Biology Commons^™

Assessing Climate Change Impacts On Live Fuel Moisture And Wildfire Risk Using A Hydrodynamic Vegetation Model, Wu Ma, Lu Zhai, Alexandria Pivovaroff, Jacquelyn Shuman, Polly Buotte, Junyan Ding, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Ryan G. Knox, Max Moritz, Rosie A. Fisher

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Live fuel moisture content (LFMC) plays a critical role in wildfire dynamics, but little is known about responses of LFMC to multivariate climate change, e.g., warming temperature, CO2 fertilization, and altered precipitation patterns, leading to a limited prediction ability of future wildfire risks. Here, we use a hydrodynamic demographic vegetation model to estimate LFMC dynamics of chaparral shrubs, a dominant vegetation type in fire-prone southern California. We parameterize the model based on observed shrub allometry and hydraulic traits and evaluate the model's accuracy through comparisons between observed and simulated LFMC of three plant functional types (PFTs) under current climate conditions. …

Testing Functional Variation In Thermal Properties For Antarctic Mosses, Andrew Forrest Clements

Dissertations and Theses

As the maritime Antarctic ecosystem continues to warm, glacial retreat will further expose subterranean permafrost to warmer conditions. One of the most visible changes in the ecosystem is the colonization of the new ice-free areas by bryophytes, particularly mosses. These bryophytes are having important effects on terrestrial thermal properties, but little is known about differences among Antarctic moss species in their thermal properties. Here, I measured the thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and the water content of moss species on King George Island to understand the insulation ability of Antarctic mosses, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sanionia georgicouncinata, Chorisodontium aciphyllum, …

Keeping Balance Between Genetic Stability And Plasticity At The Telomere And Subtelomere Of Trypanosoma Brucei, Bibo Li Ph.D.

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Telomeres, the nucleoprotein complexes at chromosome ends, are well-known for their essential roles in genome integrity and chromosome stability. Yet, telomeres and subtelomeres are frequently less stable than chromosome internal regions. Many subtelomeric genes are important for responding to environmental cues, and subtelomeric instability can facilitate organismal adaptation to extracellular changes, which is a common theme in a number of microbial pathogens. In this review, I will focus on the delicate and important balance between stability and plasticity at telomeres and subtelomeres of a kinetoplastid parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, which causes human African trypanosomiasis and undergoes antigenic variation to evade the …

Stream Sediment Monitoring In Morehead Kentucky, Kristopher Krolikowski, Jen O'Keefe

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Sediment loads in stream systems play a big role in how overall runoff behaves. Streams naturally transport sediment at various ratios depending on precipitation. When vegetation is removed in upstream environments, sediment loads on streams increase. Sudden increases of sediments in streams can cause many issues, such as flooding or stream re-direction. In Morehead, KY, large-scale logging operations on the ridge above Knapp Avenue and on the ridge above the north end of Allen Avenue have caused increased sediment load in a small stream called Oxley Branch. This stream flows south parallel to Knapp Avenue and along the eastern property …

Local And 2-Local Derivations On Octonion Algebras, Allayar Allambergenov

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

The present paper is devoted to study of local and 2-local derivations on octonion algebras. We shall give a general form of local derivations on the real octonion algebra \[{\mathbb{O}_\mathbb{R}}.\] This description implies that the space of all local derivations on \[{\mathbb{O}_\mathbb{R}}\] when equipped with Lie bracket is isomorphic to the Lie algebra \[\mathfrak{s}{\mathfrak{o}_7}(\mathbb{R})\] of all real skew-symmetric \[7 \times 7\]-matrices. We also consider \[2\]-local derivations on an octonion algebra \[{\mathbb{O}_\mathbb{F}}\] over an algebraically closed field \[\mathbb{F}\] of the characteristic zero and prove that every \[2\]-local derivation on \[{\mathbb{O}_\mathbb{F}}\] is a derivation. Further, we apply these results to similar problems …

The Ecology Of Rural Roads: Effects, Management, And Research, Alisa W. Coffin, Douglas S. Ouren, Neil D. Bettez, Luís Borda-De-Água, Amy E. Daniels, Clara Grilo, Jochen A.G. Jaeger, Laetitia M. Navarro, Haiganoush K. Preisler, Emily Rauschert

