Biology Commons^™

Does Bacillus Mycoides Inhibit The Growth Of Botrytis Cinerea?, Jaymen Brough, Macy Brooks, Jackson Bronsell, Brent Bowler

Student Research Symposium

Botrytis cinerea is a fungal pathogen shown to threaten agricultural stability. In attempts to find biological controls against such pathogens, some bacteria have demonstrated antifungal properties. Among these, Bacillus mycoides has been identified as a potential producer of antifungal agents that may be relevant to agricultural, horticultural, and medical settings (Kahn et al., 2018). In an effort to identify the effectiveness of B. mycoides as an antifungal biological control, we have tested whether Bacillus mycoides inhibits the fungal growth of Botrytis cinerea.

Gastric Survivability Of Streptomyces Narbonensis, Laramie Johnson, Laurel Hilterbrand, Ephraim Mohr, Eliza Lewis

Student Research Symposium

Human sciences and medicine have continually been advancing, and taken off in the last few centuries. This has included the development of many new medicines, antibiotics, and disinfectants. Antibiotics have to be able to survive and perform its duty within the human body, despite the changes in pH that occur naturally within the body in response to stimuli (Cotter, 2003). If a bacteria is unable to adapt to the pH environment of the human body in which it is placed, it will not be able to survive and continue to reproduce. The bacteria may be able to adapt via membrane …

Laparoscopic Articulating Arm: In Collaboration With The Xenocor Saberscope, Zac Hastings, Lizbeth Pugliese, Rebecca Sweeten, Dallin Thomas, Dallin Treasure-Areno

Student Research Symposium

• Laparoscopy a minimally invasive procedure performed through small incisions using a laparoscope, a camera-equipped instrument, along with specialized tools.

• Laparotomy or "open" surgery, requires a large incision to perform an abdominal operation.

Peribacillus Simplex Does Not Exhibit Antimicrobial Properties Against Staphylococcus, Dallin Thomas, Jordan Wheeler, Natalie Yoho

Student Research Symposium

Antibiotics are powerful drugs that combat previously fatal diseases. These miracle drugs have saved countless lives, but have the tendency to be misused. They are used incorrectly to treat patients who don't need them, and given to animals for non therapeutic use. Antibiotics are also known to pollute soils and groundwater all around the world (3). As antibiotics are found more readily in the environment, they encourage evolution, recombination, and dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria (5). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (6) antibiotic resistance kills at least 1.27 million people worldwide for diseases that used to …

Mathematical Modeling Of Color Perception Using Differential Equation, Siavash Pooretemad

Student Research Symposium

Color perception begins in the retina, where three cone types (L, M, S) detect light and initiate neural signals. These signals are processed by horizontal and bipolar cells to form opponent color channels: red-green (RG), yellow-blue (YB), and light-dark (LD). Perception is not solely based on physical input but also shaped by neural adaptation and context.

This project models color perception using a differential equation approach, simulating how color contrast and adaptation emerge from interactions between photoreceptors and lateral inhibition.

We hypothesize that a system of differential equations can model how retinal cone cells respond to and process light intensity, …

Assessment Of Heavy Metal Concentration In Blue Swimming Crabs From Dubai And Sharjah Fish Markets In Uae, Nehmat Elias Kharrat

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Growing urbanization and industrialization along the UAE's coastline exposes human health and marine life at risk of increasing heavy metal pollution in marine ecosystems. This study evaluated the levels of 19 essential and non-essential elements in blue swimming crabs (Portunus pelagicus) collected from fish markets in Dubai and Sharjah. Among these, potentially harmful heavy metals included arsenic (As), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg). The main goals of the study were (i) to evaluate whether the concentrations of these metals exceeded maximum permissible limits and (ii) to investigate if there were male and female specific …

Culex Quinquefasciatus Mosquitoes In The Abu Dhabi Emirate: Assessing Deltamethrin Insecticide Resistance And Associated Microbial Communities, Amgd Sayed Ismat

