Atrazine and Glyphosate are the most commonly applied herbicides in the United States, and herbicide usage is expected to increase in the coming decades as population increases demand more crop production. While research shows that some freshwater bacterial strains are capable of degrading herbicides, thereby introducing Carbon- and Phosphorous-rich nutrients into the ecosystem, further research […]
C11: Biology, Physiology, Cardiac Hypertrophy, Circadian Rhythm, Overwintering; Biology; Cold Effects on Heart
Cardiomyocytes, the heart’s muscle cells, are a vital part of heart function as they enable the heart’s ability to pump. During heart development these cardiomyocytes are surrounded by an extracellular matrix (ECM). Integrins are transmembrane receptors that bind to the ECM. They activate signal transduction pathways, which play an important role in various cellular processes. […]
C12: Circadian Rhythm and Body Temperature In Overwintering Mammals
Mammals exposed to cold weather must cope with it in some way. Some small mammals such as mice and voles do not enter hibernation or torpor. However, maintaining body temperature is a core homeostatic function. The left ventricles in winter mice and voles enlarge, and this is thought to occur because the heart must pump […]
C13: Characterization of Chamber Specific Heart Morphology and Cell Death in Zebrafish Integrin Mutants
Matthew Heilzer, Devin O’Connor Jennifer Schumacher, Department of Biology Griffin Chadwick, Department of Biology
C14: Floral Color Change as a Signal of Fertility in Vasconcellea parviflora
Angelica Vasilatos, Richard Moore, Department of Biology Ethan Grant, Department of Biology
C15: Effect of Buffalo Reef Stamp Sand on Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryonic Development
The invasive nature of stamp sand, residual waste from early copper mining activities in the 20th Century, threatens aquatic life in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Lake whitefish– a culturally and economically important game to tribal communities within the Buffalo Reef area– has recently declined in spawning. However, how stamp sand affects lake whitefish breeding and/or survival […]
C16: Food Type Alters Gastric Mill (Chewing) Behavior in the Crab Cancer borealis
Central pattern generators (CPGs) are neural networks that produce rhythmic movements, such as walking, chewing, and breathing, in both the presence and absence of sensory input. Exploring the relationship between sensory-regulated and intrinsically controlled CPG activity is crucial for better understanding disorders of rhythmic movement. The stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) of the Jonah crab, Cancer […]
C70: Effects of Invasive Amur Honeysuckle on Spring Wildflowers
While Honeysuckle has already been shown to have detrimental effects on local species, such as in Miller and Gorchov’s study (2004), this on-going research* seeks to look at what impact honeysuckle has on the emergence and blooming of spring flowers. To do this, three sites in Miami University’s Western Woods were set up, each site […]
C40: Enhancing Gene Expression Quantification through Non-Reference Structural Variant Identification
The release of the human reference genome (GRCh38) in 2003 was a significant milestone in genetics, offering potential advancements in understanding and treating genetic diseases and traits. Despite having been gradually improved for two decades, GRCh38 still possesses limitations in measuring gene expressions mainly due to a lack of diversity derived from structural variants (SVs). […]
C41: Inquires into Natural History and Colonial Persistence
Many natural history institutions built their collections by taking scientific specimens while on colonial expeditions, and the implementation of human culture or specimens rarely took consent of the parties involved into account. On a study abroad trip to London, England in January of 2024, I examined a few examples of colonial expeditions, racist rhetoric, and […]