Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Exploration Of A Relationship Between The Activities Of Trail And 4’-Trifluoromethoxychalcone., Abigail C. Ernst

Undergraduate Theses

Cancer is the overgrowth of dysregulated or mutated cells that affects 1 in 3 Americans. Chalcones are natural products with many possible derivatives, such as 4’-trifluromethoxychalcone (4TF), developed in Dr. Krzysiak’s lab, which exhibit anticancer activity against cancer cell lines. Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) is a tumor surveillance cytokine that acts on two receptor types: death receptors and decoy receptors. One way cancer cells can become resistant to TRAIL is by upregulating decoy receptors and/or downregulating death receptors. In this study, MTS assays evaluated the potential relationship between TRAIL and 4TF that sensitizes A549 cells to TRAIL. The …

Maintaining And Axenizing Live Cyanobacterial Cultures For Bacterial Genome Sequencing, Yufei Wang, Louisa Acquah

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are an

increasing concern in western Kansas, yet the

bloom-forming species in this region remain

poorly characterized. In this study, we

established and maintained axenic

cyanobacterial cultures to support future

genomic and ecological investigations. By

ensuring low contamination levels and stable

growth conditions, this work provides a

foundation for downstream analyses of bloom-

forming cyanobacteria. It contributes to a better

understanding of freshwater ecosystem health

in western Kansas.

Identification Of Covalent Catechin Adducts Of Enoyl-Acp Reductase (Fabi) From E. Coli Using Mass Spectrometry, Francisco G. Atwi, P. M. Joyner, Rustin Ghidari

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Enoyl-ACP reductase (FabI), an enzyme which is inhibited by catechin, is essential for lipid biosynthesis in bacteria (E. coli). Another FabI inhibitor, triclosan, has strong antibacterial effects,1 but overuse can be detrimental to the environment. Flavonoids, a class of dietary compounds, are known to have potent inhibitory effects on FabI and other kinases.2,3,4 Adducts form as a result of the biochemical reaction between flavonoids and cysteine, a modification which can be verified by m/z shifts on the mass spectra.5 Samples of E. coli protein with overexpressed FabI are utilized: the wild type with ordinary primary structure, and mutant type lacking …

Associations Between The Human Breast Microbiome And Immune Genes In Breast Cancer, Luke Pontoriero, Joan Argwings-Kodhek

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Breast cancer (BC) affects 1 in 8 women and roughly 50% of breast cancers cannot be explained by environmental or genetic factors. There is growing evidence of the role of the human breast microbiome in breast cancer, but the mechanisms guiding this role are not well understood. The co-evolution of the human microbiome with the immune system represents an interaction between host and microbiome that is understudied with regard to breast cancer pathogenesis. We hypothesized that immune genetic variation is associated with altered abundance patterns of bacterial taxa in BC. We conducted 30X whole genome sequencing on a sample of …

Structural Transformation Of A Hydrogel-Forming Cell Division Protein Zapb Of Multidrug Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae With Small Molecules, Ayesha Khan, M. Iqbal Choudhary, Sumaira Javaid, Humaira Zafar, Innokentiy Maslennikov, Atia-Tul Wahab

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Septal ring assembly protein ZapB (EMR18431.1) is involved in Z-ring formation, and nucleoid segregation during the bacterial cell division . It promotes cell division in the initial stages of the cell cycle through direct interaction with FtsZ, thus stimulating Z-ring assembly. The ZapB inhibition can make bacterial cell susceptible to primary antibiotics, and therefore considered as an important approach for adjuvent therapy against MDR bacterial infections. Hence in the current study, ZapB protein of multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was cloned, and expressed in E. coli system. To understand its role, and to assess the mechanism of ZapB activation, the characteristic …

Impact Of One Nucleotide On Organ Enumeration And Phyllotaxy In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Hazel R. Frans, Tara Phelps-Durr

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Arabidopsis thaliana is a model organism used by scientists to study plant genetics, development, and physiology. CRISPR-Cas9 is a biotechnology tool adapted from a bacterial defense mechanism to precisely edit DNA using a guide mRNA and a Cas9 protein. This project aims to create CRISPR-CAS9 mutations in the APETALA3 (AP3) gene of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. AP3 is a class B gene critical to the petal and stamen development of Arabidopsis flowers. The AP3 protein contains a MADS domain, which binds directly to DNA and may be responsible for the expression of the CaRG-box genes. AP3 works in conjunction …

