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Articles 211 - 240 of 740

Full-Text Articles in Chemistry

Preparation Of Green Fluorescent Protein Constructs For The Determination Of The Mechanism Of The Excision Of A Novel Intron, John Daniel Clinger, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons Jan 2014

Preparation Of Green Fluorescent Protein Constructs For The Determination Of The Mechanism Of The Excision Of A Novel Intron, John Daniel Clinger, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent advances have greatly increased the utility of bioluminescence as a qualitative and quantitative tool in scientific research. The genes encoding fluorescent proteins in several organisms have been identified, cloned, modified, and inserted into several different vectors; thus allowing them to be used in a variety of diagnostic techniques. One such protein, isolated from aequorea victoria, is green fluorescent protein (GFP). Since GFP is encoded by a small gene, 720 base pairs, and fluoresces brightly when irradiated by ultraviolet light; it was seen as good candidate for the study of a novel pre-mRNA splicing mechanism.

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Molecular Machine Components Observed In The Gas Phase: Self- Assembling Pseudorotaxanes Of Cucurbit[N]Urils (N=6, 7, And 8) And Doubly-Protonated 1,4-Diaminobutane, Kevin Alan Walker, Dr. David Dearden Jan 2014

Molecular Machine Components Observed In The Gas Phase: Self- Assembling Pseudorotaxanes Of Cucurbit[N]Urils (N=6, 7, And 8) And Doubly-Protonated 1,4-Diaminobutane, Kevin Alan Walker, Dr. David Dearden

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Nanotechnology offers the potential of creating machines the size of molecules. Such machines have limitless possibilities in numerous fields: chemistry, computer science, technology, and medicine, to name a few. Molecular machines could be instrumental in creating computers millions of times faster than our present computers. These machines could catalyze or inhibit a variety of chemical reactions. Such machines could be instrumental in altering and fixing an individual’s genetic makeup to successfully combat disease and illness. However, because nanotechnology is a relatively new field of study, science has yet to scratch the surface of the implications molecular machines may have in …

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Calorimetric Investigation Of The Complexation Of Didodecylcalix[4]Arene-Crown-6 With Alkali Metal Cations In Acetonitrile, Dusten M. Macdonald, Dr. John D. Lamb Jan 2014

Calorimetric Investigation Of The Complexation Of Didodecylcalix[4]Arene-Crown-6 With Alkali Metal Cations In Acetonitrile, Dusten M. Macdonald, Dr. John D. Lamb

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Processing and storage of medium and high level activity liquid nuclear wastes (MLW/HLW) present a major challenge for governments around the world. Gamma radiation from 137Cs, as well as radiation from 90Sr and other radionuclides present in the waste, complicates the already troublesome disposal process (1, 2). Removal of such long-life radionuclides from MLW and HLW mixtures would allow for more affordable disposal of the partially decontaminated solutions, would lower the volume of high activity waste to be stored in geological formations, and/or possibly allow for transmutation of these radionuclides into non-radioactive elements (2). Much effort has been expended in …

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Electronic Control Of The Photocycloaddition Of Silyl Tethered Alkenes, Kari Cowdell, Dr. Steven A. Fleming Jan 2014

Electronic Control Of The Photocycloaddition Of Silyl Tethered Alkenes, Kari Cowdell, Dr. Steven A. Fleming

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Solar energy is a major reason for the study of photochemistry. Photochemistry is the investigation of the interaction of organic compounds with light. The ability of plants and bacteria to harness the sun’s energy is an example of photochemistry. One area of photochemical research is the synthesis of cyclobutane rings which are found in plant essential oils and animal pheromones. Anticancer drugs such as taxol also have four member rings in their structures. Biological systems are unique in their ability to produce cyclobutane systems with specific stereochemistry that current methods of synthesis require great effort to acquire. It has been …

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Isolation, Purification, And Characterization Of Biologically Active Compounds From Endophytic Fungi, Trisha L. Anderson, Dr. Noel L. Owen Jan 2014

