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Growing South Dakota (Winter 2025), College Of Agriculture, Food And Environmental Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Native Plant Initiative on a mission
[Page] 4 Gees give back
[Page] 7 Christensen named assistant dean
[Page] 8 Fennell honored in plant biology
[Page] 9 New ag communication faculty
[Page] 10 SDSU Extension awards
[Page] 12 Veterinary medicine class welcomed
[Page] 13 Coulter honored
[Page] 14 National beef award winners
[Page] 15 Department celebrates 100 years
[Page] 16 Southeast Research Farm growing
[Page] 18 Saving the flock
[Page] 22 Energize conference inspires
[Page] 24 BeefSD helping producers
[Page] 25 SDSU Extension retirements
[Page] 26 New food safety testing service
[Page] 27 Bringing back bison
[Page] 28 Jackrabbits …

Bioinformatics Analysis Of The Mbl2 Missense Variants Associated With Cystic Fibrosis, Elaine Vanterpool, Kiar-Ra Cameron

Student Posters

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease commonly recognized by thick mucus and loud coughs. The manifestation of these symptoms is due to the inability of chloride ions to diffuse out of the cell. Thus, preventing osmosis resulting in a thick mucus on the lung’s surface. Those who suffer from this disease have difficulty breathing and require a modulator with a vest to increase gas exchange in the lungs. Moreover, the disease can result in much pain due to coughs, which destroys ciliated epithelial cells. Patients who have cystic fibrosis can suffer from pneumonia and other bronchial infections. They …

Pregnancy And Postpartum Effects Of Electronic Cigarettes On Maternal Health And Vascular Function In The Fourth Trimester, Amber Mills, Duaa Dakhlallah, Anand Ranpara, W. Travis Goldsmith, Paul D. Chantler, Yue-Wern Huang, Jonathan Boyd, I. Mark Olfert

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Pregnancy is a vulnerable time with significant cardiovascular changes that can lead to adverse outcomes, which can extend into the postpartum window. Exposure to emissions from electronic cigarettes (Ecig), commonly known as "vaping," has an adverse impact on cardiovascular function during pregnancy and post-natal life of offspring, but the postpartum effects on maternal health are poorly understood. We used a Sprague Dawley rat model, where pregnant dams are exposed to Ecigs between gestational day (GD)2-GD21 to examine postpartum consequences. Litter and dam health were monitored during the weaning period, and maternal vascular and endocrine function were assessed after weaning. Exposure …

Investigating The Impact Of Roundup® Exposure On Hearing In Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus), Joshua W. Adams, Daniel E. Holt

CSU Tower Day

Tower Day 2025 Undergraduate Poster 3rd place Winner

Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) such as Roundup® are used extensively worldwide, yet their potential to disrupt fish sensory physiology has remained relatively unexplored. Previous studies have established that glyphosate exposure can induce various neurotoxic effects in fish and other vertebrates—ranging from oxidative stress to altered neurotransmitter systems and anxiogenic-like responses. Despite these documented impacts, no published research has directly assessed whether glyphosate compromises auditory function in fish.

Here, we address this knowledge gap by examining the hearing sensitivity of farm- raised Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) following a 96-hour exposure to Roundup® (3 mg/L …

Characterizing The Regulatory Interaction Between Fliz And Hild In Salmonella, Kennedy K. Harris, Gracious Donkor, Matthew Georgiou, James Slauch

MICRO-CCS student projects

• Salmonella Typhimurium utilizes a Type Three Secretion System (T3SS) encoded on Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 1 (SPI1) to invade host intestinal cells.
• The T3SS is a needle-like structure that penetrates intestinal cells and injects effector proteins into the cell's cytoplasm to induce uptake of Salmonella.
• Expression of the T3SS is controlled by HilA, which is in turn regulated by three transcriptional regulators: HilD, RtsA, and HilC (Fig. 1B). HilD is the main regulator of HilA.
• FliZ is a regulator of flagellar genes which also post-translationally controls the protein activity of HilD. FliZ induction increases activation of the hilA promoter.

