RAGE functions during Secondhand Smoke-Induced Bronchopulmonary dysplasia

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Brent Kimber and Faculty Mentor: Dr. Paul Reynolds, Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) is a common respiratory disease among pre-term infants or newborns exposed to harmful toxins during pregnancy or at birth. This leads to several respiratory diseases later in life such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) or asthma. However, research […]

TRF1 Mutations as a Mechanism for Telomere Length Maintenance in Cancer

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Collin Sanderson and Jonathan Alder, Physiology and Developmental Biology Department Introduction Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences found on the ends of chromosomes that serve to protect the genes contained within each chromosome. As a cell replicates, its telomeres shorten, eventually triggering cellular senescence or death. This serves as a tumor suppressive mechanism by limiting the […]

Examining the Potential Role of GPR18 and GPR119 in Learning and Memory

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Brandon Anderson, James Kranewitter-Call, and Dr. Jeffrey Edwards, Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction Many mental disorders plague our society. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have greatly impacted many victims and their families. Despite the seriousness and pervasiveness of Alzheimer’s, there is still no effective treatment for it nor the accompanying dementia. GPR18 and GPR119 are G-protein […]

Forward Genetic Screen to Identify Novel Genes Involved in NHEJ DNA Repair

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Taylor Brown and Dr. Jonathan Alder, Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction: DNA contains all the information a cell needs to grow, divide, differentiate, and survive. It also dictates how and when a cell should die. DNA damage (particularly double strand breaks i.e. DSBs) may lead to cell death and/or disease. To circumvent DNA breaks, cells […]

A Microfluidic Approach to Measuring Endothelial Cell Migration

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A Microfluidic Approach to Measuring Endothelial Cell Migration Abstract Pathological angiogenesis or new vessel growth plays a key role in a number of diseases including tumor growth and several eye diseases that can lead to blindness. While antiangiogenic therapies have been developed for many of these pathologies, there remains a pressing need for more effective […]

Elucidation of Mechanisms Whereby Embryonic Chicken Limbs Develop

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Broadbent, James Elucidation of Mechanisms Whereby Embryonic Chicken Limbs Develop Faculty Mentor: Jeffrey Barrow, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction As established by John Saunders 60 years ago, the AER is required for limb growth and patterning. However, the mechanisms whereby the AER regulates these processes remain poorly understood. My professor and I propose […]

Development of a Directed Forward Genetic Screen Using CRISPR Libraries

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Russell, Robert C Development of a Directed Forward Genetic Screen Using CRISPR Libraries Jonathon Hill, Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction Thousands of genes control the development of our bodies. These genes must be activated at the proper place and time in order for development to proceed correctly. The technique that we are developing will improve […]

Understanding Birth Defects by Establishing Glutathione Ontogeny in a Chick Embryo Model

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Mackay, Ryan Understanding Birth Defects by Establishing Glutathione Ontogeny in a Chick Embryo Model Dr. Jason Hansen – Physiology & Developmental Biology Introduction Most chemicals known to cause birth defects have been shown to induce oxidative stress – a disruption in intracellular redox signaling. The overall purpose of this research is to better understand how […]

The Efficacy of TGFβ Inhibition via SGI-1252 in the Prevention and Reversal of Diet-induced Obesity and Diabetes

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Blake Dallon and Benjamin Bikman, Department of Physiology & Developmental Biology Introduction The growing worldwide incidence of obesity and its associated pathologies, like type 2 diabetes, has received much deserved attention. However, despite this attention and substantial research efforts, little meaningful progress has been made in slowing or reversing the growing cost and trends of […]