Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of The Glucocorticoid Receptor Modulator, Safit, On Acute Stress Reactivity In A Rat Model Of Abusive Head Trauma, Brielle Coe

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Fungal Biopesticide Doses On Mortality In Bumble Bees, Colton Burris

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Agricultural practices often include the use of pesticides to produce meaningful crop yields. While the pesticide may be used to target “pest” insects (e.g. thrips, aphids, whiteflies), it can also have negative effects on important pollinating insects such as bees. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been found responsible for widespread decline in bee biodiversity, and were even banned in Europe (Sgolastra et al. 2020) . Beauveria bassiana, sold as Botanigard, on the other hand, is a fungal biopesticide that is marketed to be a safer alternative for bees, and has been found to have other possibly harmful effects to the inner …

The Revolutionary St. Louis Insane Asylum, Julia Talbert

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Even with its grand structure on Arsenal Street towering over the city below, few residents of St. Louis and surrounding areas are aware of the grand history or even existence of the St. Louis Insane Asylum. The building is over 150 years old and was a place of hope, failure, strife, and empathy. The asylum had a large impact on St. Louis and provided revolutionary outlooks, unique perspectives, and curious therapies.

A New Genetic Tool For Quorum-Sensing Ba, Amelia Markwell

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

This current research project focuses on the use of cell-to-cell communication in Bacterial Strain competition, specifically in soybean plants. Soybean plants are a high-yield crop produced here in the midwest, bringing in more than 8 billion dollars in monetary output for our state. The lab work focuses on one specific bacteria strain farmers commonly find in soybeans; this is called Bradyrhizobium japonicum. This nitrogen-fixing bacteria improves plant growth drastically. Cells have a way of communicating with each other in order to share information and adjust gene regulation accordingly. This is known as quorum sensing. My research last year focused on …

Molecular Genetics And Phylogeny Of Bigmouth Shiner, Notropis Dorsalis, James Ramette, Patrick Appiah, Shila Koju, Jacqueline Kluba, Heath St, Dennis, Christian Bigler, Robert Hrabik, David D. Duvernell

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The study of North American freshwater ichthyofauna reveals a diversity shaped by the continent's geologic past and the extensive effects of Pleistocene glaciation on river systems. Ericymba dorsalis (Bigmouth 69 Shiner) is a minnow species with a broad distribution in the Mississippi River basin from Wyoming to New York. Despite exhibiting consistent morphological features across its range, the species' widespread northern distribution suggests the potential existence of multiple, genetically distinct lineages. This research tested the hypothesis that separate drainage systems harbor genetically distinct groups of E. dorsalis. Our results identified five clades, each associated with major drainages. Populations of the …

Silent Bystanders Facing Bias. Is Silence Always Harmful, Sophie Firle

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

In STEM, women face bias that lowers their sense of belonging, identity safety, and self-esteem. These biases often occur in daily interactions with male peers in STEM, such as subtly sexist comments that doubt women's competence in STEM. A previous study that we conduction titles "Effects of Ally Confrontation on Target Outcomes" tested whether a subtly sexist comment that was confronted by a male ally would help increase women's sense of belonging, identity safety, and self-esteem relative to when a male bystander remained silent and did not confront the comment. We found that confrontation does help women feel better than …

Phytoremediation Of Nonpoint Source Pollution, Tylor Cheatham

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Stormwater can bring high concentrations of nutrients into urban ponds resulting in eutrophic conditions and subsequent algal blooms. These 91 blooms can lead to hypoxic water that will ultimately cause fish deaths and loss of recreation. Often, the majority of urban stormwater flows into local ponds through an inlet, which provides a target area for nutrient removal methods. One method being explored by researchers is the use of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs). FTWs are floating mats with plants anchored to them, allowing the roots to be suspended in the water column for nutrient removal. Our previous research focused on optimizing …

Effects Of Reproduction On Senescence In Local Species, Nathan Smith

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Understanding the impact of reproduction on the aging process within species populations remains an ongoing challenge in ecological and evolutionary research. In this study, we aim to clarify the relationship between reproduction and senescence using agent-based modeling using wild species data sets. Our objectives include investigating how variations in reproductive rates influence the lifespan and aging trajectories of individuals within populations, as well as identifying potential mechanisms underlying these effects. We will employ agent-based modeling to simulate populations and explore the dynamics of reproduction and senescence using publicly available datasets of local wild species. By manipulating parameters related to reproductive …

