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Cloning Bovine Ccl28, Melissa Hughes, Dr. Eric Wilson Sep 2013

Cloning Bovine Ccl28, Melissa Hughes, Dr. Eric Wilson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I have successfully completed my project of cloning CCL28. CCL28 (MEC) is a protein that acts as a chemical signal in the body to attract antibody-secreting IgA cells that expresses a receptor called CCR10 to the mucosal tissue and to the mammary gland (1). CCL28 plays a vital role in allowing the maternal antibody secreting cells to home to the mammary gland and to pass antibodies to the breast-feeding infant, giving the infant passive immunity. This provides the infant with antibodies to antigens found in the mother’s environment (which is consequently the infant’s environment as well) and decreases mortality rates. …

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Thymidine Kinase 1 Immunostaining For Marking The Progression Of Skin Cancer, Kendal Jensen, Dr. Kim O'Neill Sep 2013

Thymidine Kinase 1 Immunostaining For Marking The Progression Of Skin Cancer, Kendal Jensen, Dr. Kim O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Each year in the United States there are over one million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Detection of metastatic skin cancer requires skill and careful consideration of clinical and histologic features. An accurate and specific stain for early, definitive diagnosis of metastatic skin cancer would be a useful tool for clinicians. Investigations using antibodies against tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) as prognostic indicators in cancer are ongoing. A novel TSA, Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) has been discovered for a variety of solid tumors. This last year in Kim O’Neill’s lab I investigated the use of an antibody against TK1 for use in …

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Feup Importance In The Symbiotic Infection In Sinorhizobium Melliloti, Rebecca Carlyon, Dr. Joel Griffitts Sep 2013

Feup Importance In The Symbiotic Infection In Sinorhizobium Melliloti, Rebecca Carlyon, Dr. Joel Griffitts

Journal of Undergraduate Research

How does infection work? How do bacteria know where they are to function within a host? These processes are vital for understanding both disease-causing and beneficial bacteria. For example, infection in alfalfa by a bacterium called Sinorhizobium meliloti is advantageous for the legume. Rhizobia infects special plant organs called root nodules where they function to fix nitrogen—a vital mechanism for the plants’ survival. This is a crucial agricultural process, yet remains a under researched subject. An important aspect of infection is that in order for it to occur, there must exist communication between the bacteria and the plant.

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The Role Of Specific Estrogen-Responsive Genes In Breast Cancer Development, Laura Castillo, Dr. Chin-Yo Lin Sep 2013

The Role Of Specific Estrogen-Responsive Genes In Breast Cancer Development, Laura Castillo, Dr. Chin-Yo Lin

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Estrogen plays a role in the reproductive maturation of females, including breast development. It is also known that estrogen affects the development of malignant breast tumors. Estrogen works by binding to specific estrogen receptors found in the cytoplasm or near the nuclear membrane. Once bound to estrogen, these receptors diffuse into the nucleus where they bind to specific DNA sequences called estrogen-response elements. They then regulate the expression of specific genes. There are two types of estrogen receptors (ER): ERα and ERβ. Only ERα has been observed to play a role in breast cancer development. Dr. Chin-Yo Lin and associates …

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Molecular Mechanism Of Host Specificity In A Permissive Infectious Process, Joshua Sterling Bently, Dr. Joel S. Griffitts Sep 2013

Molecular Mechanism Of Host Specificity In A Permissive Infectious Process, Joshua Sterling Bently, Dr. Joel S. Griffitts

Journal of Undergraduate Research

vUnderstanding the molecular mechanism permitting symbiosis is not completely understood. A more confounding question is why do closely related bacteria demonstrate variable specificity? In my project we attempted to answer this very question by attempting to identify the gene or genes responsible for the variability.

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The Role Of Ypo 2169 In Flea Transmission Of Plague, Paul Henry Beeston, Dr. David Erickson Sep 2013

The Role Of Ypo 2169 In Flea Transmission Of Plague, Paul Henry Beeston, Dr. David Erickson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Yersinia pestis is the gram negative bacteria responsible for the disease known as the plague. It is transmitted to hosts primarily through fleas such as the Oriental rat flea North American ground squirrel flea. Y. pestis is mainly a disease that affects small mammal populations such as rats and squirrels. The environment of the rat flea and other fleas, however, is very different from small mammal hosts or human hosts. Fleas maintain a body temperature considerably lower than mammals. Fleas also have unique physiologies that greatly differ from mammals.

