Life Sciences Commons^™

Soil Amendments Alter Tree Growth And Wood Decay After Forest Thinning, Deborah S. Page-Dumroese, Martin Jurgensen, Chris Miller, Joanne M. Tirocke, Derek N. Pierson, Cole Mayn, Mark J. Kimsey, Haley C. Anderson

Michigan Tech Publications

Forest soil amendments are increasingly used in western US forests to dispose of unmerchantable woody residues, reduce wildfire risk, and improve soil properties. Our objective was to determine the effect of fertilizer and organic amendments on tree growth and organic matter decomposition after thinning. Treatments were a control, three single soil amendments (wood chips, fertilizer, and biochar), and one combined soil amendment (biochar + fertilizer), each applied after thinning a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. Laws) stand. After 10 years, amendment treatments had no effect on tree diameter increment (p = 0.600), but the biochar + fertilizer and wood …

An In Vivo Study Of Lns8801, A Gper Agonist, In A Spontaneous Melanoma-Prone Mouse Model, Tgs., Christina Marinaro, John Sauer, Christopher A Natale, Todd Ridky, Suzie Chen

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer that arises from the transformation of melanocytes, the pigment producing cells of the skin. In the year 2024 there will be approximately 10,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed and approximately 8,000 deaths attributed to melanoma in the United States. In this study we treated a group of male and female transgenic mice that spontaneously develop metastatic melanoma, TGS, with a G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor agonist LNS8801 to assess the efficacy on disease progression. A second group of male and female TGS mice was also exposed to UVB irradiation to mimic …

Anti-Cancer Compounds Based On Natural Imidazole Compounds, Autumn Forsythe, Victoria Hardy, Kerri L. Shelton

CSU Tower Day

We are developing a comprehensive review on imidazole-based compounds of natural origin, the most common groups of compounds, and their properties, such as the imidazole ring. The intent of this presentation is to learn about the compound’s occurrence, general/predicted properties, and advantages. The review will be a fluid development comparing imidazole derivatives of natural origin with antinociceptive/lethal properties from the last 5 years. This review would include both purely extracted products but also those modified by synthesis.

The Involvement Of Camp In The Secretion Of Il-10, Jyanna J. Mendola

SURF Posters 2025

Schwann cells have been found to play a key role in inflammation and repair following nerve injury. During nerve injury, the myelin sheath becomes damaged, stimulating Schwann cells to secrete cytokines and initiate an inflammatory response. They begin the process of repair by stimulating macrophages to make pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-a), and anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as Interleukin 10 (IL-10) which promotes healing and injury. Although it is clear Schwann cells play a role in nerve repair, there is still yet to be known regarding the exact mechanisms by which they do so. In vitro, Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), …

Ludwigia Hydrology Study, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Rebecca Reicholf, Caryn J. Futrell*, Brenda Grewell*, Blanca Gallego-Tévar

Ludwigia Hydrology Study

Premise: Hydrological regime influences wetland plant species distribution and performance.Global warming and extreme weather events are magnifying flooding patterns, and understanding how invasive taxa respond across life stages (establishment vs. established phase) is important for predicting and managing their colonization and spread. Our objective was to measure flood trait responses at contrasting life stages in closely related congeners (Ludwigia peploides, diploid; L. hexapetala, decaploid; Onagraceae) differing in their invasiveness in the field.

Methods: In the field, we assessed phenological responses to seasonal hydrological changes, and in mesocosms, we assessed flood stress responses of establishing shoot fragments under deep-flooded, …

The Effect Of Two Common Herbicides On The Growth And Development Of Two Anuran Species (Boreorana Sylvatica And Dryophytes Chrysoscelis), Jerica Eaton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Amphibian populations have been declining globally since the 1950s. Many species that have experienced declines are viewed as 'environmental indicators' that reveal habitat degradation. Declines can be attributed to several factors, including chemicals used in agriculture, such as Roundup and Atrazine. Agrochemicals contaminate water bodies through runoff or leaching and cause alterations to aquatic ecosystems. This study evaluated the effects of herbicide usage on two wild anuran populations using wood frogs (Boreorana sylvatica) and Cope’s gray tree frogs (Dryophytes chrysoscelis) as a model. We determined the effect of the herbicides at two concentrations, a high concentration …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone: Evaluating Environmental Risks And Conflicts In Golf Course Landscapes, Meredith Boos

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

1) This review investigates the relationship between pesticide use on golf courses and in agriculture to determine whether the adverse health effects documented in agricultural settings also apply to golf course environments. While the negative health effects from agricultural pesticide use are well established, golf courses use pesticides with greater frequency and intensity, suggesting a potentially higher exposure risk for both workers and players.

