Life Sciences Commons^™

Agrivoltaics: Combining Food And Solar Power On Agricultural Lands, Dharla Soteros, Kendall Becker, Spencer J. Good, Ngoni Mufute, Matt Yost, Logan Mitchell, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

Utah’s ranchers and farmers face pressure to sell land to developers, conserve water, and manage increasing production costs (Li et al., 2019). One way producers can keep growing food while diversifying and increasing revenue is by integrating agriculture and solar electricity generation on the same land, a practice known as agrivoltaics. In this fact sheet, the authors describe agrivoltaic setup options, summarize agrivoltaics' impacts on livestock and crop production, and discuss implementation economics.

Top 5 Tree Planting Mistakes, Miles Becker, Daniel Allen

All Current Publications

Planting mistakes can substantially shorten a tree’s life. The consequences of planting mistakes may show up within a year or two or remain hidden until a tree dies inexplicably years later. In many cases, these planting mistakes are easy to avoid, saving the tree owner substantial money and time. Homeowners can use this list of five common planting problems to check the quality of work by hired professionals, as instructions for gardeners or landscapers, or as a quick reminder for more experienced tree planters. By making a few simple changes to tree planting, we will all benefit from longer-lived, larger …

Hagfish Intermediate Filament Proteins: From A Natural Protein System To Functional Biomaterials, Oran Wasserman, Kristin K. Durrant, Katee Stromberg, Brianne E. Bell, Paula E. Oliveira, Justin A. Jones

Biology Student Research

Sourcing protein-based biomaterials directly from nature presents persistent challenges in scalability, processing, and batch-to-batch variability. Recombinant engineering has focused largely on spider silks, and hagfish intermediate filament (HIF) proteins remain a comparatively unexplored alternative, with small non-repetitive subunits that have been produced full-length at high yield. This review examines the biology of naturally produced HIF protein threads from the Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii, advances in recombinant expression and purification, and their translation into functional biomaterials. We first describe the tripartite domain architecture and biochemical classification of the threonine-rich α- and γ-keratin-like subunits, and then the defensive biomechanics of HIF …

Preliminary Investigations Into Measuring Cold Hardiness Of Passiflora Hybrids, Eric Stafne, Haley Williams, Jenny Ryals, Blair Sampson

Publications

Measuring cold hardiness of Passionfruit (Passiflora spp.) is an area of significant interest, especially in new regions where the crop is expanding. However, few studies have explored it in a controlled manner. A previous study by Quesada (1992) revealed that lethal temperatures (LT50) for P. edulis f. flavicarpa were -9 to -10.5°C and -10 to -12.5°C for P. edulis f. edulis. Another species, P. incarnata, was also tested and found to have a cold hardiness level of -11.1 to -13.5°C. In the present study, differential thermal analysis was used on roots of P. incarnata selections from different …

Do Soil Amendments Improve Crop Production And Poor Water Infiltration?, Matt Yost, Megan Baker, Tejinder Singh, Grant Cardon

All Current Publications

Soil amendments are widely promoted as tools to improve aggregation, porosity, water holding capacity, nutrient availability, and water infiltration of soils. These benefits are possible, but they depend on the specific soil problem being treated, amendment type and rate, soil chemistry, soil texture and structure, and the time since application. Studies at Utah State University provide a useful short-term test of what growers can reasonably expect from a single surface application of these amendments.

Floras, Manuals, & Checklists Of The Vascular Plants Of North America: A Bibliography, James P. Smith Jr

Botanical Studies

No abstract provided.