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Finding A Correlation Between Aggressivity Of Cancer And Dna Repair Capacity, Kristie I. Aamodt, Dr. Kim L. O'Neill Sep 2013

Finding A Correlation Between Aggressivity Of Cancer And Dna Repair Capacity, Kristie I. Aamodt, Dr. Kim L. O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The initial proposal for this project outlined the study of the link between DNA damage and aggressiveness of cancer cells. A major portion of the project involved developing a more time-efficient method of measuring DNA repair using a fluorescent staining technique that quantifies the amount of DNA that is damaged in each sample. The staining process involves using terminal deoxytransferase (tDt), an enzyme which adds nucleotides to DNA at the 3′ end of single-strand breaks. By incubating the samples with fluorescein-conjugated dUTP in addition to the enzyme, one fluorescent molecule is incorporated for each single-strand break. The amount of fluorescence …

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Dxa Scan Analysis Of The Reducing Effect Of Vitamin K And Omega-3 On Bone Mineral Loss In Ovariectomized (Ovx) Sprague-Dawley Rats, Stephen Roberts, Dr. Robert Davidson Sep 2013

Dxa Scan Analysis Of The Reducing Effect Of Vitamin K And Omega-3 On Bone Mineral Loss In Ovariectomized (Ovx) Sprague-Dawley Rats, Stephen Roberts, Dr. Robert Davidson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Vitamin K, long established as important for blood clotting, has received more recent attention regarding a role in bone metabolism and remodeling.1 Vitamin K could potentially be an effective treatment in reducing the deleterious effect of osteoporosis.

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The Effect On Femur Bone Tensile Strength And Calcium Levels In Osteoporosis Induced Rats By Vitamin K Supplementation, Ryan Probst, Dr. Robert T. Davidson Sep 2013

The Effect On Femur Bone Tensile Strength And Calcium Levels In Osteoporosis Induced Rats By Vitamin K Supplementation, Ryan Probst, Dr. Robert T. Davidson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Osteoporosis is a growing problem in the world today. With the aging population of the United State’s Baby Boomer generation, healthcare research is shifting dramatically to combat the rising rates of diseases associated with our aging population majority. Compiled with this majority of elderly people is the fact that Americans are living longer. We must face the challenges associated with the aging human body. Osteoporosis is an age-related disease. This study has added to the research available on osteoporosis and has provided enhanced methods to treat osteoporosis, a major problem especially in postmenopausal women. Several Asian studies report an increase …

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Retinal Detachment In Mice With Disproportionate Micromelia, Jared R. Jackson, Dr. Robert Seegmiller Sep 2013

Retinal Detachment In Mice With Disproportionate Micromelia, Jared R. Jackson, Dr. Robert Seegmiller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Stickler syndrome, caused by a mutation of the Collagen 2A1 gene, is the most common cause of inherited retinal detachment in children. A mutation of the same gene in mice causes Disproportionate Micromelia (Dmm). “In cases where mouse mutations occur in genes that are also responsible for human disorders, the mouse strains provide essential model systems for studies of pathogenetic mechanisms.” The purpose of this study is to find and document evidence of retinal detachment that is hypothesized in heterozygous (Dmm/+) mutant mice.

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Understanding Actin To Stop Metastasis, James Moody, Ben Werner Sep 2013

Understanding Actin To Stop Metastasis, James Moody, Ben Werner

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project is to identify the organization and mechanism of the proteins in the Zyxin-VASP actin regulatory system using biochemical analysis and in vitro reconstitution.

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Chondrocyte Apoptosis Correlated With Progression Of Osteoarthritis In Dmm Mice, Ryan Anderson, Dr. Robert E. Seegmiller Sep 2013

Chondrocyte Apoptosis Correlated With Progression Of Osteoarthritis In Dmm Mice, Ryan Anderson, Dr. Robert E. Seegmiller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive disease resulting in the degeneration of synovial joint cartilage and is the leading cause of chronic disability in the elderly1. Despite the prevalence of this disease, its pathogenesis is poorly understood. There is need for low cost, short generation animal model to study this disease. For this, we used a proven mouse model as the means for researching OA, the Disproportionate micromellia (Dmm) mouse which has been shown to develop early onset OA. One mechanism involved in OA that we are specifically researching is programmed cell death, apoptosis, of cartilage cells, chondrocytes and how it …