2) This study proposes methods to quantify pesticide bioaccumulation on golf courses and adjacent lands. We hypothesize that areas surrounding golf courses will exhibit a spatial gradient of pesticide accumulation, increasing with proximity to treated sites …

Navigating Cultural Differences In Community-Based Conservation: A Malagasy Case Study, Austin J. Cheng

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

This SIP explores the tension between avoiding cultural imperialism and remaining true to ideals, particularly of gender equality in the creation and funding of community-based conservation organizations in patriarchal societies. To tether these loftier ideas to practice, I use my internship with Planet Madagascar in Ankarafantsika National Park as a case study, and explore it through the lenses of feminist, pragmatist, and post-colonial philosophers.

Engineering Chimeric Autoantibody Receptor T Cells (Caar): A Potential Cure For Graves' Disease, Kimbal Demars, Abigail Cheever, Chloe Kang, Hunter Lindsay, Mackenzie Hansen, Kim O'Neill, Scott Weber

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

• Graves’ Disease (GD) is the 4th most common autoimmune disease in the United States.
• GD is characterized by autoreactive B cells releasing anti-thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) Ab that bind to TSHR, causing an overexpression of hormones.
• Excessive hormonal release leads to hyperthyroidism, causing a variety of metabolic issues.
• No cure exists, only limited effectiveness of treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, or thyroidectomy.
• Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cell therapy has been effective in treating blood cancers.
• Modifying this therapy by engineering T cells that replace the antigen as the T cell receptor will selectively target autoreactive B cells, namely chimeric …

End Epilepsy: Human And Rodent Seizures Demonstrate A Dynamic Interplay With Spreading Depolarizations, Daniel Hummel, Jacob H. Norby, Noah Ricks, John D. Rolston, Shervin Rahimpour, Juha Voipio, Andrew J. Trevelyan, Elliot H. Smith, Ryley Parrish

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Affecting more than 50 million people worldwide, Epilepsy is a condition of repeated seizures. Seizures (Sz) occur when brain cells transmit uncontrolled electrical signals, and most often terminate on their own, but how this happens is unknown. A proposed mechanism of Sz termination is a spreading depolarization (SD). A SD is a wave that travels through the brain, suppressing brain activity. Currently, the relationship between SDs and seizures is not well understood. The goal of this study was to understand how the two phenomena interact in both rodent brains, and humans. Better understanding of SDs may lead to the development …

Enabling Better Interoperability And Reusability For Down Syndrome Transcriptomic Datasets, Harrison Oaks, Garrett L. Wride, Stephen Piccolo

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Introduction: Gene expression profiling has become a cornerstone of biomedical research, offering relevant insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie complex conditions such as Down syndrome (DS), a condition caused by trisomy 21. RNA expression data from individuals with DS have highlighted critical pathways involved in development, immune function, and disease susceptibility. Despite the availability of over 100 publicly shared RNA expression datasets, their potential remains underutilized due to inconsistent metadata, diverse normalization protocols, and varying data quality. Addressing these barriers is vital to enabling researchers to standardize, integrate, and analyze datasets effectively. We do this by creating a data …

Effects Of Predation On Cognition In Brachyrhaphis Rhabdophora, Elizabeth F. Jenkins, Jerald B. Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Does predation environment affect the cognitive abilities of the tropical fish Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora?

Effects Of Ethanol On G-Csf Sensitivity In The Ventral Striatum, Kaleb Gardner, Rachel Campbell, Camryn Holt, Zachary Valentine, Chase Seiter, Jordan T. Yorgason

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a known neuromodulator for dopamine (DA) release in the ventral striatum • Increased peripheral G-CSF levels enhances abused substance effects • The G-CSF mechanism for enhancing release remains unknown • How ethanol affects G-CSF neuromodulation also remains unknown • The present studies examined G-CSF effects on striatal and mesolimbic circuitry and chronic ethanol effects on this system

Effects Of Acute Injections Of Etoh In Cytokine Release In Mice, Alina Svitlana Rodriguez Bezruchko, Alka Gaur, Carlos M. Moreno, Jordan T. Yorgason, Scott Weber

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

To learn the pathway by which the peripheral immune system interacts with dopaminergic neurons and triggers an addiction response, we compared cytokine and chemokine production levels before and after a 20-minute ethanol injection. Since some cytokines and chemokines can cross the blood-brain barrier, their peripheral production may influence neural activity. We had four groups: ethanol, saline, domperidone-ethanol, and domperidone-saline. As domperidone is a dopamine antagonist, we will use it as a control to verify that the change in cytokine production is due to ethanol rather than other factors.

