Digital Commons Network^™

Identifying Conditions For Indole Additions To Aldehydes To Be Applied To The Synthesis Of Phidianidine Analogues, Lindsay Newton, Anna Tingler

Undergraduate Research Competition

Phidianidines are natural products originally isolated from Phidiana Militaru, a shell-less mollusk. The compounds are comprised of an indole, a 1,2,4 oxadiazole ring, and an aminoalkylguanadine group on the C-3' position of the ring. They have been found to neutralize reactive oxygen species and are agonists of the µ-opioid receptor. Other groups have synthesized analogues of the phidianidines that have substituted the aminoalkylguanadine group for a biaryl ring system, which has been shown to have neuroprotective properties. The current synthetic routes make substitution of the indole and changing the oxadiazole difficult, so our goal is to create a synthesis that …

Environmental Bacteriophage Detection On Coastal Carolina University Campus, Hailey Oldfield, Madison Gentilo

Undergraduate Research Competition

The purpose of this study is to utilize bacteriophage as an environmental indicator of the presence of harmful bacteria in waterways on Coastal Carolina's campus and to identify bacteriophage that could be used to control bacterial blooms. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. These viruses are found ubiquitously in the environment and are the most abundant organism on Earth. Eleven sites are designated for weekly sample collection. Water samples are filtered and amplified using strains of E. coli B and E. coli K12 to allow potential viruses in the sample to proliferate to detectable levels. Plaque assays are used as …

Isolation And Analysis Of Extracellular Vesicles From Lactic Acid Bacteria, L. Brooke Busby, Isabel Myers, Klea Hoxha

Undergraduate Research Competition

Extracellular Vesicles, also referred to as EVs, are spherical lipid membrane-bound vesicles produced by both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. These vesicles are secreted into the extracellular space and play important functions in cellular and host communication, elimination of competitors, virulence, detoxification of environmental stress, and nutrition sensing. They are often packed with proteins, enzymes, lipids, and nucleic acids like DNA or RNA molecules among other biological entities. Streptococcus thermophilus is a lactic acid bacterium (LAB), inhabiting the human digestive tract, that has been shown to produce EVs. The bacterial flora has a great impact on the host immune …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Photo-Reactivity Studies On Mo(Vi) Dioxo Complexes For C-H Activation And O-Atom Transfer, Saeed Fosshat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Metal oxos are important intermediates in various chemical transformations that include electron transfer, proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) and and O-atom transfer. Various extent of π-bonding from the oxo ligands to the central metal causes changes in nucleophilicity and overall reactivity of these species. Several factors can influence the electronic structure of the M=O bonds such as central metal oxidation state, geometry, ancillary ligands and spin state of the metal. A general strategy to increase the reactivity of metal oxos is to use electron rich metal centers that are less oxophilic. As a result of this, extensive amount of research has …

Relative Energy Comparison For Various Water Clusters Using Mp2, Df-Mp2, And Ccsd(T):Mp2 Methods, Qihang Wang

Honors Theses

The study of water clusters is an important area of research in many disciplines, such as biology, physical chemistry, and environmental studies. However, due to the difficulty in studying larger water clusters, such as clathrate hydrates, it is beneficial to obtain accurate descriptions of smaller water clusters to use as models for larger systems via computational methods. By starting with small water clusters, such as (H2O)₆, and moving into larger systems it is possible to build up data on various water structures that can determine the energetics of the various geometries within a certain number of water molecules. …

Synthesis Of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer For The Detection Of Perfluorooctanoic Acid, Yuqi Wang, Hannah Rhodes

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Inhibiting Nitroso Related Methylation Of Guanine Using Dietary Supplements And Flavonoids, Hannah Klose, Madeline Mccoy, Mary Hall

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Detection Of 5-Fluoro-2-Oxindole And Products By Hplc After Reaction With Human Liver Enzymes, Kalie Nuss, Emma Mohler

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Limits Of Detection Of Mycotoxins By Laminar Flow Strips: A Review, Xinyi Zhao, Hugh Byrne, Christine M. O’Connor, James Curtin, Furong Tian

Articles

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolic products of fungi. They are poisonous, carcinogenic, and mutagenic in nature and pose a serious health threat to both humans and animals, causing severe illnesses and even death. Rapid, simple and low-cost methods of detection of mycotoxins are of immense importance and in great demand in the food and beverage industry, as well as in agriculture and environmental monitoring, and, for this purpose, lateral flow immunochromatographic strips (ICSTs) have been widely used in food safety and environmental monitoring. The literature to date describing the development of ICSTs for the detection of different types of mycotoxins using …

Theranostic Copolymers Neutralize Reactive Oxygen Species And Lipid Peroxidation Products For The Combined Treatment Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Aaron Priester, Richard Waters, Ashleigh Abbott, Krista Hilmas, Klaus Woelk, Hunter A. Miller, Aria W. Tarudji, Connor C. Gee, Brandon Mcdonald, Forrest M. Kievit, Anthony J. Convertine

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation product (LPOx), including acrolein and 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE). The presence of these biochemical derangements results in neurodegeneration during the secondary phase of the injury. The ability to rapidly neutralize multiple species could significantly improve outcomes for TBI patients. However, the difficulty in creating therapies that target multiple biochemical derangements simultaneously has greatly limited therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, our goal was to design a material that could rapidly bind and neutralize both ROS and LPOx following TBI. To do this, a series of thiol-functionalized biocompatible copolymers based …

The Effect Of Fluorinated Substitution Of Meso Phenyl Porphyrins On Porphyrin Basicity, Harsh Chheda, Rushi Patel, Maria Ballester, Victor Castro

Chemistry and Physics Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of fluorinated substitution of meso phenyl porphyrins on porphyrin basicity. The protonation of meso-Tetra(2,3,4-trifluoromethylphenyl) porphyrin (TF) and meso-Tetra(pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin (PF) will be studied through UV vis spectroscopy. Protonation is achieved by titration of each porphyrin in toluene with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The presence of a wavelength shift from the free base Soret to the protonated Soret will indicate the formation of a dication. The data from the UV spectra will be used to calculate the pKa values associated with each porphyrin. Based on the results, the average pKa for TF …

Temporal Changes And Possible Sources Of Dissolved Calcium Levels In Stream, River, And Lake Waters In Western Kentucky, Kelsie Meystedt

Scholars Week

ABSTRACT

Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are an exotic and invasive mollusk that spread extensively over various rivers and lakes in the United States. These mussels are known for being notorious in their “biofouling” capabilities, costing the U.S. government billions of dollars in removal operations. Recently, zebra mussel colonies were found in Kentucky Lake possibly due to human activities increasing the salinity of today’s freshwater resources. The increase in salinity from human activities may have adversely affected the ecosystems and water supplies. The Specific aim of this study was to determine the temporal trend of dissolved calcium in Kentucky Lake …

Solid Organic-Coated Ammonium Sulfate Particles At High Relative Humidity In The Summertime Arctic Atmosphere, Rachel M. Kirpes, Ziying Lei, Matthew Fraund, Matthew J. Gunsch, Nathaniel W. May, Tate E. Barrett, Claire E. Moffett, Andrew J. Schauer, Becky Alexander, Lucia M. Upchurch, Swarup China, Patricia K. Quinn, Ryan C. Moffet, Alexander Laskin, Rebecca J. Sheesley, Kerri A. Pratt, Andrew P. Ault

Pacific Faculty Work

The ability of atmospheric aerosols to impact climate through water uptake and cloud formation is fundamentally determined by the size, composition, and phase (liquid, semisolid, or solid) of individual particles. Particle phase is dependent on atmospheric conditions (relative humidity and temperature) and chemical composition and, importantly, solid particles can inhibit the uptake of water and other trace gases, even under humid conditions. Particles composed primarily of ammonium sulfate are presumed to be liquid at the relative humidities (67 to 98%) and temperatures (22 to 4°C) of the summertime Arctic. Under these atmospheric conditions, we report the observation of solid organic-coated …

