Life Sciences Commons^™

Epigenetic Reprogramming In Pediatric Tumors Predicts Active Pathways In The Tumor Microenvironments, Noah Moffat, Clark Tolbert, Colin Wessman, Matthew H. Bailey

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Figure 1: We collected samples from five different studies that analyzed and generated spatial transcriptomic data from adult and pediatric brain tumors1-4.

Engineering Chromoprotein Variants With New Colors, Anna Bowman, Joel S. Griffitts, Kyler Fullmer

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

No abstract provided.

The Work Of Cross Dating: A Look Into The Dendrochronology Of Great Basin Bristlecone Pine At The Carpenter Canyon Middle Site, Zeb Mendenhall, Otto De Groff, Steven L. Petersen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva, hereafter bristlecone) is the longest living organisms on earth. Their annual growth rings are vital resources for understanding climate change¹ (Fig. 1)

Like all trees, bristlecone develops a “ring” every year during the growing season. Because of their exceptional longevity, this makes them an ideal “archive” of past climate conditions²

While climate is a variable affecting bristlecone growth, little research has been conducted that identifies factors the influence bristlecone growth, in particular elevation.

This study investigates these factors to better understand bristlecone’s response environmental variability at specific elevations.

For Dust Thou Art, And Unto Dust Shalt Thou Return — Testing Soil-Derived Plant-Beneficial Bacteria For Potential As Biofertilizers, Johnathon Brim, Blake Oler, Jacob Hardy, Joseph Richardson, Ryan Bjazevich, Kate Whalen, Emmelia Wevers, Foxx Naylor, Ethan Shreeve, Alex Cherry, Ethan Cherry, Tanner Gunnell, Jayden Longhurst, Andrew Burrows, Mailon Odell, Jacob Sy, Jeffrey Schacterle

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

• The results of plant testing have shown that bacteria treated seeds outperform the control seeds on a consistent basis
• We will continue to receive more data from out own experiments as well as crowdsourcing methods.
• Our next step is to begin comparing results of our soil/seed treatment against commercially available fertilizers that use beneficial bacteria.

Pedestrian Safety South Of Brigham Young University Campus, Emma Mayo, Alisha H. Redelfs

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

8,500 crossings happen on 800 North every day. In Provo last year, 57 car crashes involved pedestrians. A pedestrian’s view of the road is obstructed by cars parked on the right hand side of the road causing them to walk in the crosswalk to see if there is a car coming. Sidewalks on connecting streets are uneven and cracked. Multiple blocks on 800 North without a stop sign to slow drivers down. Currently no posted speed limit signs on 800 North. Drivers can’t see pedestrians crossing on 200, 300, 400, or 500 East because of inadequate lighting. Cars obstruct areas …

Examining Purkinje Cell Modulation Of The Vor: An Optogenetic Study, Ben Davis, D Garcia, B Haack, J Lewis, J Jackson, C Worthington, Trace Stay

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is coordinated eye movement to maintain a stable gaze during head rotation. This reflex can be adapted in behavioral training by using repeated head movements and shifting visual stimuli.

Previous research (Kimpo et al., 2014) implicates cerebellar output as critical to VOR adaptation, but it is unclear whether Purkinje cell (PC) output paired with a vestibular or visual stimulus is sufficient for driving reflex adaptation.

We hypothesize that PC output is sufficient for driving gain up behavioral VOR adaptation when paired with peak ipsiversive head movement in mice. Stimuli include a rotating vestibular environment or visual …

How Microbiota Affect The Drosophila Melanogaster Life History Approach, Ricardo Romo, John M. Chaston

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

• The microbiota of Drosophila melanogaster plays a significant role in its life history strategy and local adaptation [1]. This study examines how variations in microbiota composition influence the trade-offs between reproduction and somatic maintenance.
• Previous research has shown that LAB and AAB bacteria affect Drosophila Melanogaster life history strategies and this research explores the effects of LAB and AAB bacterial strains on flies raised under controlled conditions.
• This study contributes to the growing evidence that microbiota is an essential factor in understanding local adaptation and evolutionary biology and how certain bacterial strains affect an organism’s reproductive strategy.

