Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Cards Toxin On Lung Fibroblast Function, Shuri Magdalene

Posters - 2026

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen whose virulence depends largely on the community-acquired respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) toxin, a 591-amino-acid ADP-ribosylating protein¹. CARDS toxin induces immune responses²˒³, causes vacuolation in lung epithelial cells, and contributes to the inflammatory and pathological features of pneumonia. IMR-90 fibroblasts. IMR-90 cells are human fetal lung fibroblasts widely used to study responses to inflammatory signals, extracellular matrix production, and lung injury or repair. Rationale. Fibroblasts are key drivers of tissue remodeling and fibrosis during lung injury. Defining how CARDS toxin influences fibroblast programs in inflammation, cell-cycle control, and matrix remodeling²˒³ will clarify how M. …

Impact Of Ashwagandha Treatment On Cytokine Production And Macrophage Differentiation Into Thp-1 Cells, Betsi Diaz Chavarin, Aditi Kumar

Posters - 2026

Inflammation is a critical biological response that enables the immune system to react to infections, injuries, or stressful situations. However, chronic or excessive inflammation can lead to tissue damage and contribute to a wide range of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic syndromes, and immune dysregulation. 3,4 Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a central role in initiating and amplifying the immune response. 1,2 It is primarily produced by activated monocytes and macrophages in response to stimuli such as pathogens or stress signals. In addition, IL-1β acts on the hypothalamus to induce fever, which creates an environment …

Sirna Knockdown Of Rptor Alters Gene Expression In Ewing Sarcoma Cells, Sergio Cipriano, David Leavitt, Michael Oliva, Liam Valdez

Posters - 2026

Ewing sarcoma is a highly aggressive cancer that primarily affects children and young adults. Although treatment options exist, many patients do not respond effectively, showing the need for improved targeted therapies¹. RPTOR is a key in mTORC1 complex which regulates cell growth, proliferation, and survival². LY2874455 is a selective pan-FGFR inhibitor that targets growth factor signaling pathways involved in tumor progression³, and FGFR signaling interacts with pathways such as mTOR, making it a potential target for combination therapies. We hypothesized that silencing RPTOR in Ewing sarcoma cells would disrupt mTOR signaling and alter expression of genes linked to cell survival …

Take A Hit? Take A Hit: Quantifying Cell Death In E-Cigarette Exposed Bronchial Epithelial Cells Following Cards Toxin Treatment, Truman Havrda, Hannah Jiron, Sierra Trevino

Posters - 2026

The rapid rise of e-cigarette use among young adults has created a significant public health challenge, as the popularity of "vaping" has grown faster than our understanding of its long term cellular consequences. Current research indicates that e-cigarette vapor (ECV) induce high levels of oxidative stress and impair the lungs' ability to clear bacterial pathogens. Furthermore, ECV exposure upregulates specific receptors on the surface of airway cells, essentially making it easier for bacteria to adhere to and infect the lungs. While we know that both e-liquids and vapor trigger inflammatory responses and cytotoxicity, there is limited data on how these …

Gene Expression And Apoptotic Responses To Panobinostat Treatment And Yap Knockdown In Ewing Sarcoma Cells, Luna Collazo-Garcia, Alejandra Favela Santos, Madeline Torres-Salazar, Isabella Toscano

Posters - 2026

Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer driven by abnormal gene expression caused by the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein

Usually treated with intensive treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation

Outcomes remain poor for metastatic disease, highlighting the need for new therapeutic strategies

The Hippo signaling pathway regulates cell proliferation and survival through the transcriptional co-activator YAP1

Dietary Influence And Neurodegenerative Disease Risk: Insight From Alzheimer’S And Parkinson’S Disease, Madison Wirt

Honors Projects

As populations age, neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) become significantly more prevalent and impactful on patients and families. Clinical research has suggested a correlation between diet, gut health, neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction to the onset and development of specific and severe NDDs, especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). This research focuses on the relationship behind the gut-brain axis, micronutrient status and how diet influences the development of both AD and PD. Ten randomized, controlled trials were analyzed from the literature to investigate the impact of these factors on the inflammatory, metabolic and antioxidant processes. The studies focused on the use …

Wright State University's Celebration Of Student Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities From Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Wright State University

Celebration of Undergraduate & Graduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Materials

The student abstract booklet is a compilation of abstracts from students' oral and poster presentations at Wright State University's Celebration of Student Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities on April 1, 2026.

