Biology Commons^™

Twenty Years Of Change In A Southeast Florida Acropora Cervicornis Thicket, Daniel Perez

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Acropora cervicornis is a species of stony coral that can exist in large thickets that provide functionally unique habitat. However, populations have declined by 98% in some areas of the Caribbean. Even in death, the structure from an A. cervicornis thicket provides surface area for the attachment of benthic organisms. Broward County Acropora (BCA) is an A. cervicornis thicket, located off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which has been monitored since 2003. The objective of this study was to describe the temporal changes in community structure in response to 20 years of disturbances affecting BCA. Data was collected by taking images along …

Thp-1 Monocytes As A Model For The Characterization Of Potential Agents For Hypersensitization Observed In Ags, Colin Baker

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Molecular Studies To Evaluate Variegation Of Philodendron Var. Birkin - Are Genetic Mutations Responsible For Variegation In Philodendron Birkin?, Muira C. Arndt, Isabelle R. Gile, Shekinah J. Beerman

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Plant tissue culture and molecular genetic techniques were used to analyze the instability of the genome in philodendron var. 'Birkin'. This plant has variegated, white, green, and greenish-red leaves (that have lost their variegation) on the same plant. Did genetic mutations occur in meristematic sectors of variegated leaves that have reverted to green coloration, or is it an epigenetic change?  PCR and sets of RAPD plastid primers were used to determine if the presence or absence of a PCR product correlated with differences in leaf color and variegation (white, green-white, variegated, reddish green or green leaves). A DNA isolation procedure …

Feasting Or Fasting: The Influence Of Feeding Regime On Physiological Performance., Kailee Greenough

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Prior studies have shown that the environment can significantly influence the development of physiological and physical traits of life. Specifically, we investigated how the developmental condition of feeding regime influences the physiological performance of boas (Boa constrictor imperator). This study was part of a long-term study of different feeding regimes (feasting=weekly, fasting=1/5weeks). Prior studies in our lab have uncovered morphological differences in growth. These studies demonstrated that snakes fed frequently became more muscular and massive whereas snakes fed infrequently were more refined and less muscular despite being fed the same relative amount of prey. Our study added to …

Investigation Of Mitogenic Activity Of Baculovirus Fibroblast Growth Factors, Ellyssa Wager, Kassandra Hernandez, Justin Johnson

Research & Creative Achievement Day

New Title: Establishing Optimal Seeding Density and Ideal Starvation Conditions of Sf9 and NIH/3T3 Cell Lines

Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) are a family of structurally related polypeptide cytokines. 22 FGF genes (FGF1-14, FGF16-23) are found in the human genome. FGFs have various known intracrine, paracrine, and endocrine functions and are essential for the development and wound repair in organisms through these mechanisms. The role of FGFs in viruses has become an area of piqued interest in the field of pathology as several virus families have genomes that encode one or more growth factor homologues. It has been suggested that a …

Morphological Identification Of Parasites Found In Ducks (Family Anatidae) Along The Mississippi River: A Parasitology Class Project, Taya K. Endreson, Madeline E. Volhard, Visara S. Sok, Amanda A. Amofa, Emma C. Fortsch, Delaney L. Reider

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Ducks (Anatidae) can be found across much of the United States and are hosts to a variety of parasites such as nematodes, trematodes or cestodes. This study focused on identifying the species of the parasites found within ducks based on their morphological features. The morphological structures consisted of body shape, internal organs, mouthparts, and length. The ducks used in this study were legally harvested and donated by hunters from areas across the Mississippi River in Buffalo County and Trempealeau County Wisconsin. A total of 108 ducks have been analyzed for parasites. It is important to identify the types of parasites …

Vfgf Protein Purification, Expression, And Proliferation Assay, Justin Johnson, Kassandra Hernandez, Ellyssa Wager

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Fibroblast growth factors (FGF's) are signaling molecules (cytokines) secreted from specific cells known as fibroblasts. They are essential for embryonic development, function postnatally in response to injury, in regulation of electrical excitability of cells, and as hormones that have a role in regulating metabolism. Viral Fibroblast Growth factors Ac6 and Cf6 have been encoded into E. coli plasmids which produce high concentrations of our target vFGFs which are then purified for testing. The vFGFs were expressed with maltose binding protein (MBP) tagged on the N-termini. MBP is used as a pseudo-chaperone with a hydrophobic cleft that can refold the protein …

Comparison Of Colorimetric Assays To Use For The Investigation Of The Mitogenic Activity Of Vfgf In Cell Cultures, Kassandra Hernandez, Ellyssa N. Wager, Justin Johnson

