noise can cause hearing damage and interfere with essential behaviors, including feeding, migration, and reproduction. Studies suggest that fish regularly exposed to boat noise in lakes exhibit different behavioral responses compared to populations in quieter environments. Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were collected via angling from a “Quiet Lake” (Lake Sagatagan, Collegeville, MN) with no motor use, and a “Loud Lake” (Upper Spunk Lake, Avon, MN) with frequent motor use. Bluegill foraging behavior was examined in response to daily playback of motorboat traffic. Bluegill (n = 5 individuals per trial; n …


Sympatric Behavior Of Tree Squirrels In An Urban Environment, Ryan L. Snyder May 2025

Sympatric Behavior Of Tree Squirrels In An Urban Environment, Ryan L. Snyder

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) are ubiquitous in urban ecosystems like university campuses despite the habitat loss and fragmentation often associated with urbanization. While populations of both species usually do not overlap in their native geographic ranges, gray and fox squirrels are sometimes forced into coexistence in urban habitats where fewer green spaces are available. The coexistence of both species at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana refutes the competitive exclusion principle, and niche partitioning is likely necessary for them to coexist. This study assessed the activity patterns of fox and gray squirrels at Butler …


Investigating Self-Healing Mechanisms In Host-Pathogen Interactions: A Literature Review Of Macrophage Functions In Tuberculosis, Blessing Savusa May 2025

Investigating Self-Healing Mechanisms In Host-Pathogen Interactions: A Literature Review Of Macrophage Functions In Tuberculosis, Blessing Savusa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of mortality, particularly in underdeveloped regions. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is regarded as one of the most successful pathogens due to its ability to evade host immunity and persist within granulomas. Macrophages are the first-line host defenders that engulf Mtb into phagosomes, which initiates lysosomal activity for degradation. However, the virulence factor of Mtb is able to inhibit phagolysosome fusion. The host immune system forms granulomas to contain the mycobacterium at the site of inflammation. This, in turn, causes a necrotic state and causes tissue damage from the prolonged inflammation. Studies suggest that the host's …


Regulation Of Ccr7 Signaling Events By G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinases 2 And 3, Anahi Sanchez May 2025

Regulation Of Ccr7 Signaling Events By G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinases 2 And 3, Anahi Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) can bind multiple ligands, leading to differential signaling events termed biased signaling. C-C chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) is a GPCR known to have biased signaling between the two ligands it binds to, CCL19 and CCL21. Binding of C-C Chemokine Ligand 19 (CCL19) promotes a high level of CCR7 phosphorylation, while CCL21 leads to a much lower level of CCR7 phosphorylation; findings observed in HEK and dendritic cells. GPCR kinases (GRKs), which can control the phosphorylation patterns of a GPCR, are hypothesized to regulate biased signaling of a receptor. GRK expression differs between cell lines and cell …


Multi-Domain Machine Learning For Biological Classification: Mallard Classification And Protein Function Prediction, Tolulope Samuel Adeyina May 2025

Multi-Domain Machine Learning For Biological Classification: Mallard Classification And Protein Function Prediction, Tolulope Samuel Adeyina

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Multi-domain machine learning applications have revolutionized how we understand and predict complex biological phenomena. This dissertation presents novel computational methodologies addressing two critical problems: mallard classification using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and protein function prediction via interpretable topic-aware peptide embeddings. The research focuses on distinguishing mallard populations through SNP data, which are inherently characterized by ultra-high dimensionality. The research uses advanced feature-selection and dimensionality-reduction strategies alongside machine learning classification algorithms to identify minimal, yet highly predictive SNP sets crucial for accurate breed differentiation. This framework demonstrates robust performance with optimal computational efficiency, significantly aiding conservation and breed management efforts. Furthermore, the …


Whole-Genome Assembly And Annotation Of The Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon Eatonii), David E. Jarvis, Mikel R. Stevens, Payton Carter, Ying Fei Lin, Kate E. Jaggi, Gabriela Jijon, Teal Kalt, Jouber Calixto, Samantha Standring, Kaitlin Torres, Kayla B. Stephensen, Hayley Mangelson, Noah H. Williams, Carolyn A. Wessinger, Peter J. Maughan, Paul B. Frandsen May 2025

Whole-Genome Assembly And Annotation Of The Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon Eatonii), David E. Jarvis, Mikel R. Stevens, Payton Carter, Ying Fei Lin, Kate E. Jaggi, Gabriela Jijon, Teal Kalt, Jouber Calixto, Samantha Standring, Kaitlin Torres, Kayla B. Stephensen, Hayley Mangelson, Noah H. Williams, Carolyn A. Wessinger, Peter J. Maughan, Paul B. Frandsen

Faculty Publications

The penstemons are ornamental annual flowering plants native to the Intermountain West and Rocky Mountains and commonly used for urban landscaping. Elite commercial penstemons are generally susceptible to abiotic stresses, including drought, root rot, cold, and high salinity. Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii), however, is much more tolerant to these stresses than most elite cultivars. Importantly, firecracker penstemon has been reported to hybridize with many other penstemons and therefore provides the opportunity to develop more tolerant elite cultivars through strategic crossing. To facilitate the study and utilization of firecracker penstemon, we sequenced and annotated the genome of a P. …


Hotter Days, Sleepless Nights: The Effects Of Climate Change On Sleep, Arianne Johnson May 2025

Hotter Days, Sleepless Nights: The Effects Of Climate Change On Sleep, Arianne Johnson

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This literature review explores the intersection between environmental changes and human health. It has been found that climate change through rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and poor air quality, disrupts human sleep. This lack of sleep is linked to many physical and mental health concerns in humans. By examining previous research on the topic, this review emphasizes the need to incorporate sleep health in climate adaptation and public health strategies


Differential Regulation Of The Prkacaa Promoter In Zebrafish Melanoma Cell Lines, Maria Fiuk May 2025

Differential Regulation Of The Prkacaa Promoter In Zebrafish Melanoma Cell Lines, Maria Fiuk

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Inducible cAMP Early Repressor (ICER) comprises a group of isoforms that function as transcription factors within the cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling pathway. These isoforms are encoded by the cAMP Response Element Modulator (CREM) gene. The cAMP signaling pathway and its associated transcriptional regulators have been implicated in the development of resistance to BRAF/MEK-targeted therapies in melanoma. Recent findings from our laboratory demonstrated that transgenic ICER expression in a zebrafish melanoma model promotes the formation of aggressive melanomas. Cell lines were established from tumors expressing ICER, as well as from control tumors expressing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). To begin characterizing …


Neuronal Tol-1 Integrates Microbial And Metabolic Cues To Modulate Feeding And Aversion In C. Elegans, Gursimran Singh Gujral May 2025

Neuronal Tol-1 Integrates Microbial And Metabolic Cues To Modulate Feeding And Aversion In C. Elegans, Gursimran Singh Gujral

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key mediators of innate immunity, but emerging evidence suggests that they also play critical roles in the functioning of the central nervous system. This thesis explores the function of TOL-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of mammalian TLRs, in sensory neurobiology and behavioral responses to nutritive food. In particular, carbon dioxide and ethanol are commonly encountered in microbial environments and can signal metabolically active food sources or potential pathogens. Using tol-1 loss-of-function mutants, neuronal rescue lines, and a combination of molecular, tissue imaging, and behavioral assays, we demonstrate that TOL-1 functions in chemosensory neurons to regulate feeding …