Discovering Diet-Dependent Changes In Amino Acid Metabolism, Benjamin Driggs, Coleman Nielsen, J. C. Price

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The Price Lab ran a mouse diet experiment to see if we could detect changes in amino acid metabolism according to diet. The diets used were low protein ad libitum (LP AL), low protein CR (LP CR), high protein ad libitum (HP AL), and high protein CR (HP CR). Multiple individuals were randomly assigned to each diet. Extracting D2O labelled samples across several time points allows us to use mass spectrometry to measure both protein concentration and turnover (figure 1) (1). These are measured by analyzing the shift in isotopic peaks (2). Using these changes in isotopic peaks we can …

Digital Vs. In-Person Interaction: Preventing Suicide In Autistic And Socially Anxious Populations, Jacob Griffin, Jared Nielson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Introduction: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and the third leading cause of death for individuals from 15 to 29-year-olds world-wide (Suicide Data and Statistics, 2024; World Health Organization: WHO, 2024). As prevalent as suicide is among general populations, statistics have shown that the risk is even greater among certain groups such as autistic populations and socially anxious populations. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder which affects communication, behavior, and learning abilities (Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2024). One study reported that individuals with ASD were almost three times more likely to …

Different Phase, Same Results: No Metabolic Variation Across Phases Of The Menstrual Cycle, Grace Loveless, Hadley Peay, Jessica Linde, Kiese Mpongo, Joran Quirante, Arianna Young, Devon Wardell, Audrey Newman, Mohadesah Ahmadi, Gary Mack, Jayson Gifford

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

BACKGROUND: Even with gender parity being achieved in the 2024 Paris Olympic games with 50% male and female athletes(Forbes 2024), female subjects are often excluded from exercise performance research studies. Cowley et al.(2021) found that there was a significant difference between female (34%) and male (66%) participants in sport and exercise research. One reason for exclusion of females in physiology research is uncertainty regarding the impact of the menstrual cycle (MC) on exercise performance and metabolic measures.

Development Of Seed Coating Technologies & Seeding Techniques To Improve Wildlife Habitat In The Sagebrush Steppe, Sage Johansen, Curtis Garlick, Corban Gibson, John Stromberg, Ryan Glover, Nathaniel Adams, April Hulet, Matthew Madsen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The sagebrush steppe biome is disappearing at a rate exceeding 500,000 hectares per year. Restoring these degraded areas through the reseeding of native vegetation is essential for preserving wildlife habitat and maintaining critical ecosystem services. However, seeding efforts often end in failure, especially in hotter and drier parts of the sagebrush steppe.

Rangeland seeds typically are sown near the soil surface, where the seed and unemerged seedlings experience high mortality due to factors such as seed predation, drought, freeze-thaw cycles, and pathogens. Seedlings also struggle to emerge from the soil due to soil crusting.

However, if it were possible to …

Developement Of A Rodent Virtual Reality System For Measuring Reward, Aman Malhotra, Joe Davis, Jacob Cecil, Lauren Ford, Daniel-Luke Isemonger, Noah Moffat, Ryan Powers, Cody Siciliano, Ryan West, Jordan T. Yorgason

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Rodent VR is a tool for drug impact studies involving VR and optical imaging on motivation-related circuits using customizable maze creation and a comprehensive analysis program. We are using this combined with a GRINS lens surgical implant to gather real time data.

Competitive Bacteria Inhibiting Yersinia Ruckeri Growth – A Strategy To Prevent Enteric Redmouth Disease (Erm) In Freshwater Fish, Kyler Linton, David Erickson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Pacific freshwater fish are less likely than Atlantic freshwater fish to exhibit Enteric Redmouth Disease (ERM), or Yersiniosis as caused by Yersinia ruckeri. Based on the hypothesis that these fish may harbor commensal bacteria that inhibit Y. ruckeri growth, we isolated many kinds of commensal bacteria from fish intestines that we have collected from Alaska and local streams. Using co-culture experiments, we have conducted competitive assays to determine if the bacteria found in the gut biomes of these fish inhibit the growth of Y. ruckeri. These may be potential probiotic organisms that could provide resistance to ERM disease.

Comparing Management Strategies For Gray Wolves, Dingoes, And African Wild Dogs: Insights For U.S. Wolf Conservation, Joshua Jewell, Tom Smith

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Europe, Africa, and Australia can provide insights into USA Gray Wolf Management.

Comparative Whole Genome Sequencing Of Cryopreserved And Ffpe Cancer Tissue, Delaney Anderson, Ken Dixon, Ryan Miller, Sangmoon Lee, Jeffrey Okojie, Jared Barrott

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) determines the DNA sequence of an organism’s entire genome & plays a key role in cancer precision medicine

• Currently, the main preservation method of cancer tissue for WGS is formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue; cryopreserved (CP) tissue is not routinely used in clinical settings
• Previous studies have determined CP tissue yields higher quality & quantity of DNA
• This study aimed to compare the outcomes of WGS in CP & FFPE samples.

