Biology Commons^™

Effects Of Light Intensity And Predator Chemical Cues On Juvenile And Adult Daphnia Magna Diel Vertical Migration, Mira Johnson

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Many species of zooplankton exhibit the predator avoidance behavior called diel vertical migration (DVM). During typical DVM, zooplankton ascend to surface waters during the night and descend to deeper water during the day where predation by visual predators is reduced due to lower light levels (Goldman and Horne 1983; Wetzel 1983). DVM is highly variable and the degree to which it is induced can fluctuate based on factors such as zooplankton size, changes in light intensity, and predator chemical cues (Van Gool and Ringelberg 1995, cited in Weber and Noordwijk 2002). Although DVM has been well studied using the genus …

Building A High-Throughput Yeast Two-Hybrid Assay To Screen For Novel Chronic Hepatitis B Drugs, Benjamin Glazer

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Hepatitis B is a vaccine preventable liver disease caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV). Chronic hepatitis B currently affects about 296 million people around the world, killing 820,000 annually. There is currently no cure for chronic hepatitis B, but research over the last decade has identified hepatitis B X protein (HBx) as a promising therapeutic target. Specifically, inhibiting the interaction between HBx and human protein DDB1 could disrupt HBx function. An essential step in the drug development process is to create an assay that is capable of high-throughput screening millions of compounds for activity against HBx-DDB1. This research aims to …

Gangliogenesis And Embryonic Development In Biomphalaria Glabrata, Subhiksha Srinivasan

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Biomphalaria glabrata is an intermediate host for a parasitic species, Schistosoma mansoni, which can infect humans causing schistosomiasis. The majority of research conducted on these snails focuses on host-parasite relationships. Thus, very little is known regarding their nervous system, especially during embryonic and juvenile development. This project aims to investigate the transition from the embryonic nervous system consisting of a network of neurons to a developed ganglionic nervous system consisting of a separation between clusters of nerve cell bodies, or ganglia, and connectives. To investigate when this process, known as gangliogenesis, occurs, immunofluorescence is used to visualize the serotonergic nervous …

Methods For Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Of Biomphalaria Glabrata Nf-Κb, Marissa A. Zintel

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Biomphalaria glabrata is a species of freshwater snail that is an intermediate host to the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, a causative agent of human schistosomiasis. Substantial research has focused on the B. glabrata immune system, but progress is restricted by the limited molecular tools available for molluscan organisms. While many studies have described the anti-parasitic defenses of B. glabrata, the initiation and regulation of these defenses remain unclear. One important immune regulator, well known in both human and Drosophila immunology, is nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Research has shown that B. glabrata NF-κB transcripts are upregulated in response to …

The Biomechanics Of The Softball Swing In Seven Stages: Optimizing Exit Velocity, Ceara A. Larson

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The study of sports biomechanics is a rapidly developing field that can be used to analyze an athlete’s most critical motions and improve their performance. In the world of baseball, sports biomechanists, scientists dedicated to the field of sports biomechanics, help keep pitchers healthy, optimize pitch performance, and improve a batter’s swing efficiency. Because of their surface-level similarities, the findings of baseball biomechanical studies have been projected onto the sport of women’s fastpitch softball, despite their substantial differences in physiology, field dimensions, pitch delivery, and classifications of hitters. The purpose of this study is to produce a biomechanical analysis unique …

Development Of A Split Green Fluorescent Protein Reporting System For Angiogenin, Phan QuỳNh ChâU Lê

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Angiogenin (ANG) is a secreted protein that holds important implications in the growth and survival for a variety of cell types—from healthy endothelial or neuronal cells, to diseased cancer cells. Currently, we lack a complete understanding of ANG’s mechanism of action. Our work aims to develop a functional fluorescence-based reporting system to study ANG internalization activity in cancer cells. Specifically, we utilize a split green fluorescent protein (split GFP) system, in which the 11th strand of the GFP molecule (GFP11) is attached to ANG, while the remaining non-fluorescent GFP1-10 fragment is expressed in our target HeLaGFP1-10 cell line. The reconstitution …

Programming Simulations Of Diel Vertical Migration Behavior Of Zooplankton, Bennett J. Mcafee

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Diel vertical migration of zooplankton is the daily cycle of movement towards and away from the surfaceof a lake that results from the need to avoid predation and forage for food.The process of diel vertical migration is one of the main forces creating the spatial and temporal structure of aquatic food webs, often acting as the biological pump that moves carbon around an aquatic environment(Brierley 2014).In Daphnia, a genus of crustacean zooplankton, this behavior is triggered in response to both lightintensity and chemical signaling by predators. As a result, diel vertical migration changes in intensity in response to fish populations …

5-Ht Receptor Subtype May Mediate Crh Production In Hypothalamus, Bailey Underwood

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Increased levels of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) are associated with anxiety, as are decreased levels of serotonin (5-HT). Do 5-HT levels influence CRH production and anxiety? The ventral hippocampus is associated with anxiety behavior, contains cells expressing 5-HT receptors (including 5HT7R), and extends axons into CRH producing regions of the hypothalamus (Jalewa et al., 2014; Jiminez et al., 2018). Therefore, 5-HT responsive neurons may play a role in the anxiety response and CRH production. To analyze how 5-HT may influence anxiety, 5dpf Danio rerio were examined following application of a 5-HT7R agonist (AS-19) and antagonist (SB-258179). A distance assay was …

Effects Of The Invasive Zooplankter Bythotrephes Longimanus On The Aquatic Food Web In Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Arianna Neumeyer

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Bythotrephes longimanus, also known as the spiny water flea, is an invasive planktonic crustacean in the Great Lakes. Bythotrephes competes with fish for smaller planktonic prey. We sampled southern Green Bay, WI during the summers of 2017 and 2018 to determine population structure and dynamics of zooplankton in this important body of water. The biomass of Bythotrephes in 2017 express high numbers in mid-June and experience a mid-summer crash in early-July. Biomass then began to rise steadily until reaching their peak in late-August and September. We observed this crash in biomass for Bythotrephes and Leptodora in both 2017 and …

Comparison Of An Electron Transport System (Ets) Enzyme-Mediated Reduction Assay And Respiration Rate Of The Invasive Copepod Eurytemora Carolleeae In Green Bay, Wi, Usa, Alexander Timpe

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The use of aquatic resources for agriculture, trade, and recreation adds stress to water-dwelling organisms. Rapid changes in abiotic conditions, such as warming due to climate change and nutrient loading from agricultural runoff and urban areas, threaten to induce profound alterations to aquatic environments. These changes affect interspecific community interactions and may cause an aquatic resource to lose its functionality that is valuable to humans. Studying organisms such as plankton that form an ecosystem’s foundation is an important step towards understanding the entire food web and predicting how it may or may not be able to respond to a changing …

Population Genetics And Bumble Bee Conservation: Saving Species By Thinking Small, Cady Greenslit

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Pollinators have experienced a severe decline over the last few decades, and this includes bumble bee populations (g. Bombus). Bumble bees are important native pollinators, and here I investigate the health of local populations with molecular tools. The field of conservation genetics has created useful methodology for investigating the health and informing management strategies of threatened populations. This work investigates and describes the applications of population genetics, which uses span across the board. These applications are then brought back into the context of bumble bee conservation, and how they fit into the experimental plan I originally designed. I designed …

Mapping Out Head Country: Expression Of Daf-19c In The Head Neurons Of C. Elegans, Hanwenheng (Billy) Liu

Lawrence University Honors Projects

C. elegans has been used as a model system for studies of nervous system development and function for over 50 years due to its relative simplicity and strong similarity to other animals. One of such similarities is the presence of an RFX transcription factor, which is responsible for controlling gene expression in a handful of important organs, including the brain. RFX proteins are a family of highly evolutionarily conserved proteins that usually function by binding to a specific region (called the X-box) in the promoter of their target genes. A single RFX-coding gene has been found in C. elegans, …

The Weevil Next Door: Exploring The Impact Of Associational Effects On C. Pitcheri To Better Biological Control Practices, Tina Czaplinska

