Digital Commons Network^™

Structural Identification Of Secondary Metabolites From Bacteria, Vijay Patel, Mark Sourial, Alana Bertrand

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Chronic misuse and abuse of antibiotics over the last century has led to an end of the golden age of antibiotics. However, we could turn to bacteria to find a solution to the current antibiotic resistance crisis. Bacteria are engaged in an endless arms race against each other, and humans can use the compounds bacteria produce as antibiotics. Our team isolated bacteria from local soil samples and aimed to identify and characterize these microbes. The two bacterial strains we were able to identify were Pseudomonas fulva and Plesiomonas shigelloides. P. fulva is an aerobic proteobacterium which produces secondary metabolites …

Synthesis Of Chelating Polymers Via Raft For Metal Extraction, Agustin Olivares, Blake Naar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Heavy metal contamination in drinking water is known to cause damage to multiple organs and is one of the major causes of cancer. The presence of heavy metals in water has the ability to cause lifethreatening conditions. The purpose of our study is to synthesize metal binding polymers and to determine their efficiency at extracting heavy metals from contaminated water. Poly pentafluorophenyl acrylate (PPFPA) was synthesized via the employment of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using pentafluorophenyl acrylate (PFPA) as the monomer to create linear and hyperbranched polymers. RAFT polymerization allows control over molecular weight and the molecular architecture …

Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy In Pregnant Women From Marginalized Communities, Leona Markose

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Vaccination is known to be one of the most successful public health measures currently available that decreases numbers of mortality and morbidity of various diseases across the globe. Despite the success that has been found in controlling infectious disease through herd immunity from vaccinations, there is a rising problem especially prevalent among developed countries of a voluntarily under vaccinated population that do not believe these methods are safe or successful.

This delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of services is known as vaccine hesitancy. The COVID-19 pandemic sparked vaccine hesitancy throughout the United States, with an overabundance …

Elucidating The Function Of 3l1w, A Functionally Unknown Enzyme From Enterococcus Faecalis V583, Michael Egozi, Ethan Depry

Undergraduate Student Symposium

As of February 2022, there were 4057 protein structures with unknown functions in the Protein Data Bank. In all biological organisms there are a variety of enzymes that speed up key biochemical pathways. Despite having a known sequence and structure, many enzymes remain uncharacterized. One relevant enzyme identified is 3L1W, whose function has yet to be elucidated. The P.O.I. was isolated and imaged via Xray crystallography from the vancomycin resistant strain E. faecalis V583.

The purpose of this research was to provide an accurate characterization of 3L1W and its substrates, thus directing our approach of combining in silico and …

Evaluation Of Mdm2 Regulation On Aurkb Expression In Lung Cancer, Karen Kameo, Alexandra Carbone

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Objective. This study was conducted to analyze the molecular mechanism of the MDM2 regulation on AURKB in lung cancer cells. Background. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death within the United States, with the 5-year survival rate at about 22%, indicating the need to develop different drugs and treatment strategies. This study focuses on understanding the mechanisms linking MDM2 and AURKB to develop new treatment strategies against lung cancer. Methods. The H446 cells were treated with RG7388 (2 μM), an MDM2 inhibitor, and Barasertib (50 nM), an AURKB inhibitor, including a combination of the two drugs for 24 …

Investigating Polymer Metal Chelation Via Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, Meha Pandya, Agustin Olivares

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Heavy metal contaminants in water are known to disrupt ecological systems and cause detrimental biophysical and physiological effects in living systems. Prominent metallic environmental contaminants include lead, cadmium, and zinc. Removing heavy metal contaminants is essential to enhance water quality and reduce heavy metal toxicity. Chelating polymers that contain functional groups such as carboxyls and amines, offer an inexpensive and efficient way to remove metals from solution. The purpose of our study is to develop a protocol to quantify metal binding efficiency of various polymers via Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Alginate and Chitosan, two bio derived polymers with known chelating …

Metanalysis Of Genome Editing Using Crispr/Cas9 Technology Towards Hiv-1 Treatment, Nitya Alaparthy

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Genome editing, also called gene editing is a new branch of research that aims to explore means to modify genes of living organisms. Genome editing appears to have a promising future for researchers as it will further help to understand the gene function and develop ways to treat genetic or acquired diseases. Moreover, gene editing such as CRISPR/Cas9 technology can aid in manipulating the genome sequence, thereby, advancing treatments that will improve patients’ life span and quality of life. CRISPR/Cas9 technology supports three main mechanisms for genome editing, including plasmids-based methods, the direct intracellular distribution of the Cas9 mRNA, and …

Understanding The Origin Of Mutations Using Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics, Supratik Pasupuleti, Anthony Bianco

