Nicotine and ethanol are two most-commonly abused substances in the U.S., yet effective treatments remain elusive. This study investigates how ethanol exposure influences nicotine preference in C. elegans using a chemotaxis preference assay. We hypothesized that ethanol exposure would increase nicotine preference. One group of C. elegans was exposed to ethanol for 30 minutes at the L1 stage, while another group experienced ethanol exposure from birth until the L1 stage. These groups helped determine if nicotine preference was dependent on the duration of ethanol exposure. Post-ethanol treatment, C. elegans were placed in a preference assay with nicotine (4 µL) in one zone and water (4 µL) in another. Imaging occurred after 30 minutes to calculate the preference index: (# of C. elegans in the nicotine zone)/(# in both zones). A two-way ANOVA assessed the effect of ethanol on nicotine preference. A 30-minute ethanol exposure showed no significant difference in nicotine preference, whereas lifelong exposure resulted in an increasing trend of nicotine preference at low dosages (~30 mM). These results suggest further experiments are needed to refine the data. This study aims to expand the body of knowledge between ethanol and nicotine addiction, and contribute to better treatment strategies.
The intestinal mesenchyme is essential for the repair and regeneration of the intestinal epithelium, supporting growth, repair, and structure while interacting with immune cells to maintain intestinal health. Understanding the regenerative processes in the mesenchyme can significantly enhance knowledge of intestinal healing post-injury and inflammation. YAP and TAZ are co-transcriptional factors crucial for cell proliferation, tumorigenesis, wound healing, and regeneration. While previous research has examined YAP and TAZ deletion in the intestinal epithelium, their role in the mesenchyme remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the impact of YAP and TAZ deletion in the intestinal mesenchyme of mice, particularly after damage induced by ionizing radiation (IR). We hypothesize that the deletion of YAP and TAZ will impair tissue regeneration post-IR exposure. Utilizing targeted gene deletion in PDGFRα Cre-ETR2 positive mice, our methodologies include genotyping, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative measurements of how we can understand what is going on. These findings could lead to improved treatments and preventive strategies for intestinal injuries and diseases, contributing to a broader understanding of regenerative processes and their applications in other tissues and organs where YAP and TAZ are critical.
Proliferation of nephron progenitor cells (NPC) is essential to maintain and expand the progenitor pool during kidney development. Proliferation depends on mitochondrial aspartate biosynthesis to fuel nucleotide synthesis. Glutamic-Oxaloacetic Transaminase 2 (GOT2) is a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes the transamination of glutamate and oxaloacetate to form aspartate and α-ketoglutarate. While GOT2 is essential for nucleotide synthesis and proliferation in cancer cells, the role of GOT2 during kidney development is unknown. Using publicly available scRNAseq datasets and immunofluorescence (IF) staining, we show Got2 is broadly expressed during kidney development. To determine the necessity of GOT2 we took a genetic approach to knockout a conditional (floxed – fl) Got2 allele in NPC using Six2Cre. Western blot and qPCR analyses of newborn mice confirmed efficient ablation of Got2 using this approach. Histology and gross analyses found that Six2Cre;Got2fl/fl mice have smaller kidneys at birth. IF staining using both anti-Six2 and anti-Pax2 found a reduction in the size of the NPC population in Six2Cre;Got2fl/fl mice compared to Six2Cre;Got2fl/+ littermate controls. Our findings suggest that GOT2 is essential to maintain and/or expand the NPC population. In light of these findings, future studies evaluating the effects of Got2 ablation on proliferation and apoptosis are warranted.
Climate change has driven ecological change, but the long-term effects on different species and environments are still open to question. There is high variability in biological responses to climate change, especially in animal range shifts, which are directional movements in species ranges influencing ecological communities. Animals like mammals and birds may shift to altered latitudes or elevations in response to climate change. In particular, little is known about the effect on species like salamanders, which might not move in expected directions. I used slender salamanders –Batrachoseps– to determine if their geographical ranges have shifted. Previous research by Dr. Kay Yanev found how genetically diverse the species within the Batrachoseps genus is. For this project, I collected four Batrachoseps species in Coastal California from sites where the species overlapped their geographical regions, which Dr. Kay Yanev discovered. I have examined how diverse these four species are through genetic techniques like Sanger sequencing, and I suggest populations are spreading across a wider geographical range. I intend to continue investigating how Batrachoseps species’ range shifts are being impacted by climate change, which will provide new insights into the impact of climate change on biodiversity.
Vascular anomalies are abnormalities or disorders of veins, arteries, and lymphatic channels, and it encompasses a spectrum of rare diseases that can be classified into vascular tumors or vascular malformations. Vascular anomalies can be treated with a combination of procedures, surgeries, and medical therapies. However, many of the current medical therapies used for vascular anomalies were not originally made for these rare diseases, so the mechanistic understanding of what drives the clinical benefit in vascular anomalies is limited. This presentation aims to inform attendees on clinical research being conducted for the benefit of pediatric patients with vascular anomalies, with an emphasis on the clinical research I’ve conducted in lymphatic anomalies and infantile hemangioma at the Vascular Anomalies Center and Bischoff Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital.
This project centers on the possibility of salt-thriving halophiles to serve as ice-nucleating particles (INPs) in the atmosphere. This task presents a challenge due to the diversity of the bacteria and archaea domain and the limited data available in bioaerosols to become cloud ice formations. Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and pollen contain biologically derived materials that can act as INPs, initiating the freezing of water droplets in clouds even at relatively warm temperatures. Ideally, I would predict that different strains of haloarchaea will react differently based on their optimal salt concentrations: those from a less saline environment may be better microorganisms for INPs since they are able to interface with more water molecules in the moderately saline brine. This project consists of testing three different isolated strains of haloarchaea for optimal salinity and temperature profiles. These data would be coupled with measurements of their ability to induce freezing. Understanding the behavior of halophiles under specific environmental conditions is crucial to expanding our understanding of biological impacts on clouds, especially over saline lakes such as Great Salt Lake. What’s more, forming INPs may have positive impacts on the water crisis of the west.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes a progressive decline in memory, thought, language, and behavior in patients. AD is hallmarked by the aggregation of B-amyloid proteins and neurofibrillary tangles. Age and obesity are some of the risk factors associated with AD, both of which alter glucose metabolism. On the other hand, the rate of adults with obesity reached 41.9% from 2017-2020 which raises questions about the impacts of a high fat diet and obesity on the development of AD. Our lab explores the effects of High Fat Diet (HFD) on transgenic (Tg) rats that were co-injected with two human genes known to cause early-onset AD when mutated: amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1). Preliminary results from our glucose monitoring data showed no significance between Tg and Wild-type (WT) rats. However, body composition data and western blot quantification displayed female Tg rats developing more neuropathologies than their WT counterparts. The results demonstrate how HFD may have an independent role in AD progression from the transgenes and that the presence of both can aggregate neuropathologies that induce AD.
Oceanic islands are often considered natural test tubes for evolution due to their isolation and limited number of colonizing species, leading to remarkable evolutionary radiations. Understanding how biodiversity differs between island systems and nearby mainland environments has intrigued researchers for decades. The goal of the present study is to examine the influence of evolutionary constraints and ecological drivers of ecomorphology among land snail species forming assemblages found on an island system (the Galápagos Islands) and on a nearby mainland system (the Peruvian Andes). Land snails of the Family Bulimulidae were sampled across the two landscapes. Ecological and shell morphological data will be assembled and curated for all species encountered at each site. Evolutionary relationships among species will be inferred from genomic markers, and a phylogenetic framework will be used to estimate diversification rates and assess evolutionary constraints for each group. We will then use a multivariate analysis approach to examine the relationships and differences between shell morphology, using geometric morphometrics and ecological data at the species and community levels.
