Biology Commons^™

Antifungal Peptides From Casein Milk Of Etawa Crossbreed (Capra Hircus) As Biopreservation Agent For Bread And Molecular Docking Studies, Dian Riana Ningsih, Winarto Haryadi, Rachma Wikandari, Tri Joko Raharjo

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Bread without peptide fraction treatment started to grow mold on the fourth day with a total of 24x10⁷ fungi colonies/ml. Meanwhile, the addition of peptide fractions GMC5, GMC6, GMC7, and GMC8 effectively preserved bread for up to 4 days, indicated by no mold growth. The best treatment was the GMC6 peptide fraction on day 8 which grew the least amount of fungus at 7x10⁷ spores/ml. Peptide interaction with the CaATPase receptor Aspergillus sp. was carried out using HADDOCK 2.4. The 3D CaATPase structure prediction resulted in a model with good structural quality. This was supported by residues in …

Dopaminergic Neurons In The Zebrafish Subpallium Belong To The Extended Medial Amygdala, Daniel Armbruster, Thomas Mueller, Wolfgang Driever

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The amygdala is a heterogeneous, multinuclear telencephalic structure critical for motivated and emotion-related behaviors in vertebrates. In ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii) like the teleost zebrafish, a telencephalic outward-growing process called eversion makes defining amygdaloid territories particularly challenging. Teleosts are also peculiar in that they develop numerous dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the subpallium, while in tetrapods, such populations are less prominent or appear only transiently. To shed light on the organization of the amygdala in teleosts, we pursued an evolutionary developmental approach focusing on the topological origin of subpallial DA neurons. Specifically, we analyzed the distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) in conjunction …

Indirect Dna Transfer To Duct Tape Rolls Stored In Cars, Yuching Chung

Student Theses

This project investigated the accumulation of DNA on duct tape rolls stored in cars. Specifically, we analyzed samples recovered from three areas (the inside, outside, and flat sides) of unused duct tape stored under the driver's seat and trunk of cars for seven days. Twelve volunteers were recruited, resulting in 64 DNA samples from 12 cars. We evaluated DNA quantities and STR genotyping outcomes after amplification with the GlobalFiler™ kit. On average, the DNA yields from under the driver's seat were higher than from the trunk, but the difference was not significant. The inside of the tape roll yielded significantly …

The Ring-Finger Ubiquitin E3 Ligase Rfel1 Targets Wheat Npr3 For Degradation To Confer Broad-Spectrum Resistance Against Biotrophic Fungal Pathogens, Liuhui Qiao, Kunpu Zhang, Jinyan Li, Ziming Zhang, Xiao Sun, Huiyun Liu, Ziyue Li, Nannan Ni, Ximei Ma, Jianhui Zhao, Guangwei Li, Xiaohuan Jin, Wenming Zheng, Daowen Wang, Zheng Qing Fu, Huan Wang

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Silicon Is The Next Frontier In Plant Synthetic Biology, Aniruddha Acharya, Kaitlin Hopkins, Tatum Simms

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

Silicon has a striking similarity to carbon and is found in plant cells. However, there is no specific role that has been assigned to silicon in the life cycle of plants. The amount of silicon in plant cells is species specific and can reach levels comparable to macronutrients. Silicon is used extensively in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and the digital revolution, and thus can serve as an informational molecule such as nucleic acids. The diverse potential of silicon to bond with different chemical species is analogous to carbon; thus, it can serve as a structural candidate similar to proteins. The discovery …

Restoration At The Intersection Of Science And Outreach-The Working Woods Learning Forest, Katharine L. Stuble, David J. Burke, Samuel C. Harbol, Chad Knisely, Jessica Miller Mecaskey, Alexa S. Wagner, Michael Watson, Kevin E. Mueller

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Botanical gardens and arboreta have enormous (if often under-realized) potential to increase understanding of restoration as a predictive science while simultaneously serving as platforms promoting large-scale restoration by public and private stakeholders. Public gardens often have deep histories of both research and outreach and, increasingly, engagement in restoration efforts. As a team of researchers and practitioners, we share our experiences using a forest management manipulation at the Holden Arboretum for both research and outreach. Forest management is a key tool for enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services in young forests. Known as the Working Woods Learning Forest, this restoration simultaneously serves …

Sex, Stress And Hormones : The Role Of Modifiable Risk Factors In The Kinetics Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Hannah Marie Edwards

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease hallmarked by the presence of amyloid- plaques and tau tangles in the brain. The process of the disease begins decades prior to the onset of symptoms and is thought to be driven first by a buildup of amyloid- peptide in the extracellular space, triggering a cascade of pathology and symptomology culminating in loss of cerebral volume and cognitive impairment. Women are diagnosed with AD at a rate 2/3 higher than their male counterparts, even when controlling for age. While most driving factors of the disease are thought to be genetic, roughly 40% of …

Using Published Undergraduate Biomechanics Research On Hydra Mouth Opening To Train Undergraduates, Stephen Hackler, T. Goel, Jonah Pacis , '25, Eva-Maria S. Collins

Biology Faculty Works

Biophysics research is exciting because physical approaches to biology can provide novel insights, and it is challenging because it requires knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines. We have developed an undergraduate biophysics laboratory module that teaches fundamental skills such as time-lapse microscopy, image analysis, programming, critical reading of scientific literature, and basics of scientific writing and peer review. The module is accessible to students who are familiar with introductory statistics, cell biology, and differential calculus. We used published research on the biomechanics of Hydra mouth opening as a framework because it describes a stunning biological phenomenon: Hydra, a freshwater …

Immune Modulation Affects Olfactory Glomerular Recovery In Zebrafish, Bonnie E. Ebendick

Dissertations

Adult zebrafish regenerate neurons throughout their lifetime and exhibit rapid recovery from neuronal damage with support from their immune system, making them an excellent model for studying neuroinflammation and brain repair mechanisms. When olfactory sensory neurons are lesioned, their cell death stimulates the immune system by activating microglia and other immune cells in the olfactory bulb, initiating tissue repair and neuronal replacement. This dissertation investigates how the immune system influences recovery from neuronal damage, testing the hypothesis that immune perturbation in zebrafish alters neural recovery.

To investigate the link between immune function and neuronal regeneration, zebrafish received a unilateral lesion …

Mosquitoes: The 5 C’S Of Developing Disease- Commensals Changing To Consequential Pathogens, Alan L. Gillen, Caleb Mast, Robert Braden Somerville

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hotter, longer summers and changing weather patterns in the United States are bringing more than just sweat and discomfort. In May 2025, a summer heat wave of 107⁰F hit Austin, Texas, and in humid Houston and San Antonio, Texas, temperatures felt over 100⁰ for several days. Normally, these temperatures don’t come until July and August. With temperatures reaching these marks early and heavy rains coming, mosquito activity and ranges expand. Many state and federal health officials report a rise in mosquito-borne illnesses across the US and globe in the last five years.

Systematics, Evolution, And Species Delimitation Of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) Based On Ultraconserved Element Phylogenomics, Brandon Ross Claridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The diversity of life on Earth is highly skewed towards a few key groups of organisms. Parasitoid wasps are among the most species-rich yet understudied organisms on our planet. Ichneumonidae, the largest parasitoid wasp family, includes 25,000 known species out of an estimated total of 100,000, far exceeding the nearly 70,000 species of vertebrates. As parasitoids, ichneumonids lay a single egg onto or inside their hosts, and the resulting ichneumonid larva consumes its host, ultimately killing it. Most hosts are the larvae or pupae of moths, butterflies, flies, beetles, and other wasps, including many pest species injurious to agriculture and …

The Molecular And Behavioral Characterization Of The Murine Cre – Loxp Skeletal Muscle Synthesized Bdnf Knockout Model, Asha E. Rustad

All NMU Master's Theses

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin essential for supporting the growth, differentiation, and health of neurons within the central and peripheral nervous systems. BDNF is also a member of the myokine family, where muscle synthesized-BDNF (msBDNF) is thought to facilitate the crucial bi-directional communication between the motor neuron and the muscle fibers it innervates. Since 2008, the Ottem Laboratory has investigated the role of msBDNF by employing Cre/LoxP recombinase technology to selectively delete the BDNF coding region within skeletal muscle of mice. This approach generates animals with either heterozygous or homozygous deletions of msBDNF, as well as BDNF …