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This study investigates the Culex quinquefasciatus is a major vector of West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis, and arboviruses, which represent public health risk. Widespread application of pyrethroid insecticides has increased resistance in mosquito populations threatening the effectiveness of control strategies. This study aims to (1) assess deltamethrin resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus populations across the Abu Dhabi Emirate, (2) characterize the microbial communities associated with these mosquitoes. Mosquitoes from sites around the Abu Dhabi Emirate were collected and genomic DNA extracted for molecular analysis. PCR and allele-specific primers were used to detect knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations in the sodium channel gene, …

Ai Beliefs And Practices In Community College Classrooms, Julie Eng, Heather Umphlett, Jocelyn Gilchrist, Alicia Howell, Mary Ann Howell, Wendy Miller-Edwards, Laurel Pope

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

The country, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Virginia Community College System initiatives all promote generative AI within education. It is a topic of great concern and interest for higher education instructors, yet at the same time many faculty members feel uncertain about effectively integrating it into class material. To further add pressure to the AI explosion, community colleges particularly face a responsibility to prepare their students for success in this new AI-focused environment. In this article, seven faculty members from Camp Community College discuss the implications of generative AI programs, including subscriptions and chatbots, within their particular courses and how …

Highly Regenerable Magnetic Sulfonated Chitosan Crosslinked With Glutaraldehyde Composite Beads (Iron Sand/Naso3-Chi-G) For Aqueous Mercury Removal, Fathurrahmi Fathurrahmi, Rahmi Rahmi, Lelifajri Lelifajri, Anggun Sixthia Wulan Ayu, Muhammad Iqhrammullah

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

We developed a novel adsorbent from sulfonated, glutaraldehyde-crosslinked chitosan embedded with magnetic iron sand. The adsorbent was synthesized through a two-step process: (1) sulfonation with N(SO₃Na)₃ to introduce sulfonate groups, and (2) crosslinking with glutaraldehyde to enhance structural stability. The optimal formulation, containing 43.5% iron sand and crosslinked with 0.17 M glutaraldehyde, exhibited the highest Hg²⁺ adsorption capacity (30.74 mg/g) at pH 3. The adsorbents were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopic (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 60 minutes, and isotherm modeling showed that the process followed the Freundlich model …

Resistant & Persistent Bacterial Cells, Jean-Louis Bru

Open Educational Resources

An activity on the difference between resistant & persistent bacterial cells. This activity aims to build on the pre-lecture materials about resistant bacterial cells, so that students can make a connection toward persistent cells. In both cases, they make antibiotics less effective.

Learning Objectives

Recognize the importance of antibiotics in fighting bacterial infections. Understand how bacterial species become antibiotic resistant. Determine the difference between resistant and persistent bacterial cells.

Social and Collaborative

Students work together on this in-class activity in groups of 2-4 (3, ideally). Each student will have one of the following roles: encourager, recorded, investigator, and time keeper. …

The Lingering Effects Of The Asian Longhorned Beetle: Impact On The Changing Composition Of A New England Campus Arboretum, Elizabeth J. Silver, Russell M. Cleary, Kelly Wolfe-Bellin

Biology Department Student Scholarship

First presented at:

Ecological Society of America (ESA), Mid-Atlantic Chapter, 2025 Annual Conference April 4-6, 2025

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae) Jaw, Nicholas Burchett, David Kerstetter, Derek Burkholder

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Assessing A Possible Effect Of Males' Pheromones In The Phonotaxis Of Female Acheta Domesticus, Addy Rodriguez Velasco

Honors Theses

Acoustic communication in crickets is crucial for reproduction. Females respond phonotactically to the male's call. Prior research evaluating the selectivity of phonotaxis in these females, has focused on females that have been isolated from males from day 1 after metamorphosis. However, assessing phonotaxis in females raised in the presence of males, remains to be done. This study aims to investigate the phonotactic response of female Acheta domesticus that were housed with males prior to testing.

