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Three Eagles Earn All-Conference Honors, Raley Named Conference Freshman Of The Year, Georgia Southern University

Athletics: News & Publications

• Three Eagles Earn All-Conference Honors, Raley Named Conference Freshman of the Year
• Dixie Raley named SBC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-SBC, Emily Snider and Taylor Rogers Named Second-Team All-SBC

Poly-Pathway Model Approach: Simulation Of Multiple Metabolic States, Erika Hagrot

Cell Culture Engineering XV

Animal cell lines have a complex and flexible metabolism and can display varied metabolic behavior depending on the culture conditions. A model that simulate and predict these variations would be a precious tool in the development of media, feeds or processes. However, in order to function as a predictive tool such a model has to describe the multiple metabolic states that can occur for a variety of conditions. This leads to the challenge of identifying a flexible model structure of relevant metabolic pathways and kinetics. To address this challenge, we have introduced the poly-pathway model approach aiming at capturing …

Cho-Specific Recombinant Protein Glycosylation Reaction Network, Benjamin Kremkow, Kelvin Lee

Cell Culture Engineering XV

Protein glycosylation is one of the most important product quality attributes and impacts efficacy, half-life, and immunogenicity. Previous glycosylation models effectively simulated the key parts of the N-glycosylation pathway. Building upon these prior efforts as well as recent CHO-K1 and Chinese hamster (CH) genome sequencing efforts, we share a new model for CHO- and CH- glycosylation. The model contains all N-glycosylation-related genes and all of the metabolic genes associated with central carbon metabolism, nucleotide sugar precursor synthesis, and nucleotide sugar transport annotated from the CHO-K1 and CH genomes. The model predicts both intracellular and secreted glycans for both mAb and …

Evaluation Of Product Antibody (Mab) Heterogeneity In Non-Clonal Cell Pools For Early Pre-Clinical Development, Gabi Tremml

Cell Culture Engineering XV

During early stage of pre-clinical biologics development, grams of product antibody is needed for process development, formulation development, and analytical assay development. To accelerate the pre-clinical timeline, it's a common practice to use master wells (non-clonal stable cell pools) to generate development material. The advantage of using master wells is that the product antibody is generated from the same host cell line and expression vector in an earlier and shorter time. Thus, the purified product antibody can be representative to the final therapeutic product. However, the non-clonal nature of the cell pools can give rise to potential risk of heterogeneity …

A Systematic Development Approach To Optimize And Control Biopharmaceutical Product Quality, Min Zhang, Leisha Youngblood, Carrie Weymer, Gian Arias, Tim Hill

Cell Culture Engineering XV

The complexity of recombinant protein manufacturing processes, including expression systems (i.e. host cell line, expression vector, cell line engineering process), cell culture process conditions, and choice of media and feeds, present significant challenges to achieve desired product quality of biopharmaceuticals. Significantly more challenging is to develop processes for biosimilar proteins, which must match product quality attributes of the originator molecule, show comparable in-vitro biological activity, and have no clinically meaningful differences as compared to innovator products. To address these challenges, and provide appropriate, flexible, and quick solutions to govern product quality control during manufacturing, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) has developed …

Determining The Most Efficient Type Of Growth Light For An Aquaponics System Using Yellow Lantern Chilies (Capsicum Chinense), Travis Mceachern

Undergraduate Theses

Abstract

Aquaponics, a type of urban agriculture, shows potential to produce large amounts of food with little water and land requirements. Thus, aquaponics could help address the issue of feeding the growing worldwide population. However, multiple challenges, both technical and economical, are associated with aquaponics, making large-scale implementation of these systems difficult – these systems can require tremendous amounts of energy. This study sought to determine the most efficient types grow lights in aquaponics systems by comparing the growth rates of yellow lantern chilies (Capsicum chinense) when grown under four different types of growth lights: light-emitting diode (LED), …

Stem Community Chairs Progress Updates Spring 2016, Uno Stem Leadership Team

Student Learning

The following is a brief update of the activities and efforts being undertaken by UNO’s Dr. George and Sally Haddix Community Chair of STEM Education as being held by Dr. Neal Grandgenett. The goal of this position is:

Position Goal: To organize, lead and inspire collaborative STEM initiatives at UNO, that cross colleges and disciplines, and that aggressively position UNO to be a true national leader in interdisciplinary STEM programs. (Curriculum, Capacity, Collaboration)

In-Stream Leaf Decomposition As An Indicator Of Marcellus Shale Impairment Across A Land Use Gradient, Jordan Alan Barton

Master’s Theses

Rapid development of hydrofracking, particularly in the Marcellus Shale region, has greatly outpaced ecological research assessing potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Increased sedimentation and contamination of streams from unconventional natural gas (UNG) activity could affect stream biota, resulting in altered rates of in-stream leaf decomposition. We deployed leaf packs in seven sites representing a range of UNG activity among different land uses including forest, agriculture, and development. In addition, physical and chemical variables were measured. Summer breakdown rates for all sites, mesh sizes, and leaf species were higher in the presence of UNG activity. Fall breakdown rates demonstrated no consistent …

Gender Differences In Adhd Diagnosis, Anthony Rizzo

Theses and Dissertations

There is a great disparity in the amount of males diagnosed with ADHD compared to females. This paper reviews a large collection of literature ranging from the history of the disorder, neurological studies, potential genetic differences between genders, as well as potential gender biases. These topics are all examined with the purpose of trying to determine which effect, if any, they may have had in creating the criteria necessary for a diagnosis and how that relates to each gender. The study examined each individual symptom necessary for an ADHD diagnosis and asked teachers to complete a survey designed to attempt …

The Germ Of Death Itself: A Study Of Tuberculosis And Community Education In Ghana, Brittany T. Peterson

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Background: Tuberculosis remains a significant threat to global public health, despite advancements in treatment and detection in recent decades. Treatment regimens are unpleasant and time-consuming, particularly when the disease-causing strain is partially or completely drug-resistant. Approximately one-third of the global population is currently infected with tuberculosis, but the majority of these cases are dormant and non-contagious. These dormant cases are more difficult to diagnose, but if the immune system is compromised, as in the case of HIV/AIDS, the individual will transition to an active and contagious case of tuberculosis. Resistant strains are increasing around the world, making treatment of a …

Isothermal Titration Calorimetry Uncovers Substrate Promiscuity Of Bicupin Oxalate Oxidase, Hassan Ali Rana

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

Oxalate oxidase from Ceriporiopsis subvermispora (CsOxOx) is a manganese-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the oxygen-dependent oxidation of oxalate to form two moles of carbon dioxide and one mole of hydrogen peroxide. CsOxOx is the first oxalate oxidase reported to have a two beta barrel architecture (bicupin). The CsOxOx catalyzed oxidation of oxalate reaction can be monitored by coupling the product H₂O₂ to the horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of 2,2'-azinobis-(3- ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and by membrane inlet mass spectrometry. Coupled enzyme assays often confound data interpretation. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measures heat changes that occur during a reaction. Therefore, ITC can …

Novel Cell Penetrating Peptides Effect Endosomal Escape And Deliver Protein Cargos Into Living Cells, Verra M. Ngwa

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

Over the last decade a number of peptides that are rapidly internalized by mammalian cells have been discovered or designed. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are capable of mediating penetration of the plasma membrane, allowing delivery of macromolecular cargoes to the cell interior. We have developed a novel CPP-adaptor protein technology that allows any user-defined cargo delivery and release into the cytoplasm. Our hypothesis is that a CPP-adaptor with a moiety allowing high-affinity but reversible non-covalent cargo binding would lead to more efficient penetration and release than current CPP delivery strategies. Delivery of proteins to the interiors of cells has many applications. …

Design, Fabrication, And Programming Of An Acoustic Property Measuring System For Ultrasound In The Mhz Range, Sreyas Chintapalli, J. Mark Meacham

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

Accurate measurement of acoustic material properties for various microfluidic devices is essential for optimal device design. In this project, a continuation of the design of a novel microfluidic channel for in situ removal of photocurable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS-a silicone), an apparatus was designed to measure the speed of sound through various liquids and solids. The apparatus was designed to hold piezoelectric transducers (pulser/receiver) and sample using the program AutoCAD™, fabricated on a three axis CNC mill, and tested by coupling input and output signals to an oscilloscope whose data was analyzed through algorithms implemented in MatLab™. The setup was calibrated and …

Beyond Dna: Epigenetics And Proteomics In Forensic Science, Diane F. Eilerts

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The use of genetic evidence in criminal cases is well established and has improved the public opinion and credibility of forensic science. However, several shortcomings associated with current genetic profiling techniques exist. Scientific research aimed at increasing the overall knowledge and understanding of biological factors will lead to the development of methods capable of improving the discriminating power of DNA evidence, overcoming limitations associated with DNA evidence, or complementing current methods of DNA profiling. Increased research in the fields of epigenetics and proteomics are particularly promising and relevant to forensic science. Research suggests that epigenetic biomarkers can be used to …