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Estrogen And Breast Cancer: Understanding The Complex Interaction One Gene At A Time, Victoria Harris, Dr. Chin-Yo Lin Sep 2013

Estrogen And Breast Cancer: Understanding The Complex Interaction One Gene At A Time, Victoria Harris, Dr. Chin-Yo Lin

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Estrogen is a steroid hormone that acts in the body in both beneficial and detrimental ways. It plays a crucial role in many human processes including coagulation, bone formation, and development of sexual organs. However, estrogen is also associated with the proliferation of breast cancer. Estrogen activates the estrogen receptor (ER), a ligand-dependent transcription factor that regulates gene expression by binding to specific DNA elements and promoting or repressing transcription.

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Identifying The Mechanisms Of Estrogen Receptors In Human Breast Cancer Cells Through Study Of Direct Target Gene Expression, Megan Lundell, Dr. Chin-Yo Lin Sep 2013

Identifying The Mechanisms Of Estrogen Receptors In Human Breast Cancer Cells Through Study Of Direct Target Gene Expression, Megan Lundell, Dr. Chin-Yo Lin

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Estrogens, including estrodial (E2), are known to play a significant role in a number of developmental and physiological processes including the genesis and progression of breast cancer. The action of estrogens is mediated by estrogen receptors (ERs), which function as ligand-dependent transcription factors. Upon ligand binding, ERs interact with cis-regulatory elements of target genes either directly by binding to estrogen response elements or indirectly through interaction with transcription factor complexes and their respective binding sites.1 The primary objective of this project involved the knockdown, or reduction, of NCor, a co-repressor protein known to associate with ER in the presence of …

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Understanding Cancer Metastasis: The Role Of Zyxin In Actin Dynamics, Nicholas H. Bishop Sep 2013

Understanding Cancer Metastasis: The Role Of Zyxin In Actin Dynamics, Nicholas H. Bishop

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My research aims to elucidate the protein interactions at cell-cell contacts (adherens junctions or AJs) by studying the fluorescence recovery of three known AJ proteins (zyxin, VASP, and actin) after photobleaching. At AJs, zyxin interacts with VASP (Vasioukhin et al., 2000) which in turn encourages the polymerization of actin (Vasioukhin et al., 2000). Mutation of certain regions of zyxin may reveal their role in zyxin-VASP binding and regulation. The effects of altering VASP activity should be evident in actin turnover rate. In Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching (FRAP), regions of cell-cell adhesions with fluorescently labeled zyxin, VASP, or actin are bleached …

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Structure And Properties Of Dynamical Structure Functions Reconstruction Of Genetic Networks Using Gene Silencing And Overexpression Methods, Russell Howes, Dr. Sean Warnick Sep 2013

Structure And Properties Of Dynamical Structure Functions Reconstruction Of Genetic Networks Using Gene Silencing And Overexpression Methods, Russell Howes, Dr. Sean Warnick

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Network structure–the presence and absence of ‘connections’ among different variables in a dynamical system–is important in the identification and control of complex systems. Discovering structure from data can be difficult, and many current identification methods either concern themselves only with dynamic behavior (response of the system to an input), or try to infer structure without dynamics.

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Species Composition Of A Desert Rock Pool Metacommunity, Cameron Kmetzsch, Russell B. Rader Sep 2013

Species Composition Of A Desert Rock Pool Metacommunity, Cameron Kmetzsch, Russell B. Rader

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Rock pools are one of the most unique and threatened aquatic habitats in the world. Changes in global climate could alter precipitation patterns and disrupt the annual cycle of filling and drying to which this community has evolved. Previous misconceptions assume that all rock pools are temporary habitats. Over a period of two years we have shown that at least 20 pools in three drainages have maintained constant wetted conditions with moderate seasonal fluctuations in water levels, despite air temperatures near 50º C (120º F) on the open hardpan. These “permanent” pools (Tinajas) are shaded within deeply incised channels. Tinajas …

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Melanoma And Metastasis In A Mafia Mouse Model, Keith Wells, Dr. Kim O'Neill Sep 2013

Melanoma And Metastasis In A Mafia Mouse Model, Keith Wells, Dr. Kim O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It has been estimated that over 560, 000 Americans will die of cancer this year, over 1,500 a day. Currently, there is much research performed to understand how cancer works, how to prevent it, and how to treat it. Cancer encompasses a multitude of diseases coming from nearly all tissue types in the body and from all age groups. It is a problem which plagues all countries and cultures.