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Lake Michigan dwelling dune thistle, Circium pitcheri, is a federally threatened plant, whose reproduction is affected by a non-native weevil, Larinus planus. Originally introduced as a biological control agent to combat the spread of Canada thistle, Circium arvense, this weevil is instead using C. pitcheri as a host for its larvae. Associational susceptibility is an important factor to consider in hopes of preventing the damage to this endangered plant. The goal of this study was to observe L. planus behavior to determine why there is a correlation between increased density of beach grass and high levels of C. …

A Spiny Water Flea Invasion And Effects On The Zooplankton Community In Southern Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Casey Ann Merkle

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus) is an invertebrate aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the Great Lakes that competes with native fish species for zooplankton, perhaps contributing to a decline of fish populations or changes in zooplankton communities in Lake Michigan. Bythotrephes produce two types of eggs, immediately hatching versus resting eggs which are tolerant to harsh conditions and allow for rapid dispersal. We determined Bythotrephes population density and population dynamics in Green Bay during the summer months of 2015 and 2016. Population dynamics were similar at both sites in Green Bay in each year, with peak population …

Abiotic Conditions Of Rare Pitcher's Thistle Attract Selection By An Invasive Weevil, Monica Paniagua Montoya

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Plant associations occur when host selection of a focal plant is reduced or increased by the presence of another plant species. Larinus planus is an invasive weevil whose larvae feed in the flower heads of native and federally threatened Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri). Studies have linked the presence of neighboring plants to increased host selection of Pitcher’s thistle by the weevil, but the factors contributing to host selection remain unknown. In our study, we determined if there were differences among abiotic factors, host selection and weevil behavior at Pitcher’s thistles surrounded by beach grass, sand and at high …

Assessment Of Daf-19 Related Behavioral Defects, Loraina A. Stinson

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The daf-19 gene encodes the only RFX transcription factors in C. elegans, producing at least four related protein isoforms, one of which, DAF-19C, is responsible for ciliogenesis. Previous work by Senti and Swoboda (2008) demonstrated that adult worms deficient in all four DAF-19 proteins have extremely aberrant dwelling and roaming behavior on bacterial food. Most intriguingly, the addition of cDNA encoding the DAF-19C isoform restores cilia formation, but does not fully restore wild-type dwelling and roaming behavior. We are suggesting that additional neuron functions are needed to properly execute behaviors and these neuron functions require the activity of other …

The Role Of Daf-19 In Non-Ciliated Neurons: How Is Neural Development Regulated By Different Daf-19 Isoforms?, Zabdiel Ek Vazquez

Lawrence University Honors Projects

A degenerative disease-like phenotype, specifically reduction in synaptic protein levels in adult worms, is correlated with loss-of-function of the only RFX transcription factor gene, daf-19, in C. elegans. This gene encodes four known transcription factor isoforms, two of which are correlated with particular functions. The DAF-19C isoform activates genes responsible for cilia development, while DAF-19M is needed for cilia specification in males. A comparison of the transcriptome of daf-19 null and isogenic wild type adult worms suggests both positive and negative regulation of gene expression is correlated with the presence of DAF-19 proteins. We have assessed DAF-19 regulation …

The Characterization Of A Vital Wisconsin Waterway: A Biological Assessment Of The Lower Fox River From 2006-2014, Emily L. Kiehnau

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The Lower Fox River has historically been used as a navigational crossroads, a waste disposal system, and source of hydroelectric power. Over the years, heavy use of the river has negatively affected water quality and the overall health of the system. Unhealthy rivers cannot function properly. Biological assessment based on animal surveys are often used to determine river health. I used data from the Lawrence University and Fox River Navigational System Authority invasive species-monitoring project to explore how the distribution of animals in the Fox River has changed over time and across locations. Monitoring surveys have taken place between June …

Wonders Of Wisconsin: A Study On Insect Macrophotography, Brenna L. Decker

Lawrence University Honors Projects

This past year I have been honing my skills as an entomologist and as a photographer. My solo exhibition “Wonders of Wisconsin: A Study on Insect Macrophotography” not only presents my personal progress, but also represents an overarching theme of a liberal arts education: connectivity. Everything we see or learn on campus and throughout life is connected. This audience-engaging exhibition has provided a visual for the connections between the fields of science and studio art, the art movements of New Objectivity and Relational Aesthetics, and between human and insect life.