Quantifying The Antifungal Properties Of Bacteria Using Cotton Strips, Lily Lofton

Honors Theses

Many bacteria have been known to have antifungal properties. Research has begun to determine how these bacteria can be used to protect cotton and other cellulose-rich textiles. In the present study, standardized cotton strips were inoculated with two different bacterial consortia that have exhibited anti-fungal properties. These strips were then inoculated with the melanized cellulolytic fungi, Chaetomium globosum and Rhinocladiella similis. Similarly, some cotton strips were also inoculated with a non-melanized fungus, Rhodotorula toruloides, which is also thought to be cellulolytic. The tensile strength of cotton strips was measured along with the ergosterol concentrations (fungal biomass) for each cotton strip …

The Impact Of Pp1Β Cancer-Associated Polymorphisms On Pp1Β Protein Abundance And Cell Survival In Humanized Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Kaylee Martinez

Honors Theses

PP1β is an understudied protein phosphatase that affects the cell’s ability to reproduce. It has been known to be an important part of the cell cycle. Mutations within PP1β have been found to affect that process and influence the development of cancer and disease. In this thesis, different PP1β cancer and disease associated polymorphisms are investigated through the use of humanized yeast. PP1β yeast variants are tested by using Live/Dead cell assay and western blot techniques. Live/Dead analysis was conducted on different strains grown at permissible temperature (room temperature) and non-permissible temperature (37°C) over the course of 6 or 48 …

A Test Case For Raccoon Roundworm Anthelmintic Baiting In Western Virginia, Karen Powers, W. Jayme Viers, Carolyn K. Rossmeisl, L Kristen Page

Virginia Journal of Science

As a test case to determine the efficacy of anthelmintic baiting to reduce raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) prevalence in western Virginia, we deployed baits in a mountainous area of Roanoke Co., Virginia that historically was occupied by Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister). We deployed anthelmintic baits at 6-wk intervals from August to December 2024 at a density of 100/km². We opportunistically collected raccoon (Procyon lotor) scat in the drop area from August 2024 to May 2025 and found a marked decline in prevalence of raccoon roundworm in the samples. Deeming this a measured …

Enhancing Urban Garden Capacity By Linking Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function, Mary T. Nguyen, Carleen Rauh, Shelby Gresch, Charlotte Correiro, Heidi Elmendorf, Adriane Fugh-Berman, Gina Wimp, Alexandra L. Decandia

Virginia Journal of Science

Urban agriculture broadly describes food and plant cultivation in metropolitan areas. While biodiversity is thought to support ecosystem health and resilience, the relationship between above-ground and below-ground diversity has been understudied in urban green spaces. This study examines plant, animal, bacterial, and fungal diversity across three distinct urban habitats: a turf lawn, a forb garden, and a farming space. Using bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS2 sequencing, soil nutrient analyses, and surveys of vegetation and wildlife, we connect diverse philosophies in urban agriculture to their role in advancing community diversity and ecosystem function. We found that different urban gardens support …

Editorial 2026, Maud I. Tenaillon, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Differential Effects Of Veratridine And 5-Fluorouracil On Ubxn2a-Targeted Mortalin And Rictor Proteins In Patient-Derived Colorectal Cancer Cells, Kate S. Schraufnagel

Honors Thesis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, particularly in patients with metastatic CRC and/or those who have developed resistance to conventional chemotherapy. There has been a significant rise in early-onset CRC (EOCRC) incidences in patients under age 50. Due to lack of screening, these patients are commonly diagnosed in the later stages where there is a lack of effective therapies. This highlights the need for targeted therapies that address the molecular drivers of tumor progression and treatment resistance. UBXN2A is a tumor suppressor protein that regulates key oncogenic pathways in CRC, including Mortalin-2 (mot-2)-mediated p53 suppression and …

Increased Backbone Rigidity Of Artificial Transcription Factors, Jasmine Glover, Emma Otey, Joanna K. Kwao, Nicholas Truex

