Biology

Activating The Innate Immune Response By Utilizing Macrophages As Aâ Defense For Immunosuppressed Individuals And Covid-19, Ashley Coddington, Christina Amoruso, Emma Rogers

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The activation of the innate immune response by utilizing Interferon-Gamma to activate macrophages will provide for immunosuppressed individuals an additional treatment option for COVID-19.

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Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution For The Homeless Population In Virginia, Brandi Joyner, Hunter Gillespie, Terika Williams

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Due to the lack of proper personal hygiene, clean water and housing, the homeless population is more susceptible to infections. In addition, the homeless are more likely to have compromised immune systems (i.e., HIV/AIDS) due to illicit drug use and sex work. Furthermore, there is not a current systematic state program that allows feasible access to the COVID-19 vaccine due to limited internet access and/or phone access. We are proposing that the Virginia House of Delegates provide state funding for vaccination drives in areas with high poverty rates. Locations can be at soup kitchens, food banks, domestic abuse shelters, and …

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Teaching Computation In Neuroscience: Notes On The 2019 Society For Neuroscience Professional Development Workshop On Teaching, William Grisham, Mathew Abrams, Walt E. Babiec, Adriene L. Fairhall, Robert E. Kass, Pascal Wallisch, Richard F. Olivo

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The 2019 Society for Neuroscience Professional 1Development Workshop on Teaching reviewed current tools, approaches, and examples for teaching computation in neuroscience. Robert Kass described the statistical foundations that students need to properly analyze data. Pascal Wallisch compared MATLAB and Python as programming languages for teaching students. Adrienne Fairhall discussed computational methods, training opportunities, and curricular considerations. Walt Babiec provided a view from the trenches on practical aspects of teaching computational neuroscience. Mathew Abrams concluded the session with an overview of resources for teaching and learning computational modeling in neuroscience.

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Lianas Do Not Reudce Tree Biomass Accumulation In Young Successional Tripical Dry Forests, Sergio Estrada Villegas, Jefferson S. Hall, Michiel Van Breugel, Stefan A. Schnitzer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Young successional tropical forests are crucial in the global carbon cycle because they can quickly sequester large quantities of atmospheric carbon. However, lianas (woody vines) can significantly decrease biomass accumulation in young regenerating forests. Lianas are abundant in tropical dry forests, and thus we hypothesized that lianas reduce biomass accretion in dry forests. Lianas may be particularly detrimental to the growth of young trees, which are vulnerable to competition from lianas. Alternatively, lianas may have a stronger negative effect on the largest trees because lianas seek the high-light environment at the top of the forest canopy. We tested these hypotheses …

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Oxytocin Receptor Expressing Cells In The Mouse Retina, Jackson Green

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Expression And Purification Of Mitochondrial Group 3 Lea Protein, Afrlea3m_29, From Diapause Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana, Ivan Dinh Nguyen

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Evaluation Of Two Artifacts Related With The Duration Of Rna-Protein Immunoprecipitation Experiments, Kevin Avanzino

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Oleoyl Coa Inhibition Of Complex Ii-Dependent Respiration In Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana: Possible Contributor To Metabolic Arrest During Diapause, Alexander P. Landry

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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The Physiological Effect Of Dietary Exposure To Microplastics In Fish Species: A Literature Review And Novel Polylactic Acid Project Proposal, Elise Hernandez

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Designing And Evaluating The Utility Of Novel Primers For The Detection Of An Emerging Fungal Disease Of Soybean, Brooklyn Squiers

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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The Investigation Of Young, Lineage Specific Alu Elements In The Owl Monkey (Aotus), Lydia Rewerts

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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The Association Of Sickle Cell Disease And Depression, Sarah Grace Schorr

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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The Effect Of [Ca2+] On Reducing The Impacts Of Salt Stress In Plant Growth Using A Stress Sensitive Model, Arabidopsis Thaliana And A Stress Adapted Model, Schrenkiella Parvula, Megan Alyssa Guilbeau

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Purification Of Rpl-135, Elizabeth Reilly Helm

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Baculovirus Translocation Through Maize: Examining A Novel Route For Insect Herbivore Infection, Peter Pierre Issa

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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The Synchrony Of Pathogen Events, Tivon Eugene

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Protocols For Assessing Transformation Rates Of Nitrous Oxide In The Water Column, Annie Bourbonnais, Claudia Frey, Xin Sun, Laura A. Bristow, Amal Jayakumar, Nathaniel E. Ostrom, Karen L. Casciotti, Bess B. Ward

Faculty Publications

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas and an ozone destroying substance. Yet, clear step-by-step protocols to measure N2O transformation rates in freshwater and marine environments are still lacking, challenging inter-comparability efforts. Here we present detailed protocols currently used by leading experts in the field to measure water-column N2O production and consumption rates in both marine and other aquatic environments. We present example 15N-tracer incubation experiments in marine environments as well as templates to calculate both N2O production and consumption rates. We discuss important considerations and recommendations regarding (1) precautions to prevent oxygen (O2) contamination during low-oxygen and anoxic …