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are part of a large family of polypeptide growth factors that play a large role in the development and regulation of organisms using intracrine, paracrine, and endocrine cell signaling mechanisms. FGFs are known to be found in both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. Most recently they have also been identified in viruses, such as baculoviruses. A sequence analysis of the baculovirus genomes has found that they encode for a viral fibroblast growth factor homolog (vfgf) early on in their stage of infection (Katsuma et al. 2006). Although there have been studies from other labs that …

Site-Directed Mutagenesis Of Lysine 125 In Malate Dehydrogenase, Taylor Prieve, Cathryn Wallmow

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2023

Malate dehydrogenase is a multimeric enzyme among living organisms that catalyzes the reverse transformation of malate and oxaloacetate using the reduction of NAD+ to NADH. This reaction plays a role in metabolic pathways including the citric acid cycle, gluconeogenesis, and anaerobic metabolism. MDH shares a similar 3-dimensional structure and mechanism with lactate dehydrogenase. Knowing the structure is important when it comes to the redesign of enzyme mutations, which can be a useful method for studying the catalysis of small substrates. Physiological effects of the amino acid sequence alterations are easier to predict when the structure is known. The active site …

Influence Of Ambient Water Coloration On Habitat And Conspecific Choice In The Female Lake Malawi Cichlid, Metriaclima Zebra, Noori Choi, Nicolas Mathevon, Eileen A. Hebets, Marilyn Beauchaud

Eileen Hebets Publications

Female cichlid fish living in African great lakes are known to have sensory systems that are adapted to ambient light environments. These sensory system adaptations are hypothesized to have influenced the evolution of the diverse male nuptial coloration. In rock-dwelling Lake Malawi mbuna cichlids, however, the extent to which ambient light environments influence female sensory systems and potentially associated male nuptial coloration remains unknown. Yet, the ubiquitous blue flank coloration and UV reflection of male mbuna cichlids suggest the potential impacts of the blue-shifted ambient light environment on these cichlid’s visual perception and male nuptial coloration in the shallow water …

Volume 14, Ireland Seagle, Dalton C. Whitby, Cassandra Poole, Rachel Cannon, Heidi Parker-Combes, Devon G. Shifflett, Antonio Harvey

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Table of Contents:

• Introduction: Dr. Amorette Barber
• From the Editor: Dr. Larissa "Kat" Tracy
• From the Designers: Rachel English, Rachel Hanson
• Hungry Like the Wolf: The Wolf as Metaphor in Paramount Network’s Yellowstone: Ireland Seagle
• “Floating Cities”: Illustrating the Commercial and Conservation Conflict of Alaskan Cruise Ship Tourism: Dalton C. Whitby
• What Can You Do When Your Genes are the Enemy? Current Applications of Gene Manipulation and the Associated Ethical Considerations: Cassandra Poole
• La doble cara: un tema romántico en las obras de Larra y Hawthorne: Rachel Cannon
• Resolving a Conflict: How to …

Which Drone Should You Buy To Study Dolphins?: Assessing Dolphin Response Behavior At Various Heights With Commonly Used Platforms, Savannah Damiano

Graduate Research Conference

Drones are becoming a commonly used platform for understanding dolphin behavior However, this can be an intimidating field to approach as data is sparse on which commonly used drone types are the best to use for marine mammal research.

There is a need to further investigate the advantages and disadvantages of various drone types for marine mammal studies when it comes to disturbance factors.

Three commonly used DJI drone platforms were used to evaluate how drones affect the behavior of dolphins, the DJI Mini 2 the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced, and the DJI Inspire 2.

The DJI Mavic Enterprise …

Seasonal Dynamics And Glycerol-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Variability In Ixodes Scapularis Tick Population In Eastern Texas, Daniela Soto

Graduate Research Conference

Objectives: 1. Document seasonal population dynamics of I. scapularis in eastern Texas. 2. Explore variability of GPDH in I. scapularis ticks in eastern Texas and relate data to its population dynamics.

