Biology Commons^™

The Ladybug, Alexandra M. Brisson

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Artist Statement

The Ladybug is a piece inspired by my wide-eyed youth. As a child, I was in awe of the ladybug's (Coccinellidae) iconic red elytra adorned with their contrasting black spots. I was also told that encountering a ladybug meant good luck and to make a wish, which fueled my fascination. As I began studying biology, I discovered that they play a crucial ecological role as voracious predators of aphids and other plant pests. Their contribution to natural pest control underscores their importance in agriculture and ecosystem balance. Ladybugs are valued allies, not only in the eyes of sustainable …

The Short Allele Of The Serotonin Transporter Gene (Slc6a4) Increases Predisposition To Anxiety And Negative Emotional States, Gabriella Hitti

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Mental disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders, have long been a focus of psychological research, and increasing evidence points to a genetic basis for their occurrence. Polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene (SLC6A4) may predispose an individual to anxiety-related symptoms. SLC6A4 has two common alleles: the short (s) allele, which results in less 5-HTT protein production, and the long (l) allele, which results in more 5-HTT. Integrated findings from psychometric evaluations, behavioral animal models, and biological assessments establish a link between the s allele of SLC6A4 and heightened anxiety phenotypes. The allele’s influence on serotonin levels and brain …

Freshwater Mussels As High-Resolution Recorders Of Local Climate Data: Learning From An Imperiled Species, Mia Meighan, Linh Truong, Tristan Keane, Jens Hegg, Joel Saunder, Casey Mccormack

CURCI Student Research

Freshwater mussels are native bivalve mollusks and an important indicator species for water quality. Over 65% of the species present in North America are imperiled.

In the West, mussel populations are generally declining, and the western ridged mussel (Gonidea angulata), native to the Pacific Northwest, is under review by the US Fish & Wildlife Service for Endangered Species Act listing.

Just as scientists use dendrochronology to determine the climate conditions of a forest using tree rings, sclerochronology can be used to determine the condition of stream habitats using growth bands stored within mussel shells.

Histological Characterization Of Larch Mountain Salamander (Plethodon Larselli) Head Glands, Jaxon Hopkins, Nancy Staub

CURCI Student Research

In salamanders, successful reproduction requires communication. Most male salamanders communicate to the female during courtship via a gland on their chin, called the mental gland. The sexually dimorphic mental gland in the dermis of the lower jaw is typical in males of species in the family Plethodontidae and is considered ancestral to the family (Sever et al. 2016). The mental gland consists of an aggregate of modified granular glands (MGGs) that produce pheromones (Houck and Sever, 1994; Rupp and Sever, 2018). During courtship, pheromones secreted from mental glands are delivered to the female through head rubbing and biting (Houck and …

How Viruses Grant Superpowers To Their Hosts: Investigating Prophage-Dependent Immunity In Cluster F Phages Through Genetic Engineering Of The Immunity Repressor Gene, Kassidy Espinosa, Kirk Anders

Biology Student Scholarship

Using genetic engineering to clone the immunity repressor gene in Cluster F phages has provided insights into prophage-dependent immunity. My research builds on the work of previous students, offering a deeper understanding of how bacteriophages confer immunity to their bacterial hosts.

Integrating Multiple Biodiversity Metrics To Assess Diatom Diversity And Diatom/Macrophyte Host Specificity In Four Florida Benchmark Lakes, Alana Jade Bronk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biodiversity is declining across all natural environments, however, freshwater systems are thought to be among the most threatened. Quantifying and understanding trends in freshwater biodiversity has become more urgent as rapid biodiversity loss continues. To provide a robust ecological assessment, more than one bioindicator should be used, along with multiple biodiversity metrics. Macrophytes and diatoms are important components of aquatic systems, especially in shallow lakes. The relationship between macrophytes and epiphytic diatoms, though, is not clearly understood, and has not been well-studied, particularly in Florida, which has the largest abundance of natural freshwater lakes in the southeastern U.S This study …

Temperature Affects Nest Box Selection, Nest Success, And Nestling Size In A Southeastern Population Of Eastern Bluebirds, Katie Stumpf

