Invasive species, those being species that spread and thrive when outside of their native habitat, are a big issue in wildlife areas today. Amur honeysuckle, the focus of my research, is a particular problem in the Eastern United States. Compared to most native plants, Honeysuckle will leaf out sooner and keep leaves longer into the […]
C16: Moth Diversity and Abundance in an Old Growth Eastern Deciduous Forest
Flying insect biomass is rapidly declining, despite insects being the most abundant and diverse group of animals on the planet. Research is only now revealing the extent of this ongoing decline, as most entomology-based research has remained focused on pest species in the past. It is vital that we begin to examine the extent of […]
C04: Retinoic Acid Signaling Promotes Ventral Aorta Development in Zebrafish
Developmental birth defects emerge due to abnormalities in the formation and growth of embryonic tissues. Congenital heart defects are the most common developmental defect in humans. This condition can affect the tissue within the heart and the surrounding greater vessels. Zebrafish are used to study these defects because their anatomy provides a similar and simpler […]
C03: Investigating the Role of Retinoic Acid Signaling on Establishing Heart Size in Zebrafish
Congenital heart defects are often accompanied by improper blood flow throughout the heart, leading to greater complications in patients born with such defects and often resulting in higher mortality rates. Given the severity of these conditions, it is important to understand more about the development of heart defects and how they specifically impact the cardiovascular […]
C02: Investigating the Temporal Role of Retinoic Acid Signaling in Cardiac Outflow Tract Development in Zebrafish
The heart is the first organ to form and function during embryonic development. Improper heart growth can lead to congenital heart defects which are the most common type of developmental defects in humans. The two-chambered heart in a zebrafish embryo can be used to easily observe impacted heart formation. During the development of the embryo, […]
C01: Molecular analysis of pendulum mutants presenting with defects in heart valve and outflow tract development
Unidirectional blood flow, controlled by valves within the heart, is an essential component for proper and efficient heart function. 30% of patients exhibiting a congenital heart defect present with defects in these valves resulting in decreased heart function. In zebrafish, valve formation occurs at the atrioventricular canal (AVC) and outflow tract (OFT). The signaling pathways […]
B51: Learning How to Communicate Research with Non-Disciplinary Audiences
The student authors of this proposal represent Miami University for the STR (Scholars Transforming through Research) program of the Council on Undergraduate Research. This program emphasizes the development of civically engaged researchers, through regularly scheduled professional development webinars. Participants learned valuable skills in communicating the impact of undergraduate research with a range of stakeholder groups. […]
B45: Determination of Recombination Frequency Between Sexes in a Maize Hybrid
Meiotic recombination ensures the accurate segregation of homologous chromosomes and reshuffles genetic information to generate new combinations of alleles. In plants, recombination is essential for plant breeding, which allows us to map quantitative traits and introduce desirable traits into elite breeding lines. Sex differences have important consequences for population differentiation, sex chromosome evolution, adaptation, and […]
B44: Predicting the Transmissibility of Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants With Bioinformatic Approaches
SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Highly infectious variants have emerged over the course of the pandemic as the virus continued to replicate and mutate. Key mutations often take place in the spike protein, and can increase the likelihood of an interaction between the virus and the human […]
B40: Using biologging data from turtles to assess repeatability and consistency in physiological behaviors
Animals exhibit a wide range of behaviors that can be influenced by their fitness, niche, energy costs, physiology, and general responses to environmental stimuli. This behavioral variation, commonly referred to as personality, is defined as consistent differences in behavior between individuals over time. For this study, we decided to monitor behavior using several biologging devices […]