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Articles 1 - 30 of 74
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Dorsal Fin Innervation Of The Bluegill, Lepomis Macrochirus, Amanda Torick
Dorsal Fin Innervation Of The Bluegill, Lepomis Macrochirus, Amanda Torick
Honors Projects
Recent work has shown that the dorsal fins in fish operate not only as locomotive appendages, but also as sensory structures that aid in proprioception. To investigate how fish use these structures for sensing, the innervation of the dorsal fins in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) was assessed through immunohistochemistry assays. I conducted staining using anti-acetylated tubulin (AAT), a non-specific neuron marker, calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) which stains sensory neurons and cytokeratin 20 (CK20), which binds to mechanoreceptor structures. Stained samples of bluegill dorsal fins were imaged under a laser scanning epifluorescence microscope to visualize mechanoreceptors, as well as sensory and …
Cache Like A Squirrel: Effects Of Long Term Storage On Crude Fat Content Of Q. Palustris And Q. Alba Acorns, Cheyenne T. Villarosa, Sabrina Volponi, Timothy A. Kreps, Tamara L. Johnstone-Yellin
Cache Like A Squirrel: Effects Of Long Term Storage On Crude Fat Content Of Q. Palustris And Q. Alba Acorns, Cheyenne T. Villarosa, Sabrina Volponi, Timothy A. Kreps, Tamara L. Johnstone-Yellin
Honors Projects
Quercus palustris and Quercus alba acorns are a primary component in many wild animal diets, particularly during preparation for winter. As such, they provide a natural, easily gathered food staple for wildlife recovering in rehabilitation facilities. We examined whether collection and temperature-controlled storage methods differentially affect the nutritional deterioration of crude fat in acorns to assess both caching by wildlife and to provide recommendations to rehabilitators. We collected acorns from Q. palustris in 2020 (N=8) and Q. alba in 2017 (N=11) in Bridgewater, VA, USA. Acorns were dried for 7 days using a fan or for 30 minutes in an …
Vectors, Pathogens And Climate Change: How Will Human Health Be Affected?, Joseph T. Barry
Vectors, Pathogens And Climate Change: How Will Human Health Be Affected?, Joseph T. Barry
Honors Projects
This paper details how ongoing climate change will continue to affect the future of humanity. More specifically, this paper seeks to begin a conversation about how climate change impacts vectors and vector-borne pathogens and how both of these ultimately impact the future of human health. Three different vectors and three different pathogens are compared to provide an overview of how climate change may benefit these vectors and their associated pathogens. The vectors species selected for this comparative study are: (i) mosquitoes (Diptera, family Culicine), (ii) ticks (superorder Parasitiformes, order Ixodida), and (iii) kissing bugs (Hemiptera, subfamily Triatominae). Yellow fever virus …
An Overview Of The Current Research On Epiphyte Ecology, Kelsey Inman-Carter
An Overview Of The Current Research On Epiphyte Ecology, Kelsey Inman-Carter
Honors Projects
Epiphytes are non-parasitic, photosynthetic organisms that depend on other photosynthetic host organisms for support. Epiphytes can be found both in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. The interactions between epiphytes and their hosts can vary based on both their habitat and the features of individual hosts. This review explores the many facets of epiphyte research, including: the diversity of epiphytes in aquatic and terrestrial habitats; the effects of host-epiphyte interactions on the hosts; and the abiotic and biotic interactions that together determine epiphyte community composition.
Developing An Electroporation Method For Transforming Streptomyces Nymphaeiformis, Heather Knott, Stephen Baron
Developing An Electroporation Method For Transforming Streptomyces Nymphaeiformis, Heather Knott, Stephen Baron
Honors Projects
Streptomyces species are notoriously difficult to transform. Streptomyces nymphaeiformis is no different, so a method of electroporation was used to attempt to transform the cells. Multiple growth stages were used in order to alter the degree of development of the cell wall. The procedure did not kill the cells, but the cells were not transformed. Due to the lack of transformation with S. nymphaeiformis, transformation was attempted on two other Streptomyces strains, S. lividans and S. coelicolor. Neither was successfully transformed to thiostrepton (tsr) resistance, nor did they grow on a plate lacking thiostrepton. One possibility for the …
Restoring Polyhyrdoxybutyrate (Phb) Depolymerase Expression In A Bald Mutant Of Streptomyces Sp. Sfb5a, Youmna Moawad
Restoring Polyhyrdoxybutyrate (Phb) Depolymerase Expression In A Bald Mutant Of Streptomyces Sp. Sfb5a, Youmna Moawad
Honors Projects
Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a biodegradable, plastic-like polymer produced by some bacteria and degraded by others. The filamentous bacterium Streptomyces sp. SFB5A degrades PHB for growth using an extracellular PHB depolymerase, encoded by the phaZ gene. A morphological mutant of this bacterium, bld4, cannot form aerial filaments and cannot produce PHB depolymerase, despite having the phaZ gene. The inability to synthesize PHB depolymerase may be due to a mutation in a gene encoding one of its transcriptional regulators. A gene (lrp) coding for a potential transcriptional regulator is located 2,700 base pairs upstream from phaZ. Our goal …
The Scoop On Composting: A Comprehensive Literature Review On Composting With A Focus On Grand Valley State University, Alexandria Snabes
The Scoop On Composting: A Comprehensive Literature Review On Composting With A Focus On Grand Valley State University, Alexandria Snabes
Honors Projects
This comprehensive review discusses the main microbial processes, methods, efficiency strategies, benefits, and drawbacks related to composting. Specifically, anaerobic, aerobic, and intermediate, or cold composting, decomposition processes are defined and assessed. This leads into a discussion of some common methods of composting, both large- and small-scale, which utilize these microbial processes to result in differing advantages and disadvantages. The efficiency of these methods can be increased using strategies that monitor oxygen levels, moisture levels, temperate levels, and overall size. Some benefits of composting discussed include diverting waste from landfills, improving soil nutrition and quality long-term, and increasing plant growth and …
Open System Metabolism Of The Grand River From Headwaters To Mouth, Colin J. Assenmacher
Open System Metabolism Of The Grand River From Headwaters To Mouth, Colin J. Assenmacher
Honors Projects
The Grand River is the longest river in Michigan and has been greatly impacted by human activities, particularly logging in the mid-1800s, which when coupled with 20th-century urbanization and continued agricultural use, led to historically poor river health. Despite this, actions throughout the past 50 years by federal, state, and local citizen involvement, have resulted in increased river health and broader water quality monitoring within the watershed. During the summer of 2021, rapid bioassessments targeting benthic macroinvertebrates were conducted along the Grand River, with the primary goal of following up on prior state-led surveys conducted at different locations along the …
Expression And Purification Of N-Terminally Acetylated Microtubule Binding Protein Tau, Abigail Fleurima
Expression And Purification Of N-Terminally Acetylated Microtubule Binding Protein Tau, Abigail Fleurima
Honors Projects
The microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) plays a critical role in many neurodegenerative diseases. Tau functions to stabilize microtubule structures that are essential for transport within the neuron, and transport disruption leads to loss of neuronal function. Tau binding is regulated by phosphorylation with the help of kinases that add phosphate groups which block microtubule binding sites, and phosphatases that remove phosphate groups and expose the microtubule-binding regions. Tau can be found in hyper-phosphorylated states, which causes Tau to self-assemble into aggregates and prevent microtubule binding. It's clear that post-translational modifications (PTMs) of Tau play a key role in the dysregulation …
Function Of Spiny Dorsal Fin Erector Muscles In The Bluegill, Lepomis Macrochirus, Zakiyat Djabakatie
Function Of Spiny Dorsal Fin Erector Muscles In The Bluegill, Lepomis Macrochirus, Zakiyat Djabakatie
Honors Projects
Local motor control directly contributes to stability, which can be compromised by injury or multiple neuromuscular disorders. In addition, lack of sensory perception as experienced by decreased limb sensation can further deteriorate one‚Äôs quality of life. The goal of this study is to use bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) fins as model systems to study and gain insights on local motor control and sensory perception to improve stability and locomotion in humans, especially in a rehabilitative state. We hypothesize that 1) when exposed to turbulence (T), bluegill will use the spiny dorsal fin to recover stability and muscle intensity and duration will …
Shelter Dogs Need A Home: The Effect Of Enrichment And Human Contact On The Welfare And Adoptability Of Shelter Dogs, Hannah G. Clark
Shelter Dogs Need A Home: The Effect Of Enrichment And Human Contact On The Welfare And Adoptability Of Shelter Dogs, Hannah G. Clark
Honors Projects
It comes as no surprise that an animal shelter can be a stressful place for dogs. Shelter conditions, accompanied by multiple, novel stimuli, produce a stressful environment that cause hormonal and behavioral responses in dogs housed in shelters. Many of the stereotypical behaviors produced by the stress of living in a shelter, which tend to worsen as length of stay increases, are undesirable to potential adopters. However, many studies have shown that enrichment with a variety of toys, exercise, and human interaction can buffer the stress response in shelter dogs and improve their well-being. Implementing obedience training and temporary fostering …
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Cardiomyocytes Provide An In Vitro Model Of The Myocardial Environment For Investigating Stem Cell Therapies, Jacob M. Gunn
Honors Projects
Ischemic heart disease remains a major cause of death and disability worldwide (Moran Andrew E. et al., 2014). While interventions for heart disease have come a long way, restoring functionality to damaged myocardium remains a challenge. Both mechanical and electrical repair of the host myocardium are essential to salvage the damaged tissue. This is especially difficult following a myocardial infarction (MI) as the infarct area is subject to quick and extensive cell death via necrosis then apoptosis (Prabhu & Frangogiannis, 2016). Stem cells have emerged as a candidate for potential replacement therapies. Adult stem cells (ASCs) are taken from bone …
From Aristotle To Wunderkammer: The Development Of Entomology And Insect Collections, Erica Fischer
From Aristotle To Wunderkammer: The Development Of Entomology And Insect Collections, Erica Fischer
Honors Projects
This project aimed to analyze the development of insect classification and the shift from the realm of the amateur naturalist to professional science. It looked to address questions regarding entomology as a developing science and how effectively it reflects larger changes in the field of biology and the development of natural history collections. This work was for a synthesis of time periods from the beginnings of classification in the ancient world through the 20th century, a more general timeline than is typically approached. The research needed for the completion of this paper was based on secondary source research in the …
Detecting Aggregated Superoxide-Dismutase Protein Using Aggregate Specific Antibodies, Helen Magana
Detecting Aggregated Superoxide-Dismutase Protein Using Aggregate Specific Antibodies, Helen Magana
Honors Projects
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is neurodegenerative disease characterized by late-onset, loss of motor neurons, paralysis, and eventual death. SOD1 is a free radical scavenger that normally resides in the cytoplasm, nucleus, and intermembrane space of the mitochondria. Mutations in SOD1, a ubiquitously expressed free-radical scavenger, are one cause of ALS. Degeneration of motor neurons is thought to be triggered by aggregation of mutant SOD1 followed by propagation to adjacent cells though cell-cell contacts. Here, we present immunohistochemical findings on tissues of a Drosophila melanogaster expressing mutant dsod1 alleles at the endogenous locus. Aggregate-specific antibodies were used to assess the presence of …
Senior Project: An Investigative Study Into The Bacterial Contamination Of Little Black Creek, Margaret I. Brenneman
Senior Project: An Investigative Study Into The Bacterial Contamination Of Little Black Creek, Margaret I. Brenneman
Honors Projects
An investigation of Escherichia coli concentrations in a west Michigan stream was conducted to determine sources of fecal contamination that impact water quality. Little Black Creek (LBC) is located in Muskegon County and discharges into Lake Michigan at the P.J. Hoffmaster Campground Beach. Often referred to as an “indicator bacteria,” water contaminated with E. coli has a high probability to contain other enteric pathogens as well. Beach water testing in 2020 using Colilert-18 methods revealed E. coli levels of 579 cfu/100mL in the creek discharge area that exceeded total body contact criteria of 300 cfu/100mL. A follow-up study of the …
The Purification And Characterization Of N-Terminally Acetylated Ssal From Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Alijah A. Griffith
The Purification And Characterization Of N-Terminally Acetylated Ssal From Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Alijah A. Griffith
Honors Projects
Molecular chaperones are highly conserved, ubiquitous enzymes that maintain proteostasis by mediating protein structure in vivo. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) can act as a functional switch between chaperone pathways, allowing for cells to enact a coordinated response to cellular perturbations. Several PTMs are well characterized in the context of chaperone function, though the role of N-terminal acetylation is commonly overlooked, leading to an overwhelming lack of scientific understanding in this area of study. Ssa1, a Hsp70 class chaperone endogenous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is likely N-terminally acetylated, though in vitro studies of Ssa1 are limited by current purification methods which are resource-intensive. …
The Effect Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids On Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury, Sarah Wampler
The Effect Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids On Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury, Sarah Wampler
Honors Projects
Past research has been conducted on rats and mice to determine behavioral and physiological effects of omega-3 fatty acids on recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI). These studies found that omega-3s can be helpful for recovery from TBI, however, the results did not carry over to human clinical trials. This paper aimed to compare and analyze the results of these studies through meta-analysis to help explain why omega-3 fatty acids were not as effective for human recovery from head injury. A systematic literature search was completed to obtain all studies that looked at this effect. Some of the articles acquired …
Building An In Vivo Model Of Tau Aggregation In Saccharomyces Cerevisae, Jessica Anderson
Building An In Vivo Model Of Tau Aggregation In Saccharomyces Cerevisae, Jessica Anderson
Honors Projects
Protein aggregates, which can result in cellular toxicity, are found in the brains of people afflicted with neurodegenerative diseases. One of the proteins found to aggregate is Tau, a protein that stabilizes microtubules in neuronal cells. Based on its amino acid sequence, Tau is likely to be N-terminally acetylated by the complex NatA, which is responsible for the acetylation of a majority of proteins with this post-translational modification. Mutations in the NatA complex result in a variety of pleiotropic detrimental phenotypes, showing that acetylation is a crucial modification for many proteins. Without the presence of NatA – and therefore without …
A Critical Analysis Of Bumblefoot: Care And Preventative Measures In Captive Penguins, Jamie A. Wolanin
A Critical Analysis Of Bumblefoot: Care And Preventative Measures In Captive Penguins, Jamie A. Wolanin
Honors Projects
Bumblefoot is a progressive and sometimes deadly infection that afflicts penguins living in human care. The most prominent cause of the disease is the extended amount of time that captive penguins spend standing in comparison to their pelagic and wild counterparts. For years, facilities have treated bumblefoot with surgery and antibiotics. However, this approach is palliative rather than preventative and has become problematic as bacteria develop stronger resistance to antibiotics. To address the behavioral abnormalities underlying the onset of bumblefoot, zoos and aquariums should utilize environmental enrichment. Many forms of environmental enrichment, including the relationship penguins have with their keepers …
Evaluating Reproducibility In Computational Biology Research, Morgan Oneka
Evaluating Reproducibility In Computational Biology Research, Morgan Oneka
Honors Projects
For my Honors Senior Project, I read five research papers in the field of computational biology and attempted to reproduce the results. However, for the most part, this proved a challenge, as many details vital to utilizing relevant software and data had been excluded. Using Geir Kjetil Sandve's paper "Ten Simple Rules for Reproducible Computational Research" as a guide, I discuss how authors of these five papers did and did not obey these rules of reproducibility and how this affected my ability to reproduce their results.
Haplotyping Small Hive Beetle (Aethina Tumida) Reveals Na1 And Na2 Distribution In Rhode Island Apis Mellifera Hives, Katelyn St. George
Haplotyping Small Hive Beetle (Aethina Tumida) Reveals Na1 And Na2 Distribution In Rhode Island Apis Mellifera Hives, Katelyn St. George
Honors Projects
The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) is a parasite of honeybee hives (Apis mellifera) and native to South Africa. Invasive in North America since 1996, the species has spread to hives throughout the continent, including many in Rhode Island and nearby states. To better understand migration patterns for this invasive species, we haplotyped small hive beetles (SHB) based on mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase Part 1 (COI) gene sequences. To analyze spatial and temporal haplotype distribution, we mapped haplotype data along with previously analyzed population numbers using ArcGIS. All identified beetles fell into one of two previously described haplotypes, either NA1 or …
Creating A Drosophila Sod1 Mutant Through Homologous Recombination, Saman Nayyab Stilwell
Creating A Drosophila Sod1 Mutant Through Homologous Recombination, Saman Nayyab Stilwell
Honors Projects
This works describes the creation and partial phenotypic analysis of a point mutation within the endogenous Drosophila sod gene. The sodS111C allele was generated through a process of mutagenesis and homologous recombination in vivo. SodS111C stocks were created to analyze the mutation’s influence on protein aggregation, if any. We were able to test the effects of this mutant by assessing the function of the protein using genetic assays. To examine the effect of sodS111C on the second chromosome in the presence of sodG85R on the third chromosome appropriate genetic crosses were performed and it was determined that there was no …
Cimrf Suppression Of Endogenous Tissue Developments In Ciona Intestinalis Embryos, Emmanuel Kofi Asieidu
Cimrf Suppression Of Endogenous Tissue Developments In Ciona Intestinalis Embryos, Emmanuel Kofi Asieidu
Honors Projects
Trans-differentiation of non-muscle tissue to muscle tissue is a well-established property of vertebrate myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs). For instance the vertebrate MRF, MyoD, has been shown to convert nonmuscle cells to muscle cells. During this trans-differentiation, however, endogenous gene activity of the nonmuscle cells is down regulated. To test if this property is also found in invertebrate MRFs our lab has developed a system to analyze the ability of the MRF of Ciona intestinalis, CiMRF, to suppress endogenous gene activity during trans-differentiation. We did this by misexpressing CiMRF in the notochord and endoderm of Ciona embryos, two nonmuscle …
Intraspecific Variation In Leaf Traits Across An Environmental Gradient In The Cape Floristic Provence Of South Africa, Bruce H. Ramos
Intraspecific Variation In Leaf Traits Across An Environmental Gradient In The Cape Floristic Provence Of South Africa, Bruce H. Ramos
Honors Projects
Intraspecific variability has been an overlooked and under-investigated driving force behind biodiversity. Both interspecific and intraspecific variability contribute to species community assembly, and the South African Cape Floristic Region (CFR), as an area of remarkable biodiversity, provides the perfect opportunity to the latter. The objective of this research is to study intraspecific variability in leaf traits across three biomes that span rainfall and temperature gradients, and to assess the partitioning of that variability across biomes, across shrubs within biomes, and within shrubs of four focal species - Rushia intricata, Aridaria noctiflorum, Diospyros austro-africana and Chrysocoma ciliata. All …
Effects Of Early Experience And Plasticity On Neuronal Morphology Within The Prefrontal Cortex In A Rodent Model Of Hypoxia-Ischemia, Zarah M. Melendez
Effects Of Early Experience And Plasticity On Neuronal Morphology Within The Prefrontal Cortex In A Rodent Model Of Hypoxia-Ischemia, Zarah M. Melendez
Honors Projects
Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is low oxygenation to the brain paired with low blood supply that can disrupt normal patterns of brain development. HI injury is characterized by many long-term cognitive and behavioral deficits including working memory. Neuronal plasticity due to early sensory or learning experience has been suggested to facilitate recovery of function after neonatal brain injury. Plasticity is the ability for the nervous system, more specifically neurons, and their synapses to modify their function and morphology due to experiences, which in turn correlate with changes in behavior. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of neonatal …
Examining Escherichia Coli Plasmid Gene Expression In Vibrio Species B-18, Roberto Ramirez
Examining Escherichia Coli Plasmid Gene Expression In Vibrio Species B-18, Roberto Ramirez
Honors Projects
The goal of this experiment was to determine if lower temperatures could serve to induce runaway replication for the expression of the lacZ gene in Vibrio species B-18 carrying a different runaway replication vector, pJM9487. One experiment compares β-galactosidase activity in cells incubated at 35, 37, and 39°C while the second experiment examines the enzyme levels for cells incubated at either a low temperature or a high temperature in the presence and absence of the chemical inducer used for the promoter (ptrp) that controls the expression of the lacZ gene on this plasmid.