Applications Of Forensic Evidence In Criminal Cases, Emily Wheeler

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

In 2003, Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney proposed a plan for an infallible death penalty that required irrefutable scientific evidence, effectively removing any doubt regarding potential innocence in death penalty cases. Forensic science encompasses many scientific disciplines including natural sciences and pattern analysis, but not all such areas experience equal amounts of general acceptance or influence in criminal cases. While DNA analysis and fingerprint identification using the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) are both widely accepted forensic applications, recent events expose concerns regarding the authenticity of other disciplines such as hair and bite mark comparison. Before policymakers address the issue …

The Effects Of Epigenetics On Stress Response, Kevin Suddarth

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Despite the vast amount of resources at the disposal of humanity today, the intricacies of human biology are often a mystery. The chemical and biological products of the human genome have been well studied and documented, but many of the chemical and neurological pathways are missing quite a few details. The human stress response is one of the most primal and valuable functions of this code that developed as a self- preservation mechanism (Hans, 1975) to naturally increase the odds of procreation. However, this function is prone to overload, particularly in individuals with certain epigenetic traits instilled by early life …

The Hv1 Proton Channel Of Lingulodinium Polyedrum Localizes To The Bioluminescent Scintillon, Juan D. Rodriguez

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

In 1972, J. Woodland Hastings and colleagues predicted the existence of a proton selective channel that opens in response to depolarizing voltage (H_V1) across the vacuole membrane of bioluminescent dinoflagellates and conducts protons into specialized luminescence compartments (scintillons), thus causing the pH drop that triggers the light flash. RNA-Seq data from several luminescent dinoflagellate species provided candidate H_V1 genes. When expressed in mammalian cells, the predicted H_V1 from Lingulodinium polyedrum displays the hallmark properties of bona fide proton channels, including time-dependent opening with depolarization, perfect proton selectivity, and characteristic pH dependent gating. RT-PCR and …

Executive Committee - Agenda, 5/10/2016, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Nonnative Forest Insects And Pathogens In The United States: Impacts And Policy Options, Gary M. Lovett, Marissa Weiss, Andrew M. Liebhold, Thomas P. Holmes, Brian Leung, Kathy F. Lambert, David A. Orwig, Faith T. Campbell, Jonathan Rosenthal, Deborah G. Mccullough, Radka Wildova, Matthew P. Ayres

Dartmouth Scholarship

We review and synthesize information on invasions of nonnative forest insects and diseases in the United States, including their ecological and economic impacts, pathways of arrival, distribution within the United States, and policy options for reducing future invasions. Nonnative insects have accumulated in United States forests at a rate of ~2.5 per yr over the last 150 yr. Currently the two major pathways of introduction are importation of live plants and wood packing material such as pallets and crates. Introduced insects and diseases occur in forests and cities throughout the United States, and the problem is particularly severe in the …

Students To Intern In Asia, Thanks To Freeman Foundation Grant, University Communications

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Vertourist: Providing Accuracy In Language Translations, Using An Online Workforce, Shubhneek Dhillon

Theses

Language is our greatest mediator that allows us to relate to and understand each other. Linguistic boundaries cause a massive downside for travelers. They often find it difficult to communicate with locals in another country to learn more about the foreign culture, country, aesthetics and life. It’s even more critical for the people who are deaf.

Human generated translation is much more accurate than computer generated translation. Travelers often rely on computer-generated translation that result in more confusion when the person is trying to communicate with in a foreign language. My thesis will address this issue using social media. A …

Village Health Insurance, Michaela Domaratzky, Sean Roget

The International Undergraduate Journal For Service-Learning, Leadership, and Social Change

No abstract provided.

In Vitro Modeling Of Microgravity-Induced Muscle Atrophy And Spaceflight Radiation, Charles Harding, Jon Takemoto, Elizabeth Vargis

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Muscular atrophy, defined as the loss of muscle tissue, is a serious issue for immobilized patients on Earth and in human spaceflight, where microgravity prevents normal muscle loading. A major factor in muscular atrophy is oxidative stress, which is amplified not only by muscle disuse, but also by the increased levels of ionizing radiation in spaceflight. Additionally, elevated radiation exposure can damage DNA, increasing cancer risk.

