Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Importance Of Processing And Understanding Bacteriophages, Alexandra Greco, Emily Bishop, Emma Hofseth, Kelsi Phelps

Undergraduate Research Competition

There are many bacteria that are increasingly becoming antibiotic resistant resulting in a new prevalent medical issue. Bacteriophages are evolutionary virus weapons that infect and fight against these infectious bacteria that give rise to Bacteriophages the most abundant biological entity found in nature, outnumbering all life combined, with a total estimated population of 1031. As part of BIOL 302L - Phage Discovery, we focused on identifying phages from individually collected soil samples found regionally in South Carolina. Through a series of experiments, we were able to identify and amplify two newly discovered phages that infect Mycobacterium Smegmatis following the protocols …

Telling Their Story: Identifying Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins Using Dorsal Fin Photo-Identification To Match Known Individuals, Grace Richa

Undergraduate Research Competition

Bottlenose dolphins are protected and managed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. When dolphins die (strand), researchers investigate the cause of death, but additional information regarding past experience and distribution can help to identify long-term exposure to pathogens and threats. The objective of this study is to use dorsal fin photo-identification to identify stranded bottlenose dolphins by matching them to known individuals from historical CCU research survey data. Photos from vessel-based surveys in Cape Romain, Murrells Inlet, Winyah Bay, and North Inlet, SC were sorted, cropped, and compared to existing fins in the CCU catalog using finFindR, a photo processing …

Identifying Overwash Layers In Marsh Sediment, Charles Mina

Undergraduate Research Competition

Hurricanes have become one of the most researched topics in recent years, due to their damage costs and their uncertain correlations with climate change. Much of the research for this topic has come from direct interaction with storms, such as damage reports and land surveys. However, there is a gap in the historical record of hurricanes, as most historical record is only written. These records can be biased and are too short of a record to identify a pattern of climate change. Grain size analysis, where sizes of sediment grains are measured, can be used to identify the storm events …

Comparative Analysis Of Implementing Solar Energy In South Carolina, Paige Huntzberry, Jo Whitney

Undergraduate Research Competition

Solar energy is becoming an increasingly popular method of providing energy to homes and businesses all over the world. Converting to solar energy is a huge step in reducing our carbon footprint, a driving force of global climate change. While this type of energy production provides an eco-friendly approach to power, requiring minimal maintenance and virtually no additional infrastructure, many are still opposed to the implementation due to financial reservations. The aim of this project is to design a solar array for installation on a building at the Medical University of South Carolina, providing a cost effective and practical approach …

The Impact Of Prc Language Policies On Minority Languages Of China, Margaret Shoop

Undergraduate Research Competition

While language is often used as a tool to bring people together and celebrate differences, language can also be weaponized and used to suppress minority groups of people. There are over three hundred unique languages and dialects spoken in Mainland China, with Mandarin Chinese being the most widely spoken of the languages. Mandarin is the official state language of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and it is also the primary language taught in schools across the country. Despite official Chinese policy of teaching Mandarin Chinese alongside local dialects, Mandarin is favored over minority languages. The unequal emphasis on Mandarin …

Seasonal Fluctuation Of Nutrients That Lead To Microcystis Bloom Development In Wall Pond, Coastal Carolina University, Alyssa Antolak

Undergraduate Research Competition

The harmful cyanobacteria Microcystis globally dominates eutrophic freshwater systems. Eutrophication leading to nitrogen and phosphorus loading into aquatic systems is increasing bloom propagation and shifting diatom/dinoflagellate dominated systems to cyanobacteria dominated systems. Understanding seasonal variability and environmental parameters combined with nutrient loading will allow for better understanding of what factors are influencing Microcystis blooms. Biweekly plankton samples, environmental parameters, and nutrients were collected from Wall Pond from spring 2022-spring 2023. Nitrogen and phosphate limitation was examined by performing seasonal nutrient limitation experiments. Early results show that yearly plankton samples shifted from diatom dominated in the late summer-early fall to Microcystis …

Solving Electron Spin Drift-Diffusion Equations In Presence Of Hyperfine Interactions, Dana Coleman, Bryan Stevens, Truman Schulz