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Culture And Identification Of Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Cells, Joshua Hauser, Dr. Sandra Burnett Sep 2013

Culture And Identification Of Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Cells, Joshua Hauser, Dr. Sandra Burnett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Successfully culturing and identifying bone marrow cells is a critical skill when doing stem cell, or hematopoietic research. This skill was especially important in Dr. Sandra Burnett’s research lab, with whom I conducted this research. Since the proper culture and identification of the cells was a vital part of any results or conclusions that were made in the lab, we deemed it imperative to determine whether or not we would be able to develop training protocols that would result in better and more consistent results. I strongly believed that this project would immediately impact our current and future research using …

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Gene Expression Of Down-Regulated Estrogen Receptor Target Genes In Human Breast Cancer Cells Following Drug Rreatment, Ben Newman, Dr. Chin-Yo Lin Sep 2013

Gene Expression Of Down-Regulated Estrogen Receptor Target Genes In Human Breast Cancer Cells Following Drug Rreatment, Ben Newman, Dr. Chin-Yo Lin

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer found in women and the majority of such cancers are estrogen receptor (ER) positive. This means the cancer is dependent on estrogen for growth. In such cancers, ER acts as a ligand-dependent transcription factor, changing gene expression when bound to estrogen. The altered expression of ER target genes in breast cancer is a likely cause of the uncontrolled cell growth.

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Sinorhizobium Meliloti Adaptation In Alfalfa Bacterial Pathway Of Infection, Jacob Erickson, Dr. Joel Griffitts Sep 2013

Sinorhizobium Meliloti Adaptation In Alfalfa Bacterial Pathway Of Infection, Jacob Erickson, Dr. Joel Griffitts

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bacterial infection has been fought against successfully since the discovery of penicillin, and since then other antibiotics. Despite this, bacterial strains continue to mutate and find resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Gaining an understanding the genetic process of infection within bacteria will aid in the fight of harmful bacteria and the use of symbiotic bacteria.

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A Trojan Horse Approach To Cancer Treatment: A2da And A2noon As Potential Triggered And Targeting Chemotherapeutic Drugs, Jeremy Koontz, Dr. Heidi Vollmer-Snarr Sep 2013

A Trojan Horse Approach To Cancer Treatment: A2da And A2noon As Potential Triggered And Targeting Chemotherapeutic Drugs, Jeremy Koontz, Dr. Heidi Vollmer-Snarr

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Despite the enormous amounts of time and money spent to research effective cures for cancer—the second leading cause of death in the United States —little is known today about how to kill cancer cells without harming normal cells. Current traditional forms of cancer treatment are chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and invasive surgery. However, the challenge with such treatments is they do not discriminate between normal cells and cancerous cells; these therapies struggle to balance toxicity and efficiency. In comparison, photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers a more favorable alternative to traditional methods of cancer treatment. In PDT drugs, called photosensitizers, are activated through specific …

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Fetal Programming Of A Hyperactive Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, Joshua P. Thatcher, Dr. James P. Porter Sep 2013

Fetal Programming Of A Hyperactive Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, Joshua P. Thatcher, Dr. James P. Porter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cardiovascular diseases have become among the most widespread of adult diseases in the United States. Over the last few decades, the United States has experienced a dramatic increase in the rate of diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Obesity and Hypertension.

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Confirming Artificial Fungal Endophyte Inoculation Of Maize By Aflp And Sem, Alan Chambers, Dr. Brad Geary Sep 2013

Confirming Artificial Fungal Endophyte Inoculation Of Maize By Aflp And Sem, Alan Chambers, Dr. Brad Geary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Plant microbe interactions have been shown to enhance plant growth (Nassar, 2005) and it is well established that fungal endophytes affect beneficial phenotypes like resistance to drought or insects (Bacon 1997). Plants have been selected for beneficial phenotypic traits for thousands of years, but selection for beneficial microbe interactions is under studied. We desire to investigate improving crop yield and quality, while minimizing the expenditure of natural resources, by growing maize artificially infected with fungal endophytes from plants adapted to stressful environments. We report our early success here.