Modality's Effect On Aesthetic Ratings Of Poetry, Jessica Frame

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Previous research has shown that vividness of evoked imagery is the strongest contributor to aesthetic pleasure for poetry. However, it is 114 unknown whether modality of the poem has an effect on the relationship between vividness and aesthetic appeal, as past work has only used written poems. In this study we want to evaluate rating of vividness, valence, arousal, and aesthetic appeal based on the modality in which poems are presented (listening only, reading only, or combined). Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three modalities: text-only (N=81 ), audio-only (N=74), or combined audio/text (N=78). Our results showed that …

Water Quality Profiles In Two Rolla Ponds: Implications For Nutrient Management, Tylor Cheatham

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems is a growing global issue due to anthropogenic inputs. One of the main issues associated with eutrophication is fish death. Eutrophic waters can lead to algal blooms, resulting in hypoxic conditions where there is not enough oxygen to support the oxygen-breathing organisms like fish. This can happen in lakes or where rivers meet the ocean. These hypoxic conditions are a concern for lake managers and people who make a living fishing in waters that are now experiencing fish death. One method to target the oxygen levels in lakes is adding aerators. Because of how dynamic ecosystems …

Biosensors For Antibacterial Medical Applications, Ryan Fagan, Shelby Wallen

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Healthcare associated infections are significant concern in medicine and as antibiotics are becoming less effective, we need new alternative methods to treat them. We are testing various materials that can be used to prevent infections in healthcare settings and in wound treatments. These materials include bioactive glass and modified hydrogel materials. From these studies we've learned these are effective in killing bacteria and preventing infections. The goal of this project is to determine the mechanism at which these materials kill bacteria. Our approach is to construct biosensor strains that can indicate bacterial stress response to antimicrobial agents. We have used …

Competition Or Prey: C. Elegans Populations In The Presence Of P. Pacificus, Charles Greene, Elena Zobel, Andrea Scharf

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The predatory and territorial behaviors of the model organism P. pacificus provides a useful opportunity to study territorial defensive behaviors and optional predatory behaviors in relation to availability of preferred food sources. P. pacificus will be grown with C. elegans in shared cultures, in which E. coli will be placed and used to feed both species of worm. The number of predation events and territory defense events by P. pacificus against C. elegans will be recorded and tracked at differing levels of food concentrations. One potential issue is the different mouth morphs found in P. pacificus, with the stenostomatous (in …

Microbial Matrix: Genetic And Chemical Aspects Of Cell-Cell Communication, Amelia Markwell, Sophia Nicolette Militante

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

This research project focuses on looking at different quorum-sensing positive strains in bradyrhizobium japonicum, a species of legume-root bacteria found in soybean plants across the Midwest. Soybean plants are a high-yield crop produced here in the midwest, bringing in more than 8 billion dollars in monetary output for our state, making it Missouri's economic engine. Our objective, is to use different chemical testing methods to distinguish genetic differences between negative strains. This can be done through polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis, and gene editing. Our goal has been to PCR amplify a fine-tuned promoter then clone it into the gene. …

The Influence Of Sensory Modality On Aesthetic Judgments Of Poetry, Jessica Frame, Kendra Mehl

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Previous research has shown that vividness of evoked imagery is the strongest contributor to aesthetic pleasure for poetry. However, it is 19 unknown whether modality of the poem has an effect on the relationship between vividness and aesthetic appeal, as past work has only used written poems. In this study we want to evaluate rating of vividness, valence, arousal, and aesthetic appeal based on the modality in which poems are presented (listening only, reading only, or combined). Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three modalities: text-only (N=81 ), audio-only (N=74), or combined audio/text (N=78). Our results showed that …

Impact Of Snac On Physical And Mental Health, Halle Larson, Kaylee West

Student Research Symposium

Food insecurity is a common occurrence among college students and may have profound impacts on a student’s physical and mental well-being. It is vital that college campuses create not only access to food, but a culture of food security among students and student service organizations. Many institutions are striving to provide food assistance to their students and create this culture through a variety of methods. Ninety seven percent of institutions involved in programs to fight food insecurity implement a food pantry to combat this issue, but only 54% track the impact of their food pantries. Through this study, the impact …

Social And Economic Impacts Of Snac, Sara Marshall, Carson Johnson

Student Research Symposium

Food security is a common concern among college students.¹ Compared to 10% of U.S. households experiencing food insecurity², many college campuses report food insecurity prevalence about four times the national average.³ Approximately 39% of Utah's higher education student's face food insecurity.⁴ The stability of food for an individual can greatly impact different aspects of life including social and economic factors, such as social relationships.⁵

Effect Of Medium On Epigenetics In Fertilized And Cloned Embryos, Ethan Loertscher

Student Research Symposium

• The metabolic pathways that oocytes and embryos take during early development have an important effect on epigenetic events. This leads to the question of whether different cultures affect epigenetics.
• There are some concerns that serum-containing mediums may be correlated with poor health outcomes.
• Acetylation of lysine 9 on histone 3 is associated with chromatin configurations. The intensity of H₃K₉ac is much lower in cloned embryos (somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)) than what is seen in normal embryos
• This study was aiming to compare IVF and SCNT embryos cultured in a medium containing serum and a medium …

Leavening Agents Substitution In Chocolate Chip Muffins, Cassie Alder, Ashley Dawes, Savannah Harbison

Student Research Symposium

The primary function of leavening agents in baking is to cause the dough or batter to rise, allowing the baked product to be less dense, have more volume and be more aesthetically pleasing.¹ The three main types of leavening agents are baking powder, yeast, and the production of carbon dioxide steam as the product is baked.² These different types of leavening agents behave very differently and the purpose of this experiment was to discover and record the differences that occur in chocolate chip muffins. This research is important because if baking powder is unavailable the research shows what …

A Comparison Of Gray Wolf Home Range Estimates, James Dye

Student Research Symposium

For this study we use GPS collar data from two wolf populations in Turkey and Croatia to compare their home ranges in order to determine which populations home ranges are larger. These two populations live in similar climates but have different impacts from human activity. The wolf population in Turkey experiences larger human presence and almost no natural prey availability, while in Croatia the wolf population exists in a more natural habitat with a substantial natural prey base. This creates an interesting comparison between the two populations and raises the question which average home range would be larger.

Effects On Cytokine Supplementation On Bovine Embryo Development, Pratt Griffeth

Student Research Symposium

• Artificial reproductive techniques (ARTs), such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), allow for embryo production beyond what is naturally possible.
• To conduct IVF oocytes must reach maturity via in-vitro maturation (IVM), be fertilized by IVF, and the resulting embryos cultured via in-vitro culture (IVC).
• Modifications in maturation media and culture media are often tested experimentally to increase effectiveness of ARTs.
• Researchers have found that supplementing a group of three cytokines (fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), leukemia inhibiting factor (LIF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), together known as FLI) in maturation media improved oocyte maturation in pigs and bovine cloning success.^1-2
• Our …

Thickened Carbonated Beverages, Adam Hair, Marissa Cook, Clarissa Richins

Student Research Symposium

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, affects many individuals around the world with an array of underlying medical conditions, and rates of dysphagia are expected to increase as the population ages^1,2. Dysphagia affects the swallowing reflex, which can lead to a greater risk of aspiration and subsequent infections. In order to mitigate this, thin liquids are thickened following IDDSI standards so they can be more easily swallowed by those with dysphagia. Research has shown that carbonation in beverages improves the swallowing reflex over non-carbonated beverages¹. There are different methods and products that can be used to thicken beverages …

Searching For Commonalities In Secondary Structure Of Prmt Targets With Python Programming, Emeline Haroldsen

Student Research Symposium

PRMT is an enzyme that:

• Methylates protein targets without use of a consensus sequence
• Has implications in embryonic development, carcinogenesis, cardiac health and many other diseases^1,2,3
• Has 9 isoforms. Native PRMT1 is tetrameric (figure 1)

The mechanisms underlying PRMT target recognition and binding are unknown, limiting the study of PRMT related diseases. However: •

• Proteomics have identified thousands of PRMT targets⁴
• Commonalities in secondary structure may indicate a recognition element²
• Prior research predicted (with JPred5) a surprising proportion (20.35%) of target methylation sites within alpha helices of proteins (figure 2).

Resveratrol Supplementation In Ivm/Ivc Media For Embryo Development, Clark Riddle

Student Research Symposium

• Development of techniques to increase embryo development rates, and improvement of the quality of those embryos are two major interest points in synthetic embryology.
• Resveratrol is a antioxidative phytoalexin which has been shown to be beneficial to embryos in certain conditions by reducing oxidative stress. [1]
• Previous studies have shown that use of resveratrol in in vitro culture (IVC) media significantly increased blastocyst rate. [2]
• The aim of this study is to determine the effect of resveratrol supplementation in in vitro maturation (IVM) media in addition to IVC supplementation on cleavage rates and blastocyst rates

Use Of Different Daily Light Integrals To Study The Water Saving Potential Of Petunia, Anju Chaudhary

Student Research Symposium

• Daily light integral (DLI) plays a crucial role in growth and development of petunia.
• Reducing irrigation volume without compromising plant growth and productivity can decrease water usage in greenhouses.
• Adjusting greenhouse light intensity might offer a potential solution for managing water effectively in petunia production.

Simulating Inter-Species Competition In C. Elegans, Kevin Lai

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

In biological research, understanding the life cycles of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is pivotal for insights into developmental biology, genetics, and population dynamics. Our project builds on Worm-Pop, a Python-based multi-agent simulation of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) , to enhance its capabilities in simulating survival strategies, reproductive success, and genetic drift. The current model simulates a uniform population without inter-agent interactions. I plan to introduce multiple species of worms into the simulation to study competitive dynamics and determine which variants are most successful under various conditions. Pheromones significantly influence C. elegans behavior, affecting mating, foraging, and social interactions. To address …

Mathematical Analysis Of C Elegans Population Dynamics, Erik Bergstrom

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Understanding how populations fluctuate is important for understanding how evolutionary pressures have shaped the life histories of species, such as reproductive patterns and aging. A laboratory ecosystem consisting of Caenorhabditis elegans and Escherichia coli and wormPOP, a simulation of this laboratory ecosystem, developed by Scharf and colleagues (Scharf et al., 2022) provides an opportunity to better understand population dynamics by tracking individual simulated worms and computing the emergent population dynamics. However, the output data consist of curves with peaks and troughs that are challenging to analyze and that were hypothesized to fit the mathematical definition of chaotic behavior. This project …

Cytokinesis And Dbf2, Katharine Gray, Katie Shannon

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

During cell division, the cytoplasm must be divided between the parent and daughter cell. The Mitotic Exit Network (MEN) is a signaling pathway that allows a dividing cell to exit mitosis and complete cytokinesis. Obf2 is a MEN protein kinase in yeast, which provides a simplified model for studying this conserved pathway. By regulating Dbf2s' activity through phosphorylation mutants, its effect on cytokinesis can be studied. Cells were viewed under a microscope, to visualize division errors. Yeast cells that fail to complete cytokinesis will form chains, as the budding daughter cells fail to separate from their parents. Chains of 3 …

Evaluation Of Phosphorus Uptake Within Aquatic Plants For The Use Of Nutrient Removal, Grace Willbanks

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Stormwater runoff from urban areas can lead to excess nutrients, such as phosphorus or nitrogen, in our waterways. These waste nutrients can lead to overgrowth of algae and plants, deoxygenation of ponds and streams, and death of the aquatic life in these important ecosystems. Currently, floating treatment wetlands are being used to combat these excess nutrients, combining a floating element with an absorptive media, either man-made or natural aquatic plants, into a model to float on an impacted lake. In this research project, multiple small-scale microcosm level experiments were run with different native aquatic plants to test their uptake ability …

Insect Collection Methods At Fort Leonard Wood, Sage Wood, Miranda Ragland, Robin M. Verble

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

This project is part of a larger survey examining the terrestrial insect diversity at Fort Leonard Wood in summers 2021 and 2022. The data analyzed in this poster includes specimens collected during the 2022 collection period. This project attempts to elucidate the most effective method of insect collection at Fort Leonard Wood, as well as any hotspots of insect presence or diversity on the base. Specimens were collected using hand and net collection, Lindgren funnel trapping, leaf litter sampling, and three colors of pan trapping (blue, yellow, white). Specimens were processed in the lab, pinned, sorted, and identified. Preliminary analysis …

Stream Fungal Biodiversity And Leaf Decomposition, Vale Miller

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

CURRENTLY ONGOING PROJECT We are investigating the possible impact of aquatic fungi biodiversity on leaf litter decomposition and respiration. Four different species of aquatic fungi were placed into flasks with leaf cores (A, B, C, and D), one with no fungi as a control, and one with all four species in equal amounts (ABCD). So far, there seems to be little to no effect on respiration between the species and similar results in the flasks with all four species. Based on this information, biodiversity has yet to show a significant impact in leaf respiration and little to no effect on …