To model oxidative stress and DNA damage generated by conditions on the International Space Station, murine C2C12 myoblasts were cultured in a rotary cell culture system irradiated by cesium-137. Changes due to the spaceflight …

Multivariate Spatial Mapping Of Soil Water Holding Capacity With Spatially Varying Cross-Correlations, Rachel M. Messick, Matthew J. Heaton, Neil Hansen

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Irrigation in agriculture mitigates the adverse effects of drought and improves crop production and yield. Still, water scarcity remains a persistent issue and water resources need to be used responsibly. To improve water use efficiency, precision irrigation is emerging as an approach where farmers can vary the application of irrigation according to within field variation in soil and topographic conditions. As a precursor, methods to characterize spatial variation of soil hydraulic properties is needed. One such property is soil water holding capacity (WHC). This analysis develops a Bayesian multivariate spatial model for predicting WHC across a field at various soil …

Dna Detection In Salt, Edgar Chavez, Brett Denney, Bonnie Baxter

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Biological material surviving in modern halite (salt) on Earth may point to a method for detection of potential or former life in salt deposits on Mars. This project attempts to find an efficient method extracting cells and DNA from modern halite crystals to gain more insight into efficient method of extracting DNA from ancient salt. Our method considers the limitations of Mars Rover techniques in terms of reagents and simplicity. Halite was collected from the north shore of Great Salt Lake, Utah. Through direct experimentation, we designed a filtration system to isolate DNA from salt samples and refined this process …

Microbial Diversity Of Culinary Salts, Galen Muske, Bonnie Baxter

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Extremophiles are exceptional microorganisms that live on this planet in extraordinarily harsh environments. One such extremophiles are Halophiles, salt-loving microorganisms that can survive in extreme salinity levels, and have been found to survive inside salt crystals. We were curious is about the potential diversity of halophiles surviving in salts harvested from around the world. For this experiment various culinary salts were suspended in a 23 % NaCL growth media broth and allowed to grow for 4 weeks. Afterwards, the individual strains were isolated on 23 % NaCl growth media agar plates. The colonies observed were visually diverse in color and …

Direct Optical Detection Of Microorganisms In Exoplanet Atmospheres: Models & Results, Ryker Eads, Caitlin Murphy, Natalie Sullivan, Joseph Burton, Timothy Doyle

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This poster will focus on the analysis of extinction spectra obtained from simulations of exoplanet atmospheres; these spectra have been simulated using a variety of particle types and size distributions. To simulate these spectra, we have created a MATLAB program that uses mathematical models and complex algorithms to model Mie and spherical scattering. This scattering of light from aerosols has been modeled in the ultraviolet to near infrared band (200-1100 nm). We have modeled atmospheric compositions that are typical of Jovian planets, using known information about the atmosphere of Jupiter (see our first poster, entitled “Direct Optical Detection of Microorganisms …

Direct Optical Detection Of Microorganisms In Exoplanet Atmospheres: Methods, Caitlin Murphy, Ryker Eads, Natalie Sullivan, Joseph Burton, Timothy Doyle

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The purpose of this project is to develop an optical method for detecting the presence of life, specifically microorganisms, in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. We are developing algorithms that distinguish between aerosols of biological origin (microorganisms) from aerosols of non-biological origin (dust, hydrosols, etc.) using analysis of their respective and combined extinction spectra. The method uses large databases of computer-modeled spectra to analyze optical measurements and identify biological aerosols. Whereas most exoplanet researchers focus on detecting molecular spectral signatures, we are focusing on detecting the microorganisms directly rather than their molecular by-products. This method holds significant potential for detecting …

Age Re-Assessment Of The Cave Bear Assemblage From Urşilor Cave, North-Western Romania, Marius V. Robu

International Journal of Speleology

The most common methods used for assessing the relative age of a cave bear bone assemblage are the P⁴/₄ index (morphodynamic index of the cave bear fourth premolar), the K-index and the Index of Plumpness (both used for cave bear’s 2^nd metatarsal). Preliminary work on this (Robu et al., 2011), for Urşilor Cave (NW Romania), has indicated one of the youngest European cave bear populations. As the number of extracted fossil bones from the palaeontological excavation increased recently, a re-assessment of the of the age of the cave bear assemblage is necessary. 206 cave bear fourth …

Using Remote Sensing And Detection Of Early Season Invasives (Desi) To Analyze The Temporal Dynamics Of Invasive Cheatgrass (Bromus Tectorum), Tara Bishop, Sam B. St. Clair, J Belnap, S Munson, R A. Gill

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The invasion of exotic annual grasses during the last century has transformed plant habitats and communities worldwide. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is a winter annual grass that has invaded over 100 million acres of the western United States (Pellant and Hall, 1994. Pellant, 1996). Cheatgrass quickly utilizes available resources especially after a disturbance to the landscape. A major impact of invasion is the increased frequency in fires (D’Antonio and Vitousek, 1992). As cheatgrass is highly successful at invading open and disturbed landscapes at a rapid pace it increases the frequency and severity of fires in arid landscapes (Brooks, 2005). …