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Correlating Thomboembolism To Individual Platelet Aggregation Rate, Luke Werrett, Dr. Kenneth Solen Sep 2013

Correlating Thomboembolism To Individual Platelet Aggregation Rate, Luke Werrett, Dr. Kenneth Solen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The objective of this research project was to identify a correlation between a traditional platelet activity test using an aggregometer, and a new test that measures interactions between blood and man-made materials in a simulated blood flow environment. A correlation between these data would give artificial organ recipients and open-heart surgery candidates a more thorough risk analysis of their situation, and indicate the need for caution or additional medication.

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Impedance Detection Of Biological Molecules In Microfluidic Channels, Daniel Evans, Dr. Aaron Hawkins Sep 2013

Impedance Detection Of Biological Molecules In Microfluidic Channels, Daniel Evans, Dr. Aaron Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

At the current time, the most sensitive detection methods for biological molecules are based on fluorescent tags. This requires the use of optical sources and detectors as well as the introduction of a fluorophore that can be attached to a molecule of interest. In light of these challenges, my research goal was to create a sensitive method of detection based on electrical impedance measurements rather than optical measurements. In theory, this technique has the potential for providing a detection method that can be easily implemented on multiple parallel channels on a microfluidic chip.

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A Statistical Report Of Byu Premedical Students From 2002-2007, Daniel Chan, David Kaiser Sep 2013

A Statistical Report Of Byu Premedical Students From 2002-2007, Daniel Chan, David Kaiser

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2006 the average number of BYU medical school applications for any one applicant was 17. With the chance of matriculation per application only 3.8%, yet the cost of each application running as high as $700 each, it is important for BYU premedical students to make informed decisions when choosing to which of 142 medical schools to apply.

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A Course Grain Model For Protein-Surface Interactions, Shuai Wei, Thomas A. Knotts Iv Sep 2013

A Course Grain Model For Protein-Surface Interactions, Shuai Wei, Thomas A. Knotts Iv

Faculty Publications

The interaction of proteins with surfaces is important in numerous applications in many fields—such as biotechnology, proteomics, sensors, and medicine—but fundamental understanding of how protein stability and structure are affected by surfaces remains incomplete. Over the last several years, molecular simulation using coarse grain models has yielded significant insights, but the formalisms used to represent the surface interactions have been rudimentary. We present a new model for protein surface interactions that incorporates the chemical specificity of both the surface and the residues comprising the protein in the context of a one-bead-per-residue, coarse grain approach that maintains computational efficiency. The model …

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Nanoemulsions Of Non-Toxic Fluorocarbon Liquids Used To Transfect Genes With Applied Ultrasound, Cody L. Martin, Dr. William Pitt Sep 2013

Nanoemulsions Of Non-Toxic Fluorocarbon Liquids Used To Transfect Genes With Applied Ultrasound, Cody L. Martin, Dr. William Pitt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Gene delivery has been an important topic of medical and scientific research today, due to its potential in aiding the fight against cancer, heart disease and many genetic disorders. By transfecting appropriate genes into diseased cells, specific proteins can be produced that will alleviate problems at the cellular level. In addition, if the gene delivery is done by a targeted non-viral approach, such as ultrasound combined with contrast agent bubbles, the efficiency of transfection always increases. The targeted non-viral approach consists of applying focused ultrasound to a specific tissue in the presence of microbubbles. The application of ultrasound will cause …

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Self-Assembled Dna Origami Templates For The Fabrication Of Electronic Nanostructures, Elisabeth Pound Gates Sep 2013

Self-Assembled Dna Origami Templates For The Fabrication Of Electronic Nanostructures, Elisabeth Pound Gates

Theses and Dissertations

An important goal of nanoscience is the self-assembly of nanoscale building blocks into complex nanostructures. DNA is an important and versatile building block for nanostructures because of its small size, predictable base pairing, and numerous sequence possibilities. I use DNA origami to design and fold DNA into predesigned shapes, to assemble thin, branched DNA nanostructures as templates for nanoscale metal features. Using a PCR-based scaffold strand generation procedure, several wire-like nanostructures with varying scaffold lengths were assembled. In addition, more complex prototype circuit element structures were designed and assembled, demonstrating the utility of this technique in creating complex templates. My …

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