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Genes Related To Redox And Cell Curvature Facilitate Interactions Between Caulobacter Strains And Arabidopsis, Louis Berrios, Bert Ely

Faculty Publications

Bacteria play an integral role in shaping plant growth and development. However, the genetic factors that facilitate plant-bacteria interactions remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated the importance of two bacterial genetic factors that facilitate the interactions between plant-growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria in the genus Caulobacter and the host plant Arabidopsis. Using homologous recombination, we disrupted the cytochrome ubiquinol oxidase (cyo) operon in both C. vibrioides CB13 and C. segnis TK0059 by knocking out the expression of cyoB (critical subunit of the cyo operon) and showed that the mutant strains were unable to enhance the growth of Arabidopsis. In addition, disruption of …

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What Is Refractory Organic Matter In The Ocean?, Federico Baltar, Xosé A. Alvarez-Salgado, Javier Arístegui, Ronald Benner, Dennis A. Hansell, Gerhard J. Herndl, Christian Lønborg

Faculty Publications

About 20% of the organic carbon produced in the sunlit surface ocean is transported into the ocean’s interior as dissolved, suspended and sinking particles to be mineralized and sequestered as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), sedimentary particulate organic carbon (POC) or “refractory” dissolved organic carbon (rDOC). Recently, the physical and biological mechanisms associated with the particle pumps have been revisited, suggesting that accepted fluxes might be severely underestimated (Boyd et al., 2019; Buesseler et al., 2020). Perhaps even more poorly understood are the mechanisms driving rDOC production and its potential accumulation in the ocean. On the basis of …

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Activating Mutations In Braf Disrupt The Hypothalamo-Pituitary Axis Leading To Hypopituitarism In Mice And Humans, Angelica Gualtieri, Nikolina Kyprianou, Louise C. Gregory, Maria Lillina Vignola, James G. Nicholson, Rachael Tan, Shin-Ichi Inoue, Valeria Scagliotti, Pedro Casado, James Blackburn, Fernando Abollo-Jimenez, Eugenia Marinelli, Rachael E.J. Besser, Wolfgang Högler, I. Karen Temple, Justin H. Davies, Andrey Gagunashvili, Iain C.A.F. Robinson, Sally A. Camper, Shannon W. Davis, Pedro R. Cutillas, Evelien F. Gevers, Yoko Aoki, Mehul T. Dattani, Carles Gaston-Massuet

Faculty Publications

Germline mutations in BRAF and other components of the MAPK pathway are associated with the congenital syndromes collectively known as RASopathies. Here, we report the association of Septo-Optic Dysplasia (SOD) including hypopituitarism and Cardio-Facio-Cutaneous (CFC) syndrome in patients harbouring mutations in BRAF. Phosphoproteomic analyses demonstrate that these genetic variants are gain-of-function mutations leading to activation of the MAPK pathway. Activation of the MAPK pathway by conditional expression of the Braf^V600E/+ allele, or the knock-in Braf^Q241R/+ allele (corresponding to the most frequent human CFC-causing mutation, BRAF p.Q257R), leads to abnormal cell lineage determination and terminal differentiation of …

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Niche Partitioning Of Low-Light Adapted Prochlorococcus Subecotypes Across Oceanographic Gradients Of The North Pacific Subtropical Front, Anne W. Thompson, Kathleen Kouba, Nathan A. Ahlgren

The cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photosynthetic cell on Earth and contributes to global ocean carbon cycling and food webs. Prochlorococcus is known for its extensive diversity that falls into two groups of ecotypes, the low-light (LL) and high-light (HL) adapted ecotypes. Previous work has shown niche partitioning of the very abundant HL adapted ecotypes and subecotypes across oceanographic gradients including temperature, nutrients, and day length. However, niche partitioning of subecotypes within the LL adapted ecotypes has not been studied as well because they are less abundant and less accessible than surface, HL populations. Through high-throughput, cyanobacterial-specific, sequencing of …

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Insect Hotels: A Biological Remedy For The Survivability Of Insects And The Human Species, Lewis University

Sustainability

No abstract provided.

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Ecological Impacts Of Apiaries, Lewis University

Sustainability

The Come Clean, Go Green competition is a program dedicated to making Lewis a more sustainable campus with ideas from Lewis Students across all disciplines. The program is sponsored by the Lewis University Sustainability Council and supported by, the sustainability fee, which was approved last year. The fee will fund the implementation of sustainability projects on campus that are chosen by students.

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Implementation Of A Small-Scale Wind Turbine, Lewis University

Sustainability

No abstract provided.

