Biology Commons^™

Animal Care Internship At Zootah, Jonah Fronk

Biology Posters

The management at Zootah offers a flexible internship program for people of all interests. My internship focused on animal care, especially the husbandry of reptiles and amphibians, enrichment, training, and increasing tractability.

This Means War: Female Choice In Guppies, Nathan Payne, Zac Talbot, Garrett Rydalch, Kim Sullivan

Biology Posters

In many organisms, including guppies, females choose with whom they mate. This is called female selection. For our experiment male and female guppies have been isolated from each other and then we tested to see if females preferred similar looking males in a bright environment more than a male in a neutral colored environment. We hypothesized that the female would prefer the male in the brighter colored environment over the males in the neutral colored environment. We predicted that the female would touch the glass on the brighter side more frequently.

Pharmacy Technician Internship, Melanie Aston

Biology Posters

Sara Roberts, the Pharmacy Manager of Walgreens, allowed me to complete my internship in in the pharmacy there. Here, I worked as a pharmacy technician and got a deeper look into what a future in healthcare looks like. Because I had already received my pharmacy technician license, no further training was required for me to complete the tasks expected of me as a technician.

Honey Fungus: Death From Underneath, Mike Gudmundson, Jim Lutz

Biology Posters

Armillaria root disease is found in many temperate and tropical forests throughout the world. It is responsible for on average 2-4% of mortalities in infected forests. This root disease is caused by many species of fungus from the Armillaria genus. They are commonly referred to as Honey Fungus. This fungus spreads mainly through the interaction of tree roots. The Wind River Forest Dynamics Plot shows evidence of an infection by Armillaria. However the extent of the infection has not been studied or mapped. Research Question : How much of the WFDP is infected and what are the effects of Armillaria …

Molecular Cloning, Josh Worley

Biology Posters

Molecular cloning is a process that manipulates the spider silk sequence to select for a proper sequence size and specific vector into which it can be expressed. This process is achieved using techniques such as digests, transformations, purifications, and ligations. This semester, our work has centered around the mPRI(alfalfa), pOET2(insect), and pmk(ecoli) vectors, into which we have, or will, insert 3 time, 6 time, and 9 time sequences of the spider silk amino acid chain. With each repetition of the silk sequence, its properties improve and become more like natural silk. Vector specification allows these sequences to be produced in …

Genetic Elements Involved In Zika Virus Neuropathogenesis, Matthew J. Dewey, Jordan C. Frank, Byung-Hak Song, Sang-Im Yun, Young-Min Lee

Biology Posters

Zikavirus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus(Fig. 1) that is closely related to Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, yellow fever, and dengue viruses. ZIKV was first discovered in Uganda in 1947, but it was not until recent outbreaks, such as through Micronesia in 2007 and through Brazil in 2015 (Fig. 2), that it has been found to be associated with neurological diseases such as Guillain-Barrésyndrome and microcephaly.

Summer 2017 Internship With Arup Laboratories, Jade Morgan

Biology Posters

I did my internship with ARUP Laboratories which is a national clinical and anatomical pathology reference lab and is a worldwide leader in innovative laboratory research. My position at ARUP was a Client Service Agent. I had a great time being an agent over the summer and experienced the process of medical testing. I learned a lot about the process of ordering tests, collecting specimen, processing specimen, testing the sample, and authenticating clients to release test results.

Dental Assisting At Comfort Dental, Karissa Horning

Biology Posters

I was able to get the most hands on experience I can before applying to Dental Schools. It gave me a better understanding of all that goes on during the day at a dental office. I got to work with 4 different dentists over the span on 4 months and learn their different techniques and styles. This internship really solidified my profession choice in the coming future. I will be able to take a lot of new knowledge with me as I apply to Dental Schools and hopefully go through school.