Reproductive Costs In Female, Island-Dwelling Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Adamanteus), Emily R. Gray

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus; EDBs) are a declining species endemic to the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Reproduction is costly for females, which are ovoviviparous, slow to mature, reproduce infrequently, and are often emaciated after parturition. Yet, we have a limited understanding of the trade-offs associated with their reproductive biology. Thus, I had three objectives: 1) assess reproduction-associated water stress and determine how female EDBs respond to altered water budgets in situ (Chapter 1), 2) evaluate the interactive effects of body condition and rainfall on female hydration, with a special focus on musculature as a condition index (Chapter 1), …

Bigger Meristem, Higher Yield? The Roles Of Rel2 And Relk In Maize Meristem Function And Yield Enhancement, Janlo M. Robil, Thu M. Tran

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Measuring Spatial And Temporal Variation In Species Composition Of Ephemeral Pond Amphibian Assemblages Using Metabarcoding, Elizabeth Strasko

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Amphibian populations worldwide face severe threats, heightening the need for reliable monitoring methods. In this thesis, I explored and tested environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding protocols to survey amphibian assemblages in ephemeral ponds of the the Green River Preserve in central Kentucky, USA. First, I evaluated whether the commonly used mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene could effectively capture species-level variation in local amphibians for eDNA metabarcoding. Extensive primer design and testing revealed significant challenges in amplifying fragmented eDNA from water samples. In a second study, I applied a metabarcoding approach using the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA (12S) gene …

A Phylogeographic Study Of The Kentucky Endemic Cave Beetle Neaphaenops Tellkampfii Erichson (1844), Mahamad Miya

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cave beetles are an excellent group to study evolutionary history and speciation by isolation within cave habitats. However, they are underrepresented in such studies, particularly in North America, one of the hotspots of cave biodiversity where beetles account for a significant proportion. The present research addresses this issue by focusing on the Kentucky endemic cave beetle, Neaphaenops tellkampfii, a species hypothesized to comprise four subspecies. Based on allozyme data, previous studies have noted high genetic variation within and high similarity among local populations of this beetle, suggesting complex evolutionary dynamics. In this regard, this study aims to elucidate the evolutionary …

Mutations In The Pms1 Gene Associating With Ovarian Cancer, Elaine Vanterpool, Erin Hough

Student Posters

The female reproductive system contains two ovaries on each side of the uterus, producing eggs and hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Ovarian cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the ovaries grow and divide uncontrollably, destroying healthy body tissue. Common symptoms of ovarian cancer include weight loss, fatigue, discomfort in the pelvic area, or changes in bowel habits. The goal of this research is to understand and identify the pathogenicity of the PMS1 gene in ovarian cancer and factors associated specifically with the mutation.

The Influence Of Mef2c Variants On Autism Development, Elaine Vanterpool, Maya O’Reilly

Student Posters

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects how people communicate, interact, and behave, with about 1 in 54 children in the U.S. being diagnosed. This study looks at the MEF2C gene and its possible link to ASD.

Which Of The Environmental Aspects Affecting The Gut Microbiome Of The Neonate Has The Largest Lifelong Impact?, Roza Heershzon

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The development of new DNA sequencing techniques has led to new discoveries on the gut microbiome’s critical influence on metabolic processes and immune development. Therefore, understanding the most influential factors in the development of the gut microbiome during early infancy, which impacts the individual’s long-term health, is vital. This paper explores how environmental factors, including delivery method and nutrition, shape the gut microbiome’s devel- opment in early life. In addition, it discusses their long-term health implications. The paper highlights how the mode of delivery significantly affects initial microbial colonization. Vaginal births promote a microbial community that is rich in beneficial …

Investigating The Interactions Between Elm1 And Hsl7 In The Morphogenesis Checkpoint Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Rachel Foster

