Integrative Biology Commons^™

Female Titin Mutant Mice Outperform Young And Old Males, Reese Ger

Scripps Senior Theses

Exercise performance is widely believed to generally be maximal among young males. However, little research has been conducted to investigate the impact of sex or age on muscle performance. This study investigated the effects of sex and age on forelimb and all limb grip strength performance in wildtype and titin mutant mice. Titin is the largest known protein, with known involvement in muscle function. The mice in this study were Ttn∆112-158 with a 75% deletion to the PEVK region of titin. Based on limited existing research, we hypothesized that wildtype mice would outperform all Ttn∆112-158 mice, males would outperform females …

Microglia Regulate Light Evoked Retinal Responses In The Zebrafish Retina., Brittney Moore

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The primary goal of the project is to investigate the role of the interferon regulatory factor 9 (irf8) gene in the retinal function of zebrafish. My research aims to examine and compare the retinal responses of two subject groups: wildtype zebrafish and zebrafish with the irf8 gene knocked out. This project seeks to determine if irf8 knockout zebrafish lose visual system functionality before experiencing changes in retinal morphology. The primary technique to answer this research question is the electroretinogram, a commonly used method to examine retinal function. The final outcome of this project will be a scientific paper describing the …

The Effects Of Ethanol Exposure On Glucose And Lactate Levels In Crayfish, Mackenzie Kirwan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of the project is to investigate and determine the effects of sunlight exposure and hormone levels. The circadian rhyth, which is heavily influenced by sunlight, not only affects the amount of sleep someone achieves, but is also related to behavior and mood, and heavily relies on the body’s hormones for proper regulation. The hormones that are prevelant to the circadian rhythm, and which will be studied in this experiment are cortisol, serotonin and melatonin. In this experiment, these three hormones will be extracted prior to alterations of light exposure. Animal test subjects will then undergo treatment of light …

Restoration For The Small And Slimy: How Pond-Breeding Amphibians Utilize Natural, Restored, And Created Wetlands, Miranda Florent

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project for the Williams Honors College sought to examine how local pond-breeding amphibians utilized natural, restored, and created wetlands. Presence/absence data was gathered from field surveys, historical records, and iNaturalist data for the six study sites. It was predicted that created and restored wetlands may support less sensitive species with lower coefficient of conservatism scores, based on past surveys of a similar nature. No statistically significant results were found in this survey, but that could be due to low sample sizes and limited data sets, among other considerations. Therefore, more in-depth studies should still be undertaken to examine …

The Influence Of Genes On The Migratory Timing Of Great Reed Warblers, Emily Fackler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Many organisms migrate; however, there is a lack of knowledge on the mechanisms that drive migration timing, including which genes play a role. The great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus), a migratory bird that breeds in Eurasia and overwinters in sub-Saharan Africa, is an excellent model to study the genetics of migration. Each season, some individuals migrate early, whereas others migrate later in the season. In other words, they exhibit differences in their migratory chronotypes. Past research has identified three candidate genes (TOP1, PEAK1, and CPNE4) that influence the migratory chronotypes of another avian species, …

Interdisciplinary Learning: How Different Ways Of Thinking Can Fuel Passion And Expand Understanding., Allison Amy Peschek

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This Capstone project was created to show the profound experience resulting from an extended range of interdisciplinary learning, and how different methods, when paired together, can enhance a learning experience. This was a personal project of exploration into those different angles, and primarily focused on avenues of logical and creating learning, respectively. These methods have been implemented by this author often in the past, but this capstone will explore this concept further, as there is a lot of potential in combining these different methods and biases in learning, to both further passion and understanding as a learner, but to also …

Eliciting The Effect Free Roaming Cats Have On Native Hawaiian Wildlife Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Erin Salano

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

This study measured the concentration of the stable isotopes Carbon and Nitrogen within the tissues of free-roaming and indoor cats on the Hawai’ian islands. This study aimed to determine whether cats are consuming more human provisioned or wild food sources and whether their diet is having a negative impact on endemic species; with a focus on assessing impacts on conserved bird populations. We hypothesized that human provisioned food sources have higher levels of carbon due to the amount of corn fillers within them, while wild food sources are more Nitrogen rich. We found that indoor and feral cats sampled from …

