The negative impacts of overabundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and invasive species in deciduous forests have been well documented. However, their combined impacts are less understood. We tested the impacts of 11 years of exclusion of deer and removal of the invasive shrub Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) on forest floor plant composition in deciduous forests […]
B14: Characterizing the Role of NHE11 in Mammalian Sperm Physiology Using Crispr/Cas9 Gene Edited Mice
Sodium Hydrogen Exchangers (NHEs) are a family of proteins which are important for regulating the pH of a cell. Previous studies have found certain NHE proteins to be essential for sperm cell motility and fertility. There still remains one completely uncharacterized NHE protein: the NHE11 protein. Work in our lab has found that in mammals, […]
B15: Periodical Cicadas: The Potential Effects of Habitat Destruction on the Density of Magicicada spp. From 1987 to 2021.
Every 17 years, the Brood X periodical cicadas of the genus Magicicada (M. cassini, M. septemdecim, and M. septemdecula) emerge in Indiana and western Ohio. Like many other species, these cicadas are facing the effects of habitat destruction and climate change. Magicicada needs a specific ground temperature in order to emerge. Given that warmer temperatures […]
B29: Examining Sex Chromosome and Gonadal Hormone Influences on Fear Learning in Mice
There are known disparities in susceptibility to psychiatric and stress-related disorders between sexes. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one such case. We used stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL), a validated animal model for PTSD. However, it is unknown if sex differences stem from gonadal (Sry + vs. Sry -) or chromosomal (XX vs. XY) differences. The […]
B39: Expression of MicroRNA in Mice Lens Epithelial Cells
MicroRNAs are short strands of RNA that bind to mRNA to prevent them from being translated into proteins. This project involved looking at expression levels of specific microRNAs to identify their functions in mouse lens cells of the eye. These miRNA expression values were compiled in 3 different trials for the 2 different cell types […]
B40: Genome Wide Identification of Active Promoters in Neonatal Mouse Lens Chromatin
Gene expression is controlled and maintained by a variety of regulatory elements, including histones, which are what was researched for this study. Trimethylation of lysine 4 of histone 3 (H3K4me3) is a characteristic of the promoter regions of actively expressed genes. This means that wherever H3K4me3 is expressed highly, it indicates a portion of the […]
B47: The Sounds of South America
The research conducted in this study revolves specifically around music created by indigenous artists in order to spread a more positive outlook on their culture. We asked ourselves how this music can affect or strengthen their culture. In order to answer that question, we explored several videos and articles on one specific music group called […]
B48: Uses of Images in Social Justice Efforts of Indigenous Communities
This study investigates the impact of images to convey certain messages about social injustices located primarily in the Andean areas of South America. Using a qualitative approach to research, we investigated the techniques used by various indigenous musical groups. This study impacts many regions of the world because social justice issues are becoming more prominent […]
C18: Role of Hypoxia on Chick Retinal Pigment Epithelium Reprogramming
The retina is one of the most important tissues since it is responsible for sight. Injury to the retina can lead to irreparable visual loss. Therefore, studying the process of retinal regeneration in vertebrates that are capable of doing so is important for understanding how the retina can be healed, instead of scarred, after an […]
C19: Establishing Genome Editing Tools for Studying Lens Regeneration
Regeneration has been a topic of research since the 18th century. Researchers have sought to understand and manipulate the mechanisms of regeneration, in the hopes of, applying these to humans. Human regenerative abilities are vastly different from those of salamanders. Interestingly, salamanders such as the newt possess high regenerative abilities and will, therefore, be used […]