Nearly 4.2 million Americans age 40 and older are visually impaired due to retina diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa. When the human retina is injured, an inflammatory response is invoked leading to scar tissue and a permanent vision loss. On the other hand, the embryonic chick is able to regenerate its […]
C19-P: Analyzing Biodegradation of Tannins in Soil
Tannins are a class of polyphenols that precipitate proteins and quench oxidizing species. Condensed tannins, which are multiple flavonoids linked by carbon-carbon bonds, are present in soil but their metabolic fate and effect on the microbiome is unknown. In this study we analyzed possible trends in condensed tannins biodegradation when microbes are present in the […]
A29-P: Characterizing The Role of NHE1 Protein in Mice Sperm Physiology Using CRISPR/Cas9
Sodium/hydrogen exchangers (NHEs) are a family of vital transmembrane proteins responsible for facilitating ion transport and thus regulating intracellular pH as well as cell volume. Certain NHEs have been shown to be necessary for sperm motility and thus fertility, and there are many different isoforms expressed in sperm cells. However, the specific physiological role of […]
B03-P: The Interaction of β-Lactoglobulin with Nonionic Surfactant Lauryldimethylamine Oxide
Surfactants are amphiphilic molecules that can stabilize interfaces, notably between hydrophobic and hydrophilic environments. Interactions between surfactants and proteins play an important role in food processing, pharmaceuticals, cleaning agents, protein purification, and the characterization of membrane proteins. Characterizing these interactions and the structure of protein-surfactant complexes is necessary for proper product formation and development as […]
C32-P: High-Frequency Monitoring of Ice Cover Dynamics in Three Pennsylvania Lakes during Two Contrasting Winters
With climate change and warming temperatures, ice cover duration in lakes across the world is becoming shorter. Duration of ice cover is tightly linked to oxygen concentrations at lake bottoms, with longer periods of ice cover associated with lower oxygen concentrations, which are detrimental for biological processes and food web interactions. I researched how this […]
B08-P: A Morphometric Analysis of Leaf Shape Responses to Abiotic Stress
Soil salinity causes an estimated $27 billion in agricultural losses every year, and these losses are predicted to be exacerbated by climate change. Brassica rapa is an important oil seed and vegetable crop that includes leafy greens such as bok choy. How B. rapa reacts to abiotic stresses such as soil salinity could greatly affect […]
A13-T: Using Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) to Observe the Development of Pressure Injuries
Pressure Injuries are a major concern in medicine, yet their origins and pathologies are relatively unknown. The origins of these issues are continually studied but they are relatively unknown and cost the healthcare industry millions of dollars each year. Low-cost alternatives include optical techniques, which have previously been used to study tissue sample compositions and […]
A11-P: The Effects of Ocean Acidification on the Seafood Industry and the Implications on Human Health
Over the past 50 years, global seafood consumption has increased, with the most noticeable changes taking place in the least developed and food insecure countries. However, the threat of climate change and its effects on ocean chemistry, have the potential to seriously jeopardize the health of marine organisms and their consumers alike. The purpose of […]
C29-P: Nutrient Deficiency Treatment on an Enrichment Culture from Lake Fryxell
Novel bacteria taken from the Antarctic lake, specifically from Lake Fryxell is tested under a nutrient deficient stress with the purpose of learning about the diversity of microbial communities. The goal of the research is to observe the community structure under nutrient deficient conditions and how these conditions affect the original enrichment culture. The growth […]
B14-T: Contributions of the Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway in Reversal Learning
Cognitive flexibility, which can be measured with reversal learning, is the ability of an individual to alter their behavior in response to changing environmental conditions. Past studies have found that dopamine (DA) is released in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) during reversal learning (Radke et al., 2019, Klanker et al., 2017). The present study sought to […]