Biology Commons^™

Fitness Parameters In Malosma Laurina Seedlings Growing Near And Away From Invasive Brassica Nigra, Natalie M. Aguirre, Agustin Vargas, Phoebe Shin

Featured Research

In this study we aim to assess the photosynthetic rate of native Malosma laurina (M. laurina) seedling, in comparison to M. laurina seedlings growing amongst several hundred B. nigra invasive plants. We predicted that there will be a difference in the stomatal conductance of each population. We measured photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), seedling height, and stomatal conductance of two isolated populations of M. laurina seedlings. One population grows near B. nigra, an invasive specie, and the other only grows amongst native plants. We found that M. laurina seedlings growing near weeds …

Effects Of Drought On Malosma Laurina Leaves, Suk Ho (Josh) Chang, Jingyi Chen, Sarah B. Nelson

Featured Research

Drought induced deformations in the chaparral plant Malosma laurina were observed following the lack of water availability during the years of 2013 and 2014. We hypothesized that the middle leaves grown during the drought would have the lowest productivity, the top post-drought leaves would have the highest productivity, and the bottom pre-drought leaves would have an intermediate level of productivity. We used a sample size of n = 6, representing 6 unique M. laurina plants. To obtain our data, we used the LI-6400 gas exchange system. In our comparisons of photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic quenching of the top, …

Correlation Between Hydration And Reflectance Of Yellow Petals On Encelia Californica, Jayci M. Givens, Kaylee A. Nussbaum, Caitlin R. Kawata

Featured Research

It is known that the NDVI can be used as a measure of hydration in plants because of the variation in pigments due to xanthophyll cycling (Schmitz et al., 2013). Flower petals can also exhibit variations in petal reflectance invisible to the naked eye (Fam & Espinoza, 2013). It was hypothesized that overall hydration levels of a plant would correlate to a difference in the pigments produced for petal color, and thus differences in hydration levels would correlate to differences in petal reflectance. To test this hypothesis, three flowers and two stems were collected from ten different E. californica plants, …

Effects Of High Light Exposure On Photosynthetic Rate And Fluorescence Of Eucrypta Chrysanthemifolia, Alec Flores, Gina Gilderman, Hannah Dario

Featured Research

In this experiment, we examined how a partial shade plant, Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia, found in the Santa Monica Mountains, responded to predictive models of higher light intensities created bydrought. We hypothesized that, with higher levels of light, Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia would respond with a decreased photosynthetic rate, light-adapted, and dark-adapted fluorescence. This was performed by comparing control plants grown in an artificial shade environment to plants exposed to a series of high light intensity treatments. These partial shade plants were found on Piuma Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains. Our data supported our null hypothesis, indicating the photosynthetic rates and light-adapted …

Seedling Resprouts Of Adenostoma Fasciculatum Between Wildfire Cycles Are Promoted By Environmental Conditions That Mimic Fire-Like Environments, Lexe Evans, Teal Speece, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

The Santa Monica Mountains represent one of the largest Mediterranean-type environments in the world. With sustained summer droughts, this ecosystem has become prone to frequent wildfires, a phenomenon that has affected the area with regularity (approximately 21 years apart). Naturally, this cycle of wildfires has had a great effect upon the mortality and survival of the diverse chaparral varieties that inhabit the Santa Monica Mountain region. This includes the Adenostoma fasciculatum (chamise), which is the most commonly-found form of chaparral shrub in California. (Redfeldt & Davis, 1996) This species of chaparral is particularly well-adapted to survival in a climate that …

Difference In Chaparral Species Population On The North And South Aspect On Pepperdine University Campus, Alexandra N. Lozano, Drew N. Rasmussen, Ashlyn L. Rawls

Featured Research

In this experiment, we analyzed the difference in population frequencies of chaparral plants along the north and south aspect of a slope on Pepperdine University campus in the Santa Monica Mountains in Malibu, CA. We began the experiment by hypothesizing the south aspect would receive the most sunlight, and thus would hold the most amount of plants. By using the Point Quarter Sampling Method, we were able to determine if our hypothesis was correct. After analyzing our data, we found no significant difference between the north and south aspect in terms on frequency. During our experiment we also measured the …