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Gene Annotation & The Genomics Education Partnership (Gep), Yordanos Belachew, Sarah Justice

Faculty-Mentored Undergraduate Scholarship

Gene annotation is the process of assigning meaning to different parts of a sequenced genome. The process of annotation involves using a combination of computational and experimental evidence to identify features of genes within DNA sequences. Due to the complexity and diversity of gene structure, human-curated gene analysis has been shown to be significantly more accurate than computational approaches. This comparative genomics project involved collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing evidence comparting D. bipectinata to the well-characterized model organism D. melanogaster to created best-supported gene “models” in this newly sequenced species. The application of this research lies in the use of Drosophila …

Exploring Open Scientific Questions Through Publicly Available Resources, Luke Seeman, Sarah Justice

Faculty-Mentored Undergraduate Scholarship

At countless points during any sort of scientific pursuit, there are many interesting questions that are raised that might pique the interest of those with curious minds. Questions aren't hard to come by, then, but the task becomes this: how might a scientist begin to explore a brand new question that they don't really know anything about? As it turns out, there are many ways to explore scientific data through public and open-source research tools. Over the course of the summer, I found one question in particular that grabbed me: pancreatic cancer—as of today, one of the deadliest, least-understood, and …

The Effect Of Freeze-Thaw Events On Dna Integrity In The Gray Treefrog (Hyla Versicolor), Georgia Ficarra

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Freeze-tolerant gray treefrogs survive winter by producing natural cryoprotectants and accommodating ice formation within extracellular spaces. While frozen, gray treefrogs endure hyperglycemia, dehydration, and anoxia due to the halt of all bodily functions. Upon thawing, the frogs’ anoxic cells receive a rapid influx of oxygen, which can cause oxidative damage to vital macromolecules including DNA. Previous studies have suggested freeze-tolerant frogs avoid oxidative damage after freeze-thaw events by elevating antioxidant activity, but recent work has shown upregulated DNA repair encoding genes in post-freeze frogs. The objective of this thesis is to assess the cellular costs of freezing by measuring oxidative …

An American Physiological Society Cross-Journal Call For Papers On “Inter-Organ Communication In Homeostasis And Disease”, Sue C. Bodine, Heddwen L. Brooks, Nigel W. Bunnett, Hilary A. Coller, Mark R. Frey, Bina Joe, Thomas R. Kleyman, Merry L. Lindsey, Andre Marette, Rory E. Morty, Jan Marino Ramírez, Morten B. Thomsen, Gina L.C. Yosten

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Why New Diseases Keep Popping Up, Alan L. Gillen, Jason Conrad

Faculty Publications and Presentations

New and reemerging diseases are terrifying and concerning problems. Not only do they carry a financial and emotional toll, but they account for significant numbers of death. Emerging diseases are usually zoonotic and highly virulent in nature. These are pathogenic and parasitic diseases of high consequence and impact. Why would a good Creator allow these new diseases? Why do new diseases keep popping up? Mutation and displacement of original types of microbes account for many new diseases; however, the answer is more complex than just these two factors. Zoonoses are the most common type of infection, specifically from viral pathogens, …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, July 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 2, Issue 7.

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 Celebrating Three Years
Page 3 Summer School Travel
Page 4 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 5 Chemistry Teachers Visit
Page 5 Remembering Dr. Warren Hein
Page 6 Research Spotlights: Undergraduate Summer Experiences
Page 7 Open PRAIRIE Data; Grants Awarded in CNS

Resolving Species Boundaries In A Recent Radiation With The Angiosperms353 Probe Set: The Lomatium Packardiae/L. Anomalum Clade Of The L. Triternatum (Apiaceae) Complex, Michael V. Ottenlips, Sven Buerki, James F. Smith

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Premise: Speciation not associated with morphological shifts is challenging to detect unless molecular data are employed. Using Sanger-sequencing approaches, the Lomatium packardiae/L. anomalum subcomplex within the larger Lomatium triternatum complex could not be resolved. Therefore, we attempt to resolve these boundaries here.