Sexual Coloration And Performance Capacity In Male Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana), Forrest Jensen, Spencer B. Hudson, Susannah S. French

Biology Posters

In many species of lizards, males fight over territories that allow them access to females, and during these interactions males will display sexual signals to competing individuals. Social signals such as coloration, are seemingly favored by sexual selection as they are thought to provide information about individual quality, such as performance capacity. Side-blotched Lizards, Uta stansburiana, exhibit throat color polymorphism (i.e. orange, yellow, and blue badges), which signal alternative life history strategies to conspecifics. Although morphological, behavioral and physiological characteristics have been shown to differ across male morphs, color variation within each morph has not been compared to aspects of …

Designing New Biomaterials: Modifying A Spider Silk Gene For Efficient Bacterial Expression For Industrial Production, Tanner J. Hancock, Nathan A. Payne, Travis Hotchkiss, Fernando A. Agarraberes, Randolph V. Lewis

Biology Posters

Spider silks have remarkable physical properties due to a combination of strength and elasticity. In addition, spider silks are biocompatible and biodegradable. Our laboratory has shown that the strength of products, such as fibers, produced with other silk proteins correlates with the size of the silk protein. The aciniform silk protein (AcSp1), has been shown to produce the thinnest and strongest fibers of all the natural spider silks. Aciniform silk is composed of a nonrepetitive amino-terminal region, 14 repeats of approximately 200 amino acids each, and a nonrepetitive carboxy-terminal region. We have been able to produce different variants of this …

Woodpecker Nesting Patterns In Eastern Washington Cascades, Sammy Cowell, Phil Fischer, Teresa Lorenz, Taryn Rodman, Ryan Sabel, Kim Sullivan

Biology Posters

• Woodpeckers serve as primary cavity excavators in fire dominated forests.
• Secondary cavity users (SCU’s) rely heavily on cavities excavated by woodpeckers.
• Woodpecker species are declining, and some are nowlocally threatened. Management needs answers.
• How is woodpecker reproductive success impacted by the behavior of woodpeckers, SCU’s, and predators?

Hplc Method Development And Instrument Qc For Aldehyde And Ketone Compounds, Trevor O'Neil, Seth Lyman

Biology Posters

The Uintah Basin periodically experiences high ozone levels during the winter season (Lyman et al). Carbonyl compounds are produced from various emission sources and are precursors to ground level ozone production. Of these compounds, several aldehydes and ketones are volatile and listed as hazardous under the Clean Air Act (1990). We regularly measure carbonyl concentrations in air via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as part of our efforts to better understand and improve air quality in the Uintah Basin. For this project, we investigated possible improvements to our HPLC system to increase resolution, identification, and quantification of carbonyls in collected air …

Do Female Guppies Really Know What They Want?, Jennica Blasi, Abby Keuhl-Coe, Hanna Kirkland, Michael Larson

Biology Posters

• Hypothesis: Female guppies do not influence each other’s choice of male guppy

• Predictions: If female guppies do not influence each other’s choice in males, then most females guppies will choose the same male whether alone or in the presence of other females

• Choice is defined as which pane of glass the female interacts more with from 1 to 3 minutes after being introduced to the tank

• 34 Females were used, 17 small and 17 large

Summer 2017 Internship At The Forage And Range Research Lab Usda, Braydon Marchant

Biology Posters

I had the privilege to work with several researchers and lab technicians at the Forage and Range Research Lab, which is part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The work I did primarily dealt with the molecular genetics of grasses, particularly those of the Poa genus.

Condition-Dependence Of Defensive Tail Displays In Common Garter Snakes (Thamnophis Sirtalis), Sabrina Shay A. Anderson, Spencer B. Hudson, Lori Neuman-Lee, Susannah S. French

Biology Posters

Individual snakes can exhibit a diversity of antipredator responses including crypsis, flight, and a variety of stereotyped behavioral reactions to predators at close range. Among these responses are behavioral differences in the movement (e.g., waving or wiggling) of a conspicuous tail by an otherwise cryptically colored snake. Defensive tail displays may disorient a predator, divert attack to the tail, act as a warning signal, or serve no function at all. The use of tail displays in snakes may also depend on current physiological investment into color production and body size, which can affect locomotor ability to escape predators. The purpose …

The Effect Of Ethnicity And Socioeconomic Factors On Reporting Of Concussions Among Ncaa Student-Athletes, Joshua Hansen