Undergraduate Research Competition

Next generation technologies have been proposed where electron spin is used in addition to electron charge in order to improve functionality and efficiency of electronic devices. In this work, we study how nuclear fields, magnetic fields from atomic nuclei, influence spin transport characteristics in semiconductors. Nuclear fields are added to the spin drift- diffusion equation and the resulting spin distributions are calculated. Due to the complicated nature of the nuclear field, the steady state spin drift-diffusion equations are non-linear and must be solved numerically. In this work, we examine solutions for the spin distribution and spin current in the presence …

Initial Investigation Of The Chemical Contribution Of Hemp To Beer Aroma, Caitlyn Hunt

Undergraduate Research Competition

As the availability and consumer interest in hemp materials increases, the production and consumption of products incorporating hemp and CBD oil has increased. The industrial hemp market has seen a steady increase in value of the market and is projected to reach 26.6 billion USD. South Carolina has seen an increase in the cultivation of hemp and the production of CBD oil. There has been some interest in the market for alternative uses for both raw hemp and the leftover material following the CBD oil extraction process. This interest is a result of hemp-flavored beers in the market. The use …

Sustainable Planning, Protecting Social, Economic, And Environmental Interests Of Coastal Communities, Daniel O'Hara

Undergraduate Research Competition

Understanding the connection between humans and wetland environments is imperative to coastal planning. This project looks to gather policy and scientific information from local, regional, federal, and international levels regarding wetland protection and preservation to improve policies and practices in coastal areas and create more sustainable and healthier environments. Sustainable planning in coastal communities includes connecting humans and nature through low-impact developments, using native plant species, non-impervious surfaces, and adequate buffers between developments and water sources. Successful coastal planning and development can help ensure that economic, social, and conservation interests are protected. Wetlands represent 5.5% of the total land area …

A Step In The Search For Arboviruses: Determining Blood Meals Eaten By Mosquitoes, Carson Mickey, Olivia Shirley, Elody Bensch

Undergraduate Research Competition

Mosquitos are known to spread diseases throughout communities, including viruses, referred to as arboviruses. In 2017, DHEC reported 158 incidents of arboviruses in South Carolina, including West Nile, Dengue Fever, and Zika virus. The infections rate was up from the year before when 124 incidents of arboviruses were reported. Monitoring these infected mosquitos can be an asset for proper health protection in our community. Understanding what the mosquitoes are feeding on can help us better monitor the zoonosis threats that our community faces. A series of primers have been developed that target unique sequences in the cytochrome b gene in …

Investigating Temporal Groundwater Interactions Between A Barrier Island And High Marsh Environment, Dean Wrobel

Undergraduate Research Competition

Saltmarsh hydrogeology can be characterized as exceptionally dynamic, with a diversity of pore water salinities, sediment porosities, and varied hydrologic inputs and outputs such as groundwater, precipitation, and tidal cycles. Of the studies done in these systems, much attention has been focused on the low marsh with regard to tidal pumping and the consequent horizontal pressure gradients which affect the subsurface hydraulic head. Perhaps, an equally dynamic boundary is expected at the groundwater interface of the barrier island and high marsh. Here, electrical resistivity tomograms were generated in a back-barrier, high-marsh site landward of Waties Island, South Carolina. Co-located transects …

Microplastic Concentration Analysis Of The Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab (Leptuca Pugilator) In Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, Caroline Conner

Undergraduate Research Competition

Microplastics pose a great threat to the natural environment, a threat not aided by their increasing abundance in marine waters. To assess how this is affecting our local area, I examined the microplastic concentration in fiddler crabs, a keystone species in intertidal zones, from two marsh systems in Murrells Inlet. The quantity, color, and type of microplastic found were recorded from each of the 120 crabs sampled. This information is revelant not only in monitoring the health of a species that plays a major role in nutrient recycling and prevention of anoxic conditions, but also as a caution to us. …

Identification And Characterization Of Small Regulatory Rna In Streptococcus, Klea Hoxha, William C. Oakes Iii, Nicole M. Ward, L. Brooke Busby

