Electrified Transit Infrastructure Planning for Humboldt County

The California Air Resources Board has set goals for all public transit fleets in the state to be zero-emission by 2040. To meet that target, transit agencies are required to begin shifting to battery electric and fuel cell buses now. In 2019, the Schatz Center developed a model for the system-wide electrification of Humboldt County's public transit. This Battery Electric Bus Optimization (BEBOP) model cost-optimizes a one-to-one replacement of all buses on existing routes, generates recommendations for charging infrastructure, and calculates the electricity consumption profiles for each station. This model significantly expands the available development tools for rural planning agencies.

Electroporation of E. coli and Agar Gel Electrophoresis of FB5⍺

Chitin is the second-most abundant polysaccharide after cellulose, and a rich source of nitrogen and reduced carbons which is currently underutilized. Chitinases have the potential to put this sustainable resource to use. In this experiment a plasmid purported to contain the ChiA endochitinase gene was extracted from FB5-alpha E. coli and transformed into BL21(DE3) E. coli. The plasmid was analyzed by agar gel electrophoresis to determine that the gene was not present in the plasmid. To confirm the lack of the gene, protein isolation will be attempted, and samples will be analyzed by SDS-PAGE

Elementary School Classrooms and the Need for Critical Frameworks

Elementary school classrooms are foundational in our middle childhood experiences, as well as our knowledge of the world. But not all classrooms are fit to serve ALL students, especially students of color. As (Liberal Studies) Elementary Education majors, we took a closer look at the elementary classroom, specifically at problem areas, to develop ways to address these issues in a culturally sustaining way.

Elucidating the Relationship Between Water Quality and Antibiotic Resistance of Rainwater Microbes Across Western Humboldt County

Theo Murphy, Biological Sciences Undergraduate Student

This study serves to address the question: Is there a correlation between water quality and antibiotic resistance in microbes isolated from rainwater throughout varying coastal environments? We hypothesize that there is a correlation between water quality and incidence of antibiotic resistance in rainwater isolates, measured by directly comparing fecal coliform concentration to the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of each rainwater isolate. We additionally expect to see higher concentrations of fecal coliforms in the rainwater than is safe to ingest as established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards.

Embodied Liberation: Somatic Tools for Metabolizing White Fragility

This poster draws from various studies and writings to provide tools for white bodies to metabolize their false sense of fragility around race related topics. Conversations around dismantling white body supremacy are often limited to addressing racism in a purely rational, intellectual manner. But white body supremacy is anything but rational. The symptoms of living in a racialized society accumulate within the body, often leading to unmetabolized pain, fear and/or conflict. This gives way to trauma associated with white supremacy, which often perpetuates racism while degrading our bodies and inhibiting our collective liberation.

End of Life, A Talking Circle

End of Life, A Talking Circle Grief support groups are offered to the bereaved, after the death of a loved one, yet are rarely made available to those who have been given a terminal diagnosis. This vulnerable and under-serve population may greatly benefit from having an outlet for complex new emotions, the experience of connectedness, understanding and support from others who are facing their own mortality. The purpose of this project is to develop a pilot support group model serving individuals facing end of life to assess the demand for and value of such an intervention. Research on promising practices with support groups for terminally-ill patients was combined with a community-

Endoparasite Comparison Between Two Herds of Roosevelt Elk

Research is presented on the comparison of endoparasite abundance and diversity between two herds of Roosevelt Elk; Sinkyone and Gold Bluff Beach. These groups were once part of the same herd and 17 individuals were translocated in 1984 and now are suffering from poor health. Research hypothesis is that the sick herd (Sinkyone) will have a higher diversity or abundance of endoparasite eggs that I have identified from fecal samples. Through this research, we hope to identify the health issue within the sick population and help treat the issue.

Energy Production and Profiling of Arizona, California, New Mexico, & Texas

The states bordering the US and Mexico are very diverse. California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas each have different factors influencing the way they continue to advance. The past 50 years have experienced a large shift in technology as well as accessibility to renewable energy. In this project, we constructed energy profiles for each state, along with analysis based off of their unique aspects. Based on this analysis, we determined the state with the best quality profile and provided predictions for their energy usage in the years 2025 and 2050.

Engineering Endothelial Cells to Treat Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Heather Jackson-Pease, Biological Sciences Undergraduate Student

Gene editing with CRISPR/Cas9 and AAVs has been a modern technology that has greatly influenced biological sciences. Coupling the editing technology of CRISPR and AAVs could lead to treating the underlying causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH). PAH is a progressive disease in your lungs that causes vasoconstriction and decreased blood flow, which can lead to heart failure. Placing a stent in the pulmonary artery, with endothelial cells engrafted on it, that overexpresses the important regulatory factors eNOS and VEGF, may lead to an increase in reendothelialization and vasodilation of the pulmonary artery.

Engineering the S-Layer Protein RsaA in Caulobacter vibrioides for Heavy Metal Bioremediation

One major contemporary environmental issues is the pollution of heavy metals into waterways. However, removal of heavy metal ions via bioremediation may be a possible solution. Using modified C. vibrioides paracrystalline RsaA surface layer proteins (S-layer proteins), our team hopes to bind lead, and other metal ions for decontamination through use of a filtration system. It is known that modified S-layers can be displayed on the microbial surface. Our initial target sequence (TNTLSNN) was chosen for its ability to bind Pb. Our future goals are the observation of heavy metal binding efficiency of each engineered RsaA surface, and the generation of prototype binding cartridges.