Carbamate Toxicosis In Carnaby’S Cockatoos (Zanda Latirostris) In A Drying Climate, A Le Souef, Z M. Kissane, David Forshaw, K J. Riley, K Payne, T Hawkins, J Coggins, J M. Shephard, R Vaughn-Higgins, K S. Warren

Climate Science Research Articles

Pesticide exposure poses a growing threat to the health of wild avian populations worldwide. This report documents the first detections of agricultural chemicals in the tissues of wild Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris) in Western Australia. The events, characterised by morbidity and mortality, occurred in a national park near Perth, following periods of elevated summer temperatures over two seasons. Toxicological analysis of liver and digestive tract contents identified multiple pesticides and an herbicide, including methomyl, a highly toxic carbamate insecticide. Hot weather conditions preceding the events potentially increased the cockatoos’ use of alternative water sources for drinking, such as those in …

Restructuring Our Agriculture Industry To Reduce The Eutrophication Of The Great Lakes, Kathryn B. Dunn

Tredway Library Prize for First-Year Research

No abstract provided.

The Weed Flora Of California: A Checklist, James P. Smith Jr

Botanical Studies

No abstract provided.

Building Appreciation For Natural History Collections From Biological Collection Data., Jamie Jensen, Seth Bybee

ScholarsArchive Data

These data represent the pre- and post-survey responses by students in an undergraduate, non-majors biology course given before and after a unit on Natural History Collections. We administered the Revised New Ecological Paradigm (R-NEP; Dunlap et al., 2000) survey which measures pro-environmental attitudes using 15 Likert-scale items.

Vascular Plants With Medicinal Properties, James P. Smith Jr

Botanical Studies

No abstract provided.

The Economics Of Calving Interval, David Secrist

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on cow reproductive efficiency to increase ranch profitability. It discusses monitoring the herd, heifers, mature cows, and calf prices.

Appraising The Monetary Value Of Trees, Miles Becker, Mark Malmstrom

All Current Publications

Trees have economic value like other property items. Permanently rooted in the ground, trees are considered real property, just as a house on a fixed foundation is real property. Damage or loss of a tree incurs a loss in value to its owner, who may be legally entitled to monetary compensation. This fact sheet discusses tree appraisals by a qualified professional to determine the cost to repair or replace a tree.

Time-Normalized Evapotranspiration Reveals Substantial Nighttime Water Loss In A Controlled-Environment System, Claudia Garrido-Ruiz, Bruce Bugbee, Juan D. González-Teruel, Sarah Schreck, Scott B. Jones

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Efficient water management in closed-loop plant production systems requires accurate characterization of evapotranspiration (ET), because crop water loss influences atmospheric moisture conditions within the controlled environment. Day–night ET dynamics were quantified in the Engineering Development Unit of the Utah Reusable Root Module, a zero-discharge system for controlled-environment crop production.

Volumetric water content was monitored at high temporal resolution using two electromagnetic sensors installed at different depths within five independent root modules with different surface-containment configurations. Hourly ET was derived from water-content depletion and cross-checked against irrigation inputs. Following seedling emergence, system ET increased from < 1 L d⁻¹ to approximately 3 L d⁻¹ by day 12. During rapid growth, defined as the four consecutive days when system ET exceeded this threshold, hourly ET differed significantly among four light-period categories, with daytime ET highest, followed by night-transition, day-transition, and nighttime ET.

Although the cumulative daily nighttime-to-daytime ET …

Integrating Technologies For Synthetic, Systems, And Spatial Approaches In Cancer Research, Karmella A. Haynes, Kolade Adebowale, Belinda S. Akpa, Joel S. Bader, Trisha Bansal, Joshua Breunig, Ran Brosh, Lukasz J. Bugaj, George M. Burslem, Awalpreet Chadha, Moumita Das, Tara Deans, Cole A. Deforest, Lawrence J. Dooling, Zev Gartner, Laura M. Heiser, Alex Hughes, Melissa L. Kemp, Kirill S. Korolev, Chunru Lin, Timothee Lionnet, Xin Lu, Alison P. Mcguigan, Hamid Reza Mirzaei, Ajit J. Nirmal, Marina Pasca Di Magliano, Alexandros Poulopoulos, Kunal Rai, José Reyes, Dagan Segal, Mary Kathryn Sewell-Loftin, Evegeniya V. Shmeleva, Adam Stevens, Subbaya Subramanian, Thea Tlsty, Jennifer Totonchy, Alexander Vlahos, Pei Wang, Ioannis K. Zervantonakis, Yanding Zhao

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Emerging tools for spatial analysis, systems biology, and synthetic biology offer opportunities to observe, dissect, and perturb cancer mechanisms, to design strategies for the prevention of oncogenesis, and to identify therapies that lead to durable tumor control. Here, we summarize perspectives from the virtual Innovation Lab on “Synthetic and Systems Approaches to Interrogate Spatiotemporal Processes in Cancer” (S3) hosted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which assembled interdisciplinary experts to discuss cancer spatial organization and dynamic cellular interactions and how they can be addressed by leveraging novel synthetic and systems biology approaches. These discussions focused especially on cancer initiation, …

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Gardening Indoors, Rita Hagevik, Kathy Cabe Trundle

All Current Publications

Extending your growing season is a great way to produce more food earlier in spring, later in fall, or even during winter. One of the best ways to do this is to use indoor gardening and greenhouse systems, which let you grow plants beyond what is possible outdoors or alongside outdoor growing. This guide focuses on soil-based indoor gardening.

Weedy Vascular Plants Of The United States, James P. Smith Jr

Botanical Studies

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Leonardite And Gibberellic Acid On Plant Stand And Ear Height In Early-Season Sweet Corn, Charlie Rohwer, Jesen Hosch

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Sweet corn planted early in the season can suffer from poor germination due to low soil temperatures. In addition, low ear height of early-season hybrids can make hand- or machine-harvest more challenging. We tested impacts of two in-furrow leonardite treatments on germination and ear height, and a single application of a commercial gibberellic acid product (Proliant) on ear height. Sweet corn was planted on 5 May in southern Minnesota. We tested 14 sweet corn hybrids, including sugary-enhanced, synergistic, and supersweet. We found no impact of leonardite or Proliant on sweet corn stand or ear height. Three hybrids (‘Sprinter XR’, ‘Kickoff …

Global Stabilization Of The Mitochondrial Proteome Is Associated With Extreme Anoxia Tolerance In Austrofundulus Limnaeus Ws40ne Cells, Chelsea Hughes, Meranda M. Corona, Dietmar Kültz, Jason E. Podrabsky

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Austrofundulus limnaeus is an extremophile vertebrate native to small temporary ponds of Venezuela. Embryos of A. limnaeus must survive variable and often extreme conditions, including long periods of anoxia. Neuroepithelial cells derived from these embryos, WS40NE cells, provide a unique tool to understand how the proteome changes in response to anoxic stress. Results Using label-free proteomics, 19,604 peptides and 3487 proteins were quantified in normoxic, 4d anoxic, and 24 h recovery WS40NE cells. Of these, 2612 proteins (74.9%) were statistically significantly differentially abundant in at least one comparison: 1988 comparing normoxia to 4 days anoxia (57.0%), 923 comparing 4 …

Fisheries Science Update - Pilbara Demersal Scalefish Resource - October 2026, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) monitors the status of Western Australia’s demersal scalefish resources by undertaking periodic stock assessments on key indicator species.

This summary provides key outcomes of the 2026 Pilbara red emperor stock assessment (Resource Assessment Report No. 12).

Resource Assessment Report No. 12: North Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource: Pilbara Red Emperor 2026 Assessment, Fabian I. Trinnie, Rubie Evans-Powell, Brett Crisafulli, S. A. Hesp, Ainslie Denham, Dion Boddington, Craig L. Skepper

Resource Assessment Reports

Executive Summary

The North Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource (NCDSR) comprises ecological suites of tropical demersal fish species that occur predominantly in inshore (20–250 m deep) and offshore (> 250 m deep) waters of the North Coast Bioregion (NCB). More than 60 demersal species are landed by fisheries operating in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of the NCB each year, including higher-valued species, such as red emperor (Lutjanus sebae), goldband snapper (Pristipomoides multidens), rankin cod (Epinephelus rankini), and ruby snapper (Etelis boweni), and lower-valued species, such as bluespotted emperor (Lethrinus punctulatus).