Comparison Of Regional Eggshell Porosity Between The Brood Parasitic Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus Ater) And Its Hosts: The Dickcissel (Spiza Americana), And Two Non-Parasitic Relatives, The Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius Phoeniceus) And The Common Grackle (Quiscalus Quiscula)., Brittany Childs
Honors Projects
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a generalist brood parasite that lays eggs in the nests of many host species, including the Dickcissel (Spiza americana) and two non-parasitic relatives: the Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) and the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula). Cowbird eggs reportedly hatch sooner than equivalently-sized host eggs, presumably via accelerated embryonic development enabled by a greater eggshell porosity and consequently greater gas exchange. However, the distribution of pores among apical, equatorial and basal eggshell regions within cowbirds and host species is undetermined. I tested the hypothesis that equatorial porosity would …
A New Species Of Frog (Strabomantidae: Pristimantis) From Peru With Comments On Its Ectoparasites (Acari: Trombiculidae), Alan W. Brus
A New Species Of Frog (Strabomantidae: Pristimantis) From Peru With Comments On Its Ectoparasites (Acari: Trombiculidae), Alan W. Brus
Honors Projects
In South America, frogs of the genus Pristimantis are diverse and can be found from lowland forests to elevations of about 4000 m in the Andes. The 444 known species of Pristimantis belong to 16 species groups. One of these groups is the Pristimantis orestes Group, the 14 members of which inhabit the páramo, puna, and upper montane forests in southern Ecuador (3 species) and Peru (11 species). Species of the Pristimantis orestes Group are characterized by having snout-vent lengths ranging from 18.0 to 29.4 mm, short robust bodies, relatively short snouts, narrow digital discs, and areolate ventral skin. Some …
Ufd2a Isoforms With Vsp/P97 And Its Ibmpfd Mutants, Amanda St. Germain
Ufd2a Isoforms With Vsp/P97 And Its Ibmpfd Mutants, Amanda St. Germain
Honors Projects
Using the Yeast2Hybrid system, the binding affinities between Ufd2a variants and VCP/p97 mutants were analyzed. Several VCP/p97 mutants are associated with Inclusion body myositis in association of Paget's disease of the bone and fronto temperal dementia (IMBPFD). It was found that Ufd2a bound strongest to the VCP disease causing mutant A232E. It was also determined that the muscle specific isoform of Ufd2a, Ufd2a III, did not interact with VCP/p97.
Determining The Composition Of The Dwelling Tubes Of Antarctic Pterobranchs, Lukasz J. Sewera
Determining The Composition Of The Dwelling Tubes Of Antarctic Pterobranchs, Lukasz J. Sewera
Honors Projects
Pterobranchs are a group of marine invertebrates within the Hemichordata, which share characteristics with both chordates and echinoderms. Pterobranchs live in colonies of secreted tubes, coenicia, which are composed of a gelatinous material of unknown composition. Visually, the tubes appear similar to the tunic of tunicates, a group of invertebrates within the Chordata. The nonproteinaceous tunic of tunicates is composed of cellulose, which is unusual. The goal of this study was to determine the composition of the pterobranch coenicium. Some aspects of pterobranch phylogeny are still unclear even after multiple molecular and morphological studies. Identification of any new shared characteristics …