Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Anticancer Activity Of Allium Cepa Through The Inactivation Of Nf-Κb Pathway: A Literature-Based Study, Sharmita Ghosh Situ, Md. Sakib Al Hasan, Emon Mia, Md. Nasimul Haque Shipon, Md. Faisal Amin, Asmaul Husna Bristy, Yasin Emon

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Allium cepa (onion) is a bulbous herb renowned for its diverse health benefits. This study aims to summarize the anticancer potential of A. cepa through the inactivation of the Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway by reviewing experimental findings across various cancer models. A thorough examination of the literature was carried out using databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The findings revealed that phytochemicals such as stigmasterol, fisetin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, morin, kaempferol, luteolin, β-carotene, and β-sitosterol exhibit strong anticancer properties against various cancers, including breast, bladder, colon, colorectal, cervical, lung, liver, oral, pancreatic, …

Antioxidant Activity Of Pamam Dendrimer Stabilized Ascorbic Acid, Gabriella Srikureja

Honors Theses

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is an essential micronutrient for human health. It acts as an enzymatic cofactor in anabolic biochemical pathways such as the synthesis of collagen, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Unfortunately, this versatility comes at the cost of a high degradation rate both in and outside of the food matrix. Previous research exploring stabilizing aqueous ascorbic acid through Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers found success in reducing the rate of degradation.

To confirm the antioxidant activity of ascorbic acid in its stabilized dendrimer complex, 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays examined via Cary 5000 UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer found that performing the DPPH assay under aqueous conditions …

Cytokinesis & Dbf2, Katharine Gray, Katie Shannon

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Carrier Analysis Of Alc Lipid Nanoparticles With Lung Cancer Drug, Noah Sparks, Lei Xu, Hu Yang

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Discovering Localization Of Fun19 Orf In Yeast, Megan Percy, Galayna Baur, Katie Shannon

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Preventing Dephosphorylation Of Iqg1 On Cytokinesis, Jenna L. Mueller, Katie Shannon

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of An Iqg1 Phosphorylation Mutant, Lindsay Scheider, Alexis Ham, Katie Shannon

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

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

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

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

Toward Ar Visualization Of The Fluid-Mosaic Model Of The Cell Membrane, Yoonwoo Lee, Allison Ost, Junghyuk Lee, Krisztina Z. Bencze

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Background: During the first semester of biochemistry experience, students focus on learning the structure and function of biomolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Visualizing these structures and understanding interactions between molecules helps students better understand biological function. A variety 3D visualization tools are available, ex. PyMol, Chimera, Avogadro, Blender. Within the past decade, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) applications gained more popularity. VR with its immersive visual experience is more sought-after, but the higher cost and the need for headset creates limitations in the classroom. AR visualizations are cheaper and more accessible, several publications report successful implementation …

Host P53 Expression During C. Parvum Infection…Does The Virus Play A Role?, Jasdeep Kaur Dhanoa

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

C. parvum infection induces significant host cellular stress responses, particularly through the modulation of p53 expression underscoring its potential involvement in gastrointestinal malignancies. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing targeted therapeutic interventions. This study investigated the effects of C. parvum infection on host p53 dynamics in HCT-8 cells and assessed the impact of antiviral agents Lamivudine and Amantadine on the virus CSpV1 present within the parasite C. parvum. Further, the study focuses on whether the p53 effect changes with the presence or absence of CSpV1. The p53 assay results showed a constant increase in p53 activity after infection of …

Resurrecting The Past: Engineering Ancestral Enzymes For Modern Bacterial Applications, Gregory M. Gladkowski Iii, Masa Watanabe

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction (ASR) is a computational technique that infers and resurrects ancient protein sequences to explore molecular evolution and enable protein engineering. By integrating phylogenetics and statistical modeling, ASR produces stable, mutation-tolerant enzymes ideal for directed evolution. This poster presents a workflow for reconstructing enzymes from pathogenic bacteria and highlights ASR’s value in uncovering novel functions and advancing applications in drug discovery and synthetic biology.

Low Dissolved Oxygen Operation Enhances Biological Phosphorus Removal In Wastewater Treatment, Haley Morgan

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Biological phosphorus (bio-P) removal occurs when bacteria are exposed to anaerobic/aerobic conditions that stimulate polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) to uptake phosphorus. In most treatment plants, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in the aeration tanks are commonly at or above 2.0 mg O₂/L, which is often referred to as the most optimal aeration condition for bio-P. If bio-P can happen efficiently at lower DO (< 0.3 mg O₂/L), then the energy demand of aeration can be decreased appreciably. This research was conducted in a biological nutrient removal (BNR) pilot plant to assess the performance of bio-P at progressively lower DO operation. This …

Expanding The Lexa Bacterial Two-Hybrid System For Human Protein-Protein Interaction Screening: Application To Tumor Suppressor Par-4, Rebecca M. Richardson

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Protein-protein interactions (PPI) are fundamental to cellular function, influencing processes such as signaling, structural organization, and disease progression. Disruptions in PPIs are implicated in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting their importance as therapeutic targets. However, traditional methods for studying human PPIs, such as yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry, are costly and technically demanding. This dissertation explores the LexA-based bacterial two-hybrid (LexA-B2H) system as a cost effective and accessible alternative for investigating human PPIs.