Survivin And Caspases Coordinate Proteolytic Cleavage Of The Saga Chromatin Modifying Complex, Elinor Harrison, Alejandro Damian, Cj Talton

Medical Student Research Symposium

Title: Survivin and Caspases Coordinate Proteolytic Cleavage of the SAGA Chromatin Modifying Complex

Elinor Harrison¹, Alejandro Damian¹, CJ Talton¹, Jelly H Soffers¹, Abudu I Bello¹, Kara M Costanzo¹, Joe Bean¹, Ryan D Mohan¹

¹Wayne State University School of Medicine

Background: The Spt Ada Gcn5 Acetyltransferase (SAGA) chromatin modifying complex is a critical regulator of gene expression. Mutation or stoichiometric imbalance of SAGA subunits leads to a spectrum of diseases in model organisms and in humans, including neurodegeneration. SAGA contributes to gene activation through coordinated …

Verifying Mutations In Arabidopsis Thaliana Gene Apetala3, Michelle Wang, Tara Phelps-Durr, Hazel Frans

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The purpose of this research is to verify the mutation in the Arabidopsis thaliana APETALA3 (AP3) gene. By sequencing DNA, we confirmed the presence of an extra guanine in the mutant AP3 gene. These findings support that further investigation is needed into how the AP3 gene affects flower development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Cytokinesis And Dbf2, Katharine Gray

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

The Mitotic Exit Network (MEN) is a signaling pathway that allows a dividing cell to exit cytokinesis. Dbf2 is a MEN protein kinase in yeast, which provides a simplified model for studying this pathway. By altering Dbf2’s activity through phosphorylation mutants, its effect on cytokinesis can be studied. Transformed cells with a mutant and degron Dbf2 allele are prompted to destroy the degron Dbf2 protein, leaving only mutated Dbf2 behind. This allows for clear analysis of the effect of the phosphorylation mutant on division. Fluorescence microscopy can be used to visualise this degradation, and the impact on actin ring formation …

The Effects Of Preventing Dephosphorylation Of Lqg1 On Cytokinesis, Jenna Mueller

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Iqg1 plays crucial roles in cytokinesis, including the assembly, contraction, and disassembly of the actomyosin ring, as well as the coordination of contraction and septation. Given that cytokinesis must occur post-mitosis, Iqg1 is regulated by the cell cycle. This study explores hypotheses regarding Iqg1 regulation: it’s binding to action is negatively influenced by the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) Cdc28 and positively influenced by dephosphorylation via Cdc14. Newly developed yeast degron tagged strains allow for rapid depletion of specific proteins. Iqg1 mutations that alter serine to threonine, which allows phosphorylation but not dephosphorylation, in the degron strain allow testing of mutant phenotypes. …

Targeting Rna Polymerase I In Ewing Sarcoma Treatment, Alexis Bruce

Theses

Ewing sarcoma is a rare and aggressive pediatric bone cancer with poor survival rates in patients, as low as 30% in advanced or recurrent cases. There are limited treatment options, making molecularly targeted therapy vital to explore. Through CRISPR scans of Ewing sarcoma cell lines, ribosome biogenesis was highlighted as a potential target. As RNA polymerase I is a key component of ribosome biogenesis, the cytotoxic ability of two RNA Polymerase I inhibitors, CX-5461 and BMH-21, were used on patient-derived Ewing sarcoma cells. The efficacy of the drugs on two cell lines was determined via measuring cell viability, migration potential, …

Cellular And Molecular Characterization Of Ube3a Function In Cic-Dux4 Sarcoma, Jesse D. Walker

Theses

CIC-DUX4 sarcoma (CDS) is a rare and extremely aggressive soft tissue sarcoma that primarily affects children and young adults. CDS is characterized by an oncogenic chromosomal translocation. Current treatments for CDS are similar to those in other sarcomas like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Treatments, however show that CDS responds poorly compared to other sarcomas, due to relapses of localized disease at high rates and short duration response of treatment, proving the importance of understanding CIC-DUX4’s complex role on how it regulates overall gene expression in CDS cells from a molecular approach.