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cell shape is essential to understanding the normal regulatory processes that occur within the cell and can indicate there are abnormalities present when there is dysfunction in the cell's development, which can have broader implications regarding human disease. The morphogenesis pathway couples cell division to the timely formation of a daughter bud in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and consists of Elm1, Hsl1, Hsl7, and Swe1 proteins which interact with septins at the bud neck to provide stability for the bud and to facilitate cell division. Elm1 is needed for the recruitment of Hsl1 and subsequently Hsl7. Hsl7 will then tether Swe1 to …

Examining The Probiotic Potential Of Pseudoalteromonas Rubra Situated In The Scholarly And Public Spheres, Sam Ruemmler

Honors Senior Capstones and Theses

Climate change is affecting our oceans negatively in many ways, such as rising temperatures and increased disease outbreaks. While there are many diseases that are affecting marine organisms, bacteria of the genus Vibrio are present globally and are known to favor warmer waters, which means increasing temperatures will cause an uptick in infections. One species, V. coralliilyticus, has been identified as a pathogen responsible for coral disease and death as well as mortality in rainbow trout, brine shrimp, and Pacific oyster larvae. A possible solution to the rising prevalence of disease is the use of probiotics. One such probiotic candidate …

The Effects Of Polyethylene And Polypropylene Microplastics On Daphnia Dentifera, Scott Eaves, Molly Fredericks, Carla Caceres

MICRO-CCS student projects

Research Question: What are the effects of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on the size, swim speed, and clonal growth rate of Daphnia dentifera?

Investigating Drivers In Phytoplankton Between Lentic And Lotic Ecosystems Within Twelvepole Creek Watershed, Devin Lee Farmer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) threaten aquatic ecosystems, local economies, and water quality. While extensively studied in lakes (lentic systems), their impact on flowing waters (lotic systems) remains underexplored. This study examined algal drivers in both ecosystems within the same watershed, focusing on Beech Fork Lake (lentic) and Twelve Pole Creek (lotic). Key environmental factors, including pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and nutrient levels, were measured using in situ sensors and laboratory analysis. Water samples were analyzed for nitrogen, phosphorus, and algal biomass for comparison to environmental conditions. Phytoplankton was preserved for identification in future research. By comparing these environments, this study …

Nebline, January/February 2025

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

2024 Extension Highlights

4-H Engaged 34,177 Youth

Nebraska Extension’s Strategic Direction

Reflflection, Growth and Whole-Person Wellness for 2025. Emily Gratopp

Recipe of the Month: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup, Emily Gratopp

Extension’s 2025 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Begins Soon

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

ProHort Lawn and Landscape Update

2025 Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Crop Production Clinics

Leaving a Lasting Legacy for Midwestern Farm Women

At Ag Literacy Festival, Students Learn How Agriculture Impacts Their Daily Lives

Managing Hard Water, Becky Schuerman

Don’t Let Fungus Gnats Bug You and Your Plants, Kait Chapman

2025 Lincoln …

The Impact Of Large, Manipulated Rainfall Events On Soil Greenhouse Gas Fluxes Is Mediated By Warming, Spatial Heterogeneity And Hurricane Disturbance Recovery In A Puerto Rican Wet Tropical Forest, Nibia Becerra Santillan

Biology Honors Projects

Substantial uncertainty surrounds how terrestrial ecosystems may respond to the interaction of multiple global change drivers, especially the interaction of atmospheric warming and more frequent or severe extreme weather events. Climate models suggest that the Caribbean may experience more frequent and/or heavier rainfalls under future climate, which is likely to also interact with increased atmospheric temperatures. In this thesis, I investigate how long-term (“press”) soil moisture and temperature conditions interact with acute (“pulse”) extreme precipitation events to influence CO₂ fluxes, labile carbon, and microbial carbon in a wet tropical forest in Puerto Rico. I conducted a fully-factorial soil incubation experiment …

Mutations In The Mmp20 Gene In Association With Amelogenesis Imperfecta, Elaine Vanterpool, Alicia Broomfield-Myrie