Georgia Journal of Science

Given the critical role of temperature in avian reproduction, rising global temperatures will likely impact reproductive success of many bird populations. We examined the effect of nest box temperature, nest box color, entrance orientation, distance to forest cover, and distance to water on net box selection, nest success, and nestling size in eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) in central Georgia. White painted nest boxes had significantly cooler temperatures than control nest boxes (P < 0.05). However, model selection revealed that eastern bluebird females selected control boxes, despite their overall warmer temperatures. Nest success was associated with year, likely because of high nest predation during the warmer 2022 breeding season (P < 0.05). Nest success was also associated with cooler nest boxes, possibly because incubating females spend more time incubating which can reduce predation risks. Larger nestlings fledged from painted nest boxes, nest boxes with cooler temperatures, and nests from 2021, which we attribute to decreased thermoregulatory demands enabling faster nestling growth in cooler boxes and years. These seemingly opposing results suggest there may be an optimal temperature range where nest box temperature maximizes reproductive fitness while minimizing energetic demands on incubating adults. Determining this temperature range can help target management efforts to ensure specific goals are met.

Cultivation In Long-Term Simulated Microgravity Is Detrimental To Pyocyanin Production And Subsequent Biofilm Formation Ability Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, K. Z. M. Chen, L. M. Vu, Amy Cheng Vollmer

Biology Faculty Works

Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms aggregates known as biofilms. Previous studies have shown that when P. aeruginosa is cultivated in space, thicker and structurally different biofilms are formed than from those grown on Earth. We investigated how microgravity, simulated in a laboratory setting, influenced the growth, colonization, and virulence potentials of a P. aeruginosa PA14 wild-type strain, as well as two surface attachment-defective (sad) mutants altered at crucial biofilm-forming steps: flgK and pelA. Using high-aspect ratio rotating-wall vessel (HARV) bioreactors, P. aeruginosa bacteria were grown to stationary phase under prolonged (6 days) exposure to simulated microgravity or normal gravity …

A Lidar-Driven Pruning Algorithm To Delineate Canopy Drainage Areas Of Stemflow And Throughfall Drip Points, Collin Wischmeyer, Travis E. Swanson, Kevin E. Mueller, Nicholas R. Lewis, Jillian Bastock, John T. Van Stan Ii

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Precipitation channelled down tree stems (stemflow) or into drip points of 'throughfall' beneath trees results in spatially concentrated inputs of water and chemicals to the ground. Currently, these flows are poorly characterised due to uncertainties about which branches redirect rainfall to stemflow or throughfall drip points. We introduce a graph theoretic algorithm that 'prunes' quantitative structural models of trees (derived from terrestrial LiDAR) to identify branches contributing to stemflow and those contributing to throughfall drip points. To demonstrate the method's utility, we analysed two trees with similar canopy sizes but contrasting canopy architecture and rainfall partitioning behaviours. For both trees, …

Life, Death And Energy: What Does Nature Select?, James H. Brown, Chen Hou, Charles A.S. Hall, Joseph R. Burger

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Evolutionary biology is poised for a third major synthesis. The first presented Darwin's evidence from natural history. The second incorporated genetic mechanisms. The third will be based on energy and biophysical processes. It should include the equal fitness paradigm (EFP), which quantifies how organisms convert biomass into surviving offspring. Natural selection tends to maximize energetic fitness, formula presented, where formula presented is mass-specific rate of cohort biomass production, formula presented is generation time, formula presented is fraction of cohort production that is passed to surviving offspring, and formula presented is energy density of biomas. At steady state, parents replace themselves …

Effects Of Roadways On Seasonal Movement Strategies And Mate Location Success In An Imperiled Pit Viper (Crotalus Horridus), Elizabeth J. Noble

Graduate Research Showcase

A detailed understanding of animal movement behavior is fundamental to effective conservation and management. Within populations, a diversity of movement strategies can be displayed in search of critical resources, and these strategies are influenced by multiple interacting factors related to individuals and the environment. Mating partners are one critical resource that often serves as a prominent selective force shaping movement during mating seasons. For many large-bodied snakes, such as pit vipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae), male mate- searching movements are the primary determinant of mate location success. During this time, males incur significant risks associated with elevated movement. In an increasingly human- …

Complete Genomes Of Two Cluster Ak Arthrobacter Phages Isolated From Soil Samples In Newburgh, Ny, United States, Veronique A. Delesalle, Mariah King, Tabitha Rozario, Noah Wolf, Connor Stewart, Luke Demato, Kevin Trafford, Saiman Adhikari, Van Dinh

Biology Faculty Publications

Two phages belonging to Arthrobacter phage cluster AK were isolated from soil samples collected in Newburgh, NY in 2021. Both are lytic with a genome organization typical of siphoviruses except for two genes encoding minor tail proteins with pyocin-knob domains found early in the genome, before the terminase gene.

