Multivariate Analysis of Elemental Concentrations in Various Lichen Growth Forms

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Seth Washburn and Dr. Nolan Mangelson, Chemistry Lichens consist of two organisms that live in a symbiotic relationship. The lichen photobiont, green alga, cyanobacteria, or a combination of both, provides carbohydrates from photosynthesis. While the mycobiont partner, a fungus, accounts for the majority of the lichen mass, and provides shelter and nutrients (St. Clair, 1998). […]

Velocity Determination of Metastable Calcium Ions Using High- Resolution Diode Laser Spectroscopy

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Rebecca VanWagoner and Dr. Paul Farnsworth, Chemistry and Biochemistry Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) is a useful tool for trace chemical analysis. However, instrument response to the analyte changes with increasing concentration of other elements in solution. This change in response due to matrix elements lowers the accuracy of ICPMS. Most of the matrix […]

Study of the Eclipsing Binary AH Cancri

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Delora Chere’ Tanner and Dr. Benjamin Taylor, Physics and Astronomy Unlike research in many other disciplines, astronomical research is highly dependent upon the weather. My original proposed research was to further the task of calibrating standard stars in the M67 open cluster. Unfortunately the weather was unfavorable during the window of time that this cluster […]

MICA-Morph Interpolated Character Animation

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Mike D. Smith and Dr. Thomas W. Sederberg, Computer Science In conventional two-dimensional or flat animation, an artist called a character animator will draw key poses for a cartoon that specify movement and expression. Generally, one or more additional artists will take these key frames of animation and draw more images to insert between them. […]

A Partial Asymmetric Synthesis of the Anti-tumor Antibiotic Geldanamycin

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Bryon Simmons and Dr. Merritt B. Andrus, Chemistry and Biochemistry Geldanamycin, a member of the benzoquinoid ansamycin family, was discovered in 1970 by workers at UpJohn laboratories.1 Scientists were eager to characterize and assess the biological activity of this natural product, first isolated from the bacteria species Steptomyces hygroscpius.2 It was soon learned that geldanamycin […]

Use of an Intermolecular Tether in [2+2] Photochemical Cycloadditions

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Brent Siemssen and Dr. Steve Fleming, Chemistry and Biochemistry Oxetanocin is a nucleoside that occurs naturally in the bacteria Bacillus megaterium (see figure 1a).1 Oxetanocin and its analogues show antiviral activity but have not yet been introduced in any successful drug treatment. Even so, oxetanocin continues to be a model studied to help understand the […]

G Protein Regulation of Chaperonins Through Phosducin-Like Protein

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Tiffany L. Sabin and Dr. Barry Willardson, Chemistry and Biochemistry G proteins participate in a myriad of cell signaling processes by shuttling information between cell surface receptors and intracellular effectors(1). The importance of G protein signaling is evidenced by the fact that ~5% of human genes encode G protein-coupled receptors, G protein subunits of effectors. […]

Using a Reinforcement Learning Controller to Overcome Simulator/Environment Discrepancies

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Nancy Owens and Professor Todd Peterson, Computer Science Robotic controllers often fail to perform well when transferred from a simulated environment to a real-world situation. Such failures are caused by discrepancies between a simulator and the real-world system which it is intended to model. Traditional approaches to this problem attempt to reduce the number and severity […]

Charge Injection in Semiconductor Nanocrystals and Its Effect on Luminescence and Spin Resonance

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James Owen Ostler and Dr. Bret C. Hess, Physics and Astronomy With diameters of only about 4-5 nanometers, semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit different properties than bulk semiconductors. Because of this there has been a focus in research to discover and exploit these new properties. The CdSe nanocrystal is smaller than the normal wave function of an […]

Synthesis of Systematically Varied Nucleosides as a Logical Approach Toward Inhibitor Design for Nucleoside Transport Proteins

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Lars P.C. Nielsen and Dr. Morris J. Robins, Chemistry and Biochemistry Glucose transporter proteins constitute one class of transmembrane integral proteins that have received much attention in the current chemical literature. Many prominent groups have set out to explore their mechanisms, kinetics, and active sites. Studies have focussed on one of these in particular, Human […]