Senior Theses

Programming DNA-binding proteins is an effective strategy for developing therapeutics that regulate gene expression. These proteins can directly bind to DNA to activate or repress transcription of specific genes. Zinc finger proteins are a class of DNA-binding proteins commonly found in eukaryotic organisms. Their DNA-binding function is derived from unique amino acid sequences within each domain that recognizes specific nucleotides, allowing each finger to selectively recognize three DNA base pairs. Adjoining of multiple domains in tandem allows recognition of a specific DNA sequence. Artificial transcription factors can be made of multiple zinc finger domains arranged in tandem and engineered to …

Untangling G-Quadruplexes In Dna: The Effects Of Nucleotide Excision Repair, Jaidelin Alvardo, Abiageal Riley, Erick Morales Orrante, Raynne Malik

Posters - 2026

Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) remo ves bulky DNA lesions that are attributed to UV irradiation, environmental mutagens, and chemo-therapeutic agents (Schärer, CSH Perspectives Biology, 2013). G4- quadruplexes are formed by four guanines hydrogen bonded together to form a planar ring, and stacking of the hydrophobic G quartets stabilizes the quadruplex structure Capra et al.,PLoS Computational Biology, 2010). A surplus of this structure is linked to genomic Instability and cancer development.

Prior studies indicate that because NER eliminates large lesions of DNA, there may be a link to the removal of G4-quadruplexes through Nucleotide Excision Repair (De Magis et al, Nature,2020). …

Exploring Base Excision Repair Using Gene Knockout, Gregory Guantos, Cailyn Brock, Kamily Visser, Dylan Vargas

Posters - 2026

•             Base Excision Repair (BER) fixes damaged 3DNA bases throughout the cell cycle by removing damaged bases and replacing either one nucleotide in short-patch BER or a short stretch of nucleotides in long-patch BER. (Hindi, 2021, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences:CMLS)

•             4G-quadruplexes (G4s) are 4 stranded secondary DNA structures formed in guanine rich areas of DNA and RNA. (Rhodes, 2015, Nucleic Acids Research)

The URA3 plasmid was used as a PCR template to make a gene deletion construct, then yeast were transformed so APN1 was replaced by URA3. 2APN1 encodes a major DNA repair enzyme in yeast, and strains …

Alabama Prairie Reconstruction: Comparing Management Pathways For A Southeastern Landscape, Cecelia R. Geyer

Theses

Southeastern prairies are highly biodiverse yet increasingly threatened by land-use change, fire suppression, and habitat fragmentation. These disturbance-dependent systems rely on periodic fire and grazing to maintain plant diversity and ecosystem function. This study evaluates prairie restoration strategies by testing predictions from the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis and the Patch Mosaic Burn Hypothesis. The study site was divided into three treatments: prescribed burned only (B), prescribed burned with mowing (BM) to simulate grazing, and an undisturbed control (C). A standardized mix of native plant seeds was broadcast across all treatments. Ecosystem health and function were evaluated using plant community diversity and …

The Effects Of Cannabis Use On Physical Activity, Nitya Chiru, Brionna L. Smith, Karen L. Cropsey, Elizabeth K. Lee

Expo Student Presentations

2026 Spring Expo Poster Presentation

• Biological & Life Sciences

Improving Cannabis Sativa's Phytoremediation Capabilities Of Forever Chemicals Through Microbial Inoculations, Tyler S. Jolin

All NMU Master's Theses

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants that pose ecological and human health risks due to their resistance to degradation and potential for bioaccumulation. Phytoremediation has emerged as a potential strategy for mitigating PFAS contamination, and plant-microbe interactions may influence contaminant uptake and transport within plant systems. These studies investigated microbial inoculation methods and examined whether Bacillus subtilis could influence the uptake and distribution of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in hydroponically grown hemp (Cannabis sativa L.). Plant height and stem diameter growth rates and biomass accumulation were compared across treatments with and without PFOS exposure and microbial inoculation. PFOS …

Global Epidemiology Of Cephalopina Titillator Infestation In Camels: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis (1980–2025), Temesgen Mohammed, Aboma Zewude, Tsegaye Shamebo, Layaly Hamdan, Atef Oreiby, Hazim O. Khalifa, Gobena Ameni, Bojan Gajic

