Nitrogen and Water Interactions in Drought Stressed Kentucky Bluegrass Conserving our Vital Resource

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Russell, Kerri Nitrogen and Water Interactions in Drought Stressed Kentucky Bluegrass Conserving our Vital Resource Faculty Mentor: Bryan G. Hopkins, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Introduction Turfgrass is the irrigated crop of greatest acreage in the United States. As urban and suburban developments are growing at an unprecedented rate, the demand for turfgrass is in high […]

The Effect of Microbiota on Lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster

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Melinda Koyle The Effect of Microbiota on Lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster Faculty Mentor: John Chaston, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Introduction Almost all animals are affected by the bacteria found in their intestines (1). Recent research has begun to show the close relationship hosts have with their microbiome. These interactions influence metabolic, respiratory, nutritional, neurological, and […]

Secondary metabolite production in a newly discovered endophyte species of Veratrum californicum

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Ashton Densley and Dr. Bradley Geary, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Introduction Veratrum californicum, a montane perennial of Western America, is known to produce several bioactive alkaloids with teratogenic, antibiotic and antiproliferative propertiesi; the most notable is the anticancer compound cyclopamine.ii A synthetic derivative of cyclopamine had shown promise in clinical trials before the […]

Secondary Metabolite Production and Biological Activity of Endophytic Microbes of Mahonia aquifolium

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Christopher Rufus Sweeney and Faculty Mentor: Bradley Geary, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Introduction: Secondary metabolites are a result of natural evolutionary mechanism used to aid in plant development and defense, and the research of these metabolites have led to important discoveries in medicines, pesticides and even fossil fuels. In this project, we studied secondary metabolites […]

Examination and Classification of Secondary Metabolites from Endophytes of Cornus Sericea

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Madsen Sullivan and Brad Geary, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Introduction All civilizations have used plants and their byproducts to effectively grow and cultivate crops, as well as manage and treat many ailments. Even today, approximately 25% of prescribed medications are constituted by plants. Many of the active metabolites are produced in such small quantities that […]

The effect of gut microbiota on starvation resistance in D. melanogaster

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Alec Judd and John Chaston, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Introduction It has already been established that gut microbiota affect starvation resistance, fat (TAG) content, and development in D. melanogaster. Previous studies in this lab have suggested that effects of the microbiome on these traits are correlated, but this prediction has not been explicitly tested. We […]

Optimization of the Memory Protocol and Investigation of cAMP Levels in Axenic and Conventional Flies

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Toree Lammel and John Chaston, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Going into this project, it was my intention of complete two separate goals: first, to optimize a learning assay for testing memory and learning in Drosophila melanogaster for future use in the Plant and Wildlife Department laboratory at Brigham Young University, and second, to investigate cyclic […]

Effects of Host Microbiota on Intestinal Fiber Content

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Kyle Olsen and John Chaston, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Introduction As a pseudo-ruminant, the alpaca is highly dependent on the bacteria in its intestinal tract to obtain the nutrients it needs. For example the starch-fermenting bacteria in the compartment 1 (C1) access nutrients from the normally indigestible starches the alpaca consumes. The bacteria release volatile […]

The Effect of Promoter Region Indels on Expression Bias in Polyploid Cotton Species

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Zachary Liechty and Joshua Udall, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Many plants undergo polyploidization events throughout their history, meaning their genome doubles1; the goal of this project was to identify how these polyploidization events lead to changes in gene expression on a nucleotide level. Polyploidization events provide raw material to be acted upon by natural selection, […]

Gene Discovery: Understanding Oat Biosynthetic Pathways through Characterization of the ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Gene

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Evan Braithwaite and Eric Jellen, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Introduction Grains that are high in soluble hemicellulose fiber, such as oat, provide numerous health benefits to consumers. These benefits include decreased risk of heart disease and lowered cholesterol. For this reason, information regarding genes that are involved in regulating starch and fiber synthesis in oat […]