The Pilbara Demersal Scalefish Resource (PDSR) is harvested by the …

Investigating The Role Of Gαf In Sperm Storage In The Spermathecae Of Female Drosophila Melanogaster, Aileen Liu

Holster Scholar Projects

Reproductive secretory cells are essential for fertility and have been implicated in diseases such as high-grade serous cancer, yet the molecular mechanisms governing their function remain poorly understood. Using genetic tools available in Drosophila melanogaster, we investigated whether Gαf contributes to reproductive secretory-cell function by examining its role in sperm storage. Gαf is highly expressed in these cells, suggesting a potential role in secretory cell function. Tissue-specific RNAi, trans-heterozygous mutants, and tissue-specific rescue were utilized to examine the role of Gαf in sperm storage. Gαf knockdown consistently reduced sperm storage, supporting a role for Gαf in maintaining normal sperm …

The Β2Αb Loop Determines Nad(P) Cofactor Specificity And Kinetics In Trypanosomal D-3-Hydroxybutyrate Dehydrogenases, Hideharu Hashimoto, Ian H. Mawn, William Escobar-Arrillaga, Linh Nguyen, Laura A. Madigan, Gina Antuono, Tatiana Rossy, Jorna Sojati, Anna Mienko, Erik W. Debler, Jennifer B. Palenchar

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Bacterial d-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenases (HBDHs) catalyze the conversion between d-3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate with NAD as the cofactor but not with NAD 2'-phosphate (NADP). However, HBDHs of the early-branched eukaryotic genus Trypanosoma utilize both NAD and NADP (T. brucei) or exclusively NADP (T. cruzi). Here we reveal that NADP specificity of T. cruzi HBDH arises from stabilization of the flexible β2αB loop by the 2'-phosphate interaction. Stabilization of this loop by a nearby C64Y mutation enables T. cruzi HBDH to use NAD in addition to NADP; thus, the Cys/Tyr residue is critical for determining cofactor specificity in trypanosomal HBDHs, suggesting that most …

First Evaluation Of Contrast-Enhanced Micro-Xct As A Tool For Organismal And Reproductive Trait Observations In Corals Based On Scans Of Thesea Nivea Deichmann, 1936, Erin E. Easton

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Micro-X-ray computed tomography (micro-XCT) with contrast enhancement is considered a non-destructive tool that is increasingly being applied to explore the internal and external structures of vertebrates and invertebrates. Although micro-XCT has been applied to corals to study skeletal features, contrast enhancement has not been applied to evaluate the utility for visualization of soft tissue structures in corals. This study is the first to evaluate the utility of contrast enhancement to visualize internal and external features, including soft tissue features, of octocorals. Contrast staining of a Thesea nivea specimen with 2.5% Lugol's iodine permitted visualization of soft tissues with sufficient density …

Forestry And Wildfire Research Needs In Utah: Insights From A Statewide Survey, Catrin Edgeley, Larissa Yocom, Lucy Nelson

Reports

This survey underscores the time-sensitive nature of investment in forest and fire science in Utah to protect the public and improve landscape functioning. Practitioners statewide seek improved availability of place-specific science across a wide range of topics that can inform forest management decisions.