Isolation, Purification, And Characterization Of Biologically Active Compounds From Endophytic Fungi, Trisha L. Anderson, Dr. Noel L. Owen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project focused on endophytic fungi, fungi that live inside of plants without causing disease, as a source of compounds that may be useful in treating human disease. Endophytic fungi were chosen both because their relationship with the plants in which they live indicates that they provide some benefit to the plant and because they have a more specific relationship with a plant host, making acquisition of future samples of the same fungus more feasible. In addition, these fungal species have been less studied than many other aspects of natural products research. This research centered on the isolation of novel …

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Effects Of Sirna-Mediated Silencing Of Phosducin-Like Protein Expression On Protein Folding By The Cytoplasmic Chaperonin Complex, Sarah Warburton, Dr. Barry Willardson Jan 2014

Effects Of Sirna-Mediated Silencing Of Phosducin-Like Protein Expression On Protein Folding By The Cytoplasmic Chaperonin Complex, Sarah Warburton, Dr. Barry Willardson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Our lab has recently described an interaction of Phosducin-like protein (PhLP) with the cytoplasmic chaperonin complex (CCT), a sixteen polypeptide complex required for the native folding of actin and tubulin and many other cellular proteins. We found that the binding of PhLP blocked CCT-dependent folding of firefly luciferase in vitro and that over expression of PhLP in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells inhibited actin folding by 80%. Thus, it appears that PhLP is the first known regulator of CCT-dependent protein folding.

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Thermodynamics Of L-Valine And L-2-Aminobutyric Acid, Joshua L. Price, Dr. Earl M. Woolley Jan 2014

Thermodynamics Of L-Valine And L-2-Aminobutyric Acid, Joshua L. Price, Dr. Earl M. Woolley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Understanding the thermodynamics of protein hydration is critical to elucidating protein structure and function in aqueous solution. Because they are derivative properties, apparent molar volume Vφ and apparent molar heat capacity Cp,φ are particularly useful in describing solution thermodynamics. It is difficult, however, to resolve the apparent molar volume or apparent molar heat capacity of a large protein into individual contributions from specific amino acid residues and functional groups. Small model compounds like the amino acids can provide useful estimates of these individual contributions. While the apparent molar properties of many amino acids have been studied recently, there is a …

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Buruli Ulcer In The Ga District Of Ghana, Jonathan Osorio, Dr. Steven W. Graves Jan 2014

Buruli Ulcer In The Ga District Of Ghana, Jonathan Osorio, Dr. Steven W. Graves

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During this past summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to southern Ghana with the Humanitarian Aid Relief Team to study the effects of Buruli ulcer in rural endemic villages. From May 12 to June 21, I was part of a small research group studying the effects of Buruli ulcer on villagers in the Ga District. Part of my research included investigating their cultural beliefs that related in any way to possible contraction of the disease.

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Thermodynamics Of Aqueous Nucleic Acid Bases And Nucleosides, Bryan R. Mcrae, Dr. Earl M. Woolley Jan 2014

Thermodynamics Of Aqueous Nucleic Acid Bases And Nucleosides, Bryan R. Mcrae, Dr. Earl M. Woolley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Despite the astounding advances in modern genetics research, surprisingly little is known about the thermodynamic behavior and physical properties of DNA’s molecular subunits. Our study investigated several thermodynamic properties of common nucleic acid constituents. Specifically, we calculated the apparent molar volumes (Vφ) and apparent molar heat capacities (Cp,φ) of the nucleosides adenosine, guanosine, cytidine, thymidine, and uridine, and of their corresponding bases adenine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil, in dilute aqueous solutions.

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Identification Of The Regulatory Elements Responsible For The Control Of Premrna Splicing Of Intron-1 In Chicken Cox-2, Daniel L. Simmons, Dr. Orlan Kenneth Macdonald Jan 2014

Identification Of The Regulatory Elements Responsible For The Control Of Premrna Splicing Of Intron-1 In Chicken Cox-2, Daniel L. Simmons, Dr. Orlan Kenneth Macdonald

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In order to create a unique clone of chicken COX-2 it was necessary to insert a synthetic DNA tag into the full-length version of the COX-2 cDNA. First, a 21-nucleotide oligo and its complement were produced using a DNA synthesizer. The oligos were purified, phosphorylated and then annealed.

