Journal of Undergraduate Research

Gregory Low and Brad Berges, Microbiology and Molecular Biology The purpose of our experiment was to ascertain the importance of the LANA protein encoded by the Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV). LANA is believed to be essential for the survival of KSHV in human cells. KSHV causes a variety of cancers including Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), multicentric […]

Tanner Dean and William McCleary, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction Though Escherichia Coli is a thoroughly investigated species of bacteria, questions still remain concerning genes involved in phosphate homeostasis. Phosphate homeostasis is the idea that a cell or bacterium adapts to changing environmental phosphate concentrations. Cells need to adapt to changing phosphate conditions because phosphate […]

Cameron Sargent and Dr. Julianne Grose, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction Once the leading cause of death in the United States, tuberculosis still burdens the world as the second deadliest infectious disease worldwide, latently infecting one-third of the world population and causing 1.5 million deaths in 2013 [1]. Tuberculosis is particularly lethal largely because the […]

Tyler White and Bradford Berges, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction: The bacterium Staphylococcus Aureus is the cause of a serious skin disease that is known to cause life-threatening infections such as pneumonia, endocarditis, meningitis, sepsis, bacteremia, and toxic shock syndrome [1]. Nonetheless, most SA infections are readily remedied via antibiotic treatment with methicillin. However, over […]

Matt Phillips and Dr. William McCleary, Microbiology and Molecular Biology I. Introduction The ability to control gene expression in bacteria has been essential in solving problems in many fields, including medicine and environmental protection. Recent advances in genomic and metabolic modeling tools have led to the development of a new technique called promoter swapping which […]

Bailey Benson and Dr. David Erickson, Department of Micro and Molecular Biology Introduction Yersinia pestis — the causative agent of the deadly bubonic plague, which killed over one-third of Europe in the 14th century – spreads quickly from person to person due to its ability to create a biofilm, characterized by bacterial adhesion to themselves […]

Amber Brown and Dr. Julianne Grose, Microbiology Introduction Cholera, the Disease: Cholera is a disease that affects three to five million people each year with approximately 100,000 deaths. Transmitted mainly by the drinking-­‐water supply, it causes an infection in the small intestine leading to severe diarrhea and vomiting. If left untreated, it can cause death […]

Youna Choi and Dr. Eric Wilson, Microbiology and Molecualr Biology Introduction Most antigens (foreign substances) enter an organism via mucosal surfaces. Thus, understanding the mechanisms involved in immune protection at these surfaces is of paramount importance. Immune responses are highly dependent on homing mechanisms responsible for directing lymphocyte (white blood cell) migration and accumulation at […]

Tanner Dean and William McCleary, MMBIO Introduction The purpose of this experiment was to identify the physical interaction site between two proteins in Escherichia Coli. These two proteins, PhoU and PhoR, are two proteins involved in Phosphate signal transduction. When these two proteins are mutated, so they no longer interact, the pathway is broken and […]

Lauren Syndergaard and Brian Poole, Micro and Molecular Biology Introduction Dengue virus is a mosquitoes-borne virus that causes dengue fever. It is found primarily in tropical areas with over a third of the world’s population living in at-risk areas (WHO). The number of infections has grown rapidly in recent years with as many as 50 […]