Jamie Gardiner and Dr. Brad Berges, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human cancer virus that causes Kaposis’ sarcoma, the most common cancer found in AIDS patients. Our lab is working to develop humanized mice as a novel animal model to study KSHV infection and related diseases, since there […]
Search Results for: disease
Premature Osteoarthritis in the Temporomandibular Joint of Heterozygous Disporportionate Micromelia Mice
Jason Farrell and Dr. Robert Seegmiller, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study, as also summarized in the proposal for this research grant, was to analyze the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) of mice with a specific collagen defect, Disproportionate Micromelia. Examining these joints was done to provide an […]
Genomic and Proteomic Analysis of an Erwinia amylovora Phage
Alicia Brighton and Dr. Julianne Grose, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction Fireblight is a disease, caused by the bacteria Erwinia amylovora, that can infect some fruit trees, including apple and pear trees. When an infection occurs, the effects can be devastating—any infected part of the tree must be removed and destroyed, sometimes resulting […]
Hope Rises in the Leprosy Colonies of India: Examining the Mission and Success of Rising Star Outreach
Kelsey Elayne Holloway Murdoch and Dr. Francesca Lawson, Department of Humanities I began my quest to graduate with University Honors during my freshman year at Brigham Young University. I was encouraged by friends, family, and professors, and I loved the challenge of the Honors Courses and the cultural exploration stimulated by the Great Works requirements. […]
Detection of Social Threat in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Whitney Worsham and Dr. Michael Larson, Department of Psychology Introduction The purpose of this research project was to investigate underlying difficulties with social interaction in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Previous research has demonstrated that children with ASD are inhibited in processing social cues, including social threat (Krysko & Rutherford, 2009). We hypothesized that children with autism […]
Role of Gap Junctions in Seizures
Samuel Shin and Dr. Scott Steffensen, Department of Psychology Seizures are a disease that inflict millions with no reliable treatment or cure. One of the main difficulties behind treating seizures is the uncertainty behind the cause. In previous studies we performed we found that connexin-36 (Cx36) knockout (KO) mice may respond differently to stimuli that […]
Development of a Fuel-efficient Stove to Reduce Particulate Emissions
Geoffrey Lemon and Dr. Randy Lewis, Department of Chemical Engineering Introduction According to the World Health Organization, one of the leading causes of death in developing countries is respiratory disease, caused by inhalation of particulates from cooking stoves.1 With this challenge in mind, our team of interdisciplinary engineering students worked for over two semesters on […]
Using Photolithographically-Produced Micro-Channels with Controlled Pores to Create a Bacteria Filter for Blood
Sara Ehlert and Dr. Aaron Hawkins, Department of Electrical Engineering The importance of blood to humans cannot be understated. Its important functions include transporting oxygen and nutrients around the body, preventing blood loss, fighting infection, carrying antibodies to fight infection, delivering waste products to the kidneys and liver to be removed from the body, and […]
Secretory phospholipase A2
Dr. John Bell, Department of Physiology & Developmental Biology Abstract of original proposal Secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) binds to and hydrolyzes cell membranes. It is important in inflammatory responses and diseases including septic shock, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Normally, cells resist the enzyme’s action, but they become susceptible early during the process of either biochemically-programmed or […]
Development of Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (q-PCR) Assays for the Specific Detection and Characterization of Select Bacterial Pathogens
Dr. Richard Robison, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Biology The Specific aims for the project were as follows Develop q-PCR reactions for specific target genes of bacterial pathogens Primer generation software will be used to design primer and probe sequences that will theoretically perform optimally in PCR reactions. All sequences will be subjected to BLAST […]