Results indicate that on average, male-exposed females respond phonotactically to a wider range of calls that those females in the control group. These results rule …

Understanding Strain-Level Dynamics In Gut Commensal-Pathogen-Host Interactions, Anna Louise Deveaux

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The human gut microbiome is a consortium of trillions of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses that colonizes the gastrointestinal tract and promotes health under homeostatic conditions. This microbial community trains the immune system, modulates inflammation and anticancer immunity, promotes cardiometabolic health, enables nutrient extraction, and prevents pathogen overgrowth. The latter function manifests through colonization resistance, in which microbes occupy spatial and nutritional niches thereby excluding pathogens from the community entirely, and through limiting pathogen population growth if colonization occurs. These roles are facilitated by complex host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions that underlie differences in susceptibility to microbiome-mediated infectious diseases. The strain-level …

Video Tracking As An Effective High Throughput Method For Mtbi Detection, Julie Mcintyre, Julie A. Semon

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae) Neurocranium, Michelle Bassali, David Kerstetter, Ema Nagel

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae) Jaw, Michelle Bassali, David Kerstetter, Ema Nagel

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Dissecting The Contribution Of Stmn2 To Als Pathogenesis, Kelsey Krus

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

TDP-43 is required for splicing of Stathmin-2 (STMN2) transcript, so STMN2 is reduced in most ALS patients. TDP-43 does not regulate STMN2 in mice as it does in humans. Thus, mouse models of ALS do not reflect patient loss of STMN2. To test the hypothesis that a reduction in STMN2 contributes to ALS pathogenesis, we generated STMN2 knockout mice. Constitutive STMN2 loss induces an early sensory and motor neuropathy with disrupted motor behavior and dramatic distal neuromuscular junction (NMJ) denervation. This NMJ pathology occurs in fast-fatigable motor units, which are the most vulnerable in ALS. In contrast, motoneurons and axons …

What's That Sound?: Characterizing Chemical Signals In Bradyrhizobium Japonicum Strains, Sophia Nicolette Militante

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Ally Confrontation On Target Outcomes, Sophie Firle, Gemma Flores-Olivas

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Vibration Amplitude In The Escape-Hatching Response Of Red-Eyed Treefrog Embryos, Julie Jung, Michael S. Caldwell, Gregrory Mcdaniel, Karen Warkentin

Biology Faculty Publications

Red-eyed treefrogs hatch early when attacked by snake or wasp egg predators. They use vibrations generated by attacks to identify these threats but other, harmless environmental disturbances also produce strong vibrations within egg clutches. This study examines the complex ways embryos use vibrations amplitude information to ensure they hatch only when a real threat is present.

Metabolic Transitions In Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana: Regulation And Consequences For Oxidative Stress, Daniel Anthony Arabie

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Embryos of Artemia franciscana survive harsh conditions in diapause and anoxia-induced quiescence for years by undergoing deep metabolic transitions. I investigated the relationship between phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and carbon flux to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle during metabolic depression. The difference in catalytic activity of the PDH complex (PDC) in maximally phosphorylated and dephosphorylated samples was 16.5-fold. Western blot analysis confirmed the changes in phosphorylation of PDH. Analysis of PDH expression in diapause and post-diapause embryos via phospho-PDH showed no significant differences. Investigation of post-diapause embryos under anoxia showed that phosphorylation of PDH decreased and activated the enzyme. …

Barcoding The Unknown: Primer Development For Diverse Nematode Strains, Alegria O. Bautista

Research and Creativity Symposium

DNA barcoding has significantly advanced species identification and revealed many cryptic species with significant biomedical and agricultural research applications. Nematodes are frequently used in DNA barcoding due to their short generation times and ease of laboratory maintenance. However, the rapid increase in newly discovered species presents a taxonomic impediment, where traditional identification methods struggle to keep pace. In this study, unknown nematode strains underwent a modified Caenorhabditis elegans bleaching protocol to eliminate contamination and accommodate varying developmental stages. DNA was extracted and amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), targeting regions of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Established primers (18S …

Fisheries Management Paper No.286: Western Australian Octopus Resource Harvest Strategy, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Harvest strategies for Western Australia’s (WA) aquatic resources are formal documents developed to support decision-making processes that ensure the outcomes are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD; Fletcher 2002a) and Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM; Fletcher et al. 2012). Harvest strategies are a key component of all contemporary fishery management systems and a requirement for certification under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objectives of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA).