Truffles are culinary delicacy which are produced from the fungal genus, Tuber. However, factors influencing their production in truffle orchards are not well understood. It is suspected that competitive fungal species that form symbiotic ectomycorrhizal (ECM) relationships with plant roots may lower truffle yields. This research aims to investigate how ECM host plant abundance and soil depth affect the distribution of competitive ECM fungi, and ultimately truffle production in southern Idaho. This study will sample seven sites, including three truffle orchards and four experimental stations. Soil samples will be collected from plots with varying ECM host plant densities at multiple depths. Subsequently, soil pH and organic matter content will be measured. Lastly, molecular and bioinformatic techniques will be used to identify and quantify the different ECM fungal species observed. It is hypothesized that a high abundance of ECM hosts will be correlated to a high abundance of competitive ECM fungi. Furthermore, it is expected that the abundance of ECM competitors will decrease with increasing soil depth. These changes in ECM distribution may negatively impact truffle production. The results may contribute to the development of effective agronomic practices which can maximize truffle yields and mitigate competitive ECM fungal abundance.
Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are synthetic chemicals notorious for interfering with the body’s normal hormone signaling causing adverse health effects in humans. One such EDC called bisphenol A (BPA), found in countless consumer products, is argued on its impact in prepubertal reproductive hormone signaling, leading to early puberty. This project looks to evaluate the extent prepubertal exposure of BPA has on hypothalamic brain pathways responsible for proper reproductive development and behavior from adolescence into adulthood. Female rats were exposed to BPA during adolescence, prior to puberty, through drinking water in 3 treatment groups. Rats were then scarified for hypothalamic brain regions to assess gene expression for specific genes and neurons vital for the onset of puberty. It is expected to find a dose-dependent effect with the highest dosed treatment group to experience the greatest effect from prepubertal BPA exposure. Such research will provide important knowledge to the detrimental health effects BPA exposure during adolescence can have later in life and risks of increased mental illness and behavioral disorders associated with early puberty.
Computational chemistry is a rapidly evolving specialty within the field of chemistry. Computational chemistry is a subfield of chemistry that utilizes theoretical calculations to simulate properties of chemical reactions. Computation is vital to many different industries like medicine, engineering, and environmental. Despite its significance, there are currently no computational chemistry courses offered at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). This study investigates the integration of computational chemistry into the undergraduate laboratory curriculum using WebMO. A computational laboratory exercise was developed for an organic chemistry course to help students visualize building molecules and administered to students in conjunction with their regular laboratory content using a traditional model kit to understand structure. Preliminary results indicate that, despite certain limitations, such as unfamiliarity with software and problems with the visualization of certain topics, the exercise effectively facilitated the incorporation of computational chemistry concepts into the undergraduate laboratory experience.
Biofilm dispersion is a survival mechanism where bacteria transition to a planktonic lifestyle. Dispersion is not characterized in Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), a human intestinal tract bacterium. In semi-batch culture experiments, we determined steady state biofilms formed after 48 hours when E. faecalis was grown in 10% Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) at 37oC without shaking. Next, we challenged biofilm cultures with a 10-fold step increase in nutrients after 4 days of growth to avoid interference from self-induced dispersion and found a statistically significant dispersion response. To evaluate the effect of bile acids on nutrient-induced dispersion, we exposed dispersed cells to the primary bile acid cholic acid or the secondary bile acid lithocholic acid. Lithocholic acid retained biofilm growth during nutrient-induced dispersion and thus may cause increased biofilm formation and preservation in the gut. To evaluate E. faecalis antibiotic tolerance, we conducted dose finding assays with the oxazolidinone linezolid and glycopeptide vancomycin. Mid-log cultures were grown for 18 hours in 100% TSB and shaken prior to treatment. E. faecalis displayed antibiotic tolerance when treated with 50 µg/ml of linezolid, resulting in a 0.5 log reduction. Our study has revealed novel findings on the growth and dispersion response of E. faecalis biofilms.
The μ-composition, measured in parts per million (ppm), of 182W (μ182W) shows significant positive and negative variations from a standard composition within mantle-derived rocks. A combination of three scenarios—late accretion, core-mantle interaction, and early planetary differentiation—have been proposed to explain these variations. To test this hypothesis, a multiphase thermal chemical fluid dynamics (MTCFD) numerical model was used to simulate mantle physics and chemistry of these three different scenarios. This work aimed to replicate the μ182W composition of bulk silicate Earth (BSE; crust+mantle) over 4.5 billion years, which previous research constrains to initial and final values of +25 ppm and 0 ppm, respectively. Preliminary simulations using low-resolution were run on laptops. These results provided quantitative and qualitative data on the evolution of μ182W in the BSE. Preliminary results indicate final values of +15 ppm (late accretion), -20 ppm (core-mantle interaction), +25 ppm (early planetary differentiation), and -5 ppm (combined). The combined scenario more closely replicates the BSE record compared to individual scenarios, suggesting that a combination may account for the variability of 182W in Earth’s mantle. Based on these results, further simulations with different initial conditions will be run on the Graham supercomputer for a high-resolution and more comprehensive data set.
Clostridioides difficile is a virulent pathogen known to be susceptible to vancomycin, although less is known about how microbial interactions might influence the effectiveness of antibiotics. Here we test how the susceptibility of C. difficile to vancomycin is affected when in co-culture with Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE). We show that the in vitro co-culture of C. difficile with VRE reduces C. difficile’s susceptibility to vancomycin. In Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) media, susceptibility is reduced compared to Sporulation Media (SM), suggesting different environments affect antibiotic effectiveness. These findings contribute to our understanding of how microbial interactions and the environment affects antibiotic effectiveness.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons. Developing effective ALS therapeutics is challenging due to the difficulty in delivering medications to the affected motor neurons in the brain, primarily because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB, composed mainly of lipids and proteins, restricts the entry of potentially harmful substances into the central nervous system. For a molecule to permeate this barrier, it must exhibit high solubility in lipids. The Silverman laboratory has synthesized a 1,3-dione compound with potential therapeutic benefits for ALS. However, this compound faces issues of low yield and poor BBB permeability. My goal this summer is to discover an efficient synthesis strategy for the 1,3-dione and enhance its lipophilicity to improve BBB permeability. This will involve derivatizing the hydroxyl group, a relatively non-lipophilic group, with non-polar groups such as alkyls to reduce overall polarity and increase lipophilicity. The outcomes of this study will provide insights into potential structures and synthesis pathways that could lead to an effective therapeutic agent for ALS.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes severe infections in immunocompromised individuals, including those with cystic fibrosis (CF). Pa forms antibiotic-resistant biofilms, making infections difficult to treat and often lethal. In the CF lung, elevated Ca2+ concentrations are encountered by Pa, which our group has shown to induce virulence factor production. To understand the molecular mechanisms behind this regulation, we identified the novel inner membrane protein CarP, which plays a crucial role in Ca2+-induced pyocyanin production, oxidative stress tolerance, Ca2+ homeostasis, and host immune interactions. Although CarP’s molecular function remains unknown, we hypothesize it interacts with other proteins. To test this, we utilized a FLAG tag co-immunoprecipitation approach, generating two expression constructs: membrane-bound and periplasmic CarP, each with a 3xFLAG tag fused to the C-terminus. Pull-down assays will be performed with each construct, and periplasmic and cytoplasmic samples will be analyzed by mass spectrometry to identify CarP’s protein-binding partners. This research will provide important insights into CarP’s molecular function and the mechanisms of Ca2+-induced virulence in Pa.
Plants instinctive accumulation of compounds present in soil could help us understand possible solutions to mercury, its effects on the native plant life, and ways to identify heavy metal sediments at Utah’s Great Salt Lake (GSL). This project's main goal is to find whether or not Salicornia, otherwise known as Pickleweed, is absorbing mercury from soil at GSL. Sampling of pickleweed at Great Salt Lake and the consecutive use of a Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA-80) to quantify the present mercury. It is hypothesized that trace amounts of mercury will be found, but not a significant amount as mercury is more common in deeper substrates than the shoreline soil. If there's mercury in the shoreline soil it tells us that it will be present in dust storms that would affect the populations across Utah.
Monitoring ice margin retreat and glacier area changes is crucial for assessing climate change impacts in mountainous regions. Google Earth™ offers a powerful toolset for analyzing these changes over several decades using its History, Polygon, and Path functions. For instance, glaciers in Iceland's Vatnajökull ice cap have experienced significant area loss, with two major glaciers shedding over 25 km² from 1985 to 2018 or 2020 and retreating at rates of 75-150 meters per year. In contrast, some glaciers terminating on land have lost less than 5 km² and exhibited fluctuations in the last two decades. In Canada, the Athabasca Glacier has decreased by 0.67 km² and retreated 0.48 km from 1985 to 2022, while the Columbia Glacier has lost 0.42 km² and retreated 0.62 km. In New Zealand, the Tasman Glacier shows a retreat rate exceeding 130 meters per year due to calving into Lake Tasman, whereas the Dall Glacier has retreated at approximately 80 meters per year. These observations highlight the diverse patterns of glacier change and demonstrate the utility of Google Earth™ in tracking glacier dynamics. The main limitations in this study are inconsistent georectification among different images, lower resolution of early images, and consistency in our measurements.
Invasive candidiasis, a yeast infection of the bloodstream, poses a devastating mortality and morbidity rate caused by a pan-drug-resistant pathogen yeast species, Candida, capable of outbreaks. This study investigates novel aerolysin-like toxins identified in the genome of Candida and Saccharomyces. We have found a family of proteins in Candida and Saccharomyces with structural similarities to bacterial aerolysin known for its cytotoxic effects in vertebrates. Bacterial aerolysin are well studied, whereas fungal aerolysin toxins and their effects on humans remain unexplored. Utilizing Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and genomic analysis, this project aimed and confirmed after the extraction of total RNA the expression, of aerolysin-like toxins in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Further endeavors involve investigating the opportunistic human pathogenic yeast C. auris, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis along with other Saccharomyces species. Future cloning of the killer toxin genes (K62L) into plasmids to assess the potential of these toxins in inhibiting the growth of yeasts and as potential virulence factors. Overall, this research aims to address critical gaps in the understanding the potential of fungal aerolysin toxins as novel virulence factors and their importance in mitigating human disease. These findings may contribute to therapeutic approaches against drug-resistant Candida infections.
As Drosophila shares a significant number of genes with humans, studying Drosophila can provide insights into sleep regulation, a process that is not well understood. In Drosophila, the insomniac (inc) gene encodes a putative adaptor protein for the Cullin-3 ubiquitin ligase complex. A nonfunctional Inc protein results in fragmented sleep and excess neurons in the mushroom body, a brain region important for sleep. This study intends to determine whether C-terminal Inc mutants can successfully rescue the mushroom body defects caused by a null inc mutation. A prior rescue experiment indicated that full-length Inc protein rescued sleep in inc mutants to wild-type levels; however, C-terminal Inc mutants could not rescue sleep. To evaluate if C-terminal Inc mutants could rescue the mushroom body defects of inc mutants, a fly cross was conducted between inc mutants and C-terminal mutants via the GAL4/UAS system. From the resulting progeny, the brains of adult male Drosophila were dissected and visualized through immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. Our results suggest that transgenic expression of full-length Inc protein results in a normal mushroom body, but further experimentation is needed to confirm this result. The effects of C-terminal Inc mutants on mushroom body anatomy also require further investigation.
The Hippo signaling pathway controls the regulation of organ growth and development. Dysfunctions of this pathway are related to various types of cancers, making it a critical area of study for cancer research and the development of regenerative medicines. This study investigates the manipulation of gene Minibrain (mnb). Mnb is a kinase that phosphorylates other proteins. Understanding the function of Mnb will ultimately allow us to understand its role within the Hippo pathway. Mnb is thought to affect the function and localization of the kinase Warts (Wts), which determines Yorkie (Yki) activation and consequently the outcomes of the Hippo pathway. (Fig. 3) We hypothesize that high levels of mnb will cause overgrowth and affect Wts localization, and vice versa. We employed gene manipulation techniques using the UAS/Gal 4 system (Fig. 1). Using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, we analyzed the effects of different levels of mnb on Yki. Additionally, we assessed the phenotypic consequences of the varying levels of mnb on wing growth. These findings will guide further exploration of the Hippo signaling pathway and its broader implications.
I am a Certified Personal Trainer and Residential Advisor! I work in a research lab under Dr. Yair Pincu at the University of Oklahoma, where I work in the exercise physiology lab under the Health and Exercise Science department! I am a senior looking to go onto PT-School.
The widespread use and development of aerogels for catalysis applications is due to their characteristically high surface area. However, the synthesis of typical aerogels is costly and time-consuming, and the need for supercritical drying to preserve surface area compounds both of these issues. This study serves to further modify our novel synthesis to chemically control binding sites to increase surface area. Our original synthesis involved doping fumed silica with titanyl sulfate hydrate followed by drying and calcining at high temperatures to remove any water and organic molecules. The proposed modification of this procedure involved doping fumed silica with a second, smaller compound prior to adding titanyl sulfate to chemically promote binding at sites away from naturally occurring pores in the fumed silica. Characterization through scanning electron microscopy, BET surface area analysis, and BJH pore size distribution showed that doping the fumed silica prior to adding the titanyl sulfate did result in a substantially larger surface area and an increase in nanopores. As surface area is intrinsically tied to catalysis, further developments in high surface area materials result in more efficient catalysts.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) targets CD4+ cells, weakening the immune system and potentially leading to AIDS. Understanding the virus's structure and focusing on its more stable regions is essential to create more effective treatments. Genomic recognition, a highly conserved process, represents a promising drug target. Mutagenesis studies have identified the Core Encapsidation Signal (CES) as the minimal packaging unit for HIV-1, which shows nucleocapsid (NC) binding. Ding et al. determined the highest affinity binding sites of NC on the 5’ Leader of HIV are in the CES region. The central finding was that the binding of NC causes unwinding within the PSI hairpin of the viral RNA, which is important for genome packaging and viral replication. Our project focuses on the MAL over Ding's NL4-3 strain of HIV-1 to determine the binding characteristics of NC on the RNA packing signal. To quantify the number of binding sites in the MAL packaging signal and the affinity of NC on those sites, we utilized Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Isothermal Calorimetry. Our next goal will be to characterize the RNA and Gag interactions important for nucleocapsid binding, genome selection, and selective packaging. Overall, understanding the conserved region advances HIV antiviral therapies.
Treatment for parasitic worms in animals is a common practice in veterinary medicine. Additionally, anthelmintics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that paralyze or kill the given parasite without causing any significant damage or harm to the host. This study focuses on three specific parasite preventatives commonly administered to animals which includes, Ivermectin, Albendazole, and Pyrantel. Furthermore, an N2 stain of C. elegans (microscopic worms) were utilized as models for various parasitic worms in order to gain a better understanding of how gene expression is altered when treated and exposed to varying concentrations of antihelminthic drugs. This study incorporated mixed investigations consisting of qPCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction), behavioral assays, western blots, and imaging through confocal microscopy. The scientific findings and variation in data from the results of these studies ultimately led to inconclusive results and conclusions. However, the primary purpose of these observations are to potentially elucidate resistance factors of these nematodes, which can possibly improve the effectiveness of antihelminthic drugs in actual parasitic worms.
