Karisa Wasley and Dr. Paul Reynolds, Physiology and Developmental Biology Main Text The causes of high morbidity and mortality associated with inflammatory respiratory diseases are not well understood. My research project helped to shed light on cellular signaling pathways associated with inflammatory disease, particularly those caused by or worsened by air pollutants. Asthmatics, in particular, […]
Ror2/Wnt5a Mediated Directional Limb Outgrowth
Aaron Smith and Dr. Jeff Barrow, Physiology and Developmental Biology The apical ectodermal ridge (AER) is a small strip of epithelial tissue that is found at the distal tip of the embryonic vertebrate limb and runs from anterior to posterior. It is known that the AER is necessary to maintain the life of mesenchymal cells […]
A Study of Biological Photonic Crystals in the Effects of Beta Amyloid on Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Alzheimer’s: Internal Opal Scale Structures of Iridescent Beetle Species in the Cerambycidae Family
Andrew Romney and Dr. Sterling Sudweeks, Physiology & Developmental Biology For the past two years, I have worked in Dr. Sterling Sudweeks’ research lab experimenting with neurotransmitter receptors that are implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s Disease. When functioning normally, these receptors act as ion channels which open upon binding nicotine or acetylcholine and are […]
There’s No Wrong Way for a Cell to Die: Caspase-Independent Programmed Cell Death Pathways Resulting in Apoptotic Characteristics
Katalyn Pickett and Dr. John D. Bell, Undergraduate Education Main Text There are a number of ways that cells can die. One way is through apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death. This death pathway is characterized by orderly signals and mechanisms that essentially tell the cell to die without “making a mess”. Necrosis, another […]
The Cerebral Cortex as an Effect Site for Anesthetic Induced Unconsciousness
Ryan Martin and Professor David Busath, Physiology and Developmental Biology Main Text General anesthetics are widely used today in medicine. Their molecular mechanisms however, still remain a mystery. For centuries, general anesthetics were thought to be “drugs without receptors” because of the lack of knowledge about their mechanism of action (Hemmings, et al., 2005). While some advances […]
Destabilization of the Medial Meniscus: A Non-Genetic Approach to Inducing Osteoarthritis in Mice
Christopher Stockdale, Joshua Lloyd, and Dr. Robert E. Seegmiller, Physiology and Developmental Biology Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease that causes discomfort and pain due to the degradation of the articular cartilage found on the surface of bones within the body’s joints. A properly functioning joint has a strong network of articular cartilage that can […]
Amantadine Blockage of the Influenza A M2 Proton Transporter
Jared Kelson and Professor David Busath, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology Main Text The reproduction of influenza A is very closely regulated by the pH levels maintained both in the cytoplasm and in various organelles of a host cell. To accommodate this, the virus provides genetic coding to assemble an M2 transporter which regulates the flow […]
The Role of HtrA1, Ddr2, and MMP-13 Proteins in the Mechanistic Pathway Leading to Osteoarthritis in sedc Mice
David Holt and Robert Seegmiller, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology Introduction In the present study, we report OA in a mouse model that, like the human families presented by Kannu et al., bears a heterozygous mutation in the Col2a1 gene but has a phenotypically normal skeleton.1 The mouse mutation was named sedc by Donahue […]
Lifetime Dietary Exposure to Soy Isoflavones Is Beneficial to Prostate and Testicular Health in 100-Day Old Male Long-Evans Rats
Benjamin Hogan with Dr. Edwin Lephart, Department of Physiology & Developmental Biology Phytoestrogens are plant-derived compounds that are structurally and functionally similar to estradiol. Isoflavones are a major type of phytoestrogen that can be found in foods such as soy beans, tofu, and soy milk. They have become popular due to the health benefits they […]
Establishing the Spondyloepiphyseal Congenita Heterozygous Mouse as an Animal Model for Human Osteoarthritis
Michael Henderson and Dr. Robert Seegmiller, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology The Need for a Mouse with Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) causes discomfort and immobility to millions of Americans every year. Due to the high demand for patient pain relief and improved mobility, scientists are seeking to understand the pathway of OA and develop drugs […]