Journal of Undergraduate Research

Julie Lander and Dr. Jeffery Barrow, Physiology and Developmental Biology Limb abnormalities are among the more common birth defects, occurring in up to 1 in 1,000 live births. Although limb development has been studied for decades, many mechanisms that regulate limb outgrowth remain currently unknown. The object of this study was to further elucidate some […]

Hannabeth Franchino and Dr. John Bell, Physiology and Developmental Biology This study investigated the effects of lipid phase on monomer and dimer fluorescence of merocyanine 540. Emission and anisotropy spectra were assessed at multiple temperatures covering all four lamellar phases of pure dipalmityolphosphadtidylcholine. The probe segregates in the bilayer into two populations: monomers (emission maximum~585 […]

Eric R. Draper and Professor David Busath, Department of Biophysics Botulinum neurotoxin is a neurotoxic protein that is made by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum.  It is one of the most deadly toxins in the world and is very commonly used in minute doses for medicinal purposes.  It is therefore very important and beneficial to understand the mechanism […]

Nick Candelaria Each year, more than 170,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States alone [1]. The risk for developing breast cancer can largely be attributed to the levels of exogenous and endogenous hormones in the body [2]. A hormone known to have drastic effect on cancer cell proliferation is estrogen, a […]

Jacob Blickenstaff and Dr. Jeffrey Edwards, Physiology and Developmental Biology Gap junctions play a critical role in controlling the rhythmic patterns of electrical oscillations in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus. These ion channels which connect neighboring cells allow electrical signals to be conducted rapidly and in a synchronized manner over a localized area. I […]

Shaela Avery and Dr. Robert Seegmiller, Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction A recently discovered collagen gene mutation, spondyloepiphiseal dysplasia congenita (sedc), is found on the Col2a1 gene in both mice and humans. The mouse mutation is molecularly similar to the human SEDC mutation, which causes premature osteoarthritis. Studies, such as this one, in mouse models […]

Richard W. Hendershot and Professor David Busath, Zoology Botulinum toxin is an exotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and is the cause of botulism poisoning in poorly canned food. It is known that the toxin consists of two parts namely the larger Heavy Chain and the smaller Light Chain. Previous data suggests that the larger Heavy […]

Brandon Forbes and Dr. Dixon Woodbury, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology Throughout our lives we often take our wonderful nervous system for granted. We simply accept that it will do its job and help us to organize our thoughts into plans for the day, or research reports such as this. At a cellular level, […]

Douglas Bennion and Dr. Jeffrey Edwards, Physiology and Developmental Biology As a new and untried undergraduate researcher, I aspired to do something to impact the lives of others through a modest research contribution of my own. While I have not lost that aspiration, I have been \ surprised to discover that, in fact, others have […]

Steve Warren David and Dr. Reuben Ward Rhees, Zoology Sexual differentiation of the brain is dependent on the presence or absence of androgen (testosterone) during prenatal development. Exposure to testosterone is essential for masculinization and defeminization of sexual behavior, and brain structural development. Present evidence suggests that the action of testosterone during brain development involves […]