This study focuses on the interaction between glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and cleaved prostate apoptosis response-4 (cl-Par-4), a tumor suppressor protein involved in apoptosis and neurodegenerative …

Kinetic Control And Trapping In The Supramolecular Polymerization Of M-Terphenyl Bis-Urea Macrocycles, Sophya V. Garashchuk, Gamage Isuri P. Wijesekera, Isabella G. Rushton, Vaibhavi A. Samant, Fahidat A. Gbadamosi, Dr. Md Faizul Islam, Sophya V. Garashchuk, Prof. Dr. Linda S. Shimizu

Faculty Publications

Herein, we examine pathway complexity in the supramolecular polymerization of a novel m-terphenyl bis-urea macrocycle. Designed to induce kinetically metastable states, the macrocycle‘s concentration-dependent aggregation was studied via 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy in THF and CHCl₃. Temperature-dependent UV-Vis spectroscopy in water/THF revealed a cooperative nucleation-growth mechanism, indicated by a shift in λmax to longer wavelengths upon cooling. Morphological studies using DLS, AFM, and SEM demonstrated fibrous aggregate formation. Thermal hysteresis observed in assembly-disassembly cycles indicated kinetically trapped species, with cooling governed by kinetic control and heating by thermodynamic processes. Deviations in ΔH values during cooling, compared to van′t …

How The Biotic And Abiotic Factors In The Belle Forest Cave And Arboretum Soil Dictates Tree Species Prevalence, Amya A. Bingham

SPARK Symposium Presentations

A plethora of factors in the soil impact a plant’s health, including the presence of different biotic and abiotic factors. These include things like temperature, elevation, pH, microbial respiration and the presence of water, clay, loam, silt, sand, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Different soils will have varying amounts of these, which may dictate what is able to grow in them, and therefore also the surrounding area. This research project explores how the aforementioned biotic and abiotic factors affect the soil at the Belle Forest Cave and Arboretum. Three samples will be taken from four spots along a transect at this …

Proteomic-Based Strategies To Determine Aberrant Signaling In Cancer, Natasha Chipman Mariano

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Proteomics and phosphoproteomics have emerged as powerful tools to elucidate the intricate molecular underpinnings that drive cancer development by quantifying changes in protein and post-translational modification abundances. Throughout my thesis work, I have advanced these techniques to map cancer signaling networks on a global scale. Among breast cancer subtypes, triple-negative (TNBC) remains the most challenging to treat, with poorer clinical outcomes attributed to tumor heterogeneity and yet unidentified, oncogenic driver proteins for therapeutic targeting. To identify potential targeted treatment strategies, we employed mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics to analyze 55 formalin-fixed paraffin- embedded TNBC tumor specimens. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of relative …

Investigation Of The Effects Of The Peptidylarginine Deiminase Inhibitor Cl-Amidine On Apoptosis And Gene Expression In Ovarian Cancer, Victoria Walden

Longwood Senior Thesis Proposal

Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) are a family of enzymatic proteins responsible for the conversion of arginine and methylarginine residues to citrulline. This conversion is important for several key cellular processes including transcriptional gene regulation. Recently, a link has been established between overexpression of a particular PAD, PAD4, and the accelerated progression of both autoimmune diseases and cancers. Ovarian cancer exhibits heightened levels of PAD4 in affected cells. High levels of PAD4 are associated with the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that promote cancer metastasis, and downregulation of the p53 apoptotic pathway. Thus, it is important to explore inhibitors of PAD4. …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, Spring 2025, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Page 1 Dean's Message from Dr. Sen Subramanian
Page 2 Student Spotlights
Page 3 Kaushik honored, Three-Minute Thesis, & Ice Cores revealed
Page 4 Alumni Spotlight
Page 5 Day of Scholars
Page 6 Cyanide research, Record Research Expenditures, Adhikari awarded Miller Research Award
Page 8 Hanson Receives NSF Grant
Page 9 Snow Lab Research Team
Page 10 Faculty Awards
Page 11 Drone Day
Page 13 Khalaf Awarded Presidential Award

Next-Generation Biomedical Implants And Stimuli Responsive Soft Optical Arrays Via Surface Functionalized Elastomeric Materials, John M. Kapitan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The demands of emerging technologies, such as soft robotics, stretchable electronics, and next generation biomedical implants, has led to the development of diverse polymeric and hybrid organic/inorganic materials specifically tuned to meet these challenges. These materials typically have low Young’s moduli and are inert with high chemical stability. However, this has led to materials that are static in nature, lacking any meaningful way of responding to changes in their environment and adapting to these changes. This has driven a shift towards the design, manufacturing, and characterization of various stimuli responsive surfaces, relying on precise control of surface chemical coatings and …

Dental Disparities: An Analysis Of Dental Caries Risk Factors Promoting Disparities Between Rural And Urban Communities In Nebraska, Nick Lounsbery

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The prevalence of dental caries in the United States remains a public health concern, as it is one of the most common chronic conditions across people of all ages. Research shows that preventative measures including brushing, fluoridated water, and regular checkups are effective strategies to mitigate tooth decay. However, there appears to be a divide between rural and urban populations, as the presence of dental cavities is significantly greater in remote areas in the State of Nebraska. Research methods used in this analysis included analyzing accredited academic literature to illustrate how cavities form from a biochemical perspective. Research methods also …