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What Is Refractory Organic Matter In The Ocean?, Federico Baltar, Xosé A. Alvarez-Salgado, Javier Arístegui, Ronald Benner, Dennis A. Hansell, Gerhard J. Herndl, Christian Lønborg

Faculty Publications

About 20% of the organic carbon produced in the sunlit surface ocean is transported into the ocean’s interior as dissolved, suspended and sinking particles to be mineralized and sequestered as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), sedimentary particulate organic carbon (POC) or “refractory” dissolved organic carbon (rDOC). Recently, the physical and biological mechanisms associated with the particle pumps have been revisited, suggesting that accepted fluxes might be severely underestimated (Boyd et al., 2019; Buesseler et al., 2020). Perhaps even more poorly understood are the mechanisms driving rDOC production and its potential accumulation in the ocean. On the basis of …

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Demography Of A Widespread Raptor Across Disparate Regions, Christopher J.W. Mcclure, Jessi L. Brown, Sarah E. Schulwitz, John Smallwood, Kathleen E. Farley, Jean Francois Therrien, Karl E. Miller, Karen Steenhof, Julie A. Heath

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Demographic differences between stable and declining populations can lend insight into drivers of population decline. The American Kestrel Falco sparverius is a widespread and often-studied falcon, yet its demography is poorly understood, and the causes of observed population declines across much of North America remain unknown. Using integrated population models and sensitivity analysis, we examine how vital rates drive growth in population levels of American Kestrels at four discrete study sites – Florida, Idaho and Pennsylvania with stable nestbox occupancy, and New Jersey, where occupancy is declining. Population growth was most sensitive to changes in adult survival, yet was most …

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Cultivating Gratitude And Learning: Virtual Agriculture Education For Elementary School Students, Heather Smith, Joy Gritton

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

In a time when the majority of young children know more about a computer than agriculture, this project brings agriculture to them in a unique way. This presentation introduces a program that aims to connect elementary students with the vast agriculture industry in the digital age using appropriate technology. The project consists of teaching children in Eastern Kentucky and beyond about agriculture and land use through the virtual dissemination of relevant stories, facts, and activities. In this way children can learn how agriculture is vital to their everyday life. Featured topics include horticulture crops, agronomic crops, livestock, and the history …

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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Cardiomyocytes Provide An In Vitro Model Of The Myocardial Environment For Investigating Stem Cell Therapies, Jacob M. Gunn

Honors Projects

Ischemic heart disease remains a major cause of death and disability worldwide (Moran Andrew E. et al., 2014). While interventions for heart disease have come a long way, restoring functionality to damaged myocardium remains a challenge. Both mechanical and electrical repair of the host myocardium are essential to salvage the damaged tissue. This is especially difficult following a myocardial infarction (MI) as the infarct area is subject to quick and extensive cell death via necrosis then apoptosis (Prabhu & Frangogiannis, 2016). Stem cells have emerged as a candidate for potential replacement therapies. Adult stem cells (ASCs) are taken from bone …

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A Spatially Explicit Model Of Stabilizing Selection For Improving Phylogenetic Inference, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Brian C. O'Meara, Michael A. Gilchrist

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ultraconserved elements (UCEs) are stretches of hundreds of nucleotides with highly conserved cores flanked by variable regions. Although the selective forces responsible for the preservation of UCEs are unknown, they are nonetheless believed to contain phylogenetically meaningful information from deep to shallow divergence events. Phylogenetic applications of UCEs assume the same degree of rate heterogeneity applies across the entire locus, including variable flanking regions. We present a Wright-Fisher model of selection on nucleotides (SeION) which includes the effects of mutation, drift, and spatially varying, stabilizing selection for an optimal nucleotide sequence. The SeION model assumes the strength of stabilizing selection …

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Low Activities Of Digestive Enzymes In The Guts Of Herbivorous Grouse (Aves: Tetraoninae), Jennifer Sorensen Forbey

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Avian herbivores face the exceptional challenge of digesting recalcitrant plant material while under the selective pressure to reduce gut mass as an adaptation for fight. One mechanism by which avian herbivores may overcome this challenge is to maintain high activities of intestinal enzymes that facilitate the digestion and absorption of nutrients. However, previous studies in herbivorous animals provide equivocal evidence as to how activities of digestive enzymes may be adapted to herbivorous diets. For example, “rate-maximizing” herbivores generally exhibit rapid digesta transit times and high activities of digestive enzymes. Conversely, “yield-maximizing” herbivores utilize long gut retention times and express lower …

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Full-Text Articles in Biology

Activating The Innate Immune Response By Utilizing Macrophages As Aâ Defense For Immunosuppressed Individuals And Covid-19, Ashley Coddington, Christina Amoruso, Emma Rogers

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution For The Homeless Population In Virginia, Brandi Joyner, Hunter Gillespie, Terika Williams

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Teaching Computation In Neuroscience: Notes On The 2019 Society For Neuroscience Professional Development Workshop On Teaching, William Grisham, Mathew Abrams, Walt E. Babiec, Adriene L. Fairhall, Robert E. Kass, Pascal Wallisch, Richard F. Olivo

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Lianas Do Not Reudce Tree Biomass Accumulation In Young Successional Tripical Dry Forests, Sergio Estrada Villegas, Jefferson S. Hall, Michiel Van Breugel, Stefan A. Schnitzer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Oxytocin Receptor Expressing Cells In The Mouse Retina, Jackson Green

Honors Capstones

Expression And Purification Of Mitochondrial Group 3 Lea Protein, Afrlea3m_29, From Diapause Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana, Ivan Dinh Nguyen

Honors Capstones

Evaluation Of Two Artifacts Related With The Duration Of Rna-Protein Immunoprecipitation Experiments, Kevin Avanzino

Honors Capstones

Oleoyl Coa Inhibition Of Complex Ii-Dependent Respiration In Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana: Possible Contributor To Metabolic Arrest During Diapause, Alexander P. Landry

Honors Capstones

The Physiological Effect Of Dietary Exposure To Microplastics In Fish Species: A Literature Review And Novel Polylactic Acid Project Proposal, Elise Hernandez

Honors Capstones

Designing And Evaluating The Utility Of Novel Primers For The Detection Of An Emerging Fungal Disease Of Soybean, Brooklyn Squiers

Honors Capstones

The Investigation Of Young, Lineage Specific Alu Elements In The Owl Monkey (Aotus), Lydia Rewerts

Honors Capstones

The Association Of Sickle Cell Disease And Depression, Sarah Grace Schorr

Honors Capstones

The Effect Of [Ca2+] On Reducing The Impacts Of Salt Stress In Plant Growth Using A Stress Sensitive Model, Arabidopsis Thaliana And A Stress Adapted Model, Schrenkiella Parvula, Megan Alyssa Guilbeau

Honors Capstones

Purification Of Rpl-135, Elizabeth Reilly Helm

Honors Capstones

Baculovirus Translocation Through Maize: Examining A Novel Route For Insect Herbivore Infection, Peter Pierre Issa

Honors Capstones

The Synchrony Of Pathogen Events, Tivon Eugene

Honors Capstones

Protocols For Assessing Transformation Rates Of Nitrous Oxide In The Water Column, Annie Bourbonnais, Claudia Frey, Xin Sun, Laura A. Bristow, Amal Jayakumar, Nathaniel E. Ostrom, Karen L. Casciotti, Bess B. Ward

Faculty Publications

Genes Related To Redox And Cell Curvature Facilitate Interactions Between Caulobacter Strains And Arabidopsis, Louis Berrios, Bert Ely

Faculty Publications

What Is Refractory Organic Matter In The Ocean?, Federico Baltar, Xosé A. Alvarez-Salgado, Javier Arístegui, Ronald Benner, Dennis A. Hansell, Gerhard J. Herndl, Christian Lønborg

Faculty Publications

Faculty Publications

Niche Partitioning Of Low-Light Adapted Prochlorococcus Subecotypes Across Oceanographic Gradients Of The North Pacific Subtropical Front, Anne W. Thompson, Kathleen Kouba, Nathan A. Ahlgren

Biology

Insect Hotels: A Biological Remedy For The Survivability Of Insects And The Human Species, Lewis University

Sustainability

Ecological Impacts Of Apiaries, Lewis University

Sustainability

Implementation Of A Small-Scale Wind Turbine, Lewis University

Sustainability

What Is Refractory Organic Matter In The Ocean?, Federico Baltar, Xosé A. Alvarez-Salgado, Javier Arístegui, Ronald Benner, Dennis A. Hansell, Gerhard J. Herndl, Christian Lønborg

Faculty Publications

Demography Of A Widespread Raptor Across Disparate Regions, Christopher J.W. Mcclure, Jessi L. Brown, Sarah E. Schulwitz, John Smallwood, Kathleen E. Farley, Jean Francois Therrien, Karl E. Miller, Karen Steenhof, Julie A. Heath

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Cultivating Gratitude And Learning: Virtual Agriculture Education For Elementary School Students, Heather Smith, Joy Gritton

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Cardiomyocytes Provide An In Vitro Model Of The Myocardial Environment For Investigating Stem Cell Therapies, Jacob M. Gunn

Honors Projects

A Spatially Explicit Model Of Stabilizing Selection For Improving Phylogenetic Inference, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Brian C. O'Meara, Michael A. Gilchrist

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Low Activities Of Digestive Enzymes In The Guts Of Herbivorous Grouse (Aves: Tetraoninae), Jennifer Sorensen Forbey

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations