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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
B43: Spin Equilibrium of Cobalt-Salen Complexes
Spin Crossover (SCO), or spin equilibrium, is a well-studied phenomenon in some metal complexes. This phenomenon occurs when changes such as heat, light, or pressure are applied to a metal complex, which the metal center responds by changing its spin state. The spin state of a metal center is the arrangement of its valence electrons, […]
B42: Remediation of “Forever Chemicals”: Adsorption of PFOA on Novel Polymer Resin
Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances(PFAS) are a class of ubiquitous and highly-persistent fluoro-organic water contaminants within the environment that have been widely utilized since the 1960’s. They are utilized in numerous industrial applications as surfactants, and are found in products such as firefighting foams, makeup, nonstick cookware, waterproof fabrics, and plastics. The most common PFAS compound in […]
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 […]
B38: Genetic Variability and Lyme Disease Infection in the White-Footed Mouse in Northern Michigan
The lower peninsula of Michigan is inhabited by two species of closely related white-footed deer mice, Peromyscus leucopus and Peromyscus maniculatus. Both of these species are hosts for the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis which acts as the vector for B. burgdorferi infection. However, it’s been determined that P. leucopus is the main reservoir host for […]
B37: Miami Middletown Greenhouse Pathogen Identification and Management
Houseplants improve our mental and physical well-being, productivity, and enhance the overall appearance of a space. Unfortunately foliage plants are often attacked by pests and pathogens which can negatively impact their health and appearance. As a Botany major and student worker on the Middletown campus, I began taking care of the plant maintenance in the […]