Undergraduate Research Competition

Background: The human gut is a rich habitat for a diverse population of bacteria. These bacteria play a vital role in a multitude of functions. They affect immune responses, metabolism, and even neurological activities. Some inhabitants of the gut biome include the lactic acid bacteria: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. These bacteria are essential members of the flora and are non-pathogenic, however, some of their relatives like Streptococcus pyogenes cause severe diseases such as flesh-eating disease. The metabolic functions of these bacteria are mediated by small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs), which are noncoding RNA sequences that fold into complex …

Georgetown County: The Issue Of Land Litter And Pollution, Nicole Rainwater

Undergraduate Research Competition

Land litter and pollution are a large issue in current society. Georgetown County in South Carolina is no exception to this with excess amounts of litter lining the streets due to a lack of municipal solid waste management, and possibly a lack of education in sustainability. Litter not only harms the environment but also affects the community and its people while driving businesses and tourists away from the location. This paper aims to explore the litter issue of Georgetown County and its lack of sustainability through a litter index. To achieve this study a heat map of the land pollution …

Empirical Analysis Of Sustainable Land Use And Development And Potential Solutions For Remediation In Georgetown County, Brittany Whitehead

Undergraduate Research Competition

The county of Georgetown, SC envelops lush natural landscapes and complex water systems that host a diverse network of plant and animal species. This region is continuously threatened by natural disasters like flooding and stormwater issues,which inhibit the local economy and jeopardize the well-being of its inhabitants. Within the last decade, Georgetown County has been experiencing a consistent growth in population and development, specifically in vulnerable coastal areas. This growth must be addressed in order to provide a safe and resilient place for the community and nature to live in harmony. Through a case study of my experience in a …

What Lives On Offshore Artificial Reefs In South Carolina? An Analysis Of Epifaunal Reef Communities And How They Vary With Reef Age, Sydney Madden

Undergraduate Research Competition

Artificial reef structures have been deployed across the coast of South Carolina in an effort to increase fish habitat and provide other ecosystem services. There are approximately 45 artificial reef systems established by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) over several decades. The hard structure—frequently composed of concrete, old boats, or other structures—forms unique high relief hard-bottom habitat in the otherwise largely low relief coastal shelf. Currently, there is little published on the species composition of the epifaunal communities in this region, how much biomass they support, and how they develop over time. We studied two established artificial …

Isolation And Analysis Of Extracellular Vesicles From Lactic Acid Bacteria, L. Brooke Busby, Isabel Myers, Klea Hoxha

Undergraduate Research Competition

Extracellular Vesicles, also referred to as EVs, are spherical lipid membrane-bound vesicles produced by both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. These vesicles are secreted into the extracellular space and play important functions in cellular and host communication, elimination of competitors, virulence, detoxification of environmental stress, and nutrition sensing. They are often packed with proteins, enzymes, lipids, and nucleic acids like DNA or RNA molecules among other biological entities. Streptococcus thermophilus is a lactic acid bacterium (LAB), inhabiting the human digestive tract, that has been shown to produce EVs. The bacterial flora has a great impact on the host immune …

Tourism And Sustainability In The City Of Georgetown, Ya Zheng

Undergraduate Research Competition

I am working on improving and increasing tourism in the city of Georgetown. These plans that I will implement will relate to SDG goals. Works will include creating social media posts to attract tourists, promoting jobs to spread job opportunities, encouraging sustainable tourism through creative content, and much more.

Identifying Conditions For Indole Additions To Aldehydes To Be Applied To The Synthesis Of Phidianidine Analogues, Lindsay Newton, Anna Tingler

Undergraduate Research Competition

Phidianidines are natural products originally isolated from Phidiana Militaru, a shell-less mollusk. The compounds are comprised of an indole, a 1,2,4 oxadiazole ring, and an aminoalkylguanadine group on the C-3' position of the ring. They have been found to neutralize reactive oxygen species and are agonists of the µ-opioid receptor. Other groups have synthesized analogues of the phidianidines that have substituted the aminoalkylguanadine group for a biaryl ring system, which has been shown to have neuroprotective properties. The current synthetic routes make substitution of the indole and changing the oxadiazole difficult, so our goal is to create a synthesis that …