UBE3A is a ubiquitin protein ligase that plays a …

Effects Of Tubulin-Binding Medications On Microplastic Uptake And Cyotoskeletal Functionality Across Diverse Cell Types, Alejandra D. Favela Santos

Posters - 2026

• Microtubules are composed of of a- and b- tubulin heterodimers, vital for cell structure, shape, and intracellular transport • Microtubules are also useful as they separate chromosomes during cell division • Microplastics (< 5 mm) are considered a health threat and have been found throughout the whole body (1) o In several studies, microplastics have been correlated to higher rates cardiorespiratory issues, endocrine disruption, and cancer (1) • Tubulin-binding medications are widely used as chemotherapeutic agents as they are known for disrupting cell division and targeting tubulin (2,3) o In this study, these medications were used to determine whether microtubules play a role in microplastic uptake § Colchicine typically binds to tubulins and arrests polymerization and growth § Nocodazole disrupts polymerization and prevents spindle formation § Vinblastine inhibits microtubule assembly and disruptions miotic spindle formation.

• The purpose of this study was to determine if different concentrations of tubulin-binding medications affect microplastic uptake o C2C12, RAW 264.7, and MOVAS cell lines were used to evaluate whether these changes are cell type specific 

If microtubule dynamics are disrupted, microplastic uptake can be affect in a concentration-dependent and cell type- specific manner.

Signaling Response Of Epinephrine Treated Cards Toxin-Infected Thp-1 Macrophages, Trinity Martinez

Posters - 2026

Aspiration pneumonia is a common mild case of pneumonia, a disease where the lungs are inflamed and filled with fluid, compromising respiration and gas exchange. One common cause of mild pneumonia is bacterial infection via a pathogen known as Mycoplasma pneumoniae. M. pneumoniae causes a variety of respiratory illness- ranging from pharyngitis, tracheobronchitis, mild pneumonia- and in rare cases encephalitis. M. pneumoniae produces the CARDS toxin, which participates in ADP-ribosylation and vacuolization (Kannan et al., 2006)1. The CARDS toxin causes aspiration pneumonia by paralyzing the cilia that lines the respiratory tract. Epinephrine, or Adrenaline- is a hormone that is medically …

Effects Of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Cards Toxin On Lung Fibroblast Function, Shuri Magdalene

Posters - 2026

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen whose virulence depends largely on the community-acquired respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) toxin, a 591-amino-acid ADP-ribosylating protein¹. CARDS toxin induces immune responses²˒³, causes vacuolation in lung epithelial cells, and contributes to the inflammatory and pathological features of pneumonia. IMR-90 fibroblasts. IMR-90 cells are human fetal lung fibroblasts widely used to study responses to inflammatory signals, extracellular matrix production, and lung injury or repair. Rationale. Fibroblasts are key drivers of tissue remodeling and fibrosis during lung injury. Defining how CARDS toxin influences fibroblast programs in inflammation, cell-cycle control, and matrix remodeling²˒³ will clarify how M. …

Evaluating The Effects Of Akt Knockdown And Everolimus Treatment On Ewing Sarcoma, Arisha Arif, Alfie Barcenez, Nicole Vanegas-Riddick

Posters - 2026

The purpose of this study is to use the gene AKT1, due to the interest in AKT1’s role in cancer cell proliferation, and the drug Everolimus, to determine if combined targeted therapy works as a more efficient therapeutic approach. We hypothesize that the knockdown of AKT1 will increase the sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma cells to Everolimus, resulting in reduced proliferation and/or survival compared to drug treatment alone. This would suggest that AKT1 normally protects cells from drug-induced stress. Ewing Sarcoma has been connected to chromosomal translocations and most common in pediatric patients. It is most often treated with chemotherapy and …

Impact Of Ashwagandha Treatment On Cytokine Production And Macrophage Differentiation Into Thp-1 Cells, Betsi Diaz Chavarin, Aditi Kumar

Posters - 2026

Inflammation is a critical biological response that enables the immune system to react to infections, injuries, or stressful situations. However, chronic or excessive inflammation can lead to tissue damage and contribute to a wide range of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic syndromes, and immune dysregulation. 3,4 Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a central role in initiating and amplifying the immune response. 1,2 It is primarily produced by activated monocytes and macrophages in response to stimuli such as pathogens or stress signals. In addition, IL-1β acts on the hypothalamus to induce fever, which creates an environment …

Sirna Knockdown Of Rptor Alters Gene Expression In Ewing Sarcoma Cells, Sergio Cipriano, David Leavitt, Michael Oliva, Liam Valdez

Posters - 2026

Ewing sarcoma is a highly aggressive cancer that primarily affects children and young adults. Although treatment options exist, many patients do not respond effectively, showing the need for improved targeted therapies¹. RPTOR is a key in mTORC1 complex which regulates cell growth, proliferation, and survival². LY2874455 is a selective pan-FGFR inhibitor that targets growth factor signaling pathways involved in tumor progression³, and FGFR signaling interacts with pathways such as mTOR, making it a potential target for combination therapies. We hypothesized that silencing RPTOR in Ewing sarcoma cells would disrupt mTOR signaling and alter expression of genes linked to cell survival …