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Proton transfer within DNA base pairs is a possible origin for mutations which can ultimately lead to cancer. To better understand this potential source of mutations we have modeled this process using Ab Initio molecular dynamics simulations of model systems for DNA base pairs in water. These simulations have provided insight into how often and when proton transfer occurs in these systems while also highlighting the relationship between the likelihood of a proton transfer event and the way the water molecules are coordinated around the model system for DNA. This in turn has allowed for a greater understanding of potential …

Who Stressed The Dogs Out: A Case For Studying Mitochondrial Dna As A Novel Biomarker For Stress In Canines, Aidan Kunju, Ariana Ali, Ritika Kothur, Olivia Singleton

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Canines transiting through animal shelters experience extreme stress that is subsequently ameliorated by adoption into loving (human) homes. These transitions provide exceptional opportunities to study links between social stress and physiological processes, and to develop biomarkers for stress and social bonding with applications in both animal welfare and human health. Here, we propose a novel approach to the study of shelter-related stress in dogs, and of stress reversals following adoption. Specifically, we will quantify mtDNA dynamics in buccal swabs sampled during shelter intakes of canines at the Broward County animal shelter, as well as samples collected after these animals’ adoptions …

A Preliminary Survey Of Dog-In-Prison Programs Across The Us, Isabella Defilippis, Janan Abushaban, Mariya Baig, Ariel Cherry, Naziha Mustafa, Trini Somasundaram, Ashesh Soni

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The molecular effects of canine-human bonding have not been well-studied, but both species are deeply driven to seek out prosocial interactions. We therefore expect to see quantitative changes in both physiological biomarkers (e.g. cell-level phenotypes linked to psychiatric disease) and animal behavior on both sides of the ancient (>15,000 year old) symbiosis between dogs and humans when dogs and people form interspecies dyads. A compelling context for studying this involves "dog-in-prison" programs, in which incarcerated humans help to train canines for future lives as companionship or service animals. Notably, both the incarcerated humans and orphaned/stray dogs within such programs …

Comparative Study Of Homocoupling Reactions To Create 2,2'-Bipyridine Adducts, Ethan Depry, Hoa Le

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The project focuses on investigating the synthesis of 2,2’-bipyridine adducts for potential use as ligands in novel organometallic ruthenium complexes. The bipyridine building blocks, based on their excellent bidentate ligands with complexing abilities, will be incorporated into ruthenium complexes in a collaborative project, increasing the photosensitivity of these complexes, and opening the doors for many applications, ranging from synthetic photovoltaics to anti-cancer activity.

The aim of this study was to optimize the preparation of the 2,2’-bipyridine adducts. Prior studies conducted in our lab have compared several homo and cross coupling reactions. It was determined that homocoupling offers a more efficient …

Effect Of β-Lactamase Expression And Varying Metabolism On The Inoculum Effect, Kielan Singh, Vijay Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Infections with antibiotic resistant bacteria pose a substantial challenge to the field of medicine. Accordingly, it is of the utmost importance that we understand the mechanisms by which bacteria resist antibiotics towards the development of novel drugs and treatment paradigms. One mechanism by which a population of bacteria can resist an antibiotic is the inoculum effect (IE). During IE, the initial density of the population determines the efficacy of the antibiotic; highly dense populations of bacteria require more antibiotics to kill the population as compared to less dense populations. One mechanism that has been proposed to explain IE is the …

Endoparasite Community Of Common Wood-Warblers (Family Parulidae) In Southeast Florida, Skylar Olsen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Wood-warblers are small insectivorous passerine birds in the family Parulidae. They are among the first migratory birds in North America to begin their southward migration during the early autumn months and southeast Florida serves as a wintering ground. Although wood-warblers are common and widespread, knowledge of their endoparasite community composition is severely underrepresented in current literature. Carcasses were opportunistically collected from wildlife rescue centers in southeast Florida. The digestive tract of 90 birds representing 5 common wood-warbler species were examined for endoparasites: Common Yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas), Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla), Black-and--White Warblers (Mniotilta varia), Palm Warblers (Setophaga palmarum), and American Redstarts …

Heavy Metal Contaminants In The Sciaenids From Lake Sabine, Katerina Sawickij

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Lake Sabine is a shallow, estuarine lake situated on the border between Texas and Louisiana with outflow to the Gulf of Mexico. The Louisiana side is a protected natural area while the Texas side is susceptible to pollution from several commercial industries as well as maintenance dredging. This study determined the concentrations of metal(loids) within commercially and economically important fish tissues and compared them intra- and inter-specifically using known diets and a range of sizes. Specimens were collected from Lake Sabine from April through October 2018 from four sciaenid fishes: Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulatus, Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus, …

How Non-Profit Organizations Can Create A Hybrid Social Media Strategy Using Paid And Organic Posts, Samantha Carl Selorio