The Presence Of Tetracycline-Resistant Bacteria In A Kean University Campus Soil Sample, Esther Blankson, Jessica Kobilas, Gianna Medeiros

Kean Quest

The spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment is a worldwide problem that threatens human health. Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics as the consumption of antibiotics grows. In particular, soil can be contaminated with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. As of today, there is no surveillance system that tracks the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, however, Tufts University aims to change this by implementing the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment (PARE) project. The course-based PARE project consists of research students sampling soil in diverse locations and reporting the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The purpose of …

The Role Of Community In Immunity Against Sars-Cov-2, Jessica Kobilas

Kean Quest

This literature review investigated the roles genes activated by social interactions had in helping to build immunity against COVID-19. Past studies have shown that individuals who are more socially connected are less likely to become ill due to social interactions strengthening the immune system through optimal exposure to bacteria and viruses in the environment. The IL-6 and TLR4 genes that are activated through social interactions and associated with cytokines have been analyzed in cases of various viral infections. Cytokines play a role in inflammation and have both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses to infections and viruses. The results suggest that the …

The Impact Of Study Strategies On Knowledge Growth And Summative Exam Performance In The First Year Of Medical School, Markia Black, William L. Romine, Molly Simonis, Jeffrey L. Peters, Volker Bahn, Amber Todd

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Although the distinction between deep and surface processing strategies, their potential to differentially impact learning, and data supporting the superiority of deep processing strategies on summative exam scores are well supported by the literature, more work is needed to understand: (1) how medical students combine study strategies into learning practices, and (2) the effectiveness of these learning practices in facilitating knowledge gains as measured by standardized test scores.

Linking Science And Literacy Through Multimodal Text Sets: Student Perspectives, Heba Abdelnaby, William L. Romine, Delinda Van Garderen, Tracey Milarsky, Ankita Agarwal, Qingli Lei, Cassandra Smith, Amy Lannin, William Folk, Rachel Juergensen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We present findings of a mixed methods study examining the perceptions of students’ (with and without disabilities) understanding and engagement with multimodal STEM text sets. Exit slip and survey data were used to identify areas for improvement in the development of the multimodal STEM text sets for middle school students. Data were collected from 434 middle school students, 86 of whom had a disability, from six teachers’ classrooms in Spring 2021. Significant differences in perceptions of understanding of argumentation were reported between students with and without disabilities. However, ratings of the lessons and the quality of learning, as well as …

Detection Of A Diverse Endophyte Assemblage Within Fungal Communities Associated With The Arundo Leaf Miner, Lasioptera Donacis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Marie-Claude Bon, John A. Goolsby, Guy Mercadier, Fatiha Guermache, Javid Kashef, Massimo Cristofaro, Ann T. Vacek, Alan Kirk

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

The larvae of Lasioptera donacis Coutin feed on fungal communities lining galleries within the mesophyll of leaf sheaths of Arundo donax in an aggregative manner. It has been stated that L. donacis could have established a fundamental symbiotic relationship with one fungus, although the fungal composition of these communities remains unsettled. Using a culture-dependent approach and ITS sequencing, the present work characterizes and compares the fungal communities associated with L. donacis in Eurasia with the endophytes of A. donax in Texas where L. donacis is absent. The 65 cultivable isolates obtained from L. donacis fungal communities were sorted into 15 …

Evaluation Of Enterolactone For The Treatment And Prevention Of Type-2 Diabetes, Megan Bones

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Identification Of Small Bioactive Molecules For The Treatment And Prevention Of Type-2 Diabetes, Shelby Jampole, Hannah Violette

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Effect Of Tetracycline Derivatives On Metastasis In A Murine Mammary Tumor Model, Anna King, John Pryor, Serratt Nong

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

The Use Of Molecular Beacon Sirna To Induce Degradation Of Sars Cov-2 Mrna In Infected Cells, Kathryn Brookhart, Hanna Dutt, Katelynn Sepke

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Novel Plant Peroxidase Investigation For Use In Various Biochemical And Practical Applications, Sally Hess

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Molecular Data Confirm That All Modern Loons Are Part Of The Same Created Kind, Mary-Clark Matthews, Alexis Ramerth, Mckayla Guillory, Timothy R. Brophy

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

New Morphological Data Reveal That Fossil Loons Are Included In The Loon Kind, Mckayla Guillory, Alexis Ramerth, Mary-Clark Matthews, Timothy R. Brophy

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Assessment Of Queensnakes And Northern Watersnakes Living In A Trashy Creek, Noah Kurtz

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

An In-Vitro Examination Of The Effects Of Enterodiole On Glucose Disposal In Human Adipocytes, Abigail Mclaughlin

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

The Role Of The Tail Domain Of The Yeast Cell Surface Receptors Rgt2 And Snf3 In Glucose Signaling, Haeun Tae, Jaqueline Padilla, Morgan Mcdowell

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Determining The Influence Of Diet And Ers On The Structure-Function Of Relationship In The Kidney, Efosa Osayamwen, Nathaniel Spears

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

New Analyses Substantiate Previous Claims That All Horses Form A Unique Created Kind, Jack Gregory, Timothy R. Brophy

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic