May 2, 2025
Reception & Presentations 2pm to 5pm
Cal Poly Humboldt Library
Search Presenters & Abstracts
Presenters & Abstracts: Search
Isolation & Nanodisc Assembly of Submitochondrial Particles
Sissi Crisanto
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
Pedro Moreno
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
Monica Rodriguez
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
Dean Roell
Biology
Undergraduate Student
Dr. Jenny Cappuccio
Chemistry
Faculty
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The mitochondrion is a subcellular location for varied metabolic processes and pathways relevant to undergraduate biochemistry courses at Cal Poly Humboldt. At the core of such pathways are integral membrane proteins (IMPs) whose structure and enzymatic activity can be examined to better understand not only their overall function, but also the role of specific subunits. One such enzyme is cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV). Nanodiscs are invaluable tools for examining IMPs. In this experiment, we isolated mitochondria and submitochondrial particles for incorporation into nanodiscs. Future work will include purification and selection for nanodiscs containing only cytochrome c oxidase.
Meet and Eat
Julia
Top
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Meet and Eat was a project created to educate high school students from the grade tenth to twelfth. Workshops were created to educate students about what options they have post graduation. Examples consisted of helping students understand how to apply for FASFA, job resources available to students, and learning about resources on college campuses as well as learning about the benefits of a 2 year and 4 year college. This project took place in Del Norte County’s school District and was open to students within the McKinney Vento and Foster Youth program.
Botanical Sciences and Native Studies
emily bernardi
botany
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
I will be describing research done by the Native Medicinal Plant Research Program relating to ethnobotany. The research includes: their botany database, plants collected, Physalis research, osha, at risk plants, asclepius, and echinacea. The core values of this research are Conservation and sustainable harvest of medicinal plants , Respect for Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants , and Education toward ecological responsibility,
Society’s Way of Making Women Fade
Reagan Parker
English
Undergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
The Giving Tree is a children’s story where a personified tree gives away pieces of herself to a boy whom she loves. She gives him her apples and branches as a means of further his prosperity, never taking into account her own happiness. In this project, I analyze it as a reflection of society’s view of women’s bodies. The tree in the story needs to be seen as their own character; she is a woman is a state of suffering and abuse.
Nanodisc assisted terbinafine transport into Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Joshua Chapman
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
Parker Chapman
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
Vini Buttino
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
We wish to answer whether or not nanodiscs make an effective means of transporting medication, specifically in the treatment of fungal infections, seeing as research is currently examining its effectiveness in the transport of chemotherapy drugs to prevent collateral cell death. We tested nanodisc transport of the antifungal terbinafine, which is often used as a topical ointment for direct application, to determine if naondiscs improve its effectiveness as a fungal killer. We treated cultured samples of Brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) with DMPC lipid nanodiscs wrapped in Apo-A1 protein and loaded with terbinafine and observed fungal cell death, as compared to direct application.
Rapid Response Teams in Rural Hospital Settings
Tanner
Broadstock
School of Applied Health
Undergraduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Rapid Response Teams are a resource for hospitals to provide early and emergent interventions to prevent the need for escalation of care. Team members can be called upon by units in the hospital for consultation and assist with assessments. Teams provide a proactive rounding process on patients with high-risk diagnoses to follow along with the bedside nurse to provide an interdisciplinary approach to a complex patient. Rural hospitals are challenged with retaining highly experienced nurses, these teams provide insight and mentorship to newer nurses.
Assessing Attitudes Toward Law Enforcement and Civilian Law Enforcement Review Boards in Humboldt, California
Joshua
Worthington
Psychology
Graduate Student
Chad
Hinojosa
Psychology
Graduate Student
Catie
Burtch
Psychology
Undergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
The current state of policing in the United States is a heavily politicized issue. In response to instances of excessive police force on vulnerable populations, civilian law enforcement review boards (CLERBs) were developed to improve accountability. In this study, we investigated support for CLERBs and attitudes toward law enforcement in Humboldt County. Drawing from the social identity theory framework and intergroup contact theory, our work shows that people’s beliefs about how marginalized communities are treated by law enforcement predicts their attitudes toward law enforcement, and this in turn predicts support for CLERBs. We discuss these relationships and their implications.
Climate Action in Humboldt County : College Corps
Indigo
Thorson
College Corp
Undergraduate Student
Other
This project delves into the role of College Corps in fostering community engagement and leadership development in climate action. Through collaborative partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, College Corps provides students with opportunities to address pressing social environmental challenges while deepening their connections within the community. This case study follows my journey as a College Corps fellow who, driven by a passion for environmental and social justice, has made significant contributions in waste reduction and community garden initiatives. My experiences illustrate the programs’ efficacy in empowering students to become catalysts for change.
Prevalence, Risk, and Treatment of Muscle Dysmorphia in Transgender Populations
briseyda
Alvarado
School of Applied Health
Undergraduate Student
College of Professional Studies
The review overviews the prevalence, characteristics, risk factors, and possible treatment of transgender persons with MD symptomatology. Little is known about the prevalence and presentation of MD among gender minorities and far fewer is known on how to treat MD.
An Addiction to Capitalism: A Climate Story
Jake
Communication
Undergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
My research recognizes, evaluates, and dissects the intersections of Political Theory and Communication to offer a rhetorical criticism of mainstream environmentalism. Through a careful analysis of case studies, political processes, and interdisciplinary theory, I illustrate and criticize how environmentalism as a justice movement has been co-opted by capitalism through its commodification and farcical regulation. In these regards, I conclude by acknowledging and appreciating the discursive efforts of Armory Lovins, Hunter Lovins, Paul Hawken for their work in Natural Capitalism, as well as the political progress of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez and her proposed Green New Deal.