Water Quality Of Silver Creek, A Buried Urban Stream, Nick Bultje, Valerie Krause, Rebecca Nulty

Student Papers and Reports

There are many sources of pollution that can affect a watershed. These pollutants can impact the water's pH, temperature, conductivity, and dissolved solids. Escherichia coli is a specific pollutant that comes from waste products of humans and animals. High levels of E. coli cause serious health problems. This study examines Silver Creek, a tributary within the Plaster Creek watershed. Silver Creek runs mostly underground and has storm drainage systems that flow into the creek. The goal was to explore the effects of the underground section of Silver Creek on water quality and E. coli levels. The water quality and levels …

Limits Of Longwood's Electron Microscope: A Study In Biological Imaging, Rachel Danzitz, Bjoern Ch. Ludwar

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This study evaluates the imaging capabilities and limitations of the Hitachi TM4000II Plus Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and its Scanning Transmission adapter in biological imaging. A variety of specimens, including protozoans (e.g., Volvox and nematodes), bacteria (e.g., Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli), tissue samples, and blood, were analyzed. While the SEM effectively imaged protozoans and bacteria, its ability to visualize viruses was deemed impractical. Despite claims of magnification up to 100,000x, clarity significantly decreased beyond 5,000x. The transmission adapter proved functional but challenging to operate consistently. The study highlights the microscope's limitations in producing high-clarity, …

Ophidiomyces Ophidiicola And Texas Snakes: A Field To Bench Study Of Ophidiomycosis, Kenlynn L. Volz

Biology Theses

Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), the primary cause of Ophidiomycosis, is a fungal pathogen recently detected in Texas snakes. Prior to this study, there were major knowledge gaps regarding Oo growth, spread, and suitable environmental conditions. This study filled those gaps using a field to bench approach involving sampling snakes across Texas, in vitro fungal growth, and ecological niche modeling. 103 snakes were sampled across Texas in 2023 and 2024 and six cases of Oo infection were detected. Results of the growth experiment suggest that Oo prefers more stable temperatures and high humidity to a point and that there is a …

Monitoring The Seasonal Presence Of The Blue Shiner, Cyprinella Caerulea, In Little River Canyon National Preserve Using Environmental Dna, Deanna Meadows

Theses

The study of environmental DNA (eDNA) has provided researchers with a more accessible and sensitive way to identify the presence of specific species compared to traditional monitoring methods. eDNA enables species detection by analyzing environmental samples such as water or soil, which contain genetic material shed by organisms in a given area. Research indicates that eDNA techniques have become a valuable method for monitoring threatened and invasive species, proving particularly reliable for detecting aquatic species compared to traditional techniques. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has been used in numerous eDNA studies, as it provides for greater accuracy than conventional PCR. Cyprinella …

Oxidative Stress Responses In Arabidopsis Thaliana Plants To Uv-B Irradiation, Bolaji Olalere

Theses

The depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer has led to increased levels of harmful UV-B radiation reaching the Earth's surface, posing significant challenges for plant health and development. This study investigates the oxidative stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana when exposed to UV-B irradiation. Arabidopsis thaliana, a well-established model organism, is particularly sensitive to UV-B, making it ideal for understanding the effects of UV-B-induced oxidative stress. UV-B radiation, a mutagenic component of sunlight, disrupts key metabolic, molecular, and developmental processes, leading to DNA damage, impaired metabolism, and morphological changes. This research aims to explore how UV-B exposure affects the activities of …

Field-Based Courses Still Matter, But Not Like They Used To, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

Increasingly, field-based courses are providing the first real opportunities for students to experience nature in meaningful ways. As a baseline, even before the content delivery and the graded assessments, this is already enough to change the way a person feels in the world and to spark an appreciation for the life around them.

(Part of a special feature on education in which recent winners of the Botanical Society of America's Charles E. Bessey Award share teaching philosophies and strategies.)