Raptors As Secondary Dispersers Of Mycorrhizal Fungal Spores, Joseph Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Animals aid fungal dispersal by consuming fruiting bodies (e.g., truffles) and depositing spores elsewhere. Predators can act as secondary dispersers by preying on small mammals that eat truffles, although it is unclear how this dispersal may vary among species of raptors (hawks and owls) and fungal taxa. We experimentally fed four truffle taxa (with spores varying in size and wall thickness) to six raptor species (with differing gut morphology and acidity) to assess how spore viability and retention time may change between raptor casts and feces. Viability in smaller spores was more negatively affected by acidity compared to larger spores …

The Role Of The Jnk Gene In Ovarian Cancer Inflammatory Pathways, Tashoy D. Campbell

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Ovarian cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women globally, presents a significant challenge due to its common late-stage diagnosis and chemoresistance (inability of the tumor to respond to drugs). The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in ovarian cancer progression, contributing to inflammation, tumor survival, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. This literature review examines the role of the JNK signaling pathway in ovarian cancer, with a focus on its role in inflammation, metastasis, and chemoresistance. JNK regulates key inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, which promote tumor growth and immune evasion. Moreover, …

Use Of Infrared Spectroscopy In Animal Studies: Aspects Of Health Science, Brian Manzanares

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Non-invasive imaging technologies, such as infrared thermography (IRT), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are revolutionizing the field of animal research by enabling real-time, stress-free assessment of physiological conditions. Such methods like these are align with the ethical standards of the 3Rs, replacement, reduction, and refinement-by reducing the need of invasive procedures while enhancing data quality and animal welfare. These methods can also provide critical insight into animal health, behavior, and stress responses without the need for invasive procedures or restraint, thereby minimizing harm and distress. This literature review will explore the practical applications of IRT, NIRS, and …

The Role Of Nicotine In Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases, Jacquelyn T. Deaton

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Neurodegenerative diseases have emerged as a critical medical challenge because they cause progressive neuronal death alongside structural or functional deterioration. Families, healthcare institutions, and affected individuals face significant challenges due to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, which impair both cognitive function and motor abilities. Researchers have found that nicotine in tobacco products is a compound with therapeutic potential. This literature review explores how nicotine interacts with neurodegenerative mechanisms, such as oxidative stress and inflammation, and assesses its potential neuroprotective effects in conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In the central nervous system, nicotine binds to the …

Morphological Correlates Of Limaxivory In Contia (Serpentes: Dipsadinae) Compared To Related Taxa Carphophis And Diadophis, Lauren A. Houstoun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Differences in the skull and musculature of snakes can often be linked to their diet. Snakes that eat snails and slugs have evolved independently at least four times. Several skull features of the skull have already been reported in snakes that eat snails, specifically those in the genus Pareas and some Dipsadini. Among those features are a shorter, more compressed snout and, in some species, asymmetry of the lower jaw. However, little attention has been paid to snakes that specialize only on slugs (limaxivores). Unlike the snail-eating members of the Pareidae and Dipsadini, limaxivores lack the morphological traits associated with …

Night-Time Warming And Prey Availability Interact To Influence Physiology In Prairie Lizards (Sceloporus Consobrinus), Allison R. Litmer, Morgan K. Pelley, Steven J. Beaupre

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Among ectotherms, temperature and food availability are drivers of individual and population characteristics. Increasing night-time temperatures due to climate change can increase energetic demands, potentially amplified or mitigated by prey consumption. Few studies examine night-time temperatures specifically, and consequences of co-occurring changes in the abiotic and biotic environment. Thus, we examined interactions between warming night-time temperatures and prey availability (as a proxy of foraging time and effectiveness), and how they affect food consumption, digestive passage time, metabolizable energy intake (MEI), assimilated energy, and fecal and urate production in a model organism, prairie lizards (Sceloporus consobrinus). Three temperature treatments (current conditions, …

