The Hong-Ou-Mandel Effect was originally observed in 1987 by C.K. Hong, Z.Y. Ou, and L. Mandel. Their experiments found that only two of the four classically predicted outcomes were observed when two indistinguishable photons were fired at a 50 : 50 beam splitter within a very small (on the order of picoseconds) time interval. Our […]
C33: Distinguishing the effect of ethanol and cyanide on cellular respiration using UV-excited autofluorescence spectroscopy
NADH is an optical metabolic indicator– a molecule we can use to monitor metabolism– because it is naturally occurring, it is involved in energy metabolism, and it fluoresces. NADH fluorescence depends on which protein to which it is bound. UV-excited autofluorescence spectroscopy is a technique used to measure the emission spectrum of excited biological substances. […]
C34: Instream Boulder Effects on Substrate Spawning Fish Species
Adequate spawning habitats are crucial for the success and productivity of fish populations. Instream boulders can create favorable spawning sites by creating depressions or riffles where fish can deposit their eggs. Habitat restoration projects are put in place to offset the destruction of spawning grounds and improve habitat functionality. Our research aims to provide insight […]
C35: Early postnatal voluntary wheel running impacts on growth rate, grip strength, muscle mass, and body composition
Introduction and Purpose Physical activity (PA) is a vital behavior to maximize health. Less is understood regarding the impact of physical activity opportunities in key stages of skeletal muscle development, such as the time frame between weaning and sexual maturation. We propose that, in opposition to the negative effects of disuse, exposure to voluntary wheel […]
C36: Robust Storage of Optical Information in Atomic Vapor for Creating a Quantum Memory
Our project is about converting Gaussian beams into Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) and Bessel beams in order to explore robust storage of optical information in atomic vapor. For this, we require the use of a Spiral Phase Plate (SPP) and an Axicon, respectively, to create the aforementioned beams. This entails working with advanced optics and acousto-optic modulators […]
C37: Brownian ratchets: Nano-devices that make randomly diffusing atoms undergo directed motion without applying any net force
Brownian ratchets are nanodevices capable of extracting useful work from environmental noise to create directed motion of particles in the absence of a net force. Research in this area is inspired by biomolecular motors that power the processes of life by utilizing random fluctuations in their environment. These naturally occurring nanodevices are several orders of […]
C39:Developing a Non-Contact DCS System for Biological Tissue Scans
DCS measures light intensity fluctuations of blood flow in deep tissue as time passes between detection of each photon. Using fiber optic probes, a DCS system directs light from a laser into a tissue sample, and then into a single photon detector. When the laser hits the sample through the multi modal probe, light is […]
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). […]