Take A Hit? Take A Hit: Quantifying Cell Death In E-Cigarette Exposed Bronchial Epithelial Cells Following Cards Toxin Treatment, Truman Havrda, Hannah Jiron, Sierra Trevino

Posters - 2026

The rapid rise of e-cigarette use among young adults has created a significant public health challenge, as the popularity of "vaping" has grown faster than our understanding of its long term cellular consequences. Current research indicates that e-cigarette vapor (ECV) induce high levels of oxidative stress and impair the lungs' ability to clear bacterial pathogens. Furthermore, ECV exposure upregulates specific receptors on the surface of airway cells, essentially making it easier for bacteria to adhere to and infect the lungs. While we know that both e-liquids and vapor trigger inflammatory responses and cytotoxicity, there is limited data on how these …

Gene Expression And Apoptotic Responses To Panobinostat Treatment And Yap Knockdown In Ewing Sarcoma Cells, Luna Collazo-Garcia, Alejandra Favela Santos, Madeline Torres-Salazar, Isabella Toscano

Posters - 2026

Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer driven by abnormal gene expression caused by the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein

Usually treated with intensive treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation

Outcomes remain poor for metastatic disease, highlighting the need for new therapeutic strategies

The Hippo signaling pathway regulates cell proliferation and survival through the transcriptional co-activator YAP1

Folic Acid–Carbon Dot–Gemcitabine Nanoparticles For Targeted Cancer Drug Delivery, Irfan Huda, Hua Mei

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This project aims to develop a folic acid-attached carbon dot nanoparticle system (FA-CDs-GEM) for the targeted delivery of gemcitabine to cancer cells. While gemcitabine is widely used, its effectiveness is limited because a short in vivo half life and lack of selectivity, which lead to severe side effects. Carbon dots offer a simple and modifiable platform as the drug delivery and bioimaging agent. Conjugation of folic acid to the carbon dots enables selective targeting of cancer cells that overexpress folate receptors. In this study, we synthesized and characterized FA-CD-GEM nanoparticles and developed an HPLC calibration curve of GEM to accurately …

Differential Effects Of Veratridine And 5-Fluorouracil On Ubxn2a-Targeted Mortalin And Rictor Proteins In Patient-Derived Colorectal Cancer Cells, Kate S. Schraufnagel

Honors Thesis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, particularly in patients with metastatic CRC and/or those who have developed resistance to conventional chemotherapy. There has been a significant rise in early-onset CRC (EOCRC) incidences in patients under age 50. Due to lack of screening, these patients are commonly diagnosed in the later stages where there is a lack of effective therapies. This highlights the need for targeted therapies that address the molecular drivers of tumor progression and treatment resistance. UBXN2A is a tumor suppressor protein that regulates key oncogenic pathways in CRC, including Mortalin-2 (mot-2)-mediated p53 suppression and …

The Impact Of Pp1Β Cancer-Associated Polymorphisms On Pp1Β Protein Abundance And Cell Survival In Humanized Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Kaylee Martinez

Honors Theses

PP1β is an understudied protein phosphatase that affects the cell’s ability to reproduce. It has been known to be an important part of the cell cycle. Mutations within PP1β have been found to affect that process and influence the development of cancer and disease. In this thesis, different PP1β cancer and disease associated polymorphisms are investigated through the use of humanized yeast. PP1β yeast variants are tested by using Live/Dead cell assay and western blot techniques. Live/Dead analysis was conducted on different strains grown at permissible temperature (room temperature) and non-permissible temperature (37°C) over the course of 6 or 48 …

Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Haplotype Groups For South Texas Canids, Canis Rufus, After Past Hybridization Events, Isabella Lopez

Presentations - 2026

mtDNA: mitochondrial DNA; passed from maternal parent to offspring (Haplotype)

Haplotype:  a group of genes or genetic markers inherited together from a single parent (Haplotype)

Mitochondrial DNA haplotypes specific sequences of mtDNA that is passed exclusively from maternal parent to offspring (Giles et al. 1980)

Pro's:

It is passed unchanged from mother to offspring, meaning it is fairly stable (Giles et al. 1980)

Each cell has multiple mitochondria vs one nucleus , which means mtDNA it is more likely to be recoverable from degraded samples like scat (Templeton et al. 2013)

