Life Sciences Commons^™

Is God A Magician Or Scientist?, Sarah Palmer, Josh Oliver, Jessica Abele, Jamie Jensen Ph.D

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

There is a body of evidence in biology education indicating that most American undergraduate students believe evolution acceptance to be an aesthetic position (1). Introductory biology professors at Brigham Young University have gathered essays written by students entering the class on their experiences with evolution since about 1980. Because BYU is a religious college, most of these students wrote about how their understanding of God impacts their acceptance of evolution. To learn whether student perceptions of God have changed in the past 30 years, we qualitatively analyzed these essays from a cohort of students in 1992 and another cohort of …

A Transcriptomic Analysis Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Revealing Alternative Drug Therapeutics, Mauri Dobbs Spendlove, Jenna Birchall Poulsen, Naomi Rapier-Sharman, Brett Pickett

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Breast cancer is the most common tumor type in men and women combined this year the National Cancer Institute estimates there will be 290 560 new cases in the United States and 43 780 deaths 1 Triple Negative Breast Cancer ( lacks three typical surface markers of breast cancer estrogen receptor ( progesterone receptor ( and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER 2 which are common targets for endocrine or drug therapy, severely limiting TNBC treatment options 40 of TNBC patients will die within five years of diagnosis 2 Additionally, it has heightened risk for metastasis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy …

The Effect Of Menstruation Duration On The Achilles Tendon Cross-Sectional Area In Female Ballet Dancers, Li Kaitong, Aaron W. Johnson, Steven Allen, Shayla Bott, Chris Dillon, Joshua K. Sponbeck, Camille Nguyen Jones, Annie Allen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Females are more likely to suffer Achilles tendon injury that consequently leads to more complications including pain or tendon rupture, and experiencing fewer benefits from therapeutic interventions. There is a lack of knowledge on how estrogen, which may limit collagen synthesis, can affect tendon health and growth. The duration and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the Acobjective of this study is to examine the relationship between menstruation hilles tendon over a 5-month period of intensive dance training.

Heart Breaking: Rapid Discovery Of Novel Heart Development Genes In Zebrafish, Bryce Johnson, Andrew Jenkins, Ryan Halls, Cayden Bro, Jonathon T. Hill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Congenital heart defects (CHD) impact approximately 1% with BioRender.com of the U.S. population. Identifying the genes and pathways involved in embryonic heart development is essential to better diagnose and treat CHD. Previous genetic screens were nonspecific and inefficient at finding novel genes To find genes associated with CHD, we ran a novel rapid genetic screening method on zebrafish, an established model for studying human heart development.

Is There A Link Between Male Gonopodium Size And Mating Strategies Amongst Fish In The Family Poeciliidae?, Ryen Hunsaker, Jerald B. Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Have different male mating strategies led to evolutionary changes in male gonopodium size?

Natural selection should act strongly on any traits that affect successful reproduction. Fish species in the family Poeciliidae (livebearers) have a unique form of reproduction.

Polymer Coated Urea: Microplastics In The Urban Landscape, C. J. Seely, B. T. Geary, Bryan G. Hopkins

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Polymer Coated Urea (PCU) is an effective fertilizer.

Microplastics, from a wide range of waste materials, pollute water bodies.

One potential source of microplastics are from PCU fertilizers if the coatings are transported overland into water bodies.

Various urban landscape systems vary in the potential for surface runoff.

Rates Of Injury According To A Single Or Comorbid Mental Illness Identified In A Large Employee Database, Mckay A. Ashton, Ray M. Merrill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

In 2022, almost 20% of adults in the U.S. experienced a mental illness. Some of these illnesses include anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, autism, and schizophrenia.

It has been found that those with a mental illness are 60% more likely to sustain an acute injury compared to those without a mental illness.

It is well known that mental illnesses are associated with injuries and that the causal direction is bidirectional.