Characterization Of Competitive Inhibitors Of Plasmodium Falciparum Cgmp-Dependent Protein Kinase**, Tyler Eck, Mariana Laureano De Souza, Melvin Delvillar, Kutub Ashraf, Rammohan R. Yadav Bheemanaboina, Ramappa Chakrasali, Tamara Kreiss, John J. Siekierka, David P. Rotella, Purnima Bhanot, Nina M. Goodey

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Plasmodium falciparum cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG) is an enticing antimalarial drug target. Novel chemotypes are needed because existing inhibitors have safety issues that may prevent further development. This work demonstrates isoxazole-based compounds are potent ATP competitive inhibitors of PfPKG and discloses a new analogue in this series. Isoxazoles 3 and 5 had Ki values that are comparable to a known standard, 4-[2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-(1-methylpiperidine-4-yl)-1H pyrrol-3-yl] pyridine. They also exhibited excellent selectivity for PfPKG over the human orthologue and the gatekeeper mutant T618Q PfPKG, which mimics the less accessible binding site of the human orthologue. The human orthologue's larger binding site volume is …

Probing Small Heat Shock Protein Chaperoning Activity Through The Interaction Between Myoglobin And Guanidine Hydrochloride, Jacob Mcdowell

Celebration of Research

Myoglobin is a small biological protein found in most muscle tissues. When in the proper form (native/folded), myoglobin can serve its primary function: binding oxygen. However, like all proteins, myoglobin can denature through a variety of processes into a form that no longer binds oxygen. One denaturant, guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl), is the biological product of protein metabolism. Another class of biological proteins is small heat shock proteins (sHSPs), which have the function of chaperoning other proteins to prevent the denaturing process. Previously, in physical chemistry lab, we explored the GuHCl-induced denaturing of myoglobin. Former Northwestern students used fluorescence correlation spectroscopy …

Faster Intercalation Pseudocapacitance Enabled By Adjustable Amorphous Titania Where Tunable Isomorphic Architectures Reveal Accelerated Lithium Diffusivity, Wessel Van Den Bergh, Taylor Larison, Maximilliano Jesus Jara Fornerod, Prof. Stefan Guldin, Morgan Stefik

Faculty Publications

Intercalation pseudocapacitance is a faradaic electrochemical phenomenon with high power and energy densities, combining the attractive features of capacitors and batteries, respectively. Intercalation pseudocapacitive responses exhibit surface-limited kinetics by definition, without restriction from the collective of diffusion-based processes. The surface-limited threshold (SLT) corresponds to the maximum voltage sweep rate (vSLT) exhibiting a predominantly surface-limited current response prior to the onset of diffusion-limitations. Prior studies showed increased lithium diffusivity for amorphous titania compared to anatase. Going beyond prior binary comparisons, here a continuum of amorphous titania configurations were prepared using a series of calcination temperatures to tailor both amorphous …

Bioactivity Of Suberitenones A And B, Jared G. Waters

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Throughout human history, natural products have formed the foundation of medicine. In ancient times, a myriad of herbs and fungi have been attributed properties of healing and rejuvenation. Today, that foundation still very much exists, as natural product chemists isolate bioactive compounds from plants, fungi, animals, and microorganisms alike. As more of these secondary metabolites are discovered, scientists pursue more and more sources of biodiversity that may yield new and unprecedented compounds. To this end, Antarctica has become of particular note, as its unique environmental conditions and highly isolated nature make for rare and unusual adaptations in its native wildlife. …

Comparing And Contrasting Therapeutic Drugs Vs. Lifestyle Changes That Combattype-Ii Diabetes, Alexander Cline Helmuth

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

In this thesis, I will be presenting various preventive approaches to combat type-II diabetes. The focus of this paper will be comparing and contrasting therapeutic drug targets such as Metformin and Sulfonylureas that are prescribed for type-II diabetic patients versus taking preventative steps such as making lifestyle changes including weight management, physical activity, and having a balanced diet that prevents onset of type-II diabetes or helps patients manage type-II diabetes. From this paper, one will gain insight on how there are multiple approaches to combat type-II diabetes that are not in the form of the pill.

The Application Of Biological Processes To Increase Energy Potential In Landfills, Ashlyn Eisenhart

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

There has been a dramatic increase in the amount of waste that we humans have created. This has been due to population growth, an increase in industrial manufacturing, along with urbanization and modernization.⁸ The number of tons of municipal solid waste entering landfills has increased from 82.5 million tons in 1960 to 146.1 million tons in 2018.¹⁷ However, thanks to recycling, composting, and energy recovery from combustion, the percentage of solid waste going to landfills has dramatically decreased, from around 93.6 to about 65.4 percent.¹⁷

Towards Semiconductor Nanorods With Nickel/Iron Cocatalyst., Kehinde Ayorinde

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The adverse effects associated with the utilization of fossil fuels has led to the need to provide an alternative cleaner energy. Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction via water splitting provides a renewable pathway to generating energy. Our photocatalyst system includes a semiconductor component (CdSe/CdS core/shell nanorods) to capture light and an attached metal (cocatalyst) for the hydrogen evolution reaction. Platinum is an effective metal catalyst for this reaction due to strong proton binding energy that easily facilitates the reduction of water to produce hydrogen gas. However, due to the high cost of platinum, there is a need to find a less …

Covid-19 Pandemic Effects On The Environment, Ken Overway, Phillips Lane

Chemistry Faculty Scholarship

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a constant in everyone’s lives for almost the past three years now and has embedded itself into basically every part of global society and norms. The main areas where this is evident are in the major disruptions in the economic, social, and public health sectors of the world. There is one other area that has been affected by this prolonged pandemic in a multitude of ways, the environment. Our environment, both globally and regionally, has seen both positive and negative effects throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in a variety of different areas. …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Gallate Esters As Alternatives To Traditional Parabens, Marcia Reeves

Longwood Senior Theses

Parabens are esters of p-hydroxybenzoates that are commonly found in everyday consumer products as well as pharmaceuticals. They are often used in commercial products to prevent bacterial growth as well as to provide extended shelf life, but they have been shown to activate estrogen receptors in vivo, a contributing factor in human breast cancer proliferation. Our lab has previously generated a multitude of paraben derivatives that do not exhibit estrogenic activity. Many of these derivatives may have other safety concerns, but gallate esters appear to have the least hazardous properties. The estrogenic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of the gallate ester …

Quantification Of Silver Nanoparticle Interactions With Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Studied Using Single-Cell Icp-Ms, Lindsey Rasmussen, Honglan Shi, Wenyan Liu, Katie Shannon

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used in many fields due to their anticancer, antimicrobial, and antiviral potential. Single-cell ICP-MS (SC-ICP-MS) is an emerging technology that allows for the rapid characterization and quantification of a metal analyte across a cell population in a single analysis. In this study, a new rapid and sensitive SC-ICP-MS method was developed to quantitatively study the interactions of AgNPs with yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The method can quantify the cell concentration, silver concentration per cell, and profile the nanoparticle distribution in a yeast cell population. AgNP dosing time, concentration, and AgNP size were quantitatively evaluated for their …

Unraveling Molecular Mechanisms Of Antibiotic Resistance Through Multiscale Simulations And Explainable Machine Learning, Zilin Song

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

Pathogen resistance to β-lactam antibiotics compromises effective treatments of superbug infections. One major source of β-lactam resistance is the bacterial production of β-lactamases, which could effectively hydrolyze β-lactam drugs. In this thesis, the hydrolysis of various β-lactam antibiotics by class A serine-based β-lactamases (ASβLs) were investigated using hybrid Quantum Mechanical / Molecular Mechanical (QM/MM) minimum energy pathway (MEP) calculations and explainable machine learning (ML) approaches. The TEM-1/benzylpenicillin acylation reaction with QM/MM chain-of-states reaction pathways was firstly revisited. I proposed two decomposition methods for energy contribution analysis based on perturbing ML regression models. Both methods were shown to be model implementation …

In Situ Recording Of Mars Soundscape, S. Maurice, B. Chide, N. Murdoch, R. D. Lorenz, D. Mimoun, R. C. Wiens, A. Stott, X. Jacob, T. Bertrand, F. Montmessin, N. L. Lanza, C. Alvarez-Llamas, Stanley M. Angel, M. Aung, J. Balaram, O. Beyssac, A. Cousin, G. Delory, O. Forni, T. Fouchet, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Before the Perseverance rover landing, the acoustic environment of Mars was unknown. Models predicted that: (1) atmospheric turbulence changes at centimetre scales or smaller at the point where molecular viscosity converts kinetic energy into heat1, (2) the speed of sound varies at the surface with frequency^2,3 and (3) high-frequency waves are strongly attenuated with distance in CO₂ (refs.^2,3,4). However, theoretical models were uncertain because of a lack of experimental data at low pressure and the difficulty to characterize turbulence or attenuation in a closed environment. Here, using Perseverance …

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis Of Quinoxaline Derivatives, Eric Horsting

Honors Theses

Quinoxaline and its derivatives have been studied extensively for their relevant biological activity and transition metal selectivity. These compounds are commonly used for their antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic activity, and relevance in the treatment of metabolic diseases [6]. More recently, quinoxaline’s ability to inhibit gram-positive bacterial growth has been found especially in oxygen- containing compounds, yielding promising candidates to prevent cancerous tumor growth [5]. The breadth of quinoxaline makes it a valuable tool within the research community However, its synthesis requires complex solvents, extended reaction times, and often produces a low yield. By using a microwave-assisted synthesis, this novel methodology offers …

Photophysics And Electronic Properties Of Photochromic Metal-Organic Frameworks, Corey R. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Modulation of materials properties through light-based illumination has the capability to expand the technology sector due to stimuli-responsive dynamic behavior that cannot be achieved in traditional materials. For example, reversibly tuning photophysical profiles of such materials allows for switching between discrete states that is a key aspect for the developing logic gates, spatially- and temporally-resolved sensors, and on-demand drug delivery systems. My efforts have focused on employment of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a versatile platform for the material development which contain photochromic moieties allowing for tailoring their electronic properties. Our group has expanded this direction to include heterometallic and actinide-containing …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, March & April 2022, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 3, Issue 3

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2-3 Awards and Recognition
Page 4 2022 URSCAD - CNS Snaps
Page 5 Geography Convention Recap
Page 6 Attention Students!
Page 7-8 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 9 Spring Break Outreach, Adopt the Pantry,
Page 10 Discovery on Tap Event
Page 11 CNS Students Visit State Capital
Page 12 Celebrating 50 Years of Sally
Page 13 Open PRAIRIE Data
Page 14 Grants Awarded and Bio-Micro Day of Scholars
Page 15 -17 2022 Geography Convention Snaps
Page 18 Sally Krueger's 50th Work Anniversary

Design And Application Of Membrane Nanodiscs For Biophysical Studies Of Influenza A Proteins, Aye K. Kyaw , '22

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Membrane proteins play a range of important roles in biological systems, yet they are underrepresented in the data base of high-resolution structures of all proteins. There is intense interest in developing new methodologies for studying membrane proteins. An essential step to membrane protein method development is devising reliable membrane mimics in which to embed membrane proteins. The goal of this thesis was to develop and apply nanodisc membrane mimics to the study of an influenza A membrane protein called M2. Nanodiscs provide a lipid bilayer environment with access to both sides of the bilayer and are smaller than commonly used …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Aluminum Complexes Implementing Redox-Active Nitroxide Bidentate Ligands, Omar Saleh , '22

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Aluminum is an abundant, sustainable, and non-toxic metal, which would be a great candidate to be used in redox and catalytic chemistry in lieu of the currently used heavy metals. However, aluminum can only exist over one stable oxidation state, which is a major obstacle in this pursuit. To tackle this issue, the Graves Lab has been focusing on incorporating redox active ligands into aluminum complexes. Nitroxide (NO⁻) is an exceptionally important functional group, as it can reversibly exist over three stable oxidation states. In this work, I synthesized and characterized neutral aluminum complexes, [(^(OMe)pyNO)AlMe₂]₂ (1b) and [(^(OMe)pyNO)AlMe₂]AlMe₃ (2b), with …