Untangling G-Quadruplexes In Dna: The Effects Of Nucleotide Excision Repair, Jaidelin Alvardo, Abiageal Riley, Erick Morales Orrante, Raynne Malik

Posters - 2026

Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) remo ves bulky DNA lesions that are attributed to UV irradiation, environmental mutagens, and chemo-therapeutic agents (Schärer, CSH Perspectives Biology, 2013). G4- quadruplexes are formed by four guanines hydrogen bonded together to form a planar ring, and stacking of the hydrophobic G quartets stabilizes the quadruplex structure Capra et al.,PLoS Computational Biology, 2010). A surplus of this structure is linked to genomic Instability and cancer development.

Prior studies indicate that because NER eliminates large lesions of DNA, there may be a link to the removal of G4-quadruplexes through Nucleotide Excision Repair (De Magis et al, Nature,2020). …

Analyzing The Effect Of Melatonin On B Cells' Expression Of Cd36, Caitlyn Pinaga, Gabriella Galdeano, Nayi Gonzalez, Emma Welsch

Posters - 2026

• B cells specifically target pathogens and proliferate to make a plasma cell and secrete antibodies when stimulated. They use glucose as a main energy source but can also use fatty acids. • CD36 is a glycoprotein involved in the transportation and metabolism of fatty acids. • B cells express CD36 in unusually high levels in autoimmune patients. It is unknown as to how this occurs. • Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland, commonly known for its function in regulating the circadian rhythm. • Melatonin is also known as a master cell regulator and is believed to …

"I Need Help!": Can Ashwagandha Reduce Inflammation-Driven Oxidative Stress Without Inducing Cytotoxicity In Macrophages?, Caitlyn Pinaga

Posters - 2026

Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce inflammation in humans by lowering pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers, helping regulate immune responses. It is commonly used to support conditions linked to chronic inflammation, such as stress-related disorders, arthritis, and metabolic imbalance. THP-1 macrophages are a part of the body's immune response to inflammation. While they produce a lot of different responses to inflammation, one of them is the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is established to be a powerful antioxidant and is used as a positive control. My study aims to understand how ashwagandha, a popular supplement, affects …

Exploring Base Excision Repair Using Gene Knockout, Gregory Guantos, Cailyn Brock, Kamily Visser, Dylan Vargas

Posters - 2026

•             Base Excision Repair (BER) fixes damaged 3DNA bases throughout the cell cycle by removing damaged bases and replacing either one nucleotide in short-patch BER or a short stretch of nucleotides in long-patch BER. (Hindi, 2021, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences:CMLS)

•             4G-quadruplexes (G4s) are 4 stranded secondary DNA structures formed in guanine rich areas of DNA and RNA. (Rhodes, 2015, Nucleic Acids Research)

The URA3 plasmid was used as a PCR template to make a gene deletion construct, then yeast were transformed so APN1 was replaced by URA3. 2APN1 encodes a major DNA repair enzyme in yeast, and strains …

Epigenetic Mechanisms For Mediating The Transmission Of Prenatal Maternal Stress And Associated Neurodevelopmental Outcomes, Kaylee Vis

Senior Honors Theses

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the primary stress response system responsible for regulating cortisol release. During pregnancy, maternal stress can dysregulate the HPA axis, leading to elevated cortisol and corticosterone levels that impact fetal development. Excessive prenatal exposure to stress has been associated with alterations in fetal brain structure and function, increasing the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety. Emerging research supports the idea that these neurodevelopmental effects may be transmitted through epigenetic mechanisms. However, a gap remains in the literature regarding the specific mechanism of interaction between environmental stressors, heritable epigenetic information, …

Cell-Free Mitochondrial Dna (Mtdna) Triggers Vascular Dysfunction Via Toll-Like Receptor 9 (Tlr9)-Dependent Activation Of Inflammasomes, Mohin Amin

Senior Theses

Hypertension is the leading global risk factor for mortality and is closely associated with vascular inflammation and dysfunction. Damaged mitochondria release cell-free mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA), which activates toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). The binding of TLR9 to mtDNA activates the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, promoting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines via gasdermin D (GSDMD), therefore worsening inflammation. However, the mechanisms linking mitochondrial injury to inflammation-induced vascular dysfunction remain unclear. We hypothesize that cf-mtDNA triggers TLR9-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation contributing to vascular and endothelial dysfunction. To assess that, adult male C57BL/6 were exposed to 28 consecutive days of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) or …