Chilling Insights: A Comparative Study Of Cancer Tissue Preservation, Rebecca Bascom, Paige Nelson, Jacob Harris, Jack Davis, Mackenzie Burr, Jeffrey Okojie, David Booker, Ken Dixon, Jared Barrott

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

It is a fact that personalized cancer treatment leads to better patient outcomes. But what if the current treatments aren't as personalized as they could be?

Clinical cancer tissue samples are typically sent to labs as formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. A recent study4 indicates that cryo-preserved (CP) tissues offer significantly better DNA quality and quantity than FFPE samples, suggesting a need to reevaluate preservation methods. We aim to expand this research by comparing protein expression in FFPE and CP samples.

Specifically, we will focus on PD-L1, a protein that inhibits T-cells and is overexpressed in all cancer cells. The …

Barks Vs Bears: A Ruff Reality, Fern Luttrell, Tom Smith, Stephen Herrero, Lana Ciamiello, Hank Hristienko, Erin Jacoway, Linda Wiggins

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

• Will your dog protect you from a bear?
• Do dogs provoke bear attacks?
• Is it safe for your dog to be in bear country?

Assessing Sandy Beach Health Throughout The South Atlantic Bight With Ghost Crabs, Raquel Wilson, Blaine D. Griffen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

To better inform the management and protection of marine ecosystems, we examined human impacts on sandy beach health across the South Atlantic Bight by assessing the abundance and size of ghost crab burrows, and habitat quality. We used an urbanization index to measure the level of human impact. Sandy beach ecosystems are ecologically and economically important, yet they face immense pressure from increasing human activity^1,2. Protecting these ecosystems is critical yet challenging due to their large size, but we can evaluate their health and the extent of human impact using a bioindicator species. We used the Atlantic ghost …

Arid1a Knockout: A Catalyst For Osteosarcoma Progression, Alma Taggart, Peyton Worley, Heinen Louis, Emilee Nielson, Jared Barrott

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare form of bone cancer, with high mortality rates in children and young adults. Current OS research has been limited by a lack of mouse models that accurately represent the metastatic and chemoresistant nature of this cancer. Furthermore, by focusing on patient-derived xenograft models it limits the applications of novel immunotherapies because these mouse models lack a competent immune system. By knocking out Arid1a, we generated a mouse model that more accurately reflects the aggressive nature of the tumor with 100% penetrance of tumorigenesis and 41% penetrance of metastasis, while maintaining a competent immune system. This …

Acee And Pflb: Interference In Oxygen Independent Or Dependent Metabolic Pathways Affect Virulence Of P. Carotovorum, Ethan Shreeve, Foxx Naylor, Jeffrey Schachterle

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Pectobacterium carotovorum is a plant-pathogenic bacterium, causing soft rot diseases in vegetables such as potatoes and carrots. Mainly, this is achieved by the production of plant cell walldegrading enzymes, allowing for invasion of host cells. The general mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of P. carotovorum are well characterized, but the phenotypic effects of some core metabolic processes are not. An important part of metabolism in bacteria is pyruvate production and utilization as a metabolic intermediate. P. carotovorum has two critical genes— pflB and aceE—that play roles in directing pyruvate metabolism. PflB encodes pyruvate formate-lyase, enabling the bacterium to convert pyruvate into …

Where The Green-To-Red Neurexin Grows: Analyzing Neurexin-3a Expressing Neurons Through Dendra2 Knock-Ins And Full Locus Deletion, Dillon J. Brown, Isaac E. Greenwood, Annalie Martin, Arminda Suli Ph.D.

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The optic tectum (OT) is a zebrafish midbrain structure homologous to the mammalian superior colliculus (SC). The OT facilitates integration of multisensory input and coordinates a corresponding involuntary response. Single-cell RNA sequencing data from our lab indicates the differential expression of the presynaptic cell adhesion protein - neurexin3a - within two cell populations (OT5 and OT8) of the zebrafish OT. The SC and neurexin3a have both been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), warranting, therefore, a further investigation. To visualize neurexin3a positive neurons in the OT, we are generating a transgenic zebrafish line that expresses the green-to-red photoconvertible protein Dendra2 …

Using Neuroscience To Understand Food, Tyler Thronton, Jonathan Kershaw

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Food liking is determined by evaluation and reward centers in the brain. Few studies have observed the magnifying effects that messages have on taste liking as participants try food in a neuroimaging setting.

Walking In Super Shoes: Reduced Ankle Power, Decreased Stability?, Bethany Esplin, Thomas Anderson, Nate Jacobsen, Luke Vankeersbilck, Dustin A. Bruening, Iain Hunter

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Super shoes improve running economy by reducing gastrocsoleus work [1]

Could the same benefit apply to walking to benefit clinical populations?

Is there a trade-off for balance?