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Presenters & Abstracts: 2022
Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin nanodisc assisted antifungal transport into Brewer's yeast
- Joshua ChapmanChemistryUndergraduate Student
- Parker ChapmanChemistryUndergraduate Student
- Vini ButtinoChemistryUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Our experiment hopes to answer the question of whether or not nanodiscs make an effective means of transporting medication, specifically in the treatment of fungal infections. We hope this adds to research that is currently examining its effectiveness in the transport of chemotherapy drugs to prevent collateral cell death; there is current evidence to support these assumptions. To do this, we are testing the transport of Terbinafine into Brewer's yeast in the hopes of inducing cell death.
ASR Membrane Protein and ApoA1 Detection in Nanodisc via Western Blot Analysis
- Leila AmraniBiochemistryUndergraduate Student
- Elsa BalfeBiochemistryUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Anabaena sensory rhodopsin (ASR) is a prokaryotic photoactive transmembrane G protein coupled receptor extracted from the cyanobacterium Nostoc. The potential for ASR and its transducer, ASRT, to transcribe/translate prokaryotic genes into products by light signals is an extremely attractive possibility for future membrane research. Nanodiscs are a useful tool for studying membrane proteins because they serve to create a stable amphipathic environment. In the present study, 6x-His ASR has been extracted, isolated, purified, and inserted into a MSP nanodisc with ApoA1 and DMPC. We examine ApoA1 insertion into the nanodisc via SDS-PAGE and chemiluminescent western blot analysis.
Assessing nocturnal habitat selection of small mammals on an urban-rural gradient using camera trapping
- Jessica WhallsWildlifeUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Urban development forces city and town boundaries to encroach further into wildland habitats and natural landscapes all over the world, causing immense habitat loss and fragmentation. Human-wildlife conflict with mesocarnivores (skunks, foxes, raccoons, etc.) increases as rising rural population densities push more small mammals into anthropogenic areas. This senior thesis study uses trail cameras to assess habitat and resource use vs. availability along the wildland-urban interface among nocturnal small mammals to determine presence of selection.
Autonomy Support Promotes College Student Engagement Through Mastery-Approach Goals and Self-Esteem
- Sophie TiminPsychologyUndergraduate Student
- Kevin CherryPsychology
- Brandilynn VillarrealPsychologyFaculty
- Maddy Jo AvilaPsychologyGraduate Student
- Benjamin AnjewierdenPsychologyGraduate Student
- Rose LevyPsychologyUndergraduate Student
College of Professional Studies
COVID-19 brought about unprecedented difficulties for college students. Challenges associated with online learning, such as one-way interactions, presented obstacles to college engagement. We explored the role that instructors play in fostering greater academic involvement. Specifically, we examined the effects of autonomy support. Autonomy support involves encouraging students to explore their own interests and self-regulate. We posited that autonomy support would predict, respectively, greater self-esteem and mastery-approach goals for students. In turn, we expected that these effects would predict greater engagement. Our findings highlight the importance of autonomy support.
Availability of Perch Structures Correlates with the Abundance and Richness of Raptors in Humboldt County
- Jessica LewisWildlifeUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Perches are necessary for raptor species in both their foraging and roosting behavior. The distribution of foraging and roosting raptors is influenced by the availability of perches and prey. However, little is known about the influence of different available perch types, within a habitat, has on raptors. My research aimed to address the question of whether local raptor abundance and richness correlates with the availability of a variety of perch types in a habitat.
Bacterial expression of G-protein coupled receptor CB2 fusion protein
- Nicole L WomackCollege of Natural Resources & SciencesUndergraduate Student
- Hannah CornwellUndergraduate Student
- David LopezUndergraduate Student
- Dylan MorrisUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), CB2, is part of a widespread neuromodulatory system found in all animals and is suspected to play a role in both CNS and immune system functions, yet it is a relatively understudied. We demonstrated a successful method for the expression and purification of the GPCR CB2 protein from BL21(DE3) pLysS competent cells. This method involves the culturing of an E. coli BL21(DE3) pLysS MBP-CB2-6xHis cell line, induction of CB2 receptor expression via IPTG, and the harvest and isolation of expressed CB2 proteins via Ni-NTA Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography. This method was proven to be successful based on SDS-page and spectrophotometric analyses.
Bayside Corners
- Jasson FloresGeographyUndergraduate Student
- Brooks SpencerGeographyUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Bayside Corners is a Nonprofit Organization which seeks to help foster community building in the community of Bayside.
Bee abundance and composition in native vs non-native urban gardens
- Adrienne Menduno-OrtbalsWildlifeUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
I studied the abundance of non-native European honey bees, and native bumble bees and others in gardens with mostly non-native plants and those with all native plants. The non-native European honey bee may be better suited to take advantage of urban, non-native gardens than native bee species due to anthropogenic support and domestication. Thus, I made the hypotheses that native bees will be more abundant in in native gardens, and that European honey bees will be more abundant in the non-native gardens. I also predicted that European honey bee abundance would be constant over the study period due to more urban resources from ornamental flowering plants.
Benthic Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators of water quality on the Mad River
- Benjamin BouchardWildlifeUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
This project sampled benthic macroinvertebrate communities present at three locations in Humboldt County, California totaling 1642 individuals across 19 families. The composition of taxa differed significantly between upstream and downstream sites (p < 0.0000). Pollution taxa sensitive (Caenidae, Perlodidae, Pteronarcyidae, and Lepidostomatidae were present in the upstream sites and absent from the downstream site.
Bitches Been Mad
- Denise TomkinsonFilmUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Society shies away from emotions like rage, because it is scary and uncomfortable, however rage is and always has been a part of the human experience. Especially women, queer and BIPOC women, do not have safety in society to be anything but gentle. All people deserve a safe space to see that we are not crazy, we are just like everyone else, and express our rage through art. Through art we can experience, release and heal. While all identities should be welcome, it is important to center the feminine, as society has less space for this. I believe there is opportunity to collaborate between departments like counseling and gender studies to create a safe, healing, educational, and FUN space.