Blue Carbon Ecosystems As Climate Solutions: Sequestration Across Coastal And Marine Environments, Allison K. White, Richard J. Kline, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses, sequester significant amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. These ecosystems capture and store carbon in biomass and sediments over long periods. Other marine ecosystems, including the open ocean, kelp forests, bivalve reefs, and coral reefs, have been excluded from the BCEs, but they have the potential to serve as crucial blue carbon sinks or to support adjacent BCEs. Climate change, however, poses severe threats to these ecosystems. Rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, and ocean acidification can lead to habitat loss, reduced biodiversity, and impaired carbon sequestration capacity. Consequently, anthropogenic …

A Geothermal Amoeba Sets A New Upper Temperature Limit For Eukaryotes, H. Beryl Rappaport, Natalie A. Petek-Seoane, Tomas Tyml, Jessica K. Niblo, Felix Mikus, Naomi E. Gilbert, Kurt Labutti, Godwin Ani, Ethan Macvicar, Rachel M. Shepherd, Ignacio De La Higuera, Samuel J. Lord, Gautam Dey, Kenneth M. Stedman, Multiple Additional Authors

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The study of temperature limits has transformed our understanding of life’s boundaries but has focused on bacteria and archaea. For decades after their discovery, no eukaryote was shown to replicate above 60◦C. We isolated a geothermal amoeba, Incendiamoeba cascadensis, that divides at 63◦C and is motile up to 64◦C. We identified an enrichment of genes related to proteostasis and environmental sensing relative to mesophilic amoebae. Comparative RNA sequencing of I. cascadensis revealed upregulation of pathways related to proteostasis, DNA repair, and membrane trafficking at high temperatures. Predicted proteins of I. cascadensis have distinct biophysical properties, including enrichment of positively charged …

Beyond Nutrients: Frass Fertilizer Legacy Effects For Sustainable Nematode Management In Potato–African Nightshade Rotation Systems, Emmanuel O. Anedo, Dennis Beesigamukama, Benson Mochoge, Nicholas K. Korir, Solveig Haukeland, Xavier Cheseto, Moses Nyongesa, Patrick Pwaipwai, Sevgan Subramanian, Abdou Tenkouano, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The utilization of insect frass fertilizer in crop production systems has recently gained significant global interest, but there has been limited evidence of its residual benefits in rotational cropping systems. The legacy effects of black soldier frass fertilizers (BSFFF), conventional organic fertilizer (SAFI), inorganic fertilizer (NPK), synthetic nematicide, and their combinations on potato cyst nematode (PCN) management under potato-African nightshade rotational farming systems were investigated. Eight treatments were evaluated: BSFFF, SAFI, chitin-fortified BSFFF (BSFFF+5chitin), NPK + nematicide, combination of BSFFF and NPK so that each supplies 50% of the nitrogen required by potato (50BSFFF+50NPK), combination of SAFI and NPK so …

Risks Of Mercury Release From Disturbance Of Blue Carbon Ecosystems, Fan Zhang, Jingrou Hu, Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernández, Christian J. Sanders, Xinxin Li, Ruotong Chen, Kunshan Bao, Bigyan Neupane, Aidah Baloch, Yanhui Zheng, Oscar Serrano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) function as dual repositories of organic carbon and legacy contaminants. While BCEs are recognized carbon sinks, their role as mercury (Hg) sinks and the risk of their conversion into sources due to human and climatic disturbances remain unexplored. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the drivers and risks of contaminant remobilization from threatened BCEs, with a primary focus on mercury. We explore how natural and human disturbances influence Hg storage, release, and bioavailability, while evaluating the risks posed to ecosystems and human health. Through a three-level meta-analysis, we show that physical disturbance remobilizes approximately 54% (95% …

Grains, Seeds And Hay Industry Funding Scheme: 2026-29 Strategic Plan, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Industry Funding Schemes (IFS) are a powerful effort fuelled by industry support and steered by industry stakeholders. The Grains, Seeds and Hay IFS addresses pest and disease threats that pose a high risk to profitability or production into the grains, seed and hay industry in Western Australia.

The Grains, Seed and Hay IFS is managed by an Industry Management Committee, composed of dedicated producers and growers. As a crucial link between industry and government, our IFS collaborates closely with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) who manage the BAM regulation list and deliver impactful programs.