Journal of Undergraduate Research

Michael McNeil and Dr. Jeffrey Edwards Physiology and Developmental Biology Endocannabinoids are molecules that play an important role in neuromodulation and are also known to be a factor in many peripheral nervous system functions such as appetite and pain sensation. Recent discoveries have also shown that endocannabinoids and their cell-signaling mechanisms are found within the […]

Tyler Earley and Dr. Paul Reynolds, Physiology and Developmental Biology I was given a research grant of $1,500. My project was centered around discovery of cellsignaling pathways linked to inflammation specific to the lung. We studied a receptor that may be shown to integrally participate in inflammation in such diseases as COPD and Asthma. My […]

Kimberly Dalton and Dr. Allan Judd, Physiology and Developmental Biology The amount of cortisol within the human body must remain at just the right level to adequately mediate the physiological stress response. With elevated cortisol levels, the immune system is suppressed, and the organism becomes vulnerable to infection. With reduced cortisol levels, the immune system […]

Bradley Scott Colton and Dr. Marc Hansen, Physiology and Developmental Biology Overview The purpose of our experiment was to prove the interactions between three different proteins named nectin, zyxin, and VASP. It is thought that these proteins are involved in forming interactions with the actin cytoskeleton between neighboring cells and add to the cell adhesion […]

Douglas Bretzing and Professor David Busath, Physiology and Developmental Biology The ability of influenza A virus to unpack its genome, replicate, and infect its host is contingent upon acidification of the viral interior. This is achieved by proton conductance via M2, an integral membrane protein that forms proton channels in the viral lipid envelope of influenza A […]

David Barnes and Dr. Jeffery Barrow, PDBIO Limb formation in tetra pods, animals with four legs, starts with the outgrowth of lateral plate mesoderm at the level of both forelimb and hind limb. A ridge of ectodermal tissue located at the distal margin, named the apical ectodermal ridge (AER), plays an essential role for the […]

Jeff Stogsdill and Dr. Paul Reynolds, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is becoming an increasingly popular molecule of study after having been initially characterized in relation to a number of diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s and atherosclerosis among others. It has recently been noted that RAGE is […]

Aaron Hart, Chia-Chi Teng and Drs. Richard Hopper, David Khechoyan, and Jennifer Brown Abstract— Frontal-orbital advancement is the accepted surgical treatment for correcting the cranial deformity associated with premature fusion of one of the coronal cranial sutures. Removal and reshaping of the brow and lower forehead bone is performed to correct ipsilateral frontal flattening and […]

Scott Weber and Dr. Edwin Lephart, Zoology Introduction: In certain brain regions, brain cell differentiation is influenced by hormones present at the time of development. Two hormones, estrogen (estradiol) and testosterone, play significant roles in male and female brain structure differentiation. The major androgen (testosterone) metabolizing enzymes, aromatase cytochrome P450 and 5a-reductase, play critical roles […]

Tara Leigh Nelson and Dr. Allan M. Judd, Zoology Cytokines are extracellular signaling proteins or peptides that act as local mediators in cell-cell communication. They regulate several endocrine systems and function in the immune process. These agents mediate cellular proliferation within endocrine tissues, regulate hormone secretion, and control aspects of inflammation (1). Interleukin-1a (IL- 1a), […]