Metabolic Crossroads: Gaba Synthesis In Trichomonas Vaginalis Infection, Yesha Dhruv

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

This study examines the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis pathway in Trichomonas vaginalis infection of human HCT-8 cells, focusing on key enzymatic processes in glutamate conversion to GABA and metabolic adaptations. The hypothesis tested was that T. vaginalis modulates GABA metabolism to enhance host cell invasion and adaptation. Infection time-point studies, RNA sequencing, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) assays were conducted. Comparisons between T. vaginalis strains Casu 2 and Casu 2/MOZ 2 revealed distinct infection dynamics. Casu 2 rapidly attached and replicated within an hour, peaking at 24 hours, while Casu 2/MOZ 2 exhibited delayed replication, peaking at 48 to 72 hours, …

Bacteriostatic Effects Of Hydroxyl Radical-Generating Device On Klebsiella And Pseudomonas, Caroline Le '26, Philips Akinwole, Nipun Chopra

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) serve as one of the most pressing problems in the medical field. On any given day, one in 31 hospital patients has at least one HAIs and even though the average duration of inpatient admissions has decreased, the frequency of HAIs has increased. The most popular treatment for HAIs is antimicrobial medications such as antibiotics, however, bacteria have been documented to develop resistance to several antibiotics. Hydroxyl radical is being explored as an alternative preventative treatment to HAIs as it has microbicidal effects on planktonic bacteria and fungi over short treatment time, but few studies have looked …

Designing An Attachment Assay For Keratinocytes Stimulated By Fibroblast Conditioned Media, Linh "Kas" Do '26, Colleen L. Doçi

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Cell attachment involves the interaction between an individual cell with its neighbors and the extracellular matrix. These interactions are often regulated by the signaling molecules, including a variety of proteins, cytokines and growth factors. It is found in several studies that keratinocytes in the epidermis communicate with dermal fibroblasts in a bilateral paracrine model, in which they were simultaneously stimulated by the byproduct of the others. We developed this protocol with a simple, low-cost, and effective model to examine keratinocyte attachment that could be applied to examine the effects of fibroblasts on cell adhesion. For this method, we collected the …

A Quantitative Survey Of Goldenrods And Their Galls In Greencastle, Indiana., Chiamaka Ndubuokwu '27, Danielle Sommerman '25, Rose Keith

Annual Student Research Poster Session

During the spring to summer months, galls—an abnormal growth of plant tissue—are commonly found on goldenrod plants. Some of the most common galls that plague goldenrods are the rosette, ball, and elongated galls caused by different flies and midges. This study set out to quantitatively survey goldenrod galls of those three types in Greencastle, Indiana and their potential fitness effects. The literature currently available focuses heavily on the relationships between ball galls and goldenrods, while the other gall types are understudied. This finding was especially surprising considering that the results of our data analysis suggests that the rosette galls were …

Avoidance Behavior Of Oppia Nitens (Oribatid Mites) To Herbicide: Glyphosate Compared To Microplastics In Standard Artificial Soil., Thi Doan '27, Philips Akinwole

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Despite growing public interest in environmental issues, awareness of contaminants affecting soil organisms remains broadly lacking, despite decades of research. This study investigated the impacts of a common herbicide; glyphosate, (Roundup), on the avoidance behavior of Oppia nitens - a soil mite species used as an indicator of soil health, and soil moisture content. The study involved exposing O.nitens to standard artificial soil treated with glyphosate concentrations ranging from 47.8 to 501.6 mg/kg. Avoidance behavior was assessed by observing mite distribution between treated and untreated soil over a 48-hour period. Results demonstrated clear avoidance behavior at higher glyphosate concentrations (501.6 …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Sheep Generated By Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, Ying Liu, Rusty Stott, Misha Regouski, Zhiqiang Fan, Iuri Viotti Perisse, Tayler Patrick, Jacob Keim, Qinggang Meng, Irina A. Polejaeva

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is one of the primary methods for production of genetically engineered sheep, which allows for gene editing or transgene introduction in somatic cells. The use of SCNT eliminates the risk of genetic mosaicism in embryos and animals that is commonly observed after zygote micromanipulations. This retrospective analysis of SCNT in sheep performed at Utah State University, spanning from 2016 to 2021, examined parameters that may impact pregnancy and full-term development, including donor oocytes (donor age), donor cell lines, SCNT parameters (time of oocyte activation following SCNT, number of transferred embryos, in vitro maturation and culture …