Methods: The Angiosperms353 probe set was employed to resolve the ambiguity within Lomatium triternatum species complex using 48 accessions assigned to L. packardiae, L. anomalum, or L. triternatum. In addition to exon data, 54 nuclear introns were extracted and were complete for all samples. Three approaches were used to estimate evolutionary relationships and define species …

A Higher-Level Nuclear Phylogenomic Study Of The Carrot Family (Apiaceae), James F. Smith

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

PREMISE: The carrot family (Apiaceae) comprises 466 genera, which include many well-known crops (e.g., aniseed, caraway, carrots, celery, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, parsley, and parsnips). Higher-level phylogenetic relationships among subfamilies, tribes, and other major clades of Apiaceae are not fully resolved. This study aims to address this important knowledge gap.

METHODS: Target sequence capture with the universal Angiosperms353 probe set was used to examine phylogenetic relationships in 234 genera of Apiaceae, representing all four currently recognized subfamilies (Apioideae, Azorelloideae, Mackinlayoideae, and Saniculoideae). Recovered nuclear genes were analyzed using both multispecies coalescent and concatenation approaches.

RESULTS: We recovered hundreds of nuclear …

Using An Ultraviolet Light Test To Improve Sagebrush Identification And Predict Forage Quality For Wildlife, Roger Rosentreter, Brecken C. Robb, Jennifer S. Forbey

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sagebrush identification can be improved by using a relatively easy ultraviolet (UV) light test on specimens. Sagebrush produces a variety of water-soluble polyphenols called coumarins, which fluoresce a blue color under UV light and can help differentiate species, subspecies, and hybrids. We tested 16 different sagebrush taxa (including species and subspecies) from herbarium specimens and found 3 taxa (low sagebrush, Artemisia arbuscula; Wyoming sagebrush, A. tridentata wyomingensis; and basin sagebrush, A. t. tridentata) that were often misidentified. We show that the UV light test can greatly improve identification of these species. Moreover, given that the UV+ chemicals …

Domestic Egg-Laying Hens, Gallus Gallus Domesticus, Do Not Modulate Flapping Flight Performance In Response To Wing Condition, Brianna M. León, Bret W. Tobalske, Neila Ben Sassi, Renée Garant, Donald R. Powers, Alexandra Harlander-Matauschek

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Wild birds modulate wing and whole-body kinematics to adjust their flight patterns and trajectories when wing loading increases flight power requirements. Domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in backyards and farms exhibit feather loss, naturally high wing loading, and limited flight capabilities. Yet, housing chickens in aviaries requires birds to navigate three-dimensional spaces to access resources. To understand the impact of feather loss on laying hens’ flight capabilities, we symmetrically clipped the primary and secondary feathers before measuring wing and whole-body kinematics during descent from a 1.5 m platform. We expected birds to compensate for increased wing loading by increasing wingbeat …

The Impacts Of The Presence Of Amino Alcohols On Xenobiotic Cell Signaling Pathways, John Csehill, Sarah Mordan-Mccombs Phd

Annual Student Research Poster Session

For this project, we investigated the effects of the presence of amino alcohols on the xenobiotically-catalyzed cell signaling pathways growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells. Amino alcohols have been hypothesized to act as antitumor agents against different types of tumor cells because they could act as a ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhRs) responsible for regulating downstream enzymes involved in the cellular response to xenobiotic stimuli.Yeast cells, on the other hand, do not have AhR proteins within their cells, so they depend on other potentially similar mechanisms involved in responding to xenobiotic signaling pathways. I helped synthesize the amino …

Identifying An Appropriate In Vitro Model To Study The Effects Of Microrna-4705 On S100Β Expression, Alyssa Koch, Vidhur Bynagari, Yangjie Tan, Nipun Chopra Phd

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by external force to the head. In addition to the primary injury sustained by the impact, TBI can trigger a chronic inflammatory response that causes further tissue damage and neuronal death. Following TBI, glial cells of the central nervous system secrete elevated levels of the S100βprotein. S100βcan activate and upregulate the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE). The RAGE pathway activates NFκB, a transcription factor involved in production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, resulting in infiltration of immune cells from the peripheral blood. Unchecked, the inflammatory response is thought to cause excessive tissue damage and …

Ahr Expression On Rorc-Expressing Immune Cells Is Essential For I3c-Mediated Protection Against Colitis, Michal C. Williams