It is not uncommon for individuals to be diagnosed with two or more (comorbid) mental illnesses at the same time, and data shows that comorbid mental illness ranges from …

Comorbid Mental Illness In Adults Correspond With Certain Demographics And Higher Rates Of Injuries And Poisoning, Mckay A. Ashton, Ray M. Merrill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

• Mental illness is a common problem among adults aged 18 years and older in the United States, with approximately 21% (15.8% men and 25.8% women) of the population living with a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder.
• Comorbidity is the presence of at least one other mental health disorder in relation to the index disorder, and has been found to be present in 45% to 54% of those with a mental health disorder
• Although it is well understood that the prevalence of comorbid mental health disorders is common, there is less known about which conditions most commonly occur together and how …

Sleep Disorders Related To Index And Comorbid Mental Health Conditions And Medication, Mckay A. Ashton, Ray M. Merrill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Sleep is a basic need that is essential to both physical and mental health

Sleep disorders involve sleep disturbances, which can lead to many physical and cognitive health consequences

There are many mental health conditions associated with sleep disorders including stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. These often have a bidirectional association with sleep disorders.

The relationship between some sleep disorders and mental health conditions may be impacted by whether the index mental health condition is accompanied by comorbid mental illness.

Among those with a single mental health condition, comorbid mental illness has been found to range between 45% …

Valproic Acid Affects Neuronal Specification And Differentiation During Early Optic Tectum Development Of Zebrafish, Sierra C. Dixon, Bailey J. Calder, Shane M. Lilya, Brandon M. Davies, Annalie Martin, Maggie Peterson, Jason M. Hansen, Arminda Suli

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

The mammalian superior colliculus and its non-mammalian homolog, the optic tectum (OT), are midbrain structures that integrate multimodal sensory inputs and guide non-voluntary movements in response to prevalent stimuli. Recent studies have implicated this structure as a possible site affected in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Interestingly, fetal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has also been associated with an increased risk of ASD in humans and animal models. Therefore, we took the approach of determining the effects of VPA treatment on zebrafish OT development as a first step in identifying the mechanisms that allow its formation. We describe the normal OT …

The Role Of A Mutated Receptor, Ccrl2 And Its Correlation With A Risk Factor For Alzheimer’S Disease, Colby J. Hendrix, Christopher J. Haynie, Hunter G. Lindsay, Josue D. Gonzalez, Scott Weber

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Alzheimer’s Disease ( is the most common cause of dementia, which is the 5 th leading cause of death While the exact cause of AD is unknown, many suggest that inflammation could be a culprit 1 Inflammation is driven by our immune system A key component of inflammation is chemokine signaling These signaling molecules help guide immune cells to areas of infection and damage Cells use chemokine receptors to interact with secreted chemokines (Fig 1 Left) Some chemokine receptors are identified as atypical chemokine receptors ( because they have different functions than conventional chemokine receptors in the immune system (Fig …

Exploration Of The Mechanisms Underlying Cortical Spreading Depolarizations Associated With Familial Hemiplegic Migraines, Brit Hepworth, Ryley Parrish

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Cortical Spreading Depolarization (CSD) - wave of cellular depolarization followed by wave of depression/inhibition • Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM3) - monogenic subtype of migraine with aura; caused by Scn1A mutation, leading to gain-of-function of Nav1.1 (voltage gated sodium channel) • Hm1a - compound which potentiates the persistent current in Nav1.1; mimics the Scn1A gain-of-function mutation observed in patients with FHM3 • It is commonly hypothesized that CSDs are triggered via raised extracellular potassium, threshold for induction ~12mM • Modifications of Hm1a compound in development for treatment of Dravet Syndrome, but has been shown in a few cases to induce CSDs.

Investigation Of The Utility Of Various Detergents To Disrupt Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilms, Jocelyn Wells, Aleksi Solorio, Lucy C. Bowden, Bradford K. Berges Ph.D.

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

3rd place poster design

Staphylococcus aureus is a dangerous human pathogen that causes about 20,000 deaths per year in the US1

S. aureus forms biofilms (surfaceassociated complexes of bacteria) and bacterial clusters, both of which complicate treatment and experimentation

We hypothesized that we could use a chemical surfactant in combination with mechanical agitation to break up biofilms and bacterial clusters

Do Cross Sectional Area And Muscle Stiffness Of The Gastrocnemius Muscle Of Senior Athletes Correlate With Each Other?, Aunika M. John, Matthew Nelson, Braxton Felix, Joshua Sponbeck, J. Brent Feland

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Shear wave elastography (SWE) provides a way to objectively measure the stiffness of tissue. Traditionally used to assess stiffness of the liver or kidney for diseases, it is a relatively new area of research for muscle. Muscles atrophy (get smaller) and decrease in stiffness with age due to fatty deposition and disuse. Senior athletes are highly active, but no studies have reported on the relationship between muscle size and stiffness in this population.

Characterization Of Potent Antibiotic Compounds Produced By Bacteria Found In The Soil Around Byu Campus, Michael Moran, Hogan Turner

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Preliminary data suggest that Paenibacillus species found around BYU campus produce novel antibiotic compounds.

Identifying Deep Brain Photoreceptors In The Larval Zebrafish Optic Tectum, Emalie A. Christensen, Allison G. Pickens, Sarah Y. Jarrett, Maurice Hunt, Arminda Suli

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Deep brain photoreceptors (DBPs) are light sensing neurons present in mammals and non-mammalian vertebrates. In non-mammalian vertebrates, studies have shown DBP involvement in various time and light dependent behaviors including circadian rhythm, phototaxis, and seasonal reproduction. In adult teleosts, DBPs are present throughout the brain, including the optic tectum (OT). While their approximate location in teleosts is known, DBP’s function is relatively unknown. In this study, we focused on DBPs present in the larval zebrafish OT, a multilaminated midbrain structure responsible for multisensory integration. Single-cell RNA sequencing of the larval zebrafish OT showed the presence of several opsins. We focused …

Salty Genes: Rapid Discovery Of Salt Tolerance Genes In The Bacteria Kushneria, Andrew Jenkins, Brent Nielson, Jonathon T. Hill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

1st place poster design

Global rising levels of soil salinity have led researchers to seek microbial solutions to increase agricultural plant viability in high salt soils.

Kushneria increases growth of inoculated alfalfa in high salt soils, but little is known about how Kushneria survives in these environments1 or how it can be used to reduce the economic burden of salted soil.

Coloration Strategies In Sympatric Vietnamese Damselflies, Eva J. Driggs, Seth M. Bybee

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) have evolved vibrant coloration for various reasons. Odonates use color signals to identify their own species from others and potential mates. Some Odonates use blue color to blend into the water while others are only active when their color can best be seen. Different selective pressures will evolve a specific color strategy. Color is a key to understanding the evolutionary pressures for damselflies. Color has not been studied in depth for Vietnamese Odonates, even though Vietnam is a top 15 biodiversity hotspot. We hope to better understand color evolution in Vietnamese damselflies and the role …

Effects Of Post-Translational Histone Modifications On Transcription Rate, Aaron Bohn, Sarah Hodson, Sarah Ricks, David Bates Ph.D, Steven M. Johnson Ph.D

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

The structural organization of DNA in eukaryotic cells is greatly implicated in the regulation of gene expression and thus cellular properties and behavior. At the most fundamental unit of this organization, ~147 bp of DNA wraps 1.7 times around a histone octamer core, forming a collective unit called the nucleosome. The positioning and occupancy of these nucleosomes around the promoter elements of genes is known to be a strong regulator of transcription in eukaryotic nuclei, and post-translational modifications (PTM’s) to the protruding N-terminal tails of histone proteins are known to influence chromatin structure and thus gene expression; however, relatively little …

Characterization Of E. Coli Specific, Fhua Dependent Bacteriophage, Colton B. Hansen, Jessica M. Lewis, Kathryn E. Janda, Ian W. Bateman, William R. Mccleary

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

The extensive use of antibiotics since their discovery has led to the selection of antibiotic resistant pathogenic strains to become more common. This has increased the interest in bacteriophages to be used to fight these resistant bacteria. In Dr. McCleary's lab we have been investigating the relationship between Escherichia coli and some novel bacteriophage dependent on the ferrochrome hydroxamate transporter FhuA. These iron siderophore transporters allow E. coli to flourish in competitive low iron environments. Using an abundant transport protein such as FhuA likely confers an evolutionary advantage to phage that can target this with their receptor binding protein. This …

Sperm Dna Damage Shown To Correlate With Dna Alterations, Hailey E. Johnson, Chad Pollard, Timothy Jenkins

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

DNA methylation is a biological process where methyl groups are added to the DNA molecule, changing the physical structure

Sperm DNA methylation has shown to predict pregnancy outcomes for those with infertility

DNA damage can happen through single and double stranded breaks. The Comet and TUNEL assay are two different and common ways to quantify levels of sperm DNA damage.

It is suggested DNA damage might relate with global DNA methylation patterns in sperm genome, however regional differences have been overlooked.

We wanted to assess the relationship between sperm DNA damage and regional DNA methylation, and compare the outcomes of …

Find Gene Expression Data Quickly, Grace Salmons, Aaron Joyce Fabelico, James Wengler, Stephen R. Piccolo

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Public repositories are:

• vital for validating studies

• incredible for addressing novel hypothesis.

However, it can be difficult to find data related to discrete topics due to:

• large quantity of data

• heterogeneity in how researchers describe their data and study designs.

Manual annotation of data cannot keep pace with the rapid pace of science. We turned to Natural Language Processing (NLP) for a solution!

Developing Improved Water Catchment Systems To Benefit Rangeland Restoration, Ethan Ostraff, Kevin Steele, Ezekiel Jensesn, Matthew Madsen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

1st place open house

Restoring damaged and disturbed lands can be difficult and expensive with increasing drought and changing climatic conditions. Wicking boxes or other irrigation forms can improve restoration efforts' success. These technologies provide a consistent water supply, which often enhances seedling growth and survival in dry conditions. However, current water catchment technologies are limited and often difficult to use. Factors such as production costs, size, and labor needed to install these devices typically make current water catchment technologies inefficient for large-scale use.

Horizontal Gene Transfer Of Antibiotic Resistance In Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilms, Elisa Mcrae, Ashley Ball, Brad Berges

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Staphylococcus aureus is known to acquire much antibiotic resistance (AR), though the mechanisms by which AR is conferred between bacteria is still unknown. Many theories propose that biofilms play a role in the sharing of genetic information between bacteria, or horizontal gene transfer (HGT 1,2 . However, studies have yet to confirm under what conditions HGT is most likely to occur, as well as when it is most efficient. Analyzing HGT will contribute to a fuller understanding of how antibiotic resistance is conferred and how to combat this issue in our society.

Habitat Suitability Models For Endangered Hawaiian Flora, Bronwyn Meldrum, Richard Gill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Hawaii contains the highest percentage of endangered and threatened flora in the United States. Restoration is expensive and time-consuming, and most replanting failures are mainly due to incorrect habitat. Without understanding the ideal habitat of endangered plants such as ohai (Sesbania tomentosa) and aweoweo papa (Chenopodium oahuense), it is impossible to know what areas the Molokai Land Trust should prioritize in conservation and restoration.

Do Regional Dna Barcode Databases Lead To More Efficient Specimen Identification?, Michael Kerr, Steven D. Leavitt

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

DNA barcoding is a method for identifying specimens from specific regions of DNA. 1 Metabarcoding focuses on large, multi specimen scales. 2 These approaches rely on DNA databases for sequence identification, 2 but these databases often lack data from many species, 3 especially from poorly studied groups such as fungi 4 and lichens, which can lead to failure in specimen identification.

Neuroimmune-Mediated Alteration Of Acute Alcohol Exposure In The Mesolimbic Dopamine System, William T. Harris, P. E. Williams, Scott C. Steffensen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

2nd place open house

Dopamine (DA) transmission is a key player in the rewarding aspects of ethanol (EtOH) as well as EtOH dependence.

The current dogma is that DA transmission is increased during acute EtOH exposure via the inhibition of ventral tegmental area (VTA) GABA neurons and that the excitation of VTA GABA neurons during withdrawal results in decreased DA transmission.

Much recent evidence indicates that neuroimmune interactions may mediate this process. •

Microglia, the major neuroimmune effector in the brain, may be a key mediator in this process by releasing cytokines following activation.

Macrophages, a major immune effector in …