Possible Fungal Infection Leading To Malosma Laurina Dieback, Gabriella N. Palmeri, Braden S. Olsen, Kaitlyn E. Sauer, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

There is a significant and apparent dieback of Malosma laurina in the Santa Monica Mountains, some which is found near Pepperdine University. Other areas near Pepperdine show a flourishing growth of M. laurina and our objective was to determine why this difference in M. laurina health exists. We initially hypothesized that in addition to water stress, the unhealthy M. laurina was effected by a pathogen. Under further inspection, the unhealthy plants contained hyphae in some of their xylem vessels, while the healthy ones did not. We sought to determine whether the existence of hyphae in the unhealthy plant’s xylem affected …

Morphological Changes In Malosma Laurina Due To Prolonged Drought In The Santa Monica Mountains, Grace S. M. Bae, Majie C. Foster, Maryelizabeth S. Stein, Mariah K. Taylor

Featured Research

Observations of Malosma laurina seedlings in Sycamore Canyon, Malibu, CA, exhibit abnormally small and wrinkled leaves. We propose that the prolonged drought in California’s Santa Monica Mountains has lead to physical malformations indicative of water strain in the leaves of M. laurina plants. In this experiment, we tested water relations of six M. laurina plants found on Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus showing similar leaf patterns to those found in Sycamore Canyon. Six M. laurina plants devoid of the abnormal leaf growth patterns functioned as our control group. Stomatal conductance, water potential, and leaf mass to area data was gathered using …

Switching Tactics: Phenotypic Plasticity In The Alternative Mate-Finding Tactics Of Burying Beetles, Theresa Mulrey

Theses and Dissertations

Male Nicrophorus burying beetles utilize two alternative mate-finding tactics, representing an ideal model system to test the influence of environmental cues on the expression of alternative tactics. The "searching" tactic involves flying in search of a carcass on which to mate. This tactic can result in high levels of paternity, but is risky in that carcasses are rare and competition for carcasses is fierce. The "signaling" tactic, which involves emitting pheromone in the absence of a carcass to attract females, is energetically less costly, but a signalling male must mate with multiple females to achieve the same reproductive returns as …

The Effects Of Salinity On The Photosynthetic Rate Of Limonium Californicum, Adriana J. Borges, Elizabeth S. Chau, Justine M. Mckitrick

Featured Research

Halophytic plants, unlike most plants, are able to survive in stressful saline environments. Halophytes possess adaptations to osmoregulate, which gives them a competitive edge in saline environments such as coastal salt marshes. Our group analyzed the responses to salinity of the halophytic plant, Limonium californicum, which is present in California’s coastal salt marshes. We hypothesized that the photosynthetic rate of the Limonium californicum plants would decrease with increasing saline water treatments. In order to test this hypothesis, we watered L. californicum plants with solutions of varying salinity over the course of four days. We measured the photosynthetic rates using …

Correlation Between Hydration And Reflectance Of Yellow Petals On Encelia Californica, Jayci M. Givens, Kaylee A. Nussbaum, Caitin R. Kawata

Featured Research

It is known that the NDVI can be used as a measure of hydration in plants because of the variation in pigments due to xanthophyll cycling (Schmitz et al., 2013). Flower petals can also exhibit variations in petal reflectance invisible to the naked eye (Fam & Espinoza, 2013). It was hypothesized that overall hydration levels of a plant would correlate to a difference in the pigments produced for petal color, and thus differences in hydration levels would correlate to differences in petal reflectance. To test this hypothesis, three flowers and two stems were collected from ten different E. californica plants, …

The Sex Life Of Spiders (Or Adventures In Spider Sexual Biology), Martina Ramirez

Faculty Pub Night

No abstract provided.