A Comparative In Vitro Investigation Of Rainbow Trout Vig-3 And Human Isg15, Kristof Jenik, Sarah J. Poynter, Shanee Herrington-Krause, Kayla Samms, Nichole Sanchez Diaz, Stephanie J. Dewitte-Orr, Tania Rodriguez-Ramos, Brian Dixon, Adebisi Sanyaolu, Tamiru Alkie, Bryce M. Warner, Nikesh Tailor, Shawna Semple

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The aquaculture industry is a big part of the global economy, supplying food and supporting many livelihoods, yet it faces formidable challenges from diverse aquatic pathogens, especially viruses. Effective antiviral treatments are lacking for both humans and economically significant farmed fish like rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). When viruses invade host cells, pattern recognition receptors detect viral components, initiating intracellular signaling and type I interferon (IFN-I) production. IFN-I triggers interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) that establish an antiviral state in infected and nearby cells, curbing viral spread. In rainbow trout, a particularly understudied ISG is viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV)-induced gene 3 (vig-3), …

Incorporating Sex-Diverse And Gender-Inclusive Perspectives In Higher Education Biology Courses, Breanne N. Harris, A Kelsey Lewis, Sam L. Sharpe, Teri J. Orr, Christopher T. Martine, Chloe C. Josefson

Faculty Journal Articles

Inclusive teaching is teaching in a way that reaches all students in the classroom; this is beneficial for everyone, particularly for those with minoritized identities. Instructors play a critical role in scaffolding how students are exposed to and learn science content in the classroom. In this manuscript, we discuss how biology instructors can make their classrooms more inclusive with regard to sex and gender diversity content. Many topics in biology are based on androcentric, heteronormative, and oppressive framing, even though those lenses are more reflective of our own history and culture than they are of the diversity we see in …

How Environmental Variation Affects Bumblebee Cognition And The Gut Microbiome, Parker Madison Campbell

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This master's thesis examines the influence of environmental variables on cognitive processes in Bombus impatiens, focusing on the effects of ingested microbial communities on gut microbiota and their subsequent impact on associative color learning. The study implemented controlled feeding trials with isolated microbe species (Candida bombi, Metschnikowia reukaufii, Lactobacillus micheneri and a control with no microbes) to analyze shifts in gut microbial composition in foraging bees. Results indicated minor alterations in the microbial profiles of bees, yet no statistically significant correlation was found between these modifications and variations in learning or memory performance. Furthermore, the study assessed the impact of …

Fishes In Murky Waters: Effects Of Total Suspended Solids On Fish Gills And Performance, Xena Montoya

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Total suspended solids (TSS) naturally occur in aquatic habitats, but climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances can lead to increased levels. Exposure to high levels of TSS has the potential to damage fish gills through abrasion, leading to impairment of gill function and fish physiology. However, little work has been done exploring the linkages between TSS-induced gill damage and animal performance. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that TSS damages gill structure, causing gill dysfunction and reducing swimming performance. We exposed salmonids (rainbow trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout) and non-salmonids (fathead minnow and longnose dace) to different TSS concentrations (0-1000 …

The Effects Of Warmer Temperatures On The Physiology Of Invasive Sea Lamprey And Imperiled Populations Of Lake Sturgeon In The Laurentian Great Lakes, Milica Koledin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) contributed to massive declines in fisheries in the Laurentian Great Lakes due to their parasitism of large-bodied salmonid fishes in the 20^th century. Chemical control measures, which involve the application of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) into rivers containing larval sea lamprey, were successfully implemented approximately 60 years ago to control populations. Recently, however, it was discovered that TFM tolerance increases in sea lamprey with a rise in temperature for reasons which are incompletely understood. Nor is it understood how sea lamprey will respond to warmer temperatures due to climate change, which could affect their …

Functional Investigation Of Shaggy, An Inhibitor Of Canonical Wnt Signaling, In The Tardigrade Hypsibius Exemplaris, Raul A. Chavarria

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tardigrades have a highly simplified anteroposterior (AP) axis. The mechanisms that regulate the development of this secondarily simplified AP axis are not known. In many animals, the canonical Wnt (cWnt) signaling pathway regulates primary axis establishment through antagonistic interactions with inhibitors of cWnt signaling. This study investigated the roles of shaggy, an inhibitor of cWnt signaling, in regulating development in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. Gene expression patterns of shaggy and other components of the cWnt signaling pathway were analyzed alongside markers of anterior and posterior identity using Hybridization Chain Reaction in situ in H. exemplaris. RNA interference …

High-Quality Dietary Protein (Essential Amino Acids Matched To Reproductive Needs) Partially Breaks The Lifespan And Reproduction Trade-Off In Lubber Grasshoppers, Emma Kordek

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Finding interventions to break the trade-off between reproduction and lifespan can provide insight into physiological limitations of animals. Effects of dietary protein quality on the trade-off are currently unclear, but clarity could lead to better designed diets that match animal needs. Dietary amino acid blends matching yolk proteins support reproduction and extend lifespan in fruit flies. To test if this is conserved across species, we matched dietary amino acids to vitellogenin to test reproduction and lifespan in adult females of the lubber grasshopper. Specifically, we compared varying degrees of protein quality by manipulating dietary essential amino acids. We identified a …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Feminist Biology: Towards Gender Equity In The Biology Curriculum, Nicole Danos, Carla Y. Bonilla, Sofia Leung

Feminist Pedagogy

The current curriculum in STEM is a product of historically unequal representation of genders in the science community. As a result, most attention has been given to male biology, creating a knowledge gap that has affected our social and political perspectives, such as an underinvestment in women’s health research. Feminist biology seeks to provide equal time and weight to the impact of sex as a biological factor, using inclusive definitions of biological sex that go beyond the male/female binary. Feminist pedagogy is a method of teaching that involves engaged learning and reflection in order to create a community of learners …

Seagrass Epibiont Biodiversity In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Kathryn Wyssmann

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Epibionts on seagrass leaves contribute substantially to productivity and trophic interactions in seagrass ecosystems. Differences in epibiont assemblages and factors that contribute to epibiont diversity have been little studied on the seagrass Halodule wrightii in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM). We used a metabarcoding approach to describe epibiont assemblages on H. wrightii leaves in four bays across the nGoM and to test whether epibiont assemblages differed spatially at local levels (within bays) or regional levels (from west to east). Furthermore, we tested if epibiont diversity was related to environmental conditions and/or seagrass productivity. Epibiont assemblages differed significantly between bays …

Exploring The Interrelationships Among Structural Complexity, Multi-Trophic Biodiversity, And Ecosystem Productivity In Forested Ecosystems., Ayanna St. Rose

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forests play a pivotal role in sustaining global biodiversity and mitigating the global climate, as they serve as the primary refuge for terrestrial biodiversity and effectively capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, changing climate and land use are altering the geographic distribution, physical structure, and productivity of forested ecosystems that can have profound impacts on biodiversity conservation, forest productivity, and global climate. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of multifaceted interactions between the physical and biological structural complexity and ecosystem functions in forested landscapes across the United states by using openly available data from two national networks: the National …

Human-Bat Interactions In A Disease Emergence Hotspot: Implications For Human Health And Bat Conservation, Reilly Tempest Jackson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bats are an ecologically important taxon that can host zoonotic pathogens. Globally, many bat species are synanthropic and live closely with humans, often roosting in man-made structures. The spatial overlap between humans and bats creates opportunities for human-bat contact, which can lead to human exposure to bat-borne pathogens and conflicts that cause bat mortality. Despite this risk, little is known about the drivers and characteristics of these human-bat interactions in buildings and work is needed to understand this aspect of the wildlife-urban interface. In Chapter I, I present a literature review that identifies the geographic and taxonomic trends in reported …

Effects Of Seasonal Environment On Abundance, Behavior, Visual Signaling, And Perception In Prairie Butterflies, Grace Elizabeth Hirzel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phenotypic plasticity is a widespread mechanism that allows animals to respond quickly to seasonal changes in their environment. However, the depth and complexity of these plastic responses is still being discovered. One aspect of seasonal physiology that is relatively unstudied is changes to sensory physiology and how it may explain changes in behavior. To determine how changes in seasonal conditions affect behavior, coloration, and vision, I examined populations of wild butterflies in Northwest Arkansas. Focusing on a single species, the common buckeye Junonia coenia, I found that seasonal coloration covaries with thermoregulating behavior and is accompanied by changes in visual …