Population Monitoring Of Packera Castoreus, Autumn Gudmundsen, Madison Huie, Steve Flinders, Loreen Allphin

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Packera castoreus is a rare flowering plant, endemic to high elevations in the Belknap volcanic substrates of the Tushar Mountains of Utah (fig.1 & 2).

• The species has been classified as high priority for monitoring and conservation by the Utah Native Plant Society.1

There have been conservation concerns for rare alpine species recently due to increased threats, primarily:

• Grazing from large ungulates (mountain goats, deer, & elk)2
• Human impacts (especially hiking)1
• Climate change1

To better understand the impacts of these various threats on P. castoreus, we monitored populations from 2018-2022 and assessed plant morphology, community composition, and population …

Mitigating Herbivory Impacts On Aspen Forest Regeneration Through Fire And Mechanical Thinning In High-Grazing Landscapes, Chloe Denham, Sam St. Clair

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

• Monroe Mountain in Fishlake National Forest has experienced rising herbivory pressure from elk, deer, and cattle in its stable aspen forest.
• Stable aspen stands have minimal conifers, low stand turnover, and rare disturbances.
• We looked at how herbivory patterns change over time under different treatments on Monroe Mountain.

Investigating The Role Of The Liver-Brain Axis In Addiction, Camryn Holt, Isabella Roque, Shimran Sharma, Chris Galbraith, Jordan T. Yorgason

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Ethanol (EtOH) increases dopamine (DA) release, leading to addictive behaviors.

Ex vivo, EtOH only alters DA release at supraphysiological levels.

The liver metabolizes EtOH, and metabolites can escape into systemic circulation and cross the blood-brain barrier.

We hypothesize that these metabolites may induce changes in the mesolimbic circuitry and thus contribute to the reinforcing effects of EtOH.

We examined the effects of bile acids (BAs) and other EtOH metabolites on accumbal DA release and CIN firing.

We also investigated downstream effects of EtOH metabolism, such as macrophage migration and TGR5-mediated release of glucagon- like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

Socioeconomic Advantage Effects On Family Health Across Three Generations, Brooklyn Richins, Gladys Lopez Mph, Kato Haupeakui Mph, Ali Crandall Ph.D.

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Family health is a resource at the level of the family unit that influences each family member’s health (Weiss-Laxer et al., 2020).

Socioeconomic status (SES) is measured by education, employment, and income; prior research suggests that SES influences quality of life (Baker, 2014).

We examined how parent and grandparent SES affects young adult report of family health.

Open Path Spectroscopic Detection Of The Hydroxyl Radical: A Comparison Between Broadband Cavity-Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (Bbceas) And Bbceas Coupled With A Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (Bbceas-Fp), Callum Flowerday, Ryan Thalman, Matthew C. Asplund, Samuel A. Badstubner, Adam K. Cook, Philip Lundrigan, Jaron C. Hansen

ScholarsArchive Data

Data collected by the BBCEAS and BBCEAS-FP instruments described in the paper "Open Path Spectroscopic Detection of the Hydroxyl Radical: A Comparison Between Broadband Cavity-Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (BBCEAS) and BBCEAS coupled with a Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (BBCEAS-FP)"

Quality And Sensory Characteristics Of Selected Freeze-Dried Foods After 50 Years Storage, Prithiviraj Jegannathan

Theses and Dissertations

Freeze-drying is a dehydration process that uses low temperature and pressure to remove moisture from food. With an annual market value of over $35 billion in 2023, freeze-dried foods are widely used in various situations requiring long-term storage such as military rations, emergency food supplies, and space exploration. Freeze-dried foods are becoming more popular for their quality, light weight, easy storage at room temperature, and quick rehydration. Moreover, many freeze-dried food manufacturers claim that their freeze-dried food products can last for 25 years or more. However, there are currently no published studies supporting such claims. Chemical, physical, and sensory properties …