Biology Posters

Concussions are traumatic brain injuries that result from “brain shaking” that can occur during any situation that may transmit force to the head. Concussions are defined as a clinical syndrome characterized by immediate and transient post-traumatic impairment of neural functions which lead to a complex grouping of both psychological and physiological symptoms. As knowledge of the long-term implications of these injuries grows, concussions are becoming more of a major health concern worldwide. One subset of concussion classifications, sports-related concussions, is receiving an increasing amount of attention from scientists and health-care practitioners alike. It is estimated that more than 3.8 million …

Associated Regional And University Pathologists Arup Research Internship, Devin Froerer

Biology Posters

ARUP is a reference laboratory that is part of the University of Utah. When a physician wants to run a test on a patients blood or other fluid for diagnostic purposes, there are a few options for where the test is run. Some hospitals are equipped to run many common tests. When a test exceeds what the hospital can do however, a patient’s sample is then sent to a better equipped lab, such as ARUP. ARUP is one of the largest reference laboratories in the nation, and has hundreds of thousands of samples that are tested there every week. These …

Optimization Of Recombinant Spider Silk Protein Purification From Goat Milk, Brandon Yazzie, Michael Valentine, Tanner Hancey, Kaedon Buchmiller, Justin Jones, Randy Lewis

Biology Posters

Over millions of years, spiders have evolved to produce a biocompatible material known as spider silk. Nephila clavipes, more commonly known as the Golden Orb Weaving Spider, is one of the most studied. Orb weaving spiders produce 7 different types of silk with unique functions and properties.

Guppies: Sexy And You Know It?, Leslie Bredthauer, Katelin Boettcher, Landon Keller, Kim Sullivan

Biology Posters

We were curious to know if female guppies are more interested in the quality or quantity of males.

Evaluation Of Differential Blood Stain For Detection Of Enterovirus D68, Michael Bertolio, Bart Tarbet, Chris Peterson, Brett Hurst

Biology Posters

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a small, non-enveloped RNA virus, and is suspected to be the cause of respiratory and neurological disease in young children.1 The most concerning clinical sign is an acute flaccid paralysis of the lower limbs. At the Institute for Antiviral Research, and under the direction of Dr. Bart Tarbet, we have developed an animal model for studying EV-D68 infection. With this model, we will pursue gaining a better understanding of the neuropathogenesis of EV-D68. It has been shown, in in-vitro studies, that EV-68 is able to produce infectious progeny in leukocyte cell lines.2 We will, therefore, compare …

Mean Girls: The Effect Of Multiple Females On Sexual Selection Behavior In Guppies, Douglas Brian, Sean Bergeson, Isaiah Mcdonough

Biology Posters

It is well documented that females play a prominent role in the sexual selection behavior of guppies. Working within the lab in the BNR building, our experiment sought to determine whether the presence of multiple females would, as a result of being within a more competitive environment, affect the sexual selection behavior of female guppies. As we wanted our test to be within a larger environmental context, we decided to use wild type males. One tank had one male on either side with one female in the middle, while the other tank had one male on either side and 3 …

Internship At The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, Shannon Humphries

Biology Posters

This summer I worked as an intern for the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in Cheyenne, Wyoming and was specifically over the Paul Smith Children's Village. I applied for an internship at this garden because I volunteered in the garden in the past and knew it would be a rewarding experience.

Enhancing Information Literacy Using Bernard Lonergan's Generalized Empirical Method: A Three-Year Case Study In A First Year Biology Course., Lisa M. Rose-Wiles, Marian Glenn, Doreen Stiskal

Praxis Publications

This paper describes a three-year long collaborative project between a science librarian, a biology professor and a physical therapy professor to improve information literacy in an undergraduate biology laboratory course. The authors used Bernard J. Lonergan’s Generalized Empirical Method (GEM) as a cognitional framework, emphasizing the role of experience, understanding, judgement and action in conducting research. They focused on the selection, integration and citation of scholarly articles in formal laboratory reports. The science librarian became embedded in the course, delivering information literacy instruction sessions, grading and providing feedback on the use of information sources in the lab reports. Overall the …

Development Of Murine Model For Enterovirus D68 In Ag-129 Mice, John Mcclatchy, Joseph Evans, Brett Hurst, Bart Tarbet

Biology Posters

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is an emerging picornavirus virus which typically causes respiratory disease. In 2014, a nationwide outbreak of EV-D68 occurred, with a portion of these cases associated with neurological disease. At the time of this outbreak, no animal models existed for Enterovirus D68, making it difficult to characterize pathology and test potential therapeutics. To address this, we developed a mouse model of EVd68 infection in AG-129 mice (immuno-compromised mice).

Avian Hotspots, Daniel Johnson, Danielle Johnson

Biology Posters

Bird Window Collisions

• Result in an estimated 365-988 million bird fatalities each year in the U.S. (Loss)
• Occur because birds are unable to perceive glass panels
  • Reflections in glass are seen as unobstructed paths
• Often result in broken beaks, necks, and internal hemorrhaging
  • Fatalities are a typical outcome
• Psychological distress to onlookers
  • Unpleasant mess on the glass and ground

Vectors Derived From Native Lactobacillus Casei Plasmids, Bryan Coburn, Dennis Welker

Biology Posters

Lactic acid bacteria are frequently used in the preparation of fermented foods and as probiotics. They also are employed by the biotechnology industry to make valuable biomaterials, such as enzymes and lactic acid. The goal of this project was to produce shuttle vectors from the native plasmids found in different strains of Lactobacillus casei. Genetic regions from three native plasmids that contained the plasmid replication origin and genes encoding proteins involved with replication initiation and with partitioning of the plasmids into daughter cells were cloned into an Escherichia coli vector backbone. Maintenance of the resulting shuttle vectors in L. casei …

Altered Feeding Behavior And Viral Detection In Honey Bees Exposed To Organosilicone, Matthew Thompson, Ellen Klinger, Karen Kapheim, Diana Cox-Foster

Biology Posters

Honey bees play an important role in agriculture and the decline of honey bee populations worldwide has generated concern. While the application of pesticides in agricultural settings is often implicated in the deterioration of honey bee population health, pesticide applications contain more than just pesticides; they also contain adjuvants that may have detrimental effects to bee health. One known effect of these adjuvants is the increase of viral loads in honey bee larvae (Fine et al. 2017). We are investigating the effects of one class of inert pesticide adjuvant, organosilicone surfactant (OSS), on adult honey bee health.

Is Beauty Only Skin Deep? Mate Selection In Guppies, Tyson Alles, Amanda Cook, Alex Kunz, Jeff Merkley

Biology Posters

Our experiment sought to understand mate preference in female guppies, Poecilia reticulata. We observed behavioral differences between wild-type males caught from a local indoor pond and vibrant pet store males, who exhibited higher stress levels, likely due in part to being shipped long distances. Observing these behavioral differences, we hypothesized that females would prefer the less stressed males regardless of color. When a female guppy was presented with both a wild type and a pet store male, we predicted that she would prefer the wild-type male on account of their lower stress.

Tracing Brain Structures Of Alkali Bees To Investigate Endocrine And Social Effects On Neural Plasticity, Justin Tirrell, Mallory A. Hagadorn, Makenna M. Johnson, Karen M. Kapheim

Biology Posters

For highly social bee species, juvenile hormone (JH) and social cues are linked to increased expression of class-based social features. However, little data has been collected on the relationship between these variables and homologous features in non-social bees. To fill this gap in data, we studied the neuroanatomical response of Nomia melanderi, a non-social bee species, to endocrine and social treatments. Since N. melanderi is a non-social bee with pre-adaptations to sociality, such as brood care and aggregative nesting habits, its responses to hormone treatment and social cues can be used to model how neural plasticity in non-social ancestors of …

Be Kind To Dentists, They Have Fillings Too, Ryan Gallegos

Biology Posters

The office at ABC pediatric dentistry is bright, colorful, and has a very open concept. It is a place designed for children. The first thing patients notice when they walk in are the building blocks and toys. They can also see the giant glass windows that allow them to look into the north cleaning bay. The purpose of this is to lead by example. They can see other children getting their teeth cleaned, so they feel more comfortable letting us clean their teeth. Each colored chair has a TV placed above it and the children get to choose from one …