Sodium/hydrogen exchangers (NHEs) are a family of vital transmembrane proteins responsible for facilitating ion transport and thus regulating intracellular pH as well as cell volume. Certain NHEs have been shown to be necessary for sperm motility and thus fertility, and there are many different isoforms expressed in sperm cells. However, the specific physiological role of […]
C32-P: High-Frequency Monitoring of Ice Cover Dynamics in Three Pennsylvania Lakes during Two Contrasting Winters
With climate change and warming temperatures, ice cover duration in lakes across the world is becoming shorter. Duration of ice cover is tightly linked to oxygen concentrations at lake bottoms, with longer periods of ice cover associated with lower oxygen concentrations, which are detrimental for biological processes and food web interactions. I researched how this […]
B08-P: A Morphometric Analysis of Leaf Shape Responses to Abiotic Stress
Soil salinity causes an estimated $27 billion in agricultural losses every year, and these losses are predicted to be exacerbated by climate change. Brassica rapa is an important oil seed and vegetable crop that includes leafy greens such as bok choy. How B. rapa reacts to abiotic stresses such as soil salinity could greatly affect […]
C46-P: Cytokine Storm and Blood Clotting Among Coronavirus Patients
This group project was an assignment for the BIO 203 W Introduction to cell Biology course. Different groups were tasked with obtaining information about body systems affected by the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes COVID-19. Our group investigated the onset of a cytokine storm in the body which contributes to blood clots. Due to the emphasis […]
B40-P: Analysis of Novel Zebrafish Mutant that Disrupts Embryonic Heart Development
Proper formation of the heart during embryonic development is important for later heart function in the adult. Defects in heart formation can lead to congenital heart defects (CHD), which are present at birth. Understanding the molecular signaling pathways that regulate embryonic heart development is important for understanding how CHD form and for designing potential therapies […]
B06-P: Responses of Invertebrate Communities to Prescribed Burns in Managed Temperate Hardwood Forests of Indiana
Hardwood forest ecosystems were primarily oak and hickory tree species, preserved through natural fires. Due to fire suppression in the last century, invasion of insect pests, and changing climate, these forests are slowly changing to domination by maples and beech. One strategy of oak and hickory regeneration is utilizing prescribed burns to create an open […]
B07-P: The Effects of Deer Exclosures on Seed Dispersal by Ants in Forests of the Miami University Natural Areas, Oxford, Ohio
The indirect impacts of white-tailed deer overabundance (Odocoileus virginianus) on forest ecosystems are not well understood, particularly their leaf-litter invertebrate communities. Long-term studies with deer exclosures (>10 years) conducted in forests of the Miami University Natural Areas suggest a significant relationship between the presence of white-tailed deer and the abundance and diversity of ant populations. […]
B44-P: Burial Rates of Sediment, Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in Three Retention Ponds in an Agricultural Landscape under Conservation Tillage
Lakes and ponds play a disproportionate role in removing sediment, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus from their global cycles, thereby mitigating potential negative environmental effects such as global climate change and harmful algal blooms. However, how sequestration rates change over a pond’s lifetime, and how rates are affected by conservation tillage practices in their watershed remain […]
B19-P: The Population Genetics of a Stream Breeding Ambystomatid: Evidence of Recent Range Expansion
A. barbouri is a stream-breeding salamander that is endemic to two small geographic regions in the Midwest and Central Tennessee, and its sister species, Ambystoma texanum is a common related species distributed throughout the Midwest. In this study, we analyzed the distribution and population genetics of these two species in the Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio tri-state […]
A16-P: Exploring Dr Radke’s Reward and Addiction Lab
This is a project for Seminar in Neuroscience regarding the RAD Lab. The Reward and Addictive Disorder (RAD) Lab is a research lab at Miami University that makes use of mice in order to study compulsive and reward-seeking behavior. More specifically, the RAD Lab seeks to study changes in brain function associated with maladaptive behaviors […]