Design of a ChiA surface expression system for enhanced biofuel feedstocks.

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The ChiA protein from Serratia marcescens is responsible for the hydrolysis of 1,4 glycosidic bonds in N-acetyl-glucosamine chains, that comprise chitin. Chitin, being the second most abundant polymer, has untouched potential as a source for biofuel feedstocks. Here we aim to enhance chitinase activity through displaying the ChiA on the surface layer proteins (S-layers) of Caulobacter vibrioides. The S-layer of C. vibrioides is a nanometer scale hexagonal 2-D crystalline lattice composed of a single protein, RsaA, and covers the entire surface of the organism. In this study, the chiA gene isolated from S. marcescens was designed and amplified for expression in the C. vibrioides S-layer.

Design of Possible Organic Photovoltaic Compounds and Their Initial Computational Assessment

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The excessive use of fossil fuels has surged the need for alternative energy sources, such as solar energy. Here, possible organic photovoltaic (OPV) compounds were designed and their initial computational assessment was done. Density Functional Theory was used to calculate the HOMO-LUMO gap of the 26 compounds designed. Semiconductors such as naphthalene, 1,1’-biphenyl, and ɑ-septithiophene were used as the backbone and the main electron-withdrawing group (EWG) used was thien[3,4-c] [1,2,5]thiadiazole-2-sIV(8CI,9CI), among other thieno-thiadiazole derivatives.

Designing a Radiant Heating System that Recovers Waste Heat from Shower Wastewater

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

To design a hydronic floor heating system that maximizes the amount of heat transfer from the shower wastewater to the bathroom floor.

Detection of Trace Metals in Seawater: The Importance of UV-Oxidation

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

According to oceanographic research, trace metals are essential in life of marine phytoplankton, since many trace metals are micronutrients that are essential for biological processes. However, due to extremely low concentrations of trace metals in seawater, it is difficult to measure their concentrations; therefore, specific analysis methods must be performed in order to determine the concentrations of trace metals. Preliminary data on the effectiveness of UV irradiation to the recovery and analysis of cobalt and copper will be presented.

Determination of Bioaccumulated Trace Metals in Marine Macroalgae

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Trace metal bioaccumulation negatively impacts marine ecosystem health and increases the risk of human exposure to contaminants. Pollution trends can be investigated by measuring trace metal bioaccumulation in algae, but little is known about which algal groups are the most reliable bioindicators. The objectives of this study were to use dry ashing, wet digestive, and spectroscopic techniques to determine the concentrations Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn across major macroalgae groups in Humboldt Bay, and evaluate bioindicator ability using BSAF values. Our results indicate that Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta are the most sensitive and suitable bioindicators for trace metal pollution.

Determination of Metal Accumulation and Loading in the Oxidation Ponds at the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The determination of temporal variations of metals, in the primary effluent and oxidation ponds, were collected biweekly (2007-2008) and weekly (2012-2013) at the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility. The data demonstrates the removal of contaminant metals in the oxidation ponds through sludge deposition as well as the role weather events play in elevated metal concentrations. The sludge in the oxidation pond systems where also measured to allow the projection of the accumulation of metals in the sludge within the system 30 years from now.

Determining Habitat Prferences of Great Egrets through Foraging Rates

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My research project looked into determining habitat preferences of Great Egrets through foraging rates across Arcata, CA. The three habitats I chose were the Arcata Marsh, Mad River Slough, and Agricultural Fields.

Determining Iron Concentrations in Seawater using Flow Injection Analysis

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Iron concentrations in the ocean are important for the health and success of the ocean because it is an essential micronutrient for phytoplankton. However, iron is insoluble in oxygenated seawater and so most iron precipitates and sinks out of the water column. Here we present a method to analyze these low concentrations of iron using flow injection analysis, which we built following Lohan et al. (2006).

Determining Magma Mixing Duration and Dynamics Through Analysis of Reaction Rims on Olivine Crystals in Natural Samples of Black Dacite From the 1915 Eruption of Lassen Peak, CA

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Disequilibrium reaction rim textures on olivine grains from black dacite from the 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak were measured and coupled with experimental reaction rim growth rates to estimate the duration of magma mixing that took place prior to the 1915 eruption. Reaction rims on 100 olivine grains were measured and the duration of magma mixing prior to the 1915 eruption was estimated to be between 12-17 months. The abundance of reaction rim growth varies during the duration of magma mixing and is evidence that the eruption of Lassen Peak was catalyzed by multiple injections of hot basaltic andesite into a relatively cool and mushy dacitic reservoir magma chamber prior to eruption.

Developing a three-dimensional culture system to improve the yield of placental mesenchymal stem cell derived extracellular vesicles

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

In this study, we developed a novel approach to produce placental mesenchymal stem cell derived extracellular vesicles (PMSC-EVs) by utilizing a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture system to potentially use in regenerative medicine applications. CELLine bioreactors are a 3D culture system that is comprised of a polystyrene scaffold, to support a high-density culture, encased in a semipermeable membrane to concentrate all proteins produced by the cells within. When conditioned medium is collected from the compartment PMSC-EVs were produced over an eight-week continuous culture. This method potentially could be used as an alternative to conventional culture methods to improve PMSC-EV yield.