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The emergence of social media has changed the methods and approaches for communication between health agencies and their community. As such, non-profit organizations must learn to use social media to better promote their mission. Organizations can engage and capture the attention of their online target audience via paid posts. Broward Regional Health Planning Council (BRHPC), a non-profit organization, provides an analysis of how integrating social media tools has increased its social media presence. BRHPC already had an online presence on the social media sites Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. To increase the number of people in BRHPC’s intended audience who …

Induction Of Necroptosis In Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells Through Caspase-Independent Mechanisms Following Saha Treatment, Grace Waldron

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Currently, many anti-cancer drugs are known to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) through activation of intrinsic or extrinsic pathways. However, many types of cancer cells have acquired resistance to apoptosis-mediated cell death. Therefore, simultaneous induction of other forms of cell death in addition to apoptosis of cancer cells is becoming an attractive strategy. For this purpose, we initially explored the role of XIAP in caspase-dependent and caspase-independent mechanisms of cell death. Our western blot data revealed that RIPK3 and MLKL levels were significantly elevated in MCF-7 cells following SAHA treatment. During induction of SAHA-induced cell death, the XIAP levels were …

The Effects Of Herbal Products In Cartilage Healing And Reducing The Progression Of Osteoarthritis, Mariya Baig

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) is primarily aimed at symptom management and is generally limited with emphasis placed on therapy and drugs such as NSAIDs, opioids, and acetaminophen. However, these drugs pose health risks for long-term use including contraindications, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular issues. Thus, this systematic review of literature was conducted to evaluate the impact of the herbal products, turmeric and ginger, on reducing the progression of OA when utilized on both a short-term and long-term basis. After evaluating the content of several scholarly journals, it was found that turmeric and ginger can aid in symptom management of OA and promote …

Navigating Covid-19-Based Challenges To Global Education, Research, And Management In Healthcare And Stem, Stephanie Autore, Jessica Hallett, Michelle Hoang

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected most nations at all levels of functioning, individual to governmental. This study provides a comprehensive review of the global consequences of the pandemic on key socioeconomic sectors – healthcare management, and education and research in healthcare as well as science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM). COVID19 halted face-to-face classes and meetings in schools and colleges worldwide, necessitating virtual instruction as academic institutions sought to continue education safely, yet effectively. This adversely impacted every field of learning, especially STEM and healthcare education since STEM degrees entail rigorous curricula integrating lectures and laboratory exercises …

The Balance Of Public And Private Benefits Determines Sensitivity To Catastrophic Population Collapse In A Microbial Volunteer’S Dilemma, Aimee Doiron, Rodrigo Muzquiz, Tom Abraham

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cooperation plays important roles in bacteria, plant, animal, and human ecosystems. Cheaters, who garner public benefits without paying the associated costs, often outcompete cooperators. One mechanism of cooperation is the production of a public good. This seems evolutionarily unstable, because cooperation tends to decrease the fitness of the individual, while promoting the fitness of cheaters. However, cooperation can persist even in the presence of cheaters, as long as a private benefit is retained by the cooperator. While theoretical and experimental studies have examined the use of public goods in cooperation, research has yet to determine how the ratio of public …

A Novel Assay To Screen Drugs That Target Bacterial Type Iii Secretion Systems, Poorandai Sanicharran, Joanna Theodorou

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In recent years antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria have increasingly become a problem and pose a global threat. Several problematic bacteria utilize a type III secretion system (T3SS) to infect their host. T3SSs are needle-like appendages on the bacteria used to inject the host cell with toxins which disrupts the cell's defense. Hence, the T3SS would be agood target for a novel antibiotic drug. The goal of this study is to develop an assay to screen for compounds that inhibit bacterial T3SSs. Y. enterocolitica uses a T3SS to cause gastroenteritis and will be utilized as the test organism. A disc …

Agricom: A Soil Nutrient Additive And Its Effect On Soil Microbial Growth And Tomato Plants, Lisa Marie Pace

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of these experiments was to assess the efficacy of a novel nutrient stimulant in enhancing the growth of plants in the absence of fertilizer. Agricom is a natural mixture that works to increase the nitrogen fixation capabilities of the bacteria in the soil, thus aiding in the growth of the plants. Prior to working with the plants, the growth of the soil bacteria, in the presence of Agricom, was tested using respirometry. Agricom produced a significant positive effect on the overall growth rate of the soil bacteria that had been treated. Next, a series of four different groups …

An Algebro-Geometric Approach To Reverse Engineering The Lac Operon In E. Coli, Priscila Reyes, Ly Nguyen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Discrete modeling of biological mechanisms such as the lac operon is crucial in giving us a thorough understanding of their function and the related control mechanisms. This, in turn, provides us with a deeper insight into the organisms that employ these biological mechanisms as a whole. In this work, we utilize certain techniques from algebraic geometry, such as Gröbner basis, to attain a polynomial representation of the lac operon in E. coli based on its required catalysts and environmental conditions. First, we construct a Boolean network and wiring diagram of the lac operon system in order to predict the status …