Metabolic Adaptation Of Soil Microbial Communities To Metal Contamination: Assessment Of Cadmium Stress, Nina Shaffer '25, Emma Jacobs '25, Philips Akinwole

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Anthropogenic contamination of soil with heavy metals such as Cadmium (Cd2+) alters the metabolic activities and structure of soil microbial communities and has profound impacts on the soil ecosystem. In this study, we examined the effects of Cd2+ exposure on soil microbial communities by amending soil solutions with different concentrations of Cadmium nitrate tetrahydrate Cd(NO3)2 ● 4H2O (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.5 mM). 150 µL of the Cd2+ amended and control soil solutions were added to BIOLOG 96-well ecoplates and incubated (26 ±1oC) over a 7-day period for metabolic analysis of 31 selected carbon substrates. Average well-color development (AWCD) …

Phenotypic Variations In T. Repens (White Clover) Leaf Pigmentation, Danielle Sommerman '25, Chiamaka Nbubuokwu '27, Rose Keith

Annual Student Research Poster Session

There is a known variation in patterning amongst the leaves of variegated plants. The reasons as to why this polymorphism occurs has long been debated by botanists and biologists, but some hypotheses include thermoregulation, ultraviolet protection, and pollinator attraction among others (Kuo et al., 2024). We hypothesized that physical location may play a role in the leaf variegation of Trifolium repens (white clover). Starting mid July of 2024, we collected sample leaflets from multiple local populations from three distinct sites in Greencastle, IN. After collecting, we looked at the frequency of chevron presence as well as the size of the …

Comparison Of S100Β Expression In Sk-Mel-25 And A-375, Nev Hommel '26, Ayusha Pokharel '27, Nipun Chopra

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects more than 2 million Americans each year. S100β protein acts as a biomarker for TBI– studies have shown that micromolar levels of S100β are dangerous to neuronal health. Our plan for the summer was to experiment with whether miRNA-4705 could inhibit the production of S100β or not. To get started on the transfection, we had two hurdles to overcome. One of them was to find an efficient s100B primary antibody and the second was to ensure our s100B siRNA worked. By analyzing various research papers and their western blot, we identified and selected two s100B …

Proteomic Analysis Reveals Major Proteins And Pathways That Mediate The Effect Of 17-Β-Estradiol In Cell Division And Apoptosis In Breast Cancer Mcf7 Cells, Zhenqi Zhou, Brihget Sicairos, Jianhong Zhou, Yuchun Du

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite extensive research, the genes/proteins and pathways responsible for the physiological effects of estrogen remain elusive. In this study, we determined the effect of estrogen on global protein expression in breast cancer MCF7 cells using a proteomic method. The expression of 77 cytosolic, 74 nuclear, and 81 membrane/organelle proteins was significantly altered by 17-β-estradiol (E2). Protein enrichment analyses suggest that E2 may stimulate cell division primarily by promoting the G1 to S phase transition and advancing the G2/M checkpoint. The effect of E2 on cell survival was complex, as it could simultaneously enhance and inhibit apoptosis. Bioinformatics analysis suggests that …

Analysis Of Mybl1,Vxn, And Ccne2 Gene Relationships In Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Sahia M. Bryant

Theses (2016-Present)

Accounting for 15-20% of all breast cancers, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), is the most aggressive subtype, with the worst prognosis. In previous studies, the MYBL1 gene, which is associated with several events that are key to tumor progression, has been identified as a powerful transcriptional activator that is overexpressed in TNBC. In earlier research, our lab knocked down MYBL1 expression in a TNBC cell line and identified a subset of genes impacted by the knockdown process. MYBL1 gene is located on the chromosome 8q locus. In addition to MYBL1 we identified 2 genes, VXN and CCNE2, also located at the …

Analysis Of Isoforms Associaated With The Mybl2 Gene In Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Taylor Allen-Boswell

Theses (2016-Present)

Nearly every gene exists as transcript variants and protein isoforms. Variations of a particular gene are generated by small nuclear ribonucleoproteins which in many cases remove introns, so that exons can be joined together in varying configurations. Transcript variants are formed, which are then translated into protein isoforms. The resulting transcript variants have substantial sequence similarities; and the isoforms have substantial sequence similarities. Studies show that isoforms generated because of these processes can have different start sites and/or sizes that can lead to generations of different proteins with different biological roles in a cell. The isoforms might have different functions …