The Fossil Record Of Phenotypic Integration And Modularity: A Deep-Time Perspective On Developmental And Evolutionary Dynamics, Anjali Goswami, Wendy J. Binder, Julie Meachen, Robin O'Keefe

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Variation is the raw material for natural selection, but the factors shaping variation are still poorly understood. Genetic and developmental interactions can direct variation, but there has been little synthesis of these effects with the extrinsic factors that can shape biodiversity over large scales. The study of phenotypic integration and modularity has the capacity to unify these aspects of evolutionary study by estimating genetic and developmental interactions through the quantitative analysis of morphology, allowing for combined assessment of intrinsic and extrinsic effects. Data from the fossil record in particular are central to our understanding of phenotypic integration and modularity because …

Effects Of Bpa And Alternatives On Human Health Concerning The Nflpa, Jeremy Martell

Biology Undergraduate

No abstract provided.

The Fossil Record Of Phenotypic Integration And Modularity: A Deep-Time Perspective On Developmental And Evolutionary Dynamics, Anjali Goswami, Wendy Binder, Julie Meachen, F. Robin O’Keefe

Biology Faculty Works

Variation is the raw material for natural selection, but the factors shaping variation are still poorly understood. Genetic and developmental interactions can direct variation, but there has been little synthesis of these effects with the extrinsic factors that can shape biodiversity over large scales. The study of phenotypic integration and modularity has the capacity to unify these aspects of evolutionary study by estimating genetic and developmental interactions through the quantitative analysis of morphology, allowing for combined assessment of intrinsic and extrinsic effects. Data from the fossil record in particular are central to our understanding of phenotypic integration and modularity because …

Investigations Into The Genomes Of Two Ascomyetes, Jay Wilbur Pyle

Theses and Dissertations

Fusarium verticillioides is a filamentous ascomycete that is both a plant endophyte and pathogen, causing disease during any life stage of the plant. When F. verticillioides grows in maize the fungus can synthesis a number of mycotoxins including the fumonisins, which have been linked with human esophageal cancer and neural tube associated birth defects. In an attempt to control fumonisin production our lab is searching the genome of F. verticillioides for a selfish genetic element known as Spore killer. The plan is simple; we envision creating a bio-control strain capable of harnessing the genetic transmission-distorting properties of Spore killer to …

Developmental Toxicity Of Tetrakis (Hydromethyl) Phosphonium Chloride (Thpc) In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Embryos, Lan L. Nguyen

Honors College Theses

Tetrakis (hydromethyl) phosphonium chloride (THPC) is a tetrakis (hydromethyl) phosphonium salt commonly used by the textile industry and is polymerized onto cotton fabrics to provide a flame-retardant finish. Traces of THPC were found in the Ogeechee River, a 294 mile-long black river in Georgia, and could have been a toxin contributing to the mass killing of aquatic animals in May 2011. THPC has been known to be carcinogenic and cause other systemic toxicity in various mammalian animals. However given that the chemical is mostly discharged in natural waters, the environmental impact of the discharge on water quality and there by …

Relative Abundances Of The Recently Introduced Barnacles, Megabalanus Coccopoma And An Unidentified Species Of Megabalanus, In The Southeastern U.S., Jennifer L. Tyson

Honors College Theses

ABSTRACT

Megabalanus coccopoma is a prominent invasive species off the coast of Georgia. Recently, among collected samples thought to be M. coccopoma, several individuals of an unidentified species of barnacle were found. The species has been identified as a Megabalanus species, but is still unidentified to the species level. Species identification is difficult due to morphological variation, inconsistent taxonomic keys, and unknown origin. In this study I developed a method to accurately distinguish M. coccopoma from the unidentified Megabalanus sp. using sequence differences in the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene. This study will provide an accurate estimate of …

Identification Guide To Larval Stages Of Ticks Of Medical Importance In The Usa, Kymbreana Coley

Honors College Theses

Scanning Electron Micrographs were prepared of four morphologically diagnostic regions (dorsal capitulum, ventral capitulum, scutum, leg coxae) for the larval stage of the 16 species of ixodid (hard) ticks known to parasitize humans in the USA. These species are: Amblyomma americanum, A. maculatum, A. mixtum, A. tuberculatum, Dermacentor albipictus, D. andersoni, D. occidentalis, D. variabilis, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes angustus, I. cookei, I. pacificus, I. scapularis, I. spinipalpis, I. texanus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Based on the morphological characters observed, a dichotomous identification key to ixodid larvae that parasitize humans in the USA was prepared. Common names, hosts and geographical distributions are …

The Effects Of Digestion On Innate Immunity, Rachel L. Luoma

Honors College Theses

Following a meal, an animal can exhibit dramatic shifts in its physiology that can result in rapid growth of the gut and heart, as well as a massive (>40-fold) increase in metabolic rate associated with the energetic costs of processing the meal. However, little is known about the effects of digestion on an important physiological trait: immune function. Thus, I tested the following competing hypotheses. First, digesting animals may upregulate their immune systems due to increased microbial exposure from ingested food. This hypothesis predicts that animals will exhibit greater immune function during digestion. Second, digesting animals may downregulate their …

Composite Random Search Strategies Based On Non-Directional Sensory Cues, Ben C. Nolting, Travis M. Hinkelman, Chad Brassil, Brigitte Tenhumberg

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Many foraging animals find food using composite random search strategies, which consist of intensive and extensive search modes. Models of composite search can generate predictions about how optimal foragers should behave in each search mode, and how they should determine when to switch between search modes. Most of these models assume that foragers use resource encounters to decide when to switch between search modes. Empirical observations indicate that a variety of organisms use nondirectional sensory cues to identify areas that warrant intensive search. These cues are not precise enough to allow a forager to directly orient itself to a resource, …

Isolation And Characterization Of An A4 Mycobacteriophage From Central Illinois, Aida `Cheung, Jadeah Spindler, Ruchen Tian, Jordan Miller, Audrey Smith, Meghan Linder, Tiffany Remijas, Richard Alvey, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Sixteen mycobacteriophages were isolated by students at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington IL using a soil enrichment technique and a Mycobacterium smegmatis host. Each student created and archived a high titer lysate of his or her mycobacteriophage, and of these sixteen, two were selected to be sent in for sequencing, Eidsmoe and Morrow. Morrow was found just outside the Morrow Plots at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2014, and was found to be one of 64 members of the A4 subcluster. Its 51,411 base pair genome is comparable to the average A4 genome of 51,395 base pairs. However, …

Expression And Isolation Of The Bche Encoded Protein Of Rhodobacter Capsulatus In Rhodobacter Capsulatus, Jennifer Chlebek, David Bollivar, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Bacteriochlorophyll plays an essential role in the process of photosynthesis in photosynthetic bacteria, but several of the enzymes involved in the synthesis of this tetrapyrrole are yet to be entirely understood. The step in which the ring structure of the tetrapyrrole is formed is catalyzed by the enzyme Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester cyclase (MPE-cyclase) which converts the substrate MPE into protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) and incorporates an oxygen atom from water. The gene bchE has been suggested to encode a protein required for MPE-cyclase activity in the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. In order to study the cyclase enzyme, we attempted to isolate …

Phenotypic Heterogeneity In Metabolic Traits Among Single Cells Of A Rare Bacterial Species In Its Natural Environment Quantified With A Combination Of Flow Cell Sorting And Nanosims, Matthias Zimmermann, Matthias Zimmermann, Stéphanie Escrig, Thomas Hübschmann, Mathias Kirf, Mathias Kirf, Andreas Brand, Andreas Brand, R. Inglis, R. Inglis, Niculina Musat, Susann Müller, Andres Meibom, Andres Meibom, Martin Ackermann, Martin Ackermann, Frank Schreiber, Frank Schreiber

Biology Department Faculty Works

Populations of genetically identical microorganisms residing in the same environment can display marked variability in their phenotypic traits; this phenomenon is termed phenotypic heterogeneity. The relevance of such heterogeneity in natural habitats is unknown, because phenotypic characterization of a sufficient number of single cells of the same species in complex microbial communities is technically difficult. We report a procedure that allows to measure phenotypic heterogeneity in bacterial populations from natural environments, and use it to analyze N2 and CO2 fixation of single cells of the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium phaeobacteroides from the meromictic lake Lago di Cadagno. We incubated lake …

Complete Genome Sequences Of Vb_Lmos_188 And Vb_Lmos_293, Two Bacteriophages With Specificity For Listeria Monocytogenes Strains Of Serotypes 4b And 4e, Aidan Casey, Aidan Coffey, Et. Al.

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for the rare disease listeriosis, which is associated with the consumption of contaminated food products. We report here the complete genome sequences of vB_LmoS_188 and vB_LmoS_293, phages isolated from environmental sources and that have host specificity for L. monocytogenes strains of the 4b and 4e serotypes.

The Heritability Of Shell Morphometrics In The Freshwater Pulmonate Gastropod Physa, Robert T. Dillon Jr., Stephen J. Jacquemin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The cosmopolitan freshwater pulmonate snail Physa acuta hybridizes readily with Physa carolinae in the laboratory, although their F1 progeny are sterile. The two species differ qualitatively in shell shape, the former bearing a more globose shell and the latter more fusiform. We performed a hybridization experiment, measuring a set of 14 traditional (linear) and landmark-based shell morphological variables on even-aged parents and their offspring from both hybrids and purebred control lines. Parent-offspring regression yielded a strikingly high heritability estimate for score on the first relative warp axis, h² = 0.819 ± 0.073, a result that would seem to confirm …

Recipe For Life - Health Awareness, Courtney Thrower

Collection of Engaged Learning

The design of this project was two-fold; the research component included examination of data from a previous investigation and compared it with data collected in a community service project. In each, the aim was to assess the health habits of underserved Spanish communities and provide information and opportunity for engagement with health education. Data were collected from voluntary participants in Panama and West Dallas. The purpose of the investigation was to learn more about perceptions of health habits and provide hands-on learning regarding what it means to be healthy and practice a wellness lifestyle. Specifically, to help participants in underserved …

Molecular Phylogenetics Of Basal Insect Groups: A Team Mentored Experience, Michael F. Whiting

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Funding was received from the BYU ORCA mentorship program during 2012-2013 to support undergraduates performing research in my lab on insect evolution, under the mentorship of postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and myself. During 2013- 2014, this funding provided direct support for 6 undergraduates who are in various stages of completing research projects. The following report focuses on undergraduate achievements, but also provides summary data for graduate students and other lab participants.

Urine Proteomics Identifies Preeclampsia Subphenotypes, Michelle R. Axe

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Preeclampsia is a perinatal complication of unknown etiology, resulting in 76,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 infant deaths annually₁. The Nationwide Children’s Center for Perinatal Research was the first cohort to propose that preeclampsia is rooted in protein misfolding. We aimed to characterize the misfolded protein components of maternal urine samples and to determine if distinct molecular profiles exist for clinical preeclampsia phenotypes. A total of 86 maternal urine samples from Yale-New Haven Hospital were analyzed for this study, from six clinical preeclampsia subphenotypes- pregnant control (n=10), idiopathic proteinuria (n=15), mild preeclampsia (n=14), superimposed preeclampsia (n=12), typical severe preeclampsia …

The Effect Of Red Maple Leaf Toxicosis On Reduced Glutathione Levels In Equine Erythrocytes In Vitro, Madeline A. Rohl

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Red maple leaf toxicosis is an equine blood disorder resulting from the consumption of wilted red maple (Acer rubrum L.) leaves by horses. Compounds within the leaves of red maple have oxidative effects on equine erythrocytes and can cause hemolysis of erythrocytes, the conversion of hemoglobin to methemoglobin, and the production of Heinz bodies. Reduced glutathione is important in the protection of equine erythrocytes from these oxidative events; however, in the presence of red maple toxin, glutathione is rapidly oxidized and is unavailable. The objective of this study is to determine whether the presence of vitamin C alters levels …