Zinc is a metal that is found in trace amounts in seawater and acts as a micronutrient to marine phytoplankton. To detect and quantify trace amounts of zinc, a flow injection (FI) system was constructed using a flow-through fluorescence detector. The FI system was interfaced with a LabVIEW program which allows for the signals to be analyzed and quantifies time resolved peaks. Zinc, when bound to the organic ligand p-tosyl-8-aminoquinoline (p-taq), fluoresces when exposed to an excitation wavelength of 377 nm and emits light at 495 nm. The fully functioning FI system will be used in the analysis of zinc in Humboldt Bay and coastal waters.

Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin (ASR) is a retinal containing membrane protein from Anabaena nostoc. ASR undergoes an orange-light induced conformational change from an all trans form to a 13-cis form, which is associated with the release of a bound transducer protein ASRT. It is proposed that the ASR/ASRT complex directly controls the transcription of phycocyanin (cpc-gene) and phycoerythrocyanin (pec-gene). In order to study this protein complex, ASR nanolipoprotein particles (nanodiscs) were assembled, which allows both ends of the ASR protein to be studied. These particles will enable, the main goal of this research, which is to identify the mechanism of the ASR/ASRT control of transcription.

The Pio-Pleistocene Prairie Creek Formation (PCF) is located within Prairie Creek State Park on the forearc of the Cascadia subduction zone. The PCF was deposited in late Pliocene to Pleistocene time during a time of mostly forearc subsidence, which resulted in an ancestral Klamath River to deposit fluvial sand and conglomerate in a braided river environment. By looking at the composition of the sand and gravels we can determine the provenance of the formation, which can then intern be used to constrain the paleogeography of the nearby coast range and Klamath Mountains during the time of deposition.

This study investigated how biological productivity in the shallow waters of Trinidad Bay, located adjacent to Trinidad Head, differed from the productivity in exposed nearshore environments before and after the onset of seasonal upwelling in 2017. Biological and hydrographic measurements were collected prior to the onset of seasonal upwelling (March) as well as after (May and June) to determine if the associated hydrodynamics affected the spatial distribution of planktonic productivity. Measurements suggest that Trinidad Bay exhibited enhanced secondary productivity relative to nearby exposed environments during relaxation events following strong upwelling periods.

Using Immunocytochemistry to analyze the expression of differentiation markers in mouse neural progenitor cells. Comparisons are made between wild type cells and Lgl -/- cells to view differences in their differentiation potential and analyze some of the potential impacts of the Lgl1 gene or it’s absence.

Environmental metal oxides have multiple chemical interactions with natural and anthropogenic organics in the atmosphere. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) and pollutants such as; pesticides, fertilizers, and nitrates are introduced to the atmosphere through similar means as well as incomplete combustion from vehicles and industrial processes. Metal oxides like titanium (IV) oxide, TiO2, have photocatalytic effects that can further oxidize VOC and other adsorbed species. Acetone is a frequently measured VOC in the atmosphere. In our research we study how acetone and other organic species adsorb onto TiO2 and react catalytically in the presence of atmospheric oxidants such as ozone.

Niemann Pick Disease Type C1 (NPC1) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder that affects 1:150,000 people. The disease is characterized by cholesterol accumulation within lysosomes, as well as clinical cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. These symptoms can be attributed to a mutation in the NPC1 gene that leads to the interruption of the intracellular cholesterol transport. Using CRISPR Cas9 technology, the ability to make a cellular model with inducible CRISPR gene regulation can give researchers considerable insight into the cellular pathology of Niemann Pick Disease Type C1 as well as the ability to apply targeted drug therapy and potentially lead to drug discovery.

This study focused on microplastic concentrations in and around Humboldt Bay, CA. Microplastics do not have a universal size class, but for the purpose of this study, microplastics were categorized as any plastic piece from 0.335 mm to 4.75 mm. Samples were taken on Humboldt State's research vessel "Coral Sea", and by foot on land. Both water and sediment samples were collected and analyzed to find the amount of microplastic particles per mass sampled. Visual microscopy was utilized to create counts for each station.

Mismanagement of coral reef habitats for construction has impacted on rapid destruction of most biodiverse coral reefs of South Chinese sea. This project examines how coral reef habitats changed in Duncan island of South Chinese sea using object based image analysis (OBIA) and coral index. We estimated the coral changes over time with different land-use classes. The unchanged coral acreage was 7.80 acres between 2016-2017, 1.21 acres between 2017-2018 and 8.22 acres between 2016-2018. The coefficient of agreement for the classification is ranged from 0.55 to 0.60. NDCI Analysis of coral regions surrounding Duncan island revealed vegetation change in coral health.

Thomas Fire, drew immediate attention from all across California on December 4, 2017 during a time of year with higher levels of precipitation. Roughly 281,000 acres of land was engulfed by the extent of the wildfire outbreak where typically the native chaparral are known to thrive despite chaparral schrubland have typically evolved to remain fire tolerant. This study was able to determine a variety in vegetation change, further tests involving supervised classification and collection of field data (ground trothing) would provide more information giving way to further suggestions as to what indicators contributed the most to California’s worst wild fire outbreak.