Life Sciences Commons^™

Sticky Genes: Can Repeated Dna Sequences Trigger Motor Neurone Disease?, Guste Venslovaite, Russell Mclaughlin

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Pause For Policy - The Cognitive Cost Of Cannabis Use In Adolescence, Michael O'Connor, Linda Kelly, Emma O'Hora, Claire O'Doherty, Ciaran Brown, An Hsu, Sahar Riaz, Frank Crosson, Darren Roddy, Mary Cannon

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

From Recognition To Action: Advancing Nutrition Care In Irish Healthcare, Aoife Gillane, Sarah Donovan, Lisa Ryan

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Metabolic Health: A Needle-Free Alternative For Blood Sugar Monitoring, Conor Cleary, Martin Bradley, Christopher Crosson, John Wade

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Transforming Plastic For A Sustainable Planet: Next-Generation Materials That Biodegrade Naturally, Kristof Racz, Clement Higginbotham

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

The Dock Beetle: Reducing Costs And Pesticides In Irish Agriculture, Bianca Araujo, Daniel P. Fitzpatrick

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Ireland’S Energy Transition: Unlocking The Potential Of Offshore Renewables, Caoimhe O'Hare, Madjid Karimirad, Gautam Baruah

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of The Nature Restoration Law In The Eu - Pros, Cons And Impossibilities, Emma Mcdonagh, Liam Sunner

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

From Conflict To Connection: Educators Leading The Shift Towards Restorative Practices (Rp) In Deis Primary Schools, Ellen Slattery, Clara Hoyne

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap From Preschool To Primary: From Policy To Practice, Aimee O'Connor, Cóilín O’ Braonáin

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Effect Of Nacl Stress In Raphanus Sativus, Allison Norton

Undergraduate Research

Presentation at the Arkansas INBRE Research Conference, November 7-8, 2025

Single-Fibril Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Imaging And Deep Learning Reveal Concentration Dependence Of Amyloid Β 42 Aggregation Pathways, Sara Sohail, J. Yoo, H. S. Chung

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

Amyloid fibril formation is a highly heterogeneous process as evidenced by polymorphism in fibril structure. It has been suggested that different polymorphs are associated with different diseases or disease subtypes. Detailed characterization of this heterogeneity is a key to understanding the aggregation mechanism and, possibly, the disease mechanism. In this work, we develop Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging of amyloid fibril formation in real time and investigate the concentration-dependent heterogeneous fibril formation of amyloid β 42 (Aβ42). We incubated a mixture of unlabeled and labeled (5% donor and 5% acceptor) Aβ42, followed aggregation, and characterized individual fibrils in terms …

Screening For Potential Plant Growth‐Promoting Rhizobacteria (Pgpr)-Assisted Phytoremediation To Mitigate Lead Toxicity In Uae Soils, Zeinab Mohamed Abdalla

Theses

This study investigates the potential of lead (Pb)-tolerant actinobacteria that possess 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD) activity and plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits to serve as a biological tool for enhancing the growth of corn (Zea mays L.) under Pb stress. The primary objective of this research was to isolate and characterize novel, Pb-tolerant, rhizosphere-competent actinobacteria and to evaluate their efficacy in mitigating Pb toxicity, reducing its uptake, and promoting biomass accumulation in corn grown in contaminated soil. A total of 43 actinobacterial isolates were obtained from Pb-contaminated rhizosphere soil and screened for Pb tolerance, rhizosphere competence, ACCD activity, and PGP traits. …

Analysis Of Mct-1 Expression In Mouse Neural Retina In Response To Chronic Inflammation, Ian W. Ronson

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Chronic inflammation is a current public health concern as it is linked to the etiology and symptoms of numerous diseases, for example diabetic retinopathy (DR). In the case of DR, inflammation leads to dysregulation of the blood retina barrier causing retinal hemorrhage and macular edema leading ultimately to irreversible vision loss. MCT-1 is critical for the survival of photoreceptor cells because MCT-1 forms protein complexes with Basigin, a cell-cell adhesion protein, that enables Müller glial cells to efficiently provide lactate as a high energy fuel source. Previous studies have shown chronic inflammation reduces Basigin expression in the retina and that …

Comparative Analysis Of Citrate Synthase Activity In Skeletal Muscle, Liver, And Adipose Tissue In Beef Cattle, Abigail Webb

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Mitochondrial efficiency plays a central role in determining how cattle partition nutrients toward muscle growth or adipose deposition, yet little is known about tissue-specific differences in mitochondrial density among tissues or among beef cattle. This study aimed to quantify mitochondrial density in muscle, liver, and adipose tissue samples from beef cattle and evaluate its potential relationship with metabolic efficiency. Tissue samples of semitendinosus muscle (ST), liver, and subcutaneous adipose (SC) were collected, homogenized, and analyzed for citrate synthase (CS) activity using a fluorometric assay as a proxy for mitochondrial density. Preliminary analyses revealed that the semitendinosus muscle displayed the highest …

A New Low-Rate Stable Hydrogel Cathode For Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries, Roya Rajabi, Shichen Sun, Jamil A. Khan, Morgan Stefik, Kevin Huang

Faculty Publications

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are attractive candidates for large-scale energy storage owing to the abundance, low cost, and intrinsic safety of Zn metal. However, their practical application is hindered by poor cycle stability, especially at low current densities, due to cathode dissolution and limited electrochemically active sites (EAS). Herein, a hydrogel-based cathode comprising ammonium vanadate, carbon black, and a Zn-ion-conducting carboxymethyl chitosan–acrylamide hydrogel matrix doped with Zn(ClO4)2 is reported. This design establishes a continuous Zn-ion-conducting network, thereby maximizing EAS density throughout the electrode volume. The ZIB with the hydrogel cathode exhibits outstanding cycling stability, with 77% capacity retention after 2000 …

Targeting The Bcl2 Family: Advances And Challenges In Bh3 Mimetic-Based Therapies, Nabanita Mukherjee, James Sheetz, Yiqun Shellman

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

The BCL2 family of proteins plays a pivotal role in regulating apoptosis and cellular homeostasis, making them critical therapeutic targets in cancer and other diseases characterized by pathological cell survival. BH3 mimetics, small molecules that selectively inhibit anti-apoptotic BCL2 family members, have achieved significant clinical success, particularly in hematologic malignancies. However, several challenges remain, including resistance mechanisms, toxicity (such as MCL1 inhibitor-associated cardiotoxicity), and the intricate balance between apoptotic and non-apoptotic functions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of BCL2 family biology, the development and clinical application and outcomes of BH3 mimetics, and the emerging resistance mechanism known as double-bolt …

Interview With Orca Award Winner Donald Weeks; Unl Biochemistry; Biotechnology, Mark Griep, Donald Weeks

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Emeritus Professor Donald Paul Weeks was awarded the ORCA in 2014, a year before he retired. He grew up in a small farm south of Terre Haute, Indiana. In his youth, he participated in 4-H programs that must have sparked an interest in science because he earned his bachelor's degree from Purdue University in 1963. Purdue is about 90 miles north of Terre Haute. Don's doctoral work was at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana for a project about protein synthesis during maize germination. Next, he did postdoctoral work at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, where his research …

Insights Into Cardiac O-Glcnacylation As A Link Between The Diabetic State And Increased Cardiovascular Disease Susceptibility And Pathology, Samuel Formosa Chang

All ETDs from UAB

With diabetes prevalence around the world nearing 10%, and half of the US population having either diabetes or pre-diabetes, many epidemiological studies show diabetic patients have both increased risk for developing major cardiovascular disease (CVD), and increased mortality rates due to CVD. Additionally, within this field, studies have shown that indi-viduals with previously higher HbA1C levels have higher long-lasting risk for major ad-verse cardiac events compared to those with previously lower HbA1C levels—establishing the concept of “metabolic memory”. Within the diabetic milieu, cardiac protein O-GlcNAcylation (O-linked B-N-acetyl-glucosamine) is important for cardiac pathology de-velopment. Specifically, our lab generated a cardiomyocyte specific, …

Pathlength, Altitude And Angle Of Incidence Dependence Of Remote Water Raman Scattering, Whitney E. Schuler, Paige K. Williams, Zechariah B. Kitzhaber, Caitlyn M. English, Tammi L. Richardson, Nikos Vitzilaios, Michael L. Myrick

Faculty Publications

A small remote Raman sensor was used to measure the Raman scattering signal from clear, still water as a function of water depth (12 cm and 396 cm depth), sensor distance above the water surface (20–300 cm), and angle of incidence (0–80°) to the normal of the water surface. Under thick- and thin-sample conditions, the signal depends on either the inverse, or the inverse square, of sensor distance from the water surface, respectively. A model is derived that fits data for different sensor distances, water depths, and angles of incidence. Fits to the measured data are consistent with the known …

Adipose Tissue Estrogen Receptor-Alpha Overexpression Ameliorates High-Fat Diet–Induced Adipose Tissue Inflammation, Marion C. Hope, Christian A. Unger, M. Chase Kettering, Cassidy E. Socia, Ahmed K. Aladhami, Barton C. Rice, Darya S. Niamira, Ben P. Wiznitzer, Diego Altomare Ph.D., William E. Cotham, Reilly T. Enos

Faculty Publications

Context

We created an innovative mouse model that enables inducible overexpression of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα), specifically in adipose tissue (Adipo-ERα↑). Objective

We aimed to investigate how elevated Adipo-ERα↑ influences the development of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in both male and female mice. Methods

Male and female Adipo-ERα↑ mice and littermate controls were fed a low-fat diet (LFD) or HFD for 13 weeks. Adipo-ERα↑ was induced at the initiation of dietary treatment. Body morphology and composition, hepatic lipid accumulation, glucose tolerance, fasting insulin concentrations, and adipose tissue mRNA profiling were assessed. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to determine circulating and adipose …

Pentanary And Hexanary Alkali Lanthanide Germanates Grown From Lanthanide Rich Flux Growth Reactions, Gregory Morrison, K. Pilar Zamorano, Virginia G. Jones, Ethan N. Adams, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Single crystals of five compounds of a new structure type, the K3Nd52Ge12O100F7 type, were grown from lanthanide rich reactions using a KF/KCl flux: K3Ln52Ge12O100F7 (Ln = Nd, Eu), K3Ln52Ge12O100+δF7-δ (Ln = Pr, Tb), and K3Ca0.872Nd51.128Ge12O99.128F7.872. The five compounds crystallize in the cubic space group I-43d with lattice parameter 22.0350(2) Å for K3Nd52Ge12O100F7. The structure consists of a 3D checkerboard of LnX8, LnX7, LnX6, and GeO4 polyhedra, where X = O/F, and can be conceptually derived from the fluorite structure. K3Eu52Ge12O100F7 exhibits the fluorescence typical of Eu³⁺.

Chemistry And Biochemistry Affiliated Publications: Snapshot Of The Research Publications 2019-2024., Jeremy J. Smith, Lutishoor Salisbury

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report highlights the chemistry and biochemistry faculty publications for the period 2019-2024. It includes tables identifying the types of publications, the characteristics of the authors, inter-departmental and external cooperation, summary of the citations of the publications, and the JCR ranking of the journals in which they published.

Proteomic Approaches To Investigate Pp2a-B55 Substrates And Cellular Function, Brennan C. Mcewan

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Cell division is controlled in large part by reversible protein phosphorylation. The phosphorylation state of proteins during mitosis and other phases of the cell cycle represents a careful balance of activity between kinases and opposing phosphatases. The phosphoprotein phosphatase (PPP) family is responsible for the majority of serine and threonine dephosphorylation. Members of the PPP family are composed of a catalytic subunit paired with a regulatory subunit that targets them towards specific substrates.

The most abundant PPP, PPP2A, paired with its regulatory B55 subunit, is thought to be the phosphatase responsible for the dephosphorylation of substrates during mitotic exit. Despite …

Functional Analysis Of R144 In The Flavin Oxidation Mechanism Of A Flavin-Dependent N-Monooxygenase, Reeder Robinson, Korliss Britt, Pablo Sobrado

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Flavin-dependent N-monooxygenases (NMOs) are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of hydroxamate-containing siderophores, which are critical virulence factors in pathogenic microorganisms. SidA, an NMO from Aspergillus fumigatus, catalyzes the NADPH- and O2-dependent hydroxylation of L-ornithine (Orn) via a stable C4a-hydroperoxyflavin (FADOOH) intermediate. This study investigates the role of Arg144 in the catalytic cycle of SidA. Site-directed mutagenesis of Arg144 to alanine (R144A) significantly impaired both oxygen consumption and Orn hydroxylation, resulting in an approximately 60-fold reduction in kcat and a ~300-fold decrease in kcat/KM. The pH dependence, solvent kinetic isotope effects, and rapid-reaction kinetics reveal that R144 influences protonation events crucial …