An Unusual Meeting, Alessandra Sironi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“An Unusual Meeting” is a short film about two strangers who happen to be living the same lifestyle. These two characters have a similar routine every morning; they wake up, stretch, brush their teeth, make coffee, read magazines, navigate the internet, and drink the same brand of coffee, “Café Bustelo.” The two characters live near each other, and they meet while shopping for coffee at the grocery store. The universe and the coincidence of being coffee-holics leads them to fall in love at first sight. The film is directed by Alessandra Sironi. Andres Martinez Paz serves as the principal actor …

Antibacterial Of Natural Plant Extracts And Synthetic Compounds, Joanna Theodorou, Poorandai Sanicharran

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Due to the growing problem of antibiotic resistant pathogens, development of new antimicrobials is a necessity. Biologically active plant extracts have the potential to combat the detrimental effects of pathogens without the risks sometimes associated with synthetic drugs. However, synthetic drugs have the benefit of having antibacterial activity and being well characterized. Mixing a natural plant extract with a synthetic compound could be an extremely beneficial and potent antibiotic. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of various classes of plants and synthetic compounds (2-Oxindole derivatives) against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The antibacterial activity of …

Attitudes Of Rural Ecuadorians Toward Conservation Of Species And Environmental Education, Amanda Craig

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The exploration of people's attitudes in regard to other animal species with whom they co-exist in a shared ecosystem is a key element necessary for the improvement of local and regional conservation initiatives. In Ecuador, species such as the jaguar (Panthera Onca) require vast ranges of tropical rain forest and stretches of riverbank in order to survive in the wild. Increasing numbers of people share the forest with jaguars and other species. Habitat destruction and conversion, hunting and the potential lack of knowledge regarding the species’ ecological role continue to influence the conservation efforts of these threatened large …

Can Affordable Housing Stimulate The Fort Lauderdale Economy?, Andrew Socarras

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not affordable housing can have a positive impact on the Fort Lauderdale economy and, if possible, to identify the methods on how to extract the most profitable outcomes for society. Many times, affordable housing is managed improperly and after only a matter of years is regarded by locals as the “projects” or “ghetto.” As a result, the neighborhoods that encompass these developments depreciate in value, impairing the local economy.

Fort Lauderdale has experienced a grown spurt within the past 5 years and is continuing to grow at a steady pace …

Correlation Of Nutrient Contamination With Rainfall In The Everglades, Belen Perez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In this study, we investigated the correlation between concentrations of nutrient contaminants and rainfall in the inflow and outflow from engineered wetlands in the Everglades. These engineered wetlands, referred to as Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs), are designed to remove phosphate (PO4) from water in the Miami Canal and North New River Canal.

Methods: Quality and quantity of water entering (inflow) and leaving (outflow) STAs are monitored by South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and stored in the publicly accessible DBHYDRO database. DBHYDRO water quality data from one inflow monitor (G370) and two outflow monitors (G376B and G376E) at STA3/4 were …

D.A.R.K., Lauren Mcgarrett

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“D.A.R.K.” is a silent, avant-garde short film that highlights the very possible, and commonly unseen, repercussions of our day-to-day positive interactions with others, or lack thereof. The smallest act of kindness often makes the largest difference. The film is directed by Lauren McGarrett.

Determining The Binding Of Phycocyanin To The Lncap Prostate Cancer Cells By Fluorescence Microscopy, Shona Joseph, Syed Hussain

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Phycocyanin (C-PC) is a natural pigment found in blue-green algae known as Spirulina. Since it has antiinflammatory properties, it was speculated that it might also be effective in treating cancers. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to see whether C-PC would bind to the receptors on the cell membrane of cancer cells or penetrate the cell. Furthermore, the study was conducted to see whether the C-PC was able to bind to the membrane receptors with high or low affinity. For our binding and uptake experiments, LNCaP cells were used. After incubating with C-PC, the cells underwent multiple …

Don't Think It, Don't Do It: Controlling Executive Control, Karissa Delorme, Hannah Dean

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Self-control involves the ability to control immediate impulses and desires. According to the ego depletion model, self-control is a limited resource. Many studies have found that participants who perform a selfcontrol task show impaired performance on subsequent executive control tasks, such as those measuring working memory and attention. In this study, we hypothesized that individuals who perform a self-control task would subsequently demonstrate poorer inhibitory control as measured in a Stroop and stop signal task. Participants were first given instructions to list their daily activities for five minutes as they either attempted to not think about a white bear (self-control …