Biology Commons^™

Expression And Isolation Of The Bche Protein From Dinoroseobacter Shibae In Rhodobacter Capsulatus, Abigail Brown, David Bollivar, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Photosynthetic bacteria rely on photosynthesis to get energy. Bacteriochlorophylls harvest the light energy in photosynthesis and are important to these bacteria, but several enzymes used to synthesize this macromolecule are not completely understood. The gene bchE, from the marine bacterium Dinoroseobacter shibae, has been proposed to code for a protein used to help catalyze the formation of the bacteriochlorophyll structure. Isolation of polypeptide encoded by the bchE gene was performed to better understand this enzyme. Using conjugation, ST18 E. coli cells with plasmids containing the bchE gene were mated with a Rhodobacter capsulatus strain lacking functional BchE to …

Predicting Incubation Period: A Case Study Of The North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx Australis Mantelli) And The Elephant Bird (Aepyornis Spp), Meaghan Mormann, Tess Kelley, Jennifer Altman, William Jaeckle, Faculty Advisor, Given Harper, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Poster presentation abstract.

Isolation And Characterization Of Previously Undiscovered Bacteriophages, Ellen Stumph, Daniel Walski, Samridh Gupta, Richard Alvey, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Poster presentation abstract.

Functional Complementation Of Z-Ring Regulation By Alleles Of Hetp In Anabaena, Christina Khour, Loralyn Cozy, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Poster presentation abstract.

Use Of A Glutathione S-Transferase (Gst) Tag For Isolation Of The Bche Encoded Protein Of Rhodobacter Capsulatus In Rhodobacter Capsulatus, Dorota Kulikowska, David Bollivar, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Poster presentation abstract.

Phage For Thought: Investigating The Ingestion And Assimilation Of Viruses Into Rotifer (Brachionus Plicatilis) Tissues, Brittany Straznickas, William Jaeckle, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Rotifers are a group of suspension-feeding aquatic invertebrate animals that range from approximately 50–2,000 micrometers in size. The typical food sources for rotifers (i.e., unicellular algae, 2-10 micrometers in diameter) are visible with light microscopy. Bacteriophages (viruses that use bacteria as hosts) are too small (30-110 nanometers in diameter) to be seen using light microscopy, but are present in great abundance (~ 10³⁰ in the world’s oceans). If or how particles as small as bacteriophages are consumed as food is incompletely known; Sorenson ('15) reported that rotifers ingest water containing the fluorescently-labeled (Dichlorotriazinylamino fluorescein, DTAF) bacteriophages. We exposed the …

Elucidating A Mechanism Of Growth Cessation In Heterocysts Of (Anabaena), Blake Beehler, Loralyn Cozy, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Oral presentation abstract.

Isolation And Characterization Of Six Novel Rhodobacter Capsulatus Bacteriophages, Addison Ely, Alexandria Paradis, Brook Koebele, Richard Alvey, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Poster presentation abstract.

Functional Analysis Of A Putative Homing Endonuclease, Nikhilesh Thapa, David Bollivar, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Endonucleases are enzymes that cleave phosphodiester bonds within polynucleotide chains such as DNA and RNA. A subgroup, homing endonucleases (HEase) are also able to propagate their encoding genes by transforming host genes to incorporate the homing endonuclease gene (HEG). This process is initiated by the expression of the HEase from the HEG, which then cleaves a homolog. The homolog subsequently undergoes a homologous recombination event as a repair mechanism, and in the process integrates a copy of the HEG. Based on predicted sequence, gene product (gp126) from the mycobacteriophage Gizmo is thought to encode for a HEase. Previous work constructed …

Assessment Of Cranial Neural Crest Proliferation Patterns Between The Redeye Tetra Moenkhausia Sanctaefilomenae And The Zebrafish Danio Rerio, Lesly Ingram, Brian Walter, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Among teleost fishes, there is a substantial amount of diversity regarding craniofacial morphology. This study investigated the cellular processes directing the morphological variations observed in the Meckel’s and ceratohyal cartilages of the zebrafish Danio rerio and the redeye tetra Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae. Utilizing BrdU incorporation, significant interspecific variations relating to cartilage formation were determined. Specifically, interstitial proliferation was found to be more important for the shaping and subsequent growth of the cartilages in D. rerio than in M. sanctaefilomenae. Correspondingly, the expansion of the pharyngeal arches was more dramatic in M. sanctaefilomenae than in D. rerio. This study demonstrates …

A Transposon Mutagenesis Screen For Heterocyst Production In A ∆Hetp Strain Of The Cyanobacterium Anabaena, Rachel Ende, Loralyn Cozy, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Poster presentation abstract.

Determining The Viability Of Preserved Cell Suspensions Frozen Over Time With Varied Glycerol Concentrations, Elyse Mccormick, Brian Walter, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Poster presentation abstract.

A New Technique For Imaging Real-Time Cytokine Secretion, Sydney Muchnik, Brian Walter, Faculty Advisor, Ramesh Ramji, Faculty Advisor, Kathryn Miller-Jensen, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Poster presentation abstract.

Restoration Of Heterocyst Production To A ∆Hetp Strain Of Anabaena, Megan Smeets, Loralyn Cozy, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Poster presentation abstract.

Why Are Students Doing Research? Examining The Motivation Of Students Involved In Undergraduate Research Programs, Andrew Layne Mcdevitt

Theses and Dissertations

Use of self-determination theory (SDT) within the science classroom focuses primarily on ways to integrate intrinsic motivation into students' identity. Experiential learning plays a large role in promoting learning by shaping students' interests, identity, and intrinsic aspirations. This phenomenological research study sought to understand how experiential learning experiences helped influence career aspirations of graduate students within ecological disciplines. By determining how their experiences met three basic psychological needs outlined by SDT (competence, autonomy, and relatedness), we were able to examine which regulators drove motivation.

In the qualitative pilot study, participants developed a genuine enjoyment and appreciation for their discipline as …

Assessing Student Comprehension In Introductory Biology: A Comparison Of Free-Response And Multiple-True/False Exam Formats, Macy A. Potts, Brian Couch, Joanna K. Hubbard

UCARE: Research Products

Question format is an important consideration when designing instruments to gauge student comprehension. In many lecture-style courses, instructors must decide how to effectively test a large group of students. Two common types of question formats used for introductory biology exams are free-response (FR) and multiple-true/false (MTF). FR questions include a question prompt which students respond to with essay-style answers. Conversely, MTF questions include an opening question stem with accompanying statements to be marked as either true or false. The goal of this study was to determine the advantages and disadvantages of FR and MTF question formats for assessing student comprehension …

Artistic And Scholarly Sessions: Can A Multicellular Bacterium Prepare Students For Multiple Career Paths?, Loralyn Cozy, Rachel Ende, Class Of 2016, Megan Smeets, Class Of 2017, Christina Khouri, Class Of 2016

Inauguration of Eric R. Jensen

April 2, 2016; 10–10:30 am

How do I support students pursuing their own unique professional goals using my discipline as a backdrop? This, for me, is the defining question for mentorship at a liberal arts institution. Three students and I will consider how collaboration in one discipline, microbiology, can shape a variety of professional trajectories.

Presenters: Loralyn Cozy, Assistant Professor of Biology
Rachel Ende ’16, Biology major

Student Respondents: Megan Smeets ’17, Biology & Psychology double major
Christina Khouri ’16, Biology & Hispanic Studies double major

History Of Lungs Of The Planet Mosaic, Susan Hunt

Documentation

A brief history and description of Lungs of the Planet, a tile mural depicting line drawings on individual 6 x 6 inch tiles, as well as larger color images of blossoms, fruit, and birds to symbolize the cycle of life.

The mural was created as a collaborative art project by students in the Natural World Cluster of the Monserrat First Year Program at the College of the Holy Cross. The project was led by Virginia Raguin, Distinguished Professor of Humanities at the College. Particpants included students, faculty, staff and community members.

The mural was installed on the west patio …

Biology News, Spring 2016, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

--Greetings from the Department of Biology
--Index
--Department of Biology Alumni
--Dr. Suzanne Bartlett Named as Alumni in Residence
--Dr. Robert Good Gives Keynote Address at the 2015
--UNI SURP Symposium
--Alumnus, Dr. Michael Gray, selected as Honorary Member of Entomological Society of America
--UNI Biology - Brazil Connection
--Two UNI Biology Alumni Assume Directorships at Vanderbilt University
--Biology Students
--Students Appreciate Scholarship Funding
--Biology Students and Alumni
--NSF Provides Funding for Research on Unique Parasites
--Bees and “Colony Collapse Disorder”
--UNI Biology Students Present Research at NCUR Annual Conference in Cheney, Washington
--Marine Biology Club Visits the Shedd …

Computational Modeling Intervention: Using Dynamical Models To Teach Complex Biological Processes, Audrey J. Crowther, Tomáš Helikar, Nicholas Galt, Joseph Dauer, Heather Berganr, Bryan Kowal

UCARE: Research Products

The Unites States, while being one of the richest countries in the world, ranks 17th in science proficiency out of 31 countries. New techniques for teaching are needed if the US wants to keep up with increasing global competition. Often the problem with traditional methods for teaching biological processes is that they present the material as linear or causal, when in fact there is a much wider network at play. For example, cellular respiration is often represented as a linear process that always starts with glucose and always ends with ATP and water. However, there are several entry and exit …

Tile History: A Brief Presentation, Virginia Raguin

Documentation

Slide presentation used to introduce the art and history of ceramic tiling to participants who worked on Lungs of the Planet, a tile mural created as a collaborative art project by students in the Natural World Cluster of the Monserrat First Year Program at the College of the Holy Cross. The project was led by Virginia Raguin, Distinguished Professor of Humanities at the College. Particpants included students, faculty, staff and community members.

The presentation includes photographic examples of ceramic tiling in architecture located in Jerusalem and Istanbul.

There’S A Dragon In My Classroom, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll

Nature of Science

What makes science, science?

How do we help students make sense of the science they are learning and how it fits in with preconceived notions and misconceptions, social perspectives, and potential controversy?

The Engaged Microbiologist: Bringing The Microbiological Sciences To The K-12 Community, David J. Westenberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Exposing K-12 students to cutting edge science that impacts their daily lives can bring classroom lessons to life. Citizen-science projects are an excellent way to bring high-level science to the classroom and help satisfy one of the cornerstone concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), "engaging in practices that scientists and engineers actually use." This can be a daunting task for teachers who may lack the background or resources to integrate these projects into the classroom. This is where scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) can play a critical role. ASM encourages its members to …

Biological Sciences Newsletter - March 2016, Department Of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University

Biological Sciences Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Ne Stem 4u: An Out-Of-School Time Academic Program To Improve Achievement Of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Youth In Stem Areas, Christine E. Cutucache, Jamie L. Luhr, Kari L. Nelson, Neal Grandgenett, William E. Tapprich

Biology Faculty Publications

Background

The Nebraska Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 4U (NE STEM 4U) program was initiated at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) in 2013. NE STEM 4U is a student-run, faculty-led program facilitating problem-based learning (PBL) sessions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for socioeconomically disadvantaged kindergarten through grade 8 (K-8) students. PBL sessions are provided throughout the academic year in a twice-weekly, after-school, informal education program. The instructional material provided after school builds upon the curricula of the school day. Importantly, this program is a partnership between faculty members and administrators in higher education at UNO with …

Using Discussion To Promote Learning In Undergraduate Biology, Ariana E. Sutton-Grier, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Jennifer Momsen

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Summary and Comments from Workshop 40: “Looks Who's Talking! Using Discussion as an Effective Learning Tool” presented at the 100th Ecological Society of America Meeting

Pedagogy For The Pedosphere, Loren B. Byrne, Rachel K. Thiet, V Bala Chaudhary

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Student Buy-In To Active Learning In A College Science Course, Andrew J. Cavanagh, Oriana R. Aragon, Xinnian Chen, Brian A. Couch, Mary F. Durham, Aiyana Bobrownicki, David I. Hanauer, Mark J. Graham

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure–persuasion– identification–commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students’ course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student …

Characterizing Student Perceptions Of And Buy-In Toward Common Formative Assessment Techniques, Kathleen R. Brazeal, Tanya L. Brown, Brian A. Couch

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Formative assessments (FAs) can occur as preclass assignments, in-class activities, or postclass homework. FAs aim to promote student learning by accomplishing key objectives, including clarifying learning expectations, revealing student thinking to the instructor, providing feedback to the student that promotes learning, facilitating peer interactions, and activating student ownership of learning. While FAs have gained prominence within the education community, we have limited knowledge regarding student perceptions of these activities. We used a mixed-methods approach to determine whether students recognize and value the role of FAs in their learning and how students perceive course activities to align with five key FA …

A Guide For Graduate Students Interested In Postdoctoral Positions In Biology Education Research, Melissa L. Aikens, Lisa A. Corwin, Tessa C. Andrews, Brian A. Couch, Sarah L. Eddy, Lisa Mcdonnell, Gloriana Trujillo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Postdoctoral positions in biology education research (BER) are becoming increasingly common as the field grows. However, many life science graduate students are unaware of these positions or do not understand what these positions entail or the careers with which they align. In this essay, we use a backward-design approach to inform life science graduate students of postdoctoral opportunities in BER. Beginning with the end in mind, we first discuss the types of careers to which BER postdoctoral positions lead. We then discuss the different types of BER postdoctoral positions, drawing on our own experiences and those of faculty mentors. Finally, …