Environmental Bacteriophage Detection On Coastal Carolina University Campus, Hailey Oldfield, Madison Gentilo

Undergraduate Research Competition

The purpose of this study is to utilize bacteriophage as an environmental indicator of the presence of harmful bacteria in waterways on Coastal Carolina's campus and to identify bacteriophage that could be used to control bacterial blooms. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. These viruses are found ubiquitously in the environment and are the most abundant organism on Earth. Eleven sites are designated for weekly sample collection. Water samples are filtered and amplified using strains of E. coli B and E. coli K12 to allow potential viruses in the sample to proliferate to detectable levels. Plaque assays are used as …

Detecting Radium-226 In Submarine Groundwater Discharge, Rashaun Davis

Undergraduate Research Competition

Studies have been done to see if abundance of neutrinos have an effect on the decay rate of radioactive nuclei. Questions regarding the proximity of the sun and the concentration of the flux of neutrinos as a result, have emerged due to there being more counts in the winter when the sun is closer versus there being less counts in the summer when the sun is farther away. Other studies say that the cause of the difference in counts are more local, as in the environmental conditions like temperature and various background radiation that interferes with the counts of the …

E. Coli And Total Coliform, Emilio Wilson

Undergraduate Research Competition

Water is important because we use it for our everyday use, whether it's for drinking, bathing, or for our enjoyment. Pollution causes the environment to have a harmful effect, which is usually caused by microorganisms (bacteria) Some of those Bacteria include E. coli and Total Coliform. They're mainly found in the intestines of humans, in animals, in water, and also found in the soil. Most of these bacteria are harmless but it can provide you with symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. When water comes in contact with feces, humans, or any living organism, the water is contaminated. There …

Monitoring Nitrogen Levels At 11th Ave. N Surfside Beach, Sc, Kyle Lavoie

Undergraduate Research Competition

This research was done to monitor Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate which are measured to assess if they were within safe levels according to the Environmental Protection Association(EPA). Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate are important indicators to the amount of each that could end up in a public water supply. To much Nitrate can cause excess algae growth in lakes and is unhealthy in large amounts for humans, mainly children. Samples were tested using Ammonia test strips and Nitrite and Nitrate test strips. 242 samples were collected between May 27th, 2010 and January 26th, 2021 at 11th Ave. N Surfside Beach. The …

Monitoring Chlorophyll A And Pheophytin At Crabtree Swamp, James Blankenship

Undergraduate Research Competition

The two chemicals compound we will be looking at include Chlorophyll A and Pheophytin. These two chemicals are common in most waters around the world. While they are helpful for the ecosystem, like most everything, having too much can also be harmful. Having a high concentrate of Chlorophyll A can result in foul smell and green scum on the bottom and surface of water. Likewise, pheophytin can be harmful when it comes to dissolving oxygen in water. This can result in erosion around the water source and can lead to unwanted chemicals in water (4). The results discussed will show …

Water Monitoring At Ccu (Conductivity, Ph, Do), Gage Campbell

Undergraduate Research Competition

Monitoring water quality is important for human health. This study focuses on the 544 West site and the parameters conductivity, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO). Data used is from Oct. 2011 through Nov. 2020 on the Coastal Carolina University campus and used an Orion™ A329 multimeter. 741 samples were collected for Conductivity, with an average of 407.8 uS/cm (145.8 uS/cm - 690.7 uS/cm). 738 samples were collected for pH, with an average of 7.15 (6.09 - 8.11). All data fell within the SC DHEC water quality standard of pH which is no lower than 5.0 or above 8.5. 735 samples …

Absorbance At The Crabtree, Jaquon Williams

Undergraduate Research Competition

Water scarcity is a growing concern across the world in this document we investigate Crabtree swamp, that’s in Conway, SC. Water absorption is the amount of water taken up by flour to achieve the desired consistency and create a quality end-product. Yet, in this case, we're talking about the Crabtree swamp land area. The goal of this research project is to compare and contrast water absorbance in the area.

The purpose of this study is to naturalize the aquatic ecosystem processes in Crabtree Swamp and improve the survivability of resources of regional significance that have been identified. Resources such as …