Phylogeny of the tribe Psoraleae in North America

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Rebecca Schaeffer and Dr. Keith Crandall, Integrative Biology Introduction Many species of plants in the Leguminosae family are important economically, but many of these plants are now considered rare, threatened, or endangered. Seventy percent of the species in the genus Pediomelum are highly limited in geographic distribution, which influences conservation status. In addition to this, […]

Characterization of a cDNA Encoding β-amyrin Synthase Involved in Saponin Biosyntheses in Chenopodium quinoa

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Derrick J. Reynolds and Dr. P. Jeff Maughan, Plant and Animal Sciences Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is an important crop for subsistence farmers in the Altiplano (high plains) of Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Quinoa has the potential to be an effective crop for many temperate and highland-tropical regions due to its ability to thrive in […]

Interfering RNA Activity in Adrenal Cortical Cells

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Brian Powell and Dr. Allan Judd, Physiology and Developmental Biology Before the turn of the century, biological research was taken by storm with the discovery of inhibitory RNA (RNAi). In 1995, Guo and Kemphues (Mello & Conte, 2004) stumbled into this discovery and were later awarded the Nobel Prize in science for their discovery. The […]

Classification of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Rat Hippocampal CA1 Interneuron Subpopulations Defined by Neuropeptide Y, Somatostatin, and Calcium-binding Proteins mRNA Expression

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Matt Peterson and Dr. Sterling Sudweeks, Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction Hippocampal interneurons are a particularly diverse population of cells. Classifying these interneurons has historically been difficult using traditional schemes such as anatomical morphology, action potential spiking pattern, and receptor pharmacology. More recently however, classification of interneurons by examining expression of neuropeptide Y, somatostatin, and […]

The Use of 13C/12C and 15N/14N Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis To Determine Carnivory Level in Gender Identified Free-Ranging Utah American Black Bears (Ursus americanus)

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Eric Olson and Professor Beverly Roeder, Integrative Biology Stable isotope analysis of carbon (13C/12C or 13C) and nitrogen (15N/14N or 15N) has been shown to provide a more accurate estimate of overall diet in various mammalian species (Sponheimer et al. 2003). This technique was used to determine the amount of vegetation and animal protein in the nutritional […]

A Study of Analytical Reasoning Skills: What are the Cognitive Dimensions? What BYU Courses Successfully Promote Them?

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Jennifer Nelson and Dr. William Bradshaw, Department of Micro and Molecular Biology It is crucial that science education place more emphasis on helping students learn to think rather than requiring them to memorize endless lists of facts. A vital tool in ascertaining student learning is assessment. Teachers typically assess either student performance (by measuring understanding […]

Up-Regulation of DDR2 and MMP13 as a Mechanism of Osteoarthritis

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Allyson and Kenneth Merrell with Dr. Robert E. Seegmiller, Physiology and Developmental Biology Background Arthritis is a painful, debilitating disease that affects sixty-six million Americans (The Arthritis Foundation 2005). Osteoarthritis (OA) results in joint degeneration caused by cartilage erosion and synovial inflammation. While the causes of OA remain unclear, current evidence suggests that both mechanical […]

Predicting Regional Circumferences from Regional Body Composition Data

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Toria McMullin and Dr. Robert T Davidson, Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science Due to the current trend obesity rates and the increased public awareness of the connection between body composition and health, individuals are becoming more and more interested in assessing and changing their own body composition. The current methods used to assess body composition […]

Phospholipase A2 Activity in Cell Signaling Apoptotic Pathway

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Vu Mai Phuong and Dr. John Bell, Physiology and Developmental Biology Secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) is a secretory enzyme thought to mainly function in hydrolyzing membrane phospholipids in certain conditions of signaling induced by the immune system or hormone activity. sPLA2 is known to be implicated in inflammatory diseases, sepsis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, ischemia, […]