Senior Theses

Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD) whose etiology is attributed to modification in the luminal microbiota and dysregulation in the immune response. Indole is a signaling molecule which is naturally produced by gut luminal microbiota. Indole-3- carbinol (I3C) is a compound commonly found in vegetables and a ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Previous studies have detected decreased expression and activation on the AhR receptor in colitis patients, thought to possibly alter gut microbiota metabolism, subsequently promoting colitis. 1 AhR, expressed in a variety of immune and epithelial cells, contributes to gut homeostasis by affecting vital mediators such …

Data Management Tools To Measure The Impact Of Core Facilities, Diane B. Smith, Tracy L. Yarnell, Barbara J. Jibben, Linda E. Liou, Carolyn J. Hovde, Julia Thom Oxford

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Biomolecular Research Center at Boise State University is a research core facility that supports the study of biomolecules with an emphasis on protein structure and function, molecular interactions, and imaging. The mission of the core is to facilitate access to instrumentation that might otherwise be unavailable because of the cost, training for new users, and scientific staff with specialized skills to support early-stage investigators, as well as more established senior investigators. Data collection and management of users and their research output is essential to understand the impact of the center on the research environment and research productivity. However, challenges …

Depth-Discrete Metagenomics Reveals The Roles Of Microbes In Biogeochemical Cycling In The Tropical Freshwater Lake Tanganyika, Patricia Q. Tran, Samantha C. Bachand, Peter B. Mcintyre, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Yvonne Vadeboncoeur, Ismael A. Kimirei, Rashid Tamatamah, Katherine D. Mcmahon, Karthik Anantharaman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Lake Tanganyika (LT) is the largest tropical freshwater lake, and the largest body of anoxic freshwater on Earth's surface. LT's mixed oxygenated surface waters float atop a permanently anoxic layer and host rich animal biodiversity. However, little is known about microorganisms inhabiting LT's 1470 meter deep water column and their contributions to nutrient cycling, which affect ecosystem-level function and productivity. Here, we applied genome-resolved metagenomics and environmental analyses to link specific taxa to key biogeochemical processes across a vertical depth gradient in LT. We reconstructed 523 unique metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from 34 bacterial and archaeal phyla, including many rarely observed …

Depth-Discrete Metagenomics Reveals The Roles Of Microbes In Biogeochemical Cycling In The Tropical Freshwater Lake Tanganyika, Patricia Q. Tran, Samantha C. Bachand, Peter B. Mcintyre, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Yvonne Vadeboncoeur, Ismael A. Kimirei, Rashid Tamatamah, Katherine D. Mcmahon, Karthik Anantharaman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Lake Tanganyika (LT) is the largest tropical freshwater lake, and the largest body of anoxic freshwater on Earth's surface. LT's mixed oxygenated surface waters float atop a permanently anoxic layer and host rich animal biodiversity. However, little is known about microorganisms inhabiting LT's 1470 meter deep water column and their contributions to nutrient cycling, which affect ecosystem-level function and productivity. Here, we applied genome-resolved metagenomics and environmental analyses to link specific taxa to key biogeochemical processes across a vertical depth gradient in LT. We reconstructed 523 unique metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from 34 bacterial and archaeal phyla, including many rarely observed …

Born To Run? Vegetative Spread Of The Invasive Plant Phragmites Australis Via Stolons (Runners), Daniel L. Saltz, Dana Dudle Phd

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Phragmites australis is a highly invasive wetland grass species that dominates nearly any ecosystem that it invades, this is due to its incredibly dense foliage which makes it hard for plants and animals to live in the vicinity of phragmites. Phragmites can grow in versatile environments and are extremely durable. Therefore, once phragmites establish itself, it is very difficult to remove it. On top of that, Phragmites spreads very quickly by utilizing both sexual and asexual reproduction.

Individual Quality And Phenology Mediate The Effect Of Radioactive Contamination On Body Temperature In Chernobyl Barn Swallows, Zbyszek Boratynski, Timothy A. Mousseau, Anders Pape Moller

Faculty Publications

Anthropogenic stressors, such as radioactive contaminants released from the Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi accidents, deteriorate ecological and evolutionary processes, as evidence for damaging effects of radioactive contamination on wildlife is accumulating. Yet little is known about physiological traits of animals inhabiting contaminated areas, and how those are affected by individual quality and phenology. We investigated variation in body temperature of wild barn swallows, Hirundo rustica, exposed to radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine and Belarus. We tested whether exposure to variable levels of radioactive contamination modified core body temperature of birds, and whether individual and phenological characteristics modulated …

Investigating The Effects Of The Benzylamine And Epoxide Product On The Cell Viability Of Mcf7 And Sum159 Breast Cancer Cell Lines, Rachael Hinshaw, Sarah Mordan-Mccombs Phd

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Introduction: Breast cancer is currently the most prevalent form of cancer in the world. Early stage treatments such as selective estrogen receptor modulators and antibodybased therapies have proven effective, but there are few options for late stage triple-negative disease (TNBC). Thus, current research is focused on chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents for late stage disease. Dr. Hansen’s lab has found evidence that their synthesized β-amino alcohol compounds are potential targets for cancer treatments due to their cytotoxic effects on brine shrimp and the HL-60 leukemia cell line. The benzylamine and epoxide product synthesized has an LC50 value of 8.28 uM which …

Activation Of Orexin System Stimulates Camkii Expression, Yuanyuan Fan, Enshe Jiang, Huanjia Gao, Jeremy Bigalke, Bojun Chen, Chunxiu Yu, Qinghui Chen, Zhiying Shan

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Hyperactivity of the orexin system within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) has been shown to contribute to increased sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and blood pressure (BP) in rodent animals. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that orexin system activation stimulates calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) expression and activation, and stimulation of CaMKII expressing PVN neurons increases SNA and BP. Real-time PCR and/or western blot were carried out to test the effect of orexin-A administration on CaMKII expression in the PVN of normal Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and orexin receptor 1 (OX1R) expressing PC12 cells. Immunostaining was …

An Updated Infra-Familial Classification Of Sapindaceae Based On Targeted Enrichment Data, Sven Buerki

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Premise: The economically important, cosmopolitan soapberry family (Sapindaceae) comprises ca. 1900 species in 144 genera. Since the seminal work of Radlkofer, several authors have attempted to overcome challenges presented by the family’s complex infra-familial classification. With the advent of molecular systematics, revisions of the various proposed groupings have provided significant momentum, but we still lack a formal classification system rooted in an evolutionary framework.

Methods: Nuclear DNA sequence data were generated for 123 genera (86%) of Sapindaceae using target sequence capture with the Angiosperms353 universal probe set. HybPiper was used to produce aligned DNA matrices. Phylogenetic inferences were obtained using …

A Comparative Study On Cannabidiol In Melanoma Migration And Invasion: Charlotte's Web Vs. Purified Cbd, 2020–2021, Ruby Thamert

Theses

Over the last decade, much attention has been focused on compounds from Cannabis sativa in treating a variety of diseases including cancer. This study examines the abilities of two different cannabidiol oils to decrease the migration and invasion of melanoma cells in vitro. Skin cancers are the most common cancers in the world. While malignant melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer, it is the deadliest. Patients diagnosed with stage IV disease have only a 15-20% five-year survival rate even with aggressive multimodal treatment, demonstrating the need for additional therapeutic options. Because melanoma is often fatal when …

Draft Genome Sequence Of Staphylococcus Succinus Strain Gn1, Isolated From A Basement Floor In Milwaukee, Wi, Grant P. Nickolson, Nasim Maghboli Balasjin, Christopher Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

A strain of Staphylococcus succinus was sampled from the floor of the basement of a house and isolated in an undergraduate classroom in Milwaukee, WI. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this strain.

Dogbane Under Stress: Habitat Differentiation Of Anthocyanins In Apocynum Cannabinum, Marie Spehlmann '22, Rose Keith Phd

Annual Student Research Poster Session

The quarry in DePauw’s Nature Park, which was previously stripped of soil and layers of bedrock, offers an ideal study system for understanding how plants adapt to disturbances. The quarry bottom is particularly stressful for plants because of this loss in soil, high variability in water availability due to the poor porosity of the bedrock, and high light intensity. Therefore, plants that live there must have traits suitable for this harsh environment. One response elicited to stress in plants is the production of red pigments called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are versatile and have been found to be protective in a multitude …