The final exhibition opening on May 1^st at 5:30pm …

Coral-Fish Dynamics And Interactions: A Case Study Of Grand Cayman, Eileen Shea Davis

Lawrence University Honors Projects

To better understand the ecological interactions of coral reefs, it is important to understand the mechanisms that control the distribution and abundance of reef-building corals as well as the mechanisms that control the diversity and abundance of the fish community that inhabits these reef habitats. The purpose of this study was to identify specific coral-fish interactions among the reefs of Grand Cayman in order to gain insight into the biological effects of fish on the assemblage of hard corals. Using data collected by the Lawrence University Marine Program (LUMP), a number of exploratory statistical analyses were run in order to …

Effects Of Toxic Cyanobacteria (Microcystis Aeruginosa) On The Feeding And Reproduction Ecology Of The Copepod Eurytemora Affinis From Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Nicholas J. Barrett

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Toxic Cyanobacteria is known to be a bad food source to consumers as well as a main contributor to harmful algal blooms. This study investigates the feeding relationship between an invasive copepod in the Great Lakes system, Eurytemora affinis, and a toxic strain of cyanobacteria, Microcystis aeruginosa. E.affinis has been shown to feed on toxic cyanobacteria. By measuring the filtering rate, ingestion rate, egg production and offspring size between three different food conditions, we hope to gain insight into the effects of toxic cyanobacteria on the feeding and reproduction of this copepod. Food sources include a good green algal …

Investigating Potential Target Genes Of The Rfx Transcription Factor Daf-19 In Caenorhabditis Elegans, He Zhang

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are characterized by an age-related decrease in the synaptic activity of the patient’s brain. Previous research suggested that a RFX transcription factor DAF-19 in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) may be involved in the maintenance of synaptic protein levels. Particularly, worms that were DAF-19A/B defective showed reduced synaptic activities when compared to their age-matched controls.

This study investigated the role of DAF-19A/B isoforms in the C. elegans nervous system. Three genes, F46G11.3, F57B10.9, and F58E2.3 were selected as potential downstream targets of DAF-19A/B based on their potential neuronal expression. …

The Effects Of Habitat Use On The Round Goby, Neogobius Melanostomus, In The Lower Fox River And Lake Michigan., Matthew E. Larsen

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The invasive round goby was introduced to Lake Michigan in 1998 (DeStasio, 2012). Since the species was introduced they have increased their range to include tributaries of the Lake Michigan watershed; such as the Lower Fox River. The presence of the round goby in the Lower Fox River was first documented in the Lower Fox River in 2006 (Kornis, 2008). We compared the size and age differences between round goby populations at these habitats to see if there was a variance between the two habitats. Round goby from Lake Michigan were statistically longer and heavier than those from the Lower …

Macrophyte Communities Of Lake Winnebago: Baseline Study Of Species Composition With Abundances And Water Quality Conditions, Mackenzie Kessenich

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Historical records from Lake Winnebago show minimal macrophyte growth; however, reports from recent years claim that macrophyte growth in some areas of the lake has reached nuisance levels. This study aimed to investigate the species of macrophytes present and their abundances in four near-shore locations, as well as measurements of multiple water quality conditions. Rake sampling was used to identify species and quantify their abundances and distributions. In addition, data were collected on light penetration, Secchi depths, and suspended algae chlorophyll concentrations at each site. These data from shallow near-shore sites reveal trends in changing water clarity and light penetration …

A Structural Analysis And Assessment Of The Bjorklunden Forest, Andrew Allan Link

Lawrence University Honors Projects

A common assumption in ecology is that stability within an ecosystem is reached through equilibrium. In actuality, the mechanisms that help maintain a healthy ecosystem are based upon heterogeneity and scale multiplicity. This study assessed the vegetation organization at Bjorklunden as a function of time and space. Comparisons were made to previous research that demonstrated both similarities and differences in the vegetational components of the forest. Certain areas of the forest that were previously believed to be in a permanent steady-state were proved otherwise. While other areas that were thought to mature and climax, did not. The forest at Bjorklunden …