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A Search For An Internal Ribosomal Entry Site In The Human Angiotensin 2, Type 1 Receptor, Joseph A. Garcia, Dr. Terry S. Elton Jan 2014

A Search For An Internal Ribosomal Entry Site In The Human Angiotensin 2, Type 1 Receptor, Joseph A. Garcia, Dr. Terry S. Elton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The study of human genetics has recently exploded into numerous fields and, as a result, our knowledge of genetics and gene related illnesses is growing exponentially. Human DNA undergoes three main levels of control. The first is replication where the genome is reproduced in an exact copy. The second level is transcription, where an RNA polymerase transcribes DNA into mRNA. Finally translation where mRNA, the code for making a protein is recognized by ribosomes. Ribosomes recognize the 5′ region of the mRNA and scan along until they find the start codon to initiate the translation of the mRNA into a …

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Distribution Of Isoforms Of The Sodium Pump In Pregnancy-Related Tissues: Changes For Women In Labor, David S. Faux, Dr. Steven W. Graves Jan 2014

Distribution Of Isoforms Of The Sodium Pump In Pregnancy-Related Tissues: Changes For Women In Labor, David S. Faux, Dr. Steven W. Graves

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The birth of a baby has always been regarded as a miracle. Even today the carefully orchestrated events that result in birth elude the outreaches of scientific research. Among the most important of these events are the contractions of the uterus termed labor. Several factors are known to be important in the initiation and maintenance of labor, including hormones secreted by the placenta and the aminochorionic membranes. The mechanisms or factors that increase secretion and/or production of these activating agents are less well understood.

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Elements Regulating Excision Of Chicken Cyclooxygenase-2 Intron 1, Nathan Evanson, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons Jan 2014

Elements Regulating Excision Of Chicken Cyclooxygenase-2 Intron 1, Nathan Evanson, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cyclooxygenases (COXs) are enzymes that are responsible for the production of a potent class of biological signaling molecules called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are involved in responses such as inflammation, contraction of smooth muscle, and regulation of water balance in the kidney. They are also found in greatly elevated amounts in some types of cancer. This elevation in prostaglandins is the result of increased production of the form of COX known as COX-2. Because COX-2 may play a role in the development of cancer, an understanding of how COX-2 is regulated is important in the understanding of cancer and may give insights …

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Evaluation Of The Abilities Of Cationic Steroid Antibiotics To Inhibit Microbial Growth In Food, Timothy W. Winter, Dr. Paul B. Savage Jan 2014

Evaluation Of The Abilities Of Cationic Steroid Antibiotics To Inhibit Microbial Growth In Food, Timothy W. Winter, Dr. Paul B. Savage

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Food-borne illnesses are a continuing problem in the US. According to figures from the Center for Disease Control, an estimated one million food-borne infections and 500 deaths occur each year associated with Salmonella. Also reported are the cases involving Escherichia coli O157:H7; the death toll is between 50 and 100 people every year. Currently, the only antibiotic approved for use in food in the US is nisin, a cationic peptide antibiotic (CPA) that is active against Gram-positive bacteria but not Gram-negative (including E. Coli and Salmonella).

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Effects Of Ammine And Hydroxyl Groups On The Fluorescence Of Chemosensors, Scott H. Fredrickson, Dr. Paul Savage Jan 2014

Effects Of Ammine And Hydroxyl Groups On The Fluorescence Of Chemosensors, Scott H. Fredrickson, Dr. Paul Savage

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Diaza-crown ethers have the ability to bind many metal cations. When certain side arms are attached, a fluorescence increase can be observed when the metal binds to the crown.1,2,3,4 Via this increase in fluorescence, presence of metal cations can be detected. For industrial purposes, these molecules may be important in the determination of toxic metal levels in waste streams. The use of different side arms effects the initial fluorescence observed. A side arm similar to 1 is not fluorescent. It is believed that transfer of the hydrogen atom on the hydroxyl group to the pyridine nitrogen quenches fluorescence. When …

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Macrocycle-Substituted Resorcinarenes As Primary Functional Groups In Ion Chromatography, Arlo Mcginn, John D. Lamb Jan 2014

Macrocycle-Substituted Resorcinarenes As Primary Functional Groups In Ion Chromatography, Arlo Mcginn, John D. Lamb

