Journal of Undergraduate Research

Katherine Holt and Dr. Leigh Johnson, Botany and Range Sciences The Phlox family (Polemoniaceae) has been the focus of many studies regarding plant speciation and diversification. Comprising just 379 species in 26 genera, considerable interest exists in understanding the phylogenetic relationships in the Phlox family to further increase its value as a model system for […]

Jason Hatch and Dr. R. Ward Rhees, Zoology In recent years, phytoestrogens (nonsteroidal, estrogen-like substances found in plant sources such as beans, rice, soy and wheat) have received extensive investigative research. However, current information about the amount of phytoestrogens in human diets is limited (4). Scientific research has alluded to possible benefits of diets high […]

Michael Jonathan Carlson and Dr. Keith A. Crandall, Zoology Introduction Freshwater crayfish of the family Parastacidae consist of 14 genera distributed in the Southern Hemisphere: nine are endemic to Australia, one to Madagascar, one to New Zealand, and three to South America (southern Chile and Brazil). Although this family has been studied for several years […]

Suzanne Bart and Dr. Phil S. Allen, Agronomy and Horticulture Introduction The invasion of plant communities by non-native species is a global issue with serious economical and environmental costs. Aggressive weeds have displaced millions of acres of native vegetation and can dramatically alter the nutrient cycling, hydrology, wildfire potential, and structure of native ecosystems. In […]

Josh Andersen and Dr. Daniel Fairbanks, Botany and Range Science While much is known of the genetic mechanism of sex determination in mammals, very little is known of similar mechanisms in plants. Sex determination in plants may be either environmental or genetic. Dioecious plant species, such as Atriplex Garrettii (Chenopodiaceae), offer researchers an ideal situation […]

Jennifer Waters and Dr. Mikel R Stevens, Plant and Animal Science Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), an invasive winter annual weed, displaces native vegetation, invades crops, and fuels rangeland fires across approximately 40 million hectares of the Intermountain West. Most attempts to control the weed have been unsuccessful, leading to a search for a biological control agent. […]

Theron J Baker and Dr. Eric N Jellen, Plant and Animal Sciences Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is an Andean cereal chenopod known for its ideal nutritional characteristics along with its abilities to grow in drought conditions and in soils with high salt content (Fairbanks 2002). Until recently, quinoa has received little attention from the scientific community; […]

Michael Hatch and Dr. David Kooyman, Animal Science One of the greatest challenges in the world today is providing adequate nutrition for all, particularly in third world nations. One potential way to improve worldwide nutrition is to use transgenic animals to create a better livestock base. Transgenic animals can potentially be bigger, stronger, and better […]

Kedra C. Haroldsen and Dr. Craig E. Coleman, Botany and Range Sciences The first step that needed to be accomplished in my proposal of mapping a corn, Zea mays, mutant was a southern blot. A southern blot is a way to look at the DNA. First, the DNA is extracted and run out on an […]

Melanie S. Hall, and Dr. Loreen A. Woolstenhulme, Botany and Range Sciences The purpose of this project is to gain information on the effects of increasing temperatures (higher than optimal) on reproductive success in plants, especially after fertilization has occurred. For this study, Erigeron kachinensis, the Kachina Daisy, will be used since many of its […]