All Works

Background – Cephalopina titillator (C. titillator) is the causative agent of camel nasopharyngeal myiasis and is widespread in camel-rearing regions worldwide, causing impaired health, reduced productivity, and economic losses. However, despite the veterinary importance of C. titillator, global epidemiological evidence remains limited and fragmented, and no comprehensive synthesis of prevalence data across camel-rearing regions has previously been conducted. The objective of this review was to estimate the global pooled prevalence of C. titillator infestation in camels. In addition, subgroup analyses were made to assess the effect of camel species, geographic region, and study period on the pooled prevalence of C. …

Nucleotide Excision Repair In Yeast, Kinleigh Mines, Larry Ramirez, Jacob Rodriguez, Delynda Gonzalez

Posters - 2026

DNA damage occurs constantly in cells due to environmental factors and normal cellular processes, making DNA repair pathways essential for maintaining genomic stability (Hindi et al., 2021). One major repair mechanism is Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER), which is responsible for recognizing and removing bulky DNA lesions that distort the double helix structure (Scharer, 2013). In Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), the RAD14 gene plays a critical role in this pathway by helping identify and initiate repair of damaged DNA (Scharer, 2013). Another source of instability comes from the formation of G-quadruplex (G4) structures, which are secondary DNA configurations that can interfere with …

Variable Hybridization Rates Between F2 Fundulus Notatus Females, Jordan Tanaka

Honors Theses

Hybridization between two related species has been widely observed and offers a lens into complex evolutionary processes. Endogenous and exogenous factors affect hybrid fitness and diversification, and pre-zygotic and post-zygotic barriers affect species’ ability to hybridize. Female mate choice is a pre-zygotic isolation mechanism which is known to be more significant than male mate choice in many species, a trend which is linked to females often investing more energy into offspring. Detailing the ways in which these mechanisms operate is integral to understanding hybridization on a larger scale. The species examined here, Fundulus notatus and Fundulus olivaceous, are closely …

Multiparametric Mri To Predict Response To Irreversible Electroporation Plus Anti-Pd-1 Immunotherapy In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Qizhen Cao, Mark D Pagel, Charles V Kingsley, Jingfei Ma, James P Long, Xiaoxia Wen, Seth T Gammon, Jorge Delacerda, Sanaz Javadi, Chun Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To investigate contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MRI and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) for early prediction of tumor response to combined irreversible electroporation (IRE) and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

Methods: Murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells KRAS* were inoculated into the pancreas of C57BL/6 mice. IRE was performed when tumors became palpable. After IRE, mice received six intraperitoneal injections of anti-PD-1 over 2 weeks. T2-weighted MRI, T1-weighted MRI with macromolecular contrast agent poly(L-glutamic acid)-conjugated gadolinium (PG-Gd), and DWI were performed before and after IRE. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Mice surviving at least 100 days without recurrence after IRE were considered complete …

Just Unmasking Knowledge? A Critical Interpretation Of Fluctuating Jellyfish Populations For A Mass Media Audience, Wrenne R. Grone

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

While podcasts may not be the most popular form of mass media, they are growing in their accessibility and prevalence in educational discourse. My creative work, in the form of a podcast, unmasks scientific knowledge in an untraditional, mass-media form and will use podcast techniques, such as music transitions and storytelling techniques, to maintain engagement. Additionally, my podcast aims to transpose academic knowledge into a comprehensible, interesting form for a non-academic audience. Jellyfish have no brains, no heart, no blood, and no bones and yet, they have survived for millions of years. The goal of my podcast is to educate …

Dietary Β-Hydroxybutyrate Sodium Alters Rumen Microbiome And Nutrient Metabolism In The Rumen Epithelium Of Young Goats, Yimin Zhuang, Guanglei Liu, Chuyun Jiang, Mahmoud M. Abdelsattar, Yuze Fu, Ying Li, Naifeng Zhang, Jianmin Chai

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The role of β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) includes providing energy, regulating signaling pathways, and ameliorating the gut microbiota in the host, while its nutrient mechanism to improve rumen epithelium development in young ruminants is still unclear. In this study, a total of 12 female Haimen goats with 30 d of age were chosen and divided into two groups. One group was fed with basic diet (CON), and the other group was fed a basal diet supplemented with 6 g d^–1 dietary β-hydroxybutyrate sodium (BHBA-Na). The experimental period was 30 d, and all goats were slaughtered at 60 d of age. …

Neutrophil-Microglia Interaction Drives Motor Dysfunction In A Neuromyelitis Optica Model Induced By Subarachnoid Aqp4-Igg, Fangfang Qi, Vanda A Lennon, Shunyi Zhao, Yong Guo, Husheng Ding, Caiyun Liu, Whitney M Bartley, Tingjun Chen, Claudia F Lucchinetti, Long-Jun Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) contribute to early neuromyelitis optica (NMO) histopathology initiated by IgG targeting astrocytic aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels. Yet, the mechanisms underlying neutrophil recruitment and their pathogenic roles in disease progression remain unclear. To investigate molecular-cellular events preceding classical complement cascade activation in a mouse NMO model, we continuously infused, via spinal subarachnoid route, a non-complement-activating mouse monoclonal AQP4-IgG. Parenchymal infiltration of netting neutrophils containing C5a ensued with microglial activation and motor impairment but no blood-brain barrier leakage. Motor impairment and neuronal dysfunction both reversed when AQP4-IgG infusion stopped. Two-photon microscopy and electron microscopy-based reconstructions revealed …

Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of The Sk-3 I398 Interval In Neurospora Crassa, Tapasvi Bhatt

Senior Theses – Biological Sciences

Spore killer-3 (Sk-3) is a selfish genetic element on Chromosome III of Neurospora that biases its own transmission by killing meiotic products that fail to inherit the element. Although the resistance component of Sk-3 is known, the killer has not been identified. Previous deletion mapping confined the candidate killer region to a small block of DNA near interval i350 and suggested that the nearby 178 bp interval i398 might show different behavior in qualitative versus quantitative assays. The goal of this thesis was to construct and analyze an Sk-3 i398Δ strain and determine whether deletion of i398 …

A Computational Assessment Of Halobacterium Salinarum Glutamate Dehydrogenase Enzymes, Maaz Abdalla

Theses

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is a hexameric enzyme. GDH is involved in several pathways and cellular processes such as oxidation-reduction homeostasis, ammonia metabolism, lipid biosynthesis, insulin and lactate production, and acid-base equilibrium. The main objective of this thesis is to understand the structural and biochemical properties of this enzyme and why some organisms, for e.g., Halobacterium salinarum, have more than one GDH with different coenzyme specificities. The catabolism of glutamate is linked to NAD+ specific GDHs, meanwhile, NADP+ specific GDHs play an anabolic role in ammonia assimilation. Molecular docking and binding free energy calculations were employed followed by long-scale (500 nanoseconds) …

Dendrimer Nanogels With Built-In Free Radical Scavenging Enable Efficient Topical Delivery Of A Hydrophilic Antioxidant To Restore Lens Redox Balance For Cataract Treatment, Lin Qi, Huari Kou, Anna Chernatynskaya, Da Huang, Vimalin Jeyalatha Mani, Humeyra Karacal, Nuran Ercal, Hu Yang

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cataract is a leading cause of vision impairment worldwide and are primarily caused by oxidative stress that damages and aggregates lens proteins, leading to lens opacification. However, the eye's anatomical barriers limit the penetration and bioavailability of antioxidant therapies. To address this challenge, a dendrimer-based nanogel with a built-in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capability developed by us was employed to deliver the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to the lens. NAC was loaded into a generation-5 PEGylated poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (G5-PEG-TK, termed the GPT) nanogel. The resulting NAC-GPT was characterized for its ROS-scavenging activity, bioavailability, and corneal permeability. The efficacy of NAC-GPT was …

Optimizing Duckweeds Harvesting Strategies To Maximize Nutrient Recovery And Its Role As A Phytosensor In Different Water Sources While Maintaining Sustainable Biomass Growth, Basma Ghannam

Theses

This thesis is concerned with determining the optimal water treatment and harvesting strategy for Lemna minor duckweed plants. The main objective of this thesis is to examine how duckweed plants grow in terms of biomass, photosynthetic activity, leaf morphology, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, and their efficiency in nutrient removal from different water sources. The methodology of the study included assessing duckweed in three water samples including tap water, saline water, and greywater and three harvesting strategies, including low, medium, and high harvesting intensities to assess their growth and nutrient removal efficiency. The results of the study showed that L. minor …