Student Posters

Enamel, the hardest substance in the body, protects the teeth from various forces like temperature and physical factors that would cause damage. Depending on the kind of AI one has developed, the phenotypes can range from thin teeth to teeth discoloration or decay. MMP20, a gene commonly associated with AI, encodes for Enamelysin, a protein crucial for enamel formation. It is also known as matrix metallopeptidase 20. It becomes active when it is cleaved by cellular proteases. When this gene is mutated, the splicing pattern is altered. Consequently, this can cause disease. This study was developed to analyze the pathogenicity …

Drone Thermal Imaging And Benthic Time-Series Analysis Show Dynamic Spatial And Temporal Delivery Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge On Reef Ecosystems, Sophia G. Zummo, Florybeth F. La Valle, Lucian Himes

Faculty Data Sets

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) introduces nutrient-rich, low-salinity water into coastal ecosystems, significantly altering reef biogeochemistry. At Black Point, Oʻahu, we employed a novel, two-pronged approach that integrates a cost-effective small unmanned aerial system equipped with a thermal infrared (sUAS-TIR) sensor and high-resolution benthic salinity time series to resolve previously unobserved, fine-scale patterns of SGD delivery. sUAS-based sampling overcomes key limitations of prior SGD mapping methods, such as labor-intensive and spatially constrained in situ sampling, by enabling rapid deployment, real-time visualization of mixing dynamics, and high-resolution imagery. Unlike previous studies that relied on customized systems that required independent sensor integration, our …

The Cdk8 Kinase Module: A Novel Player In The Transcription Of Translation Initiation And Ribosomal Genes, Brittany Friedson, Stephen D Willis, Natalia Shcherbik, Alicia N Campbell, Katrina F Cooper

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Survival following stress is dependent upon reprogramming transcription and translation. Communication between these programs following stress is critical for adaptation but is not clearly understood. The Cdk8 kinase module (CKM) of the Mediator complex modulates the transcriptional response to various stresses. Its involvement in regulating translational machinery has yet to be elucidated, highlighting an existing gap in knowledge. Here, we report that the CKM positively regulates a subset of ribosomal protein (RP) and translation initiation factor (TIF)-encoding genes under physiological conditions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts and HCT116 cells, the CKM regulates unique sets of RP and TIF …

Evolution Of Chitinases In Amphibians: A Multi-Faceted Group Of Enzymes With Dual Function In Digestion And At The Forefront Against Fungal Infections, Devashri Narayan

Theses and Dissertations

Chitinases are essential enzymes found in living organisms such as amphibians, and they ensure that amphibians survive in their varied ecosystems. They are crucial in the digestion and immunity of most organisms, including plants and animals. Chitinases’ diversity of functions is a testament to their evolutionary adaptability. The primary function of chitinases is the breakdown of chitin, a complex polymer of saccharides often found in the exoskeleton of insects and the walls of fungi. Amphibians that feed on insects make use of chitinases to hydrolyze chitin into simpler sugars that can be easily absorbed to extract the necessary nutrients from …

Protein-Metal Interactions Of A-Synuclein And Bioactive Transition Metals Via Molecular Dynamics, Gonzalo R. Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder which has been found to target the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. It is characterized by the formation of masses known as Lewy Bodies, formed by aggregates of the intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) -synuclein (asyn). Research suggests that alpha synuclein can undergo aggregation in the presence of heavy metals, which may accumulate in the body through a variety of mechanisms. To study how metals may play a role in wildtype (WT) asyn aggregation, MD simulation of the protein was performed in the presence of bioactive transition metals including Fe2+, Fe3+, Cu+, …

Improving The Safety Of N,N-Dimethylacetamide As A Potential Treatment For Preterm Birth Using A Vaginal Nanoformulation, Asad Mir

Theses and Dissertations

With no available treatment for preterm birth, the field of reproductive medicine has been repurposing small molecule candidates into vaginal nanoformulations as potential treatments for the condition. The commercial solvent N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMA) has previously been shown to delay and prevent inflammation-induced preterm birth in a mouse model. A vaginal nanoformulation of DMA loaded into a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEEDS) was studied to see if it can also be efficacious. A side by-side histological comparison was done in the more pertinent tissues of the reproductive tract between the traditional formulation of DMA given intraperitoneally (IP) and the vaginal nanoformulation of …