This Octopus Resource Harvest Strategy (Harvest Strategy) has been developed and revised in line with the Harvest Strategy …

Wrack Lines Spring-Summer 2025, Volume 25, Number 1, Megan Bard, Ronald Goldberg, Clayton Mcgoldrick, Judy Benson

Wrack Lines

Spring-Summer 2025 issue of CT Sea Grant's biannual magazine focuses on the theme of, "Finding their niche: Unique ways of serving people and the environment," with profiles of six standouts in various environmental fields.

Study Of Asf1a Protein’S Biological Significance In Arabidopsis Thaliana Via Phenotypic Manifestations Of Crispr/Cas Induced A. Thaliana Asf1a Mutagenesis, Yue Fan, Tara Phelps-Durr

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

ANTI-SILENCING FUNCTION 1A (ASF1a) is a multifunctional protein involved in pivotal cellular processes. In plants, ASF1a interacts with HIRA to participate in KNOX genes silencing. To further characterize how ASF1a regulates gene expression, a CRISPR CAS 9 vector was created and ready to be transferred into Arabidopsis thaliana to induce mutations in the 3’ region of the A. thaliana ASF1a gene that corresponds to the ASF histone chaperone protein domain. We hypothesized that phyllotactic alterations will take place as a result of the mutations.

The Genetic In Alzheimer, Elaine Vanterpool, Cristy Jimenez

Student Posters

APOE gene (apolipoprotein E gene) can be associated with pathogenic effects, particularly in the context of Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular diseases, though it’s not inherently pathogenic in everyone. APOE comes in different alleles (variants), with APOE ε2, ε3, and ε4 being the most common. The protein encoded by this gene (Apolipoprotein) is a major apoprotein of the chylomicron. It binds to a specific liver and peripheral cell receptor, and is essential for the normal catabolism of triglyceride rich lipoprotein constituents. This gene maps to chromosome 19 in a cluster with the related apolipoprotein C1 and C2 genes. Mutations in this …

Brca1 Variants And Associations With Breast Cancer, Elaine Vanterpool, Tessa Tsoka

Student Posters

Breast cancer continues to be one of the most life-threatening diseases throughout the world, and various genetic factors play a critical role in its development. While there are a number of gene variants associated with hereditary breast cancer, BRCA1 is an extremely important tumor suppressor gene which is responsible for the maintenance of genomic stability. BRCA1, in addition to BRCA2, is crucial for DNA repair by method of homologous recombination. Together, these genes function to prevent the accumulation of DNA damage which could cause uncontrolled cell growth, leading to the development of tumors. The tumor suppressor protein that the BRCA1 …

An Analysis Of Dguok Variants Associated With Mitochondrial Dna Depletion Syndrome, Elaine Vanterpool, Ethan Harris

Student Posters

The DGUOK is a nuclear gene that codes for the enzyme deoxyguanosine kinase, an essential protein in maintaining mitochondrial DNA and producing mitochondria. Mutagens in this gene can result in deoxyguanosine kinase deficiency, an inherited disorder that disrupts liver, muscle, and cerebral function. Manifesting from biallelic pathogenic variants, Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome ((MDDS) is a clinically heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive mitochondrial disorders that significantly reduce the number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the affected cells. This results in stifled ATP synthesis, decreased energy reserves, and cellular dysfunction. As such, energy-dependent tissues such as the liver, heart, skeletal muscles, and …

My09b And Ctla4 Effects On Celiac Disease, Elaine Vanterpool, Blake Woode

Student Posters

Celiac disease is a disease that restricts what people can eat. When the body overreacts to gluten it damages the tiny, hairlike projections, called villi, that line the small intestine. This affects millions of Americans. In this study, we search for the genes that affect this disease and why. In this study, we will be using SIFT, simple clinvar, and SIFT. First, we will use simple clinvar. Using this tool we find the gene that is being affected which is gene MY09B. After using SIFT to determine variant pathogenicity and the potential to impact protein function we found that the …