The Influence Of Heat Therapy On Redox Signaling In Skeletal Muscle, Kimberly Miriam Richard

Theses and Dissertations

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been identified as crucial signaling molecules in skeletal muscle adaptations to exercise and signal for protective pathways within the myofiber. Pathological heat stress studies in animals demonstrate the ability of heat to increase ROS production in skeletal muscle. Limited data on the influence of therapeutic heat on ROS production and redox signaling in human skeletal muscle exists in the literature. The purpose of this study was to assess ROS production and redox signaling in human skeletal muscle following an acute, therapeutic bout of heat treatment. We hypothesized that heat would create an oxidized environment within …

Detecting Multiple Paternity In Mule Deer Using Kinship Values, Madeline K. Martin, Brock Mcmillan, Paul Frandsen, Sydney Lamb, Randy Larsen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Multiple paternity is an ecological phenomenon that plays an important role in reproductive dynamics and population genetics; the presence and rate of multiple paternity can shed light on reproductive behavior and the potential genetic effects of human management. Previous methods have estimated multiple paternity using genetic markers such as microsatellites, and require DNA from both parents and their offspring. However, evolving genomic technology promotes use of alternative genomic methods and acquiring paternal DNA from free-ranging animals is often difficult or impossible. We propose kinship values derived from single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as a tool to predict multiple paternity. Calculating kinship values …

Effects Of Microbial Lipases On Parmesan And Feta Cheese Flavor Profiles, Erin N. Caswell

Theses and Dissertations

Lipolysis is crucial for cheese flavor development, as lipolytic enzymes convert fats into free fatty acids that enhance flavor. While Kid/Goat (KG) lipases are traditionally used in cheese production, microbial lipases like M. javanicus (MJ) and C. cylindracea (CC) provide vegetarian, cost-effective alternatives. This study compares the flavor, texture, and composition of Feta and Parmesan cheeses made with microbial lipases as a replacement for traditional lipase. Conventional cheese making techniques were used to make experimental batches of Feta and Parmesan cheeses using a standard KG lipase and two experimental lipases, CC and MJ, and comparing all three against a control …

Climate Change Impacts On Dryland Ecosystems, Tanner Tainui Aiono

Theses and Dissertations

Dryland ecosystems are some of the most prevalent ecosystems on Earth and have recently shown stress indicators from climate change. These water-limited systems are vulnerable to increases in temperature and changes in precipitation, especially when looking at carbon cycling dynamics across biological sol crusts and vegetation mortality patterns. This dissertation aims to 1) evaluate how precipitation dynamics, vegetation location, and microclimate conditions influence biological soil crust carbon conditions, and 2) evaluate how topographic influences drive patterns of plant mortality during prolonged drought on the Colorado Plateau. Using high-resolution monitoring of long-term NEE chambers, we found that intermediately disturbed biocrusts are …

Precision Reclamation For Improving Mine-Land Reclamation Using Plant-Soil Chemical Analysis And Geospatial Technology, Haley Moon

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to assess plant-soil relationships and evaluate the use of multispectral drone imagery in predicting revegetation potential and soil properties at mine-land waste rock dumps. Field sampling of soils and vegetation was conducted, followed by Bayesian statistical significance tests and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to determine key soil variables influencing plant communities. Results indicated that pH and electrical conductivity (ECe) were significant factors in the LDA and identified several plant communities that were associated with similar soil types. In parallel, regression analyses were employed to correlate multispectral drone imagery with soil characteristics and plant cover. …

The Long Shadow Of Infection: The Long-Term Implications Of Herpes Simplex Virus And M. Tuberculosis Infection, Lydia Howell

Theses and Dissertations

Infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and type 1 diabetes (T1D), have traditionally been seen as distinct, with separate etiologies and courses of disease. Recent research has shown that infection and autoimmune disease are more closely woven together than previously thought; certain pathogens like Epstein-Barr virus and M. tuberculosis have been shown to cause long-term disruption to the immune system, for example (Bordignon et al 2011, #1) (Zhang et al 2023, #2) (Bjornevik et al 2023, #3). Conversely, a distinct pattern has emerged in developed countries where as rates of infection fall, rates of autoimmune disease …

Soil Biogeography And Community Assembly In Polar Regions, Jesse Jorna

Theses and Dissertations

The polar regions provide community ecologists with natural microcosms, that include reduced species diversity, steep environmental gradients and limited human perturbance. Soil biodiversity in the polar regions is poorly understood, and the driving forces behind community compositions can range in scale from glacial forces 20,000 years ago to the impact of a researcher's footstep. Here, we present the results of an investigation of the driving factors behind biodiversity in Arctic and Antarctic soils, with specific attention to the role of community assembly processes. We suggest a framework for investigating the effects of inter-bacterial community processes like facilitation and argue for …

Human-Bear Conflict In North America (1880-2020): A Comprehensive Analysis Of Patterns, Outcomes And Interactions, Cody Robert Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Human-bear (Ursus spp.) conflict (HBC) is an important issue facing wildlife managers across North America. It is essential that we understand the factors associated with HBCs in North America so that wildlife managers can make appropriate, science-based recommendations about how to avoid, and if necessary, survive such incidents. To that end, we present this comprehensive analysis of > 2,100 HBCs in the United States and Canada, ranging from 1880 to the present. This analysis includes the three native North American bear species: black bears (Ursus americanus), grizzly bears (U. arctos), and polar bears (U. maritimus) and assesses the role that twelve …

Rare Sugars And Dairy Ingredients: A Synergistic Pairing For The Reduction Of Food Waste And Sugar Consumption, Melinda Michelle Moss

Theses and Dissertations

In the future, sustainability in the dairy industry will require creative and scale-able solutions for better utilization of the primary solid component in milk: lactose. One promising avenue of “up-cycling” underutilized lactose is converting it to valuable rare sugars. Rare sugars like D-tagatose and D-allulose are increasing in popularity extremely quickly. D-tagatose and D-allulose are hexose sugars, D-allulose being an epimer of D-fructose and D-tagatose an isomer of D-galactose. They have excellent functional properties in food systems with clean sweetness profiles similar to sucrose. Critically, they also have excellent nutritional characteristics, such as low caloric values and low glycemic indices. …

Investigating Secondary Metabolites Of Streptomyces And Bacillus Bacteria That Inhibit Colony Growth Of Pathogenic Potato Fungi (Colletotrichum Coccodes, Pythium Ultimum), Jacob R. Henrie

Theses and Dissertations

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a crucial global food crop, yet its production is threatened by fungal pathogens such as Pythium ultimum and Colletotrichum coccodes, which cause significant yield losses and impact tuber quality. In this study, we investigated the antifungal properties of various Streptomyces and Bacillus isolates against these pathogens. The Streptomyces isolates, known for their prolific secondary metabolite production, were selected for their varying efficacy against these fungi. Despite the anticipated potential, Streptomyces isolates exhibited limited antifungal activity against Pythium ultimum and only moderate activity against Colletotrichum coccodes. In contrast, Bacillus isolates, particularly B1, demonstrated strong inhibition of C. …

End-Of-Life Care For Hispanics In The United States, Rebecca Zarate

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

My Family Screwed Me Up: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Romantic Relationships, And The Healing Role Of Resilience, Arianna Elmer

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Raising Heroes: Transforming Homes Into Media Training Grounds, Elizabeth Rex Johnson

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Combating Social Media’S Effect On Body Image: A Father’S Role, Brooke Ashcraft

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Early, Open, And Frequent Parent-Child Sexual Communication And Teen Sexual Health, Rachel Shumway

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

How The Family Of Origin’S Belief System Can Affect Decision Making In Emerging Adulthood, Savannah Lowe

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Parenting Under Pressure: How Socioeconomic Status And Stress Affect Parenting, Lynden Wagner

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.