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ion chromatography is an instrumental technique known for its ability to determine and quantify mixtures of ions in solution. In ion chromatography, a solution containing different ions is passed through a column packed with a stationary phase containing active groups (chemical compounds that exhibit binding properties). These active groups show affinity for the various ions in solution. Chemical separations are achieved in ion chromatography by means of electrostatic interactions and coordinate covalent bond formation between the active groups in the stationary phase of the chromatography column and the ions present in the mobile phase or eluent. Strong interactions effectively slow …

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Interaction Of Phosducin-Like Protein With Eukaryotic Cytosolic Chaperonin, Sarah Hart, Dr. Barry Willardson Jan 2014

Interaction Of Phosducin-Like Protein With Eukaryotic Cytosolic Chaperonin, Sarah Hart, Dr. Barry Willardson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Eukaryotic cells employ G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to detect various extracellular signaling molecules, including many that control cell proliferation. As a result, a knowledge of G protein pathway components and their mechanisms of interaction and regulation is essential in understanding cell transformation. Phosducin-like protein (PhLP) is a broadly expressed regulator of G protein signaling that exerts its effect by binding to G protein âã subunits [1-3]. When a signaling molecule binds to the extracellular surface of the receptor, it results in a conformational change in the receptor. This causes an interaction between the receptor and a heterotrimeric G protein …

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Development Of Integrated Pumps For Microdevices, Melissa Draper, Dr. Adam Woolley Jan 2014

Development Of Integrated Pumps For Microdevices, Melissa Draper, Dr. Adam Woolley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Miniaturization offers several advantages in regards to protein characterization, including the potential to increase speed and throughput while reducing reagent consumption (and therefore reducing cost) during analysis. In recent years, the Human Genome Project has generated an unprecedented amount of genetic information; it has also instigated several developments in the area of miniaturization. However, one of the greatest advantages of the technique—the possibility of forming integrated microdevices capable of carrying out multiple steps of an assay on a single miniaturized platform—remains relatively undeveloped.

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Improved Synthesis Of 2-Amino-6-Alkoxypurineribosides, Potential Co-Agents For Combination Therapy With Alkylating Anticancer Drugs, Dr. Morris J. Robins, Dr. Theodore C. Jessop Jan 2014

Improved Synthesis Of 2-Amino-6-Alkoxypurineribosides, Potential Co-Agents For Combination Therapy With Alkylating Anticancer Drugs, Dr. Morris J. Robins, Dr. Theodore C. Jessop

Journal of Undergraduate Research

2-amino-6-alkoxypurineribosides are involved in clinical testing as anticancer co-drugs (1); however, current methods for the large scale synthesis of these compounds have proven extremely difficult. The improved synthesis of 2-amino-6-alkoxypurineribosides reported herein allows easy access to these medicinally important compounds.

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Effects Of Protein Ratio And Concentration On Nitrogenase Catalyzed Substrate Reduction, Kyrsten Ann Crawford, Dr. Gerald D. Watt Jan 2014

Effects Of Protein Ratio And Concentration On Nitrogenase Catalyzed Substrate Reduction, Kyrsten Ann Crawford, Dr. Gerald D. Watt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although the earth’s atmosphere is approximately 80% nitrogen (N2) gas, this form of nitrogen is inert and must be reduced and “fixed” into a useable form of nitrogen through the process of nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation is an important biological process in the earth’s nitrogen cycle because it provides nutrient nitrogen for plants and animals. The enzyme responsible for conducting nitrogen fixation is nitrogenase, which is found only in certain diazotrophic microorganisms. Nitrogenase is also capable of reducing protons (H+) and small substrates that have a terminal triple bond, such as acetylene (C2H2 …

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Establishing A Mammalian Expression System For Cyclooxygenase-2, Nathan K. Evanson, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons Jan 2014

Establishing A Mammalian Expression System For Cyclooxygenase-2, Nathan K. Evanson, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cyclooxygenases are proteins that make small molecules called prostaglandins, which relay signals from one cell to another, or from one cell to itself. Prostaglandins are involved in many different physiological processes such as inflammation, contraction of smooth muscle, and regulation of water balance in the kidney. Because prostaglandins are involved in so many different things, they are an important topic of research, and therefore, cyclooxygenases are a topic of intense research.

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Polymeric Monolithic Stationary Phases For Capillary Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography Of Small Molecules, Kun Liu Jan 2014

Polymeric Monolithic Stationary Phases For Capillary Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography Of Small Molecules, Kun Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Highly cross-linked monoliths prepared from single cross-linking monomers were found to increase surface area and stability. Therefore, seven cross-linking monomers, i.e., 1,3-butanediol dimethacrylate (1,3-BDDMA), 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate (1,4-BDDMA), neopentyl glycol dimethacrylate (NPGDMA), 1,5-pentanediol dimethacrylate (1,5-PDDMA), 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate (1,6-HDDMA), 1,10-decanediol dimethacrylate (1,10-DDDMA), and 1,12-dodecanediol dimethacrylate (1,12-DoDDMA), were used to synthesize highly cross-linked monolithic columns in 75-µm i.d. capillaries by one-step UV-initiated polymerization using dodecanol and methanol as porogens for reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) of small molecules. Selection of porogen type and concentration was investigated in detail. Isocratic elution of alkylbenzenes at a flow rate of 300 nL/min was conducted for all of …

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The Synthesis Of Lipid A Analogs For Use In Studying The Binding Of Lipid A And Polymyxin B, Paul B. Savage, Dr. Bryce A. Harrison Jan 2014

The Synthesis Of Lipid A Analogs For Use In Studying The Binding Of Lipid A And Polymyxin B, Paul B. Savage, Dr. Bryce A. Harrison

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Gram-negative bacteria contain a toxin known as lipid A (1 in Figure 1). During bacterial infections, lipid A may be released from the bacteria and cause a condition known as septic shock, an over-response of the host immune system that may result in death (2). In fact, septic shock kills over 100,000 people annually in the U.S.1 In hopes of developing treatments for septic shock, we are researching compounds that bind and detoxify lipid A. One such compound, polymyxin B (2 in Figure 2), is itself too toxic for medicinal use; nevertheless, we want to understand how polymyxin B binds …

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The Effect Of Substrate Structure On The Cleavage Efficiency Of Trna 3′ Processing Endoribonuclease, Susanna M. Geary, Dr. Roger Kaspar Jan 2014

The Effect Of Substrate Structure On The Cleavage Efficiency Of Trna 3′ Processing Endoribonuclease, Susanna M. Geary, Dr. Roger Kaspar

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Viruses insert DNA or RNA into host cells and use the cell’s resources to make proteins designed to propagate the virus. Viral proteins can cause disease, as can defective proteins from faulty or damaged genes. The enzyme, tRNA 3′ processing endoribonuclease (also called 3′ tRNase) can specifically cleave RNA that is made to resemble pre-tRNA (1). RNA heptamers can be engineered to form such pre-tRNA-resembling complexes by binding to a target RNA just downstream of a stable hairpin loop (fig. 1). Hence, pathogenic RNA could be targeted and destroyed, thereby decreasing the production of damaging proteins.

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Potential Role Of Direct Inhibition And Phosphorylation Of The Sodium-Potassium Atpase In Cataract Formation, Jason E. Wright, Dr. Steven W. Graves Jan 2014

Potential Role Of Direct Inhibition And Phosphorylation Of The Sodium-Potassium Atpase In Cataract Formation, Jason E. Wright, Dr. Steven W. Graves

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Preliminary data suggested that bovine lens epithelial cells (BLEC) are able to increase the amount of sodium-potassium ATPase (sodium pump or SP) in the plasma membrane. I set out to accomplish three objectives: (1) to continue ongoing ouabain inhibition experiments in order to confirm the preliminary data; (2) to examine BLEC’s response to peptide hormones (in other tissues the peptide hormone induced phosphorylation of SP is followed by an observable removal of SP from the membrane); and (3) to confirm our hypothesis that observations of SP redistribution are a manifestation of BLEC’s ability to compensate for the inhibitory effect of …

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The Function Of Phosducin’S N-Terminus And C-Terminus Domains, Collin Driscoll, Dr. Barry M. Willardson Jan 2014

The Function Of Phosducin’S N-Terminus And C-Terminus Domains, Collin Driscoll, Dr. Barry M. Willardson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cells use heterotrimeric G-proteins (Gabg) to transduce extracellular signals into intracellular messages. A hormone or other signal molecule binds to a seven trans-membrane receptor on the cell’s surface causing the receptor to change shape. On the inside of the cell this conformational change causes Gabg to split into a Ga subunit and a Gbg subunit complex. Both Ga and Gbg activate effector enzymes that determine the cellular response to the signal molecule. Phosducin (Pd) is a G-protein regulator that works by binding to the Gbg subunit complex and blocking Gbg function in three ways: 1) It blocks reassociation with Ga, …

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Evaluation Of The Activity Of Cationic Steroid Antibiotics, David W. Swenson, Dr. Paul B. Savage Jan 2014

Evaluation Of The Activity Of Cationic Steroid Antibiotics, David W. Swenson, Dr. Paul B. Savage

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Food-borne illnesses are a continuing problem in the US [1]. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria pose significant threats to the integrity of the food supply and to the health of the public. For example, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 1 million infections and 500 deaths are associated with food-borne Salmonella infections each year [2]. Additional concern is caused by the fact that many patients who die from food-borne illnesses are infected with drug-resistant bacteria, and resistant organisms are increasingly found in the food supply [3].

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Metal Ion Analysis For Use In Calculation Of Apparent Molar Volumes And Apparent Molar Heat Capacities Of Copper(Ii), Nickel(Ii), And Zinc(Ii) Nitrates, Eric Merkley, Dr. Earl M. Woolley Jan 2014

Metal Ion Analysis For Use In Calculation Of Apparent Molar Volumes And Apparent Molar Heat Capacities Of Copper(Ii), Nickel(Ii), And Zinc(Ii) Nitrates, Eric Merkley, Dr. Earl M. Woolley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Apparent molar heat capacity, Cp,f, and apparent molar volume, Vf, are valuable thermodynamic quantities in the study of solute-solvent interactions and chemical reactions in aqueous solutions. Work in our laboratory1-3 has demonstrated that fixed-cell differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and vibrating-tube densimetry can provide sensitive and accurate data for calculating Cp,f and Vf. We have recently collected data for solutions of copper(II) nitrate, nickel(II) nitrate, and zinc(II) nitrate. As for most compounds, there is a lack of Cp,f and Vf date for these heavy metal nitrates. Our measurements will allow calculation of Cp,f and Vf.

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Ion Chromatographic Quantification Of Trace-Level Perchlorate Concentrations Using 18-Crown-6 As A Mobile-Phase Additive, David Simpson, Dr. John Lamb Jan 2014

Ion Chromatographic Quantification Of Trace-Level Perchlorate Concentrations Using 18-Crown-6 As A Mobile-Phase Additive, David Simpson, Dr. John Lamb

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Awareness of the potential contamination issues with perchlorate ion (ClO4 -) came about in 1985 when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first reported contamination in 14 Californian wells ranging from 0.11 to 2.6 micrograms per liter (ppm).1 In 1992 the EPA issued a provisional reference dose (RfD) of 0.14 milligrams per kilogram per day, which set a standard of 18 parts per billion (ppb) in drinking water.2 However, in January 1997 the EPA indicated that a reporting limit of at least 4 ppb would be necessary; yet, procedures to measure perchlorate ion at such low levels were unavailable.3 By March …

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Molecular Pathology Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Lipofuscin-Generated Apoptosis Of Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial (Rpe) Cells, Aaron Secrest, Dr. Craig Thulin Jan 2014

Molecular Pathology Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Lipofuscin-Generated Apoptosis Of Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial (Rpe) Cells, Aaron Secrest, Dr. Craig Thulin

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in the elderly and is currently untreatable. In the central region of the posterior retina (the macula), AMD is caused by damage to and subsequent death of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and, consequently, the photoreceptors that are attached to them, leading to vision loss. The current thinking in the field of ophthalmology is that the eye cannot function efficiently after 50-60+ years of continuously repairing damage caused by exposure to high-energy photons from blue light. The increase in average human life span correlates with a higher prevalence …

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