Detection Method For Escherichia Coli Using Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Targeting The Yhav Gene, Muktiningsih Nurjayadi, Anisa Fitriyanti, Royna Rahma Musie, Gusti Angieta Putri, Puan Aqila Azizah, Helzi Angelina, Grace Grace, Ananda Indah Putri Sihombing, Agus Setiawan, Jefferson Lynford Declan, Gladys Indira Putri, Dandy Akbar Juliansyah, Siti Fatimah, Ayu Berkahingrum, Irma Ratna Kartika, Fera Kurniadewi, Vira Saamia, Shyi-Tien Chen, Bassam Aboemolak, Hesham Ali El Enshasy

Makara Journal of Science

Escherichia coli is a foodborne pathogenic bacterium that can cause diarrhea, while yhaV is a virulence-associated gene linked to the toxin–antitoxin system in E. coli. This study was aimed at evaluating the confirmation, specificity, and sensitivity of a yhaV gene primer using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The yhaV-targeting PCR successfully amplified a DNA fragment with an amplicon length of 207 bp (base pairs) under an annealing temperature optimized to a range of 54 °C to 62 °C via gradient PCR. The PCR using the primer pair produced a consistent Ct (cycle threshold) of 14.14 ± 0.05 and showed …

Fish Oil And Vernonia Amygdalina Leaves-Supplemented Biscuits Increased Insulin Secretion And Suppressed Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines In Type 2 Diabetic Wistar Rats, Omolola Soji-Omoniwa, Uthman Olanrewaju Abdulazeez, Christfavour Oluwaseyi Oloba, Samuel Olajuwon Kolawole, Johnson Opeyemi Olayinka, Emmanuel Olorunleke Oludipe, Anuoluwapo Faith Ajediti, Habib Tajudeen Yusuf

Al-Bahir

This research determined the effect of fish oil and Vernonia amygdalina-enriched biscuits (FVSB) on insulin sensitivity and inflammatory cytokines in type 2 diabetic rats. Forty-nine male rats were grouped into seven, i.e. A-G. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) was induced in groups B-G by administering 230 mg/kg body weight [BW] NAD (ip) and 65 mg/kg BW streptozotocin (ip). Group A represented the control (Non-diabetic + unsupplemented biscuit), B (untreated diabetic), C (diabetic + 120 mg/kg BW metformin), D-F (diabetic + FVSB at 1g, 2g and 3g leaf inclusion respectively), and G (diabetic + conventional biscuit). The experiment lasted 35 days, …

Interleukin-6 (Il-6) Mediated Pathways In Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld) And Its Implications On Magnesium And Zinc Mineral Deficiencies: A Scoping Review, Marianne Koleng, Leann Nguyen

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

The prevalence and incidence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is rising. In the United States alone, the prevalence of NAFLD is currently 38% and there has been a 50% increase over the last three decades. The present study investigated the role of ultratrace mineral deficiencies, specifically magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn), and if so, what nutritional interventions could be made to ameliorate or protect against the development of NAFLD. The role of trace and ultratrace minerals in pro-inflammatory cytokine pathways contributing to NAFLD, specifically Interleukin-6 (IL-6), were investigated. IL-6 is produced by hepatocytes and plays a crucial role in …

Investigating The Role Of Chaperones And Sequestrases In Misfolded Protein Sequestration, Sarah Rose Rolli

Dissertations (1934 -)

Protein homeostasis, or proteostasis, is responsible for a folded and functional proteome and is essential for cell survival. Proteins can misfold during stress or because of mutation. The accumulation of misfolded proteins is observed in many diseases, including Huntington’s disease. Misfolded proteins will clump together into inclusions, which can be sequestered to membrane-less compartments by proteostasis mechanisms. Several proteins, including chaperones, co-chaperones, and other proteins, have been identified as sequestrases that target inclusions and misfolded proteins to different protein quality control (PQC) compartments. The juxtanuclear quality control (JUNQ) compartment forms in the nucleus-vacuole junction in yeast cells, and several soluble …

From Venom To Medicine: Harnessing Animal Toxins For Drug Discovery, Christine Vega, Ying Jia

Research Colloquium

Background: Drug development research has long focused on synthesizing novel therapeutics while overlooking isolation from naturally available sources such as animal venoms. Recently, the discovery of the therapeutic effects of highly bioavailable animal venom caused the field of venom research to soar in popularity. Animal venom serves as a natural, sophisticated tool optimized over millions of years by evolution with the ability to bind to ion channels such as nAChRs, non-specific ligand-gated ion channels distributed throughout the human nervous system. However, purifying individual venom toxins from crude venom is challenging due to its availability. Therefore, synthesizing large quantities of venom …