Under Stress: Maternal Effects On Offspring Development In Live-Bearing Fish, Ruby Jensen, Emily Mead, Jerald B. Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Research has shown that the stress response in adult fish can lower sex hormone levels, disrupt mating behavior, and reduce overall reproductive success (1). While stress is known to impact an individual's ability to reproduce, its effects on offspring after birth remain unclear. Specifically, the influence of maternal stress during gestation on offspring growth and maturation is still unknown.

To better understand how maternal stress affects offspring development, we will study the live-bearing fish Alfaro cultratus from birth to reproductive maturity. We will observe the timeline of developmental milestones in offspring whose mothers experience stress during gestation to assess potential …

Tight Junction Protein Impact On Sonic Hedgehog Pathway, Josh Freeman, Hudson Christensen, Dario Mizrachi

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The Sonic Hedgehog Pathway is critical for cell division and proliferation, and when disrupted, can be a major contributor to the overproliferation of cells and complications in the organism from the resultant cancers. Experimentation upon the organism Planaria Torva and A549 cells using chimera Occludin (COC)–a traditionally isolated tight junction protein having no role in the SHH pathway–has shown dramatic changes within the organism/cell signaling system, suggesting that tight-junction proteins may play a role in–or can be used to manipulate–this specific cell signaling pathway by inhibiting or activating key proteins. The possibility of a “mechanotransduction” effect by COC on SHH …

The Possible Role Of Cysteine Synthesis In E. Coli Mastitis, Caz Cullimore, David Erickson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Clinical mastitis is an infection of the udders of dairy cows

Mastitis is the leading cause of economic losses to the dairy industry

E. coli is the most common cause of clinical mastitis (Gonçalves)

Genetic factors may affect the ability for E. coli to establish an infection

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) can detect genetic variants correlating with disease. However, most GWASes aren’t validated experimentally

The Effects Of A High-Carbohydrate Versus A High-Fat Shake On Heart Rate Variability When Used To Interrupt A 38-Hour Fast, Dane Jensen, Cameron Jacobsen, Landon Deru Ph.D., Elizabeth Z. Gipson, Katelynn E. Hales, Bruce W. Bailey Ph.D.

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

(HRV) is a biological phenomenon that refers to the variations in the time intervals between heartbeats and is commonly used to assess vascular health. Heart rate variability (HRV) indicates the heart’s capacity to respond to stimuli from the autonomic nervous system. High HRV has been known to be correlated with a healthy heart and autonomic nervous system, while low HRV has been known to be correlated with adverse physiological conditions [6]. While previous research has explored the cardiovascular effects of fasting and food intake, the impact of the post-fast meal on cardiovascular health remains understudied. This study aims to investigate …

Taking Out The Taxonomic Trash: Refining Skink Classification In The Genus Sphenomorphus, Phillip Cockrell, Leah Stimpson, Alison Whiting Ph.D

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Distributed in New Guinea, Wallacea, Indonesia, and SE Asia (see figure 2), Sphenomorphus is often called a “Waste Bin” genus because species that don’t fit elsewhere are “dumped” there.

These cryptic skinks (see figure 1) have been problematic for traditional taxonomy due to a lack of discrete morphological characters.

Recent molecular studies of Sphenomorphus in the Philippines find the genus to be paraphyletic.

New Guinea has one of the largest concentrations of Sphenomorphus, has been poorly studied (figure 4), and is known for its extreme biodiversity¹,².

We seek to test the monophyly of Sphenomorphus in New Guinea, and the …

Research Process Toward The Creation Of Transgenic Beetles, Taylor Coffman, Christian Mccombs, Jonah Jex, Chris Daley, Brian D. Jensen, Sandra Hope Ph.D

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Create a generalized efficient procedure for the reliable creation of transgenic insects.