Cultivation Of Botryococcus Braunii For The Production Of Hydrocarbons Suitable For Fuel Use, Bryan C. Carroll

All Theses

Energy security, rural poverty, and climate change are pressing issues of our time. Biofuels provide a solution to these issues, with a focus on sustainable aviation fuel, SAF, due to compatibility with aircraft infrastructure and energy density. This research aims to review and produce knowledge about a specific microalga, Botryococcus braunii, for its potential for SAF. First a literature review on the process was conducted followed by an experimental study on the impact of aqueous media and inorganic carbon its growth and hydrocarbon content. The literature review found the process consists of cultivation followed by lipid extraction or hydrothermal …

Site Fidelity, Seasonality, Movement, And Fish Associates Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus In North Carolina, Ara L. Mcclanahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sand tigers Carcharias taurus are mackerel sharks with a disjunct global distribution in tropical and temperate seas. In the northwest Atlantic, sand tigers migrate along the coast of the eastern United States from the Gulf of Maine to Florida and occupy structurally complex benthic habitats. The long-term, underwater camera installation, SharkCam, at Frying Pan Tower, off Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA, sits atop an expanse of hard bottom reef frequented by sand tigers. The citizen-science platform Spot A Shark USA (SAS USA) uses images of sand tigers to identify and track individuals. This study utilized image encounters from SAS USA …

Breaking Confirmatory Spells By Implementing Research- Integrated Cures, J. A.C. Vriezen

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Differences in economic and social growth and academic equity, experi ences, and opportunities have left an achievement gap in STEM for underprivileged students. Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) have attempted to answer these inequalities by leveling the playing field or by offering course-based research opportunities with minimal requirements for background knowledge. When we ask novel questions, more students get the experience of performing research, which lowers thresholds to pursue research and increases participation. Although the learning outcomes have been largely positive, there is a concern that many CUREs are still too scaffolded. In contrast, I propose to develop exploratory, hypothesis-driven …

Group I Introns As Catalytic Rna Models To Investigate The Origin Of Life And To Explore The Drivers Of Evolution In The Rna World, Gianluca Peri

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The RNA World is the theory that life on Earth originated as RNA molecules able to both carry genetic information and catalyze enzymatic activities, without the need of DNA nor proteins. Abundant evidence supports that RNA preceded the emergence of DNA and proteins, the most notable being that both DNA replication and protein synthesis require RNA components. It has been hypothesized that the RNA World originated as a self-replicating RNA system. Furthermore, since the activity of modern-day catalytic RNA (ribozymes) can be affected by reaction conditions (e.g. Mg^2+ cofactor concentrations), it is hypothesized that evolution in the RNA World may …

Identification Of Anti-Inflammatory Pathways Induced By Enterotoxin B Subunits For Use As Therapeutics In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Hannah Juel Hedelius

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Vibrio cholerae’s AB5 enterotoxin, cholera toxin (CT), has a homopentameric, non-toxic B subunit (CTB). CTB is a well-known vaccine adjuvant used for its ability to create a strong immune response, however more recent studies have shown its ability to also behave in an anti-inflammatory manner, performing as a protective agent in a variety of different inflammatory diseases. Escherichia coli (E. coli) produces a heat-labile AB5 enterotoxin (LT) that is very homologous to CT, with its B subunit (LTB) being used in a similar manner as a vaccine adjuvant. There have been many studies comparing LTB to CTB due …

Microbial Guardians Of The Savannah: Unraveling The Gut Microbiome For African Carnivore Conservation, Laura E. Peirson

All NMU Master's Theses

Non-invasive fecal sampling is essential for wildlife gut microbiome (GMB) research, yet field conditions often limit preservation options. I compared gut bacterial communities in paired fecal samples preserved in stabilization tubes and air-dried in paper bags collected from anesthetized African lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Additional opportunistic samples from carnivore kill sites were also analyzed. No significant differences in alpha or beta diversity were detected between preserved and dried samples, although bacterial beta diversity differed between preserved and opportunistic samples (PERMANOVA). Core bacterial communities remained consistent across sample …

Human Salivary Gland Stem/Progenitor Cells For Tissue Engineering, Sars-Cov-2 Susceptibility, And Neurointegration, Caitlynn Barrows

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Salivary glands and the saliva they secrete are important for digestion, chewing, and maintaining oral health. Reduced saliva production leads to a decreased quality of life for patients experiencing hyposalivation as a result of disease or injury, thus a large effort has been dedicated to developing materials and medium to recapitulate the structure of the gland for regenerative medicine. In doing so, we have come closer to developing a more complex model to study disease. These models, however, do not yet fully recapitulate the gland. In this dissertation, we describe a new cell source that can be used to develop …

Small Molecule Inhibitor 3i-1000 Dosed During Bouts Of Anoxia Increases Survivability Of Austrofundulus Limnaeus Embryos, Connor Kime

University Honors Theses

The annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus possesses exceptional tolerance to prolonged anoxia, offering a unique vertebrate model for investigating cardiac resilience and survival under metabolic stress. This study tested whether inhibition of the GATA4–NKX2-5 transcriptional axis with the small molecule 3i-1000 enhances post-anoxic survival. WS40 embryos were exposed to 50 µM 3i-1000 during anoxia and early aerobic recovery. Outcomes were assessed across two independent experimental cohorts. Treated embryos exhibited higher survivability during reoxygenation: in the October cohort, survival increased from 76.0% in vehicle controls (n = 25) to 91.7% in treated embryos (n = 24); in the November cohort, survival improved …

The Effects Of Temperature And Cardiotonic Steroids On Cardiac Function And Metabolism In Snakes, Hannah Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The function of the heart provides a window into the physiology of vertebrates and a means of evaluating their response to the stresses imposed by diverse activities. I developed a miniaturized instrument to record electrocardiograms (ECGs), using open-source Arduino technology, that a snake can wear as a backpack. The backpack can also be used when the snake is in a metabolic chamber, to record the metabolic rate and ECG simultaneously. I first used the ECG backpack to record the physiology of snakes under different temperature conditions, to verify that the system worked as expected. the backpack was then used on …

Effects Of Elevation, Fire Age, Burn Severity, And Pre-Fire Vegetation On Post-Fire Sagebrush Songbird Communities, William D. Harrod

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Sagebrush Biome of western North America has been threatened by a combination of interconnected threats. In the Great and Columbian Basins, a large portion of sagebrush loss has been due to an increase in higher-severity wildfires, caused by invasive annual grasses. As sagebrush declines, numerous wildlife species that rely on the biome have experienced similar trends. Sagebrush-adapted songbirds such as sage thrasher, Brewer's sparrow, and sagebrush sparrow as well as steppe-songbirds, have all experienced population declines. Currently, limited information exists as to how fire severity or recovery affect these songbirds or what resource managers can do to improve their …

The Pharmacology Of Gpr171 Ligands In The Treatment Of Pain: An In Vitro And In Vivo Preclinical Characterization, Max V. Mcdermott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Opioids are addictive, ineffective for long-term treatment, readily produce withdrawal and tolerance, and can cause overdose and death. These properties have contributed to an epidemic of addiction and overdose, which continues unabated in the United States. Therefore, new drugs to treat acute and chronic pain are needed. Opioids bind to receptors belonging to a superfamily of proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs are the most commonly targeted proteins among FDA-approved drugs. As such, under-researched GPCRs are a viable source of new targets in the field of drug development. One such underexplored GPCR is GPR171. Studies have demonstrated that a …

Integrating Uas And Satellite Data To Improve Classification Of Plant Functional Types In A Forest Landscape, Sky Mae Gennette

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Remotely sensed land-use/land-cover (LULC) data products are an important tool for understanding landscape processes at all scales. The types of inference researchers can derive from remote sensing data depend on the quality and characterization of these LULC products. Currently, gaps in the detail of widely available vegetation cover products limit inference about processes at the level of plant functional type (PFT). Advanced remote sensing tools, machine learning, and data fusion can be employed to contribute novel methods to produce detailed, accurate vegetation cover products. Here, we combine high resolution Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) multispectral, structural and textural data with large-scale …