Biochemistry Commons^™

High-Throughput Robotic Ethanol Inhibition Assays For Engineered Thermophilic Biofuel Strains, Kevin He, Daniel Olson, Marybeth Maloney, Anthony Lanahan

Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters

Ethanol stress assays are commonly used to evaluate microbial tolerance, metabolic adaptation, and fermentation performance. However, manual liquid handling introduces variability across replicate wells and small-volume pipetting steps, limiting reproducibility and throughput. This study developed an automated OT-2 robotic workflow to generate replicated ethanol concentration gradients for high-throughput inhibition assays in engineered thermophilic biofuel strains. Kinetic plate-reader measurements were used to quantify ethanol-dependent growth responses under anaerobic fermentation conditions. The reasearch question is: How do engineered thermophilic biofuel strains differ in ethanol-dependent growth inhibition under anaerobic fermentation conditions, and can automated robotic assays improve the reproducibility of these measurements? Can …

G-Quadruplex Dna-Driven Genomic Instability Under Ber Loss, Addison Belick, Claryssa Gutierrez, Joslynn Rosas, Andrea Vargas

Posters - 2026

Base Excision Repair (BER) is a cellular tool that can repair damaged DNA (Hindi et al., 2022, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences). G-quadruplexes (G4s) are unique 4-stranded structures in DNA or RNA that are rich in guanine (Gray et al., 2023, Nat. Chem. Biol). The purpose of this study is to understand whether BER contributes to the removal of G4s in DNA. This will determine if the BER-deficient yeast is more sensitive to treatment with G4-binding drugs than the BER-proficient yeast. We will replace the APN1 gene in the yeast genome with the URA3 gene, because the wild type yeast …

Investigating The Endogenous & Synthetic Estrogens To The Three Estrogen Receptor Subtypes Of Teleost Fish, Ann Cyril

Posters - 2026

Estrogen and the estrogen receptors are important biological and physiological processes. The various types of estrogen include estrone, estradiol and estriol. Estradiol’s main function is to maintain the reproductive system. Estrone’s main function is to develop the female's reproductive functions. Estriol’s main function is to aid the female's sexual developments but is on the weaker side. The fish, Atlantic Croaker, has three different estrogen receptors: ERα, ERβa, and ERβb. Based on the estrogen receptors, it appears that their binding affinities do differ in strength. Each estrogen receptor has different amino acids involved that could contribute to the difference in their …

Absolute Quantification And Identification Of Rna From Rna-Lipid Nanoparticles Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry, Jason C. Funderburk, Yasir A. Alshehry, Matthew S. Halquist Phd, Sandro R.P. Da Rocha Phd

Graduate Research Posters

Background

RNA therapeutics are a rising drug category with potential use for a range of conditions encompassing infectious diseases to therapies for cancer, diseases, and genetic disorders. RNA-lipid nanoparticles (RNA-LNPs) are the prominent delivery method for these therapeutics approved products include mRNA vaccines and polyneuropathy treatments. The emergency use authorizations and orphan drug status of current RNA-LNP drugs has allowed approval without finalization of the regulatory analytical procedures for quality monitoring. The objective of the study was to develop an LC-MS assay to simultaneously measure identity and concentration of two therapeutically relevant intact RNA constructs extracted from RNA-LNPs to enhance …

Patterns Of Ovarian And Gonadotropin Hormones In Emerging Adult Oral Contraceptive Users, Summer Mcormond

Undergraduate Research Posters

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are often initiated during adolescence and emerging adulthood, a period of continued maturation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis. Because hormonal exposure during this window may shape emotional, biological, and reproductive outcomes, it is important to understand the specific formulations young women take and the hormonal profiles these formulations produce. This study characterizes OC formulation features and measured hormone levels in young adult OC users (n = 30).

Ethinyl estradiol (EE) doses ranged from 0.01–0.035 mg (mean = 0.022 mg), with 70% using ≤0.02 mg. Pill regimens included 21/7 packs (83%), 24/4 packs (10%), and 84/7 regimens (3%). …

Book Of Abstracts, Seton Hall University

2025 Augustine Undergraduate Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of Disulfide Triazole Phosphorus Fire Retardant Via Photochemical Conditions, Jason Liu

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

The development of fire retardants is critical to enhancing fire safety and advancing fire science. The novel synthesis of a disulfide triazole phosphorus thiolacid fire retardant under photochemical conditions, along with relevant testing on plume generation performance, aims to answer our research goals.The proposed specific synthesis and conditions provide for a more efficient and environmentally greener route compared to conventional methods, utilizing photochemical click reactions. Furthermore, the addition of sulfur element to conventionally sole phosphorus-based FR reduces the chance of leaching by increasing the molecular weight of the compound and overcoming the obstacle of low molecular weight problems while also …

Data From: Nek4 Suppresses Cell Proliferation In Bt20 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells By Diminishing Expression Of Cell Cycle Genes, While Its Depletion Mitigates Proliferation In Other Cell Lines, Amanda Ashley

Chemistry & Biochemistry: Datasets

No abstract provided.

Science, Physiology, And Nutrition For The Nonscientist, Judi S. Morrill

Open Educational Resources

A wonderful blend of physiology, nutrition, biochemistry, genetics, biology, evolution, chemistry--what we all need to know as informed citizens. A basic knowledge of the life sciences and how our bodies work--to promote our own good health, especially as we're bombarded with misleading advertisements, soundbites, and the like. DNA fingerprinting, calorie requirements, dietary advice, genetic engineering (including gene editing with CRISPR cas9)--all in an easy-to understand book.

Synthesis Of Drug-Like Molecules And Investigation Of Their Biological Activity, Duyen Nguyen '25, Sunny Nguyen '26, Jeffery A. Hansen

Annual Student Research Poster Session

This study examines the products derived from the ring-opening reactions of two novel epoxides—chlorobenzene epoxide and furan epoxide—highlighting their notable biological activity, particularly in the context of potential anticancer agents. One key finding: a synthesized stereoisomer of a hexylamine-derived β-amino alcohol exhibited a remarkably low LC50 value of 6.6 ppm in the Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay, significantly outperforming the other isomer compound’s LC50 value, at 13 ppm. This discovery underscores the critical role of stereochemistry in enhancing bioactivity, as evidenced by the distinct physical and chemical properties of the two hexylamine-derived isomers, including differences in appearance and solubility. Building on …

E-Textbook For Better Learning In Chemistry 120, Anh Vu '27, Jeffery A. Hansen

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Organic chemistry is a highly visual subject since organic compounds are 3D objects. For this reason, in order to fully understand the composition, properties, and chemistry of these compounds, it is essential to understand and visualize their 3D structures. Nevertheless, there is a frequent necessity to depict organic substances on 2D surfaces, such as paper, a computer screen, or a whiteboard. As a result, one of the biggest obstacles we will face is learning these molecules in a 2D format while maintaining an accurate understanding of 3D nature. The purpose of this e-textbook is to fully utilize the digital medium …

Designing An Attachment Assay For Epidermal Cell-To-Cell Attachment, Tiala Ortega '26, Colleen L. Doçi

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Cell adhesion includes various processes and is essential in cell communication and regulation. The mechanical interactions between a cell and its extracellular matrix control the behavior and function of a cell. In this project, we are studying cell attachment in different ways. The epidermal monostrato layer is a vertical and horizontal interaction and is not accounted for in usual assay protocols so I wanted to investigate this by creating an assay including multiple cell layers, a monolayer and an attached layer, to further develop a protocol for optimal cell-to-cell attachment. I hypothesized that the number of cell attachments to the …

Comparison Of Two Disaccharides And Their Saccharide Components In Aot Reverse Micelles: Impacts Of D-Trehalose And D-Sucrose, Delaney Collier '25, Bridget L. Gourley, Nancy E. Levinger

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Reverse micelles, featuring an AOT surfactant with a polar head group and nonpolar tail, encapsulate a polar phase at the nanoscale. With water as the polar phase, the nanoconfined water pool interactions and water-interface interactions mimic biological nanoconfinement. Thus, we investigated the impact of osmolytes on AOT reverse micelles to explore the role they play in biological systems. We investigated two disaccharides, D-trehalose and D-sucrose, and their monosaccharide components, glucose+glucose and glucose+fructose. We chose these molecules for their biological significance and to allow us to investigate whether subtle structural changes in the osmolyte impacts the intermolecular interactions in confinement as …

A Comparative Analysis Of Urea Vs. Acetamide In Aot Reverse Micelles, Kate Walsh '26, Bridget Gourley, Nancy E. Levinger

Annual Student Research Poster Session

In our exploration of the interactions between water and amide osmolytes, we focused on the effects of urea and acetamide on the stability of reverse micelles (RMs) formed with Sodium Bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) in isooctane. Water, with its unique polarity and its ability to facilitate hydrogen and proton transfer, played a crucial role in our study, as we aimed to uncover how these amides would influence micellar behaviour. Our results revealed a compelling contrast between urea and acetamide. Acetamide, with its lower polarity due to a methyl group substitution, demonstrated superior solubility and significantly reduced precipitate formation compared to urea. This …

Investigating Neurite Outgrowth Influenced By Breast Cancer Progression Using In Vitro Models Of Collagen I Hydrogels, Emma Waskom '27, Nikolas Ala-Kokko, Younghye Song

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Through the use of vitro modeling of tumor progression, using collagen I hydrogels and progressing cell lines, a demonstration of the interactions between breast cancer cells and nerve cells can be investigated. With these models, our goal is to compare the measurement of outgrowth of nerve cells through the use of supplemented NGF and co cultures of breast cancer cells. Human MCF-CA1a.cl1, -AneoT, and -10A, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), and rat PC-12 cells, were all passaged from 2D cultures and cultured in a collagen I hydrogen at a cell density of 250,000 cells/ml of media. Collagen hydrogels were then made …

Isolation And Analysis Of R130d Malate Dehydrogenase (Mdh), Hayley Brunette, Abby Doyle, Ilsa Hoaglund, Danielle Bolland

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2024

Malate Dehydrogenase (MDH) is the enzyme that catalyzes the ninth step of the citric acid cycle, a regenerative step in the metabolism of glucose in which malate is converted to oxaloacetate. Conformational changes in the active loop region of MDH along with the coenzyme NAD+ drive catalysis. Previous studies suggested that mutating positively charged amino acids to negatively charged amino acids at residue 130 decreased the enzymatic activity of MDH. We hypothesized that if we change arginine 130 (positively charged amino acid) to aspartate (negatively charged amino acid), then the enzymatic activity of MDH would significantly decrease. In e. Coli …

Cifa And Cifb Expression In Response To Piwi And Aub Knockdown In Jw18 D. Melanogaster Cells, Julieta Alarcon

Posters - 2024

Wolbachia is an intracellular bacterium that is known for inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in its Drosophila melanogaster hosts. CI is characterized by embryonic death when males that express cifA and cifB genes mate with unaffected females (Shropshire, Rosenberg, and Bordenstein 2020). PIWI proteins play important roles such as germline determination, spermiogenesis, and transposon silencing (Thomson and Lin 2009). Previous studies have shown that Piwi expression decreases in a developmental window called the “Piwiless pocket” or Pilp. When Aub is depleted in the Pilp, then Piwi expression increases (Théron et al. 2018). We will determine if Piwi and Aub FANA ASO …

Dna-Pkcs Rnaseq Data: Dna-Pkcs Wilde-Type Or Kinase-Dead Protein Regulate Basal And Etoposide-Induced Gene Expression Changes, Amanda Ashley

Chemistry & Biochemistry: Datasets

No abstract provided.

Neurodevelopmental Vulnerability To Gestational Ozone Exposure, Vishnupriya Alavala, Sarah E. Brent, Christopher G. Canal, Joseph Wang, Russell P. Hunter, Matthew J. Campen, Andrew K. Ottens

Undergraduate Research Posters

Ambient air pollution accounts for about 4.2 million premature deaths annually per the World Health Organization. Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive air pollutant found in smog and is implicated in cellular damage leading to organ dysfunction. Ambient air pollution is associated with neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and cognitive disorders though ozone’s role is unknown. Studies here look at ozone exposure shortly after implantation vs. shortly before term to evaluate differences in neurodevelopmental susceptibility over time.

To inquire on the effects of ozone on the fetal brain, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed once to 0.3 ppm of O3 or filtered air (FA) …

Xrk3f2 Inhibits P62 Signaling And Augments Myeloma Killing By Proteasome Inhibitors, Ellen Trautman, Colin Crean, David Halladay, Attaya Suvannasankha

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Background:

Despite advancements in therapy, multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable blood cancer. Our mission is to maximize the efficacy of a primary treatment for myeloma, proteasome inhibitors (PIs) which cause intracellular waste buildup, leading to ER stress and cell death. p62(sequestosome-1) provides an alternate pathway when the proteasome is inhibited, by breaking down cytotoxic material via autophagy. Upregulation of p62 is associated with PI resistance. We identified a small molecule, XRK3F2, that binds to the ZZ domain of p62 and inhibits its autophagic function. We hypothesized that XRK3F2 would improve MM killing when combined with PIs.

Methods Used:

We …

Characterization Of Cl-Par-4: Wt Vs. Mutant, Samjhana Pandey, Krishna K. Raut, Andrea M. Clark, Antoine Baudin, Lamya Djemri, David S. Libich, Steven M. Pascal

The Graduate School Posters

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) play important roles in regulation of cell signaling pathways as well as cellular processes. Dysregulation of these proteins is associated with several human diseases. Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4), a proapoptotic tumor suppressor protein, is categorized as an intrinsically disordered protein and downregulation of this protein has been reported in myriad of cancers including glioma, breast cancers, and prostate cancers. The caspase-cleaved fragment of Par-4 (cl-Par-4) plays an active role in tumor suppression by inhibiting several cell survival pathways.

Here, we employed site-directed mutagenesis to introduce a point mutation in the cl-Par-4 wildtype (WT) to generate the …

Using Nspefs To Sensitize Mrsa To Vancomycin Treatment, Areej Malik, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Claudia Muratori, Erin B. Purcell

The Graduate School Posters

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a biofilm-forming pathogen. S. aureus treatment is marked by the development of antibiotic resistance. The public health impact has increased since the emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), which has started to show intermediate resistance to vancomycin in MRSA. Nano-second pulse electric fields (nsPEFs) are low-energy and high-power electric pulses, which have been suggested to sensitize pathogens to antibiotics by creating transient pores in the cell membrane. Our combinatorial treatment includes nsPEF pre-treatment and vancomycin post-treatment of MRSA cells. Our results show that MRSA log phase cells had the highest susceptibility to vancomycin. …

Par-4: An Attractive Target For Cancer Therapy, Krishna K. Raut, Antoine Baudin, David S. Libich, Lijun Liu, Scott Lovell, Steven M. Pascal

College of Sciences Posters

Lack of early diagnosis, cancer recurrence, metastasis, and adverse side effects are some of the major problems in the treatment of cancers. Par-4, a tumor suppressor protein, is an attractive target for cancer therapy as it selectively kills cancer cells. Cl-Par-4 is the active fragment of Par-4 that enters the nucleus and selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells. It has also been reported that Par-4 increases the susceptibility of cancer cells to chemotherapy and reverses cancer recurrence. Further, Par-4 has been shown to play a dual role: inhibition of EMT (Epithelial-mesenchymal transition) as well as assistance in the reverse process, …

Gestational Vulnerability To Ozone Air Pollution - A Placental Story, Vishnupriya Alavala, Sarah Brent, Russell Hunter, Matthew J. Campen, Andrew Ottens

Undergraduate Research Posters

About 99% of the global population resides in areas with air pollution surpassing World Health Organization standards. Air pollution is associated with adverse neonatal health outcomes such as low fetal birth weight and an increased risk for maternal pre-eclampsia. A particularly reactive air pollutant is ozone, which forms reactive oxygen species that induce cellular damage. Research exists on the dispersion of reactive oxygen species through the bloodstream leading to fetal vulnerability during pregnancy, specifically via the placenta. Yet, placental and fetal development is a temporal process with varied susceptibility to negative gestational outcomes.

To addressing this gap, our laboratory utilized …

Methods For Bioconjugation Of Biochemical Sensors Based On Metallic Nanoparticles, Jacob Rolin

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Assessing Biochemistry Students’ Use Of Metabolic Pathway Entities, Nina Fortier

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Assessing Undergraduate Expression Of Biochemical Mechanisms, Lauren Richardson

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Annual Faculty Research Symposium 2022, Oakwood University

Proceedings

No abstract provided.

A Pathway To Solving The Structure Of Cl-Par-4 Tumor Suppressor Protein: Challenges & Findings, Krishna Raut, Samjhana Pandey, Andrea M. Clark, Komala Ponniah, Steven M. Pascal

College of Sciences Posters

Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) is a pro-apoptotic tumor suppressor protein. Down-regulation of this protein has been reported in a myriad of cancers. Conversely, up-regulation of Par-4 is found to be associated with several neurodegenerative disorders. Par-4 is unique in the sense it can selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells. For this, caspase-dependent intracellular cleavage of Par-4 is essential to produce the functionally active fragment, cl-Par-4 (caspase-cleaved Par-4). The cl-Par-4 protein inhibits the NF-κB-mediated cell survival pathway and causes selective apoptosis in various tumor cells.

Our laboratory is interested in determining the structure of cl-Par-4 and understanding it’s interaction with various …

Investigation Of Magnesium Cation-Proton Exchange With Transmembrane Electrostatically Localized Protons (Telp) At A Liquid-Membrane Interface: Fundamental To Bioenergetics, Gyanendra Kharel, Andrew J. Evans, Christopher M. Russo, Michael Eason, James W. Lee

College of Sciences Posters

The Lee transmembrane electrostatic proton localization (TELP) theory is a revolutionary scientific theory that has successfully explained decades long-standing quandary in the field of bioenergetics in regards to ATP synthesis in biological systems, specifically alkalophilic bacteria. This study provides experimental support for the TELP theory by further demonstrating evidence of a localized proton layer existing at the liquid-membrane interface in a simulated biological membrane apparatus. Whilst monovalent cations have been studied extensively, divalent cation exchange has not been studied experimentally.

A previous study determined equilibrium constant for Na⁺ and K⁺ to exchange with localized H⁺ layer to …