Poster Session I

This summer I participated in an archaeological field school at the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project. At the field school I assisted with excavation and soil sampling at two different sites. The first site, La Milpa, is a well known ancient Mayan ceremonial complex with plazas, ball courts, and various other building remains. The second site, La Milpa North Chico, is a smaller site two kilometers north of La Milpa. The soil sampling and excavations were conducted as part of a study on Mayan marketplaces. The soil samples were then analyzed for plant remains and the excavated lithics and ceramics were analyzed to surmise what activities may have been happening there and during which periods they occurred. Learning the steps of excavations and soil sampling and seeing the remains of La Milpa was a highly beneficial learning opportunity which gave me applicable experience for a future career in archaeology.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's John Marshall Fellows Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Scott Smith, Department of Anthropology

The pathogenic genera Pythium and Phytophthora are aquatic, fungal-like oomycetes responsible for disease in various plant species. Many of these plant diseases can be attributed to oomycete hybridization events, in which a novel hybrid infects different hosts than its parental species. The first aim of this project is to isolate Pythium hybrids (referred to as JN’s in this study) from various freshwater streams within Lancaster County, based on the hypothesis that hybrid oomycete species will be more common in sources with poor water quality. The second goal is to determine both the genome size and stability of the isolates, which will then indicate the fitness of the hybrids in various environments. Genome analysis will give insights into both the fitness and the potential ancestry of the JN isolates of Lancaster County.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Jaime Blair, Department of Biology

Copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles have gained prominent attention in fields of chemical and biomedical engineering due to their distinctive molecular and surface properties. This research poster explores the effects of combining Se2- anion exchange and Cd2+ cation exchange on CuS nanoparticles, specifically investigating how those compositional changes may look different in nanorods vs nanospheres. Prior literature has explored how selenium anion exchange has changed in direction of molecular distribution when in the presence of cadmium. The presence of cadmium prompts visible defects within the nanorod crystal structure, making it much more likely to induce a successful anion exchange. Compositional and morphological changes are characterized through various techniques including: STEM, STEM-EDS, TEM, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and XRD analysis. These findings aim to contribute to insight on structure modifications and its implications for nanomaterial applications, such as plasmonics and their potential to be used in tumor cell elimination and solar panel energy conversion. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Kate Plass, Department of Chemistry

Small gas-releasing molecules (GRMs) are becoming increasingly popular due to their abilities to release gases in tunable and—most importantly—safe quantities. While carbon monoxide (CO) is the most commonly released gas by these GRMs, other reactive or toxic gases like carbonyl sulfide (COS) and carbon monosulfide (CS) could be candidates for GRM development. The Tasker Lab has previously developed a class of (now commercially available) reagents, S-aryl thioformates, which were found to release CO with tunable rates. Building on this GRM design, we found that treating thiopyridines with formic acid and acetic anhydride, allowed catalytic release of CO for the first time. Altering the temperature and solvent used in this reaction allowed CO release rