Holly Martin and Dr. Beverly Roeder, Biology Introduction Production-related metabolic diseases (PRMDs) in dairy cows threaten the livelihood of the animals as well as the productivity and success of the dairy industry. Because dairy cows supply an important food source for humans, understanding, managing, and preventing these diseases protects this source. Management and prevention of […]
Diverging predation environment between two sister species of live bearing fish: boldness, activity, and exploration.
David Money and Jerald B. Johnson, Department of Biology Our study takes advantage of a unique species pair within Brachyrhaphis, Brachyrhaphis roseni and B. terrabensis,, which provides insight into how divergence proceeds once speciation is complete. Brachyrhaphis roseni and B. terrabensis are sister species that occur in the same river drainages throughout northwestern Panama. A […]
Effects of phosphorous availability on nematode growth and morphology in vitro
Ammon Perkes and Byron Adams, Biology Introduction The Growth Rate Hypothesis (GRH) proposes that since high-growth protein synthesis in organisms requires phosphorous-rich rRNA, growth is correlated with and dependent on phosphorous availability to said organisms. The limitation imposed by phosphorus availability thus becomes a selective factor that drives evolution. (Elser et al, 2002). This project […]
Testing the Validity of the LCTSR 12-point Grading System
Ted Piorczynski and Jamie Jensen, Biology Introduction The Lawson Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR) is a 24-question, multiple-choice test designed to assess students’ scientific reasoning ability. The test consists of 12 scenarios, each of which focuses on testing a specific reasoning pattern. Each scenario is followed by two questions; the first question assesses a […]
Genome-Wide Association Study Of Cerebrospinal Fluid Prostatic Acid Phosphatase Levels
Lyndsay A. Staley and John S.K. Kauwe, Biology Introduction In genome wide association studies (GWAS), the use of endophenotypes, or intermediate traits, have been found to provide novel insights into understanding the genetics of complex human disease and the pathways and proteins associated with them. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been shown to contain analytes that […]
Firefly Evolution and Signaling Systems
Michael Swindle and Michael Whiting, Department of Biology Introduction The goal of this project was to expand and clarify the relationships between the various subfamilies of fireflies. Lampyridae (the scientific name for fireflies) is a family within the beetle order, Coleoptera, and include about 2000 species across the world. Lampyridae is currently recognized as having […]
Genetic Basis for Rheumatic Heart Disease in High Risk Families in Western Samoa
Eleni Tukuafu and John S.K. Kauwe, Department of Biology Introduction Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most common form of acquired cardiovascular disease among children worldwide and results in 233,000 deaths annually. Although genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to RHD, not much is known about genes that increase susceptibility. RHD results from […]
Heteroplasmic Mitochondria Project
Lyndsay Staley Unfortunately, my Heteroplasmic Mitochondria project was picked up by a commercial entity whom we had asked for the sequenced genomes, but they beat me to the answer before releasing the sequenced genomes. I worked on another project involving Alzheimer’s disease genetics. I was able to do the initial analyses in a genome-wide association […]
Association of Rare Genetic Variants to the Development and Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
Cameron Schmutz and Dr. Keoni Kauwe, Biology Department INTRODUCTION Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder and is the leading cause of dementia.1,3 It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and is the only one that has no adequate prevention or cure. AD is characterized by a progressive loss […]
Evolution of Ectoparastism in Earwigs (Insect: Dermaptera)
Michael Naegle and Dr. Michael Whiting, Department of Biology Introduction Dermaptera (earwigs) is a small order of insects, typically characterized by the presence of cerci on the abdomen that are modified into forceps-like appendages (Giles, 1963). Dermaptera includes approximately 2200 extant species comprising 11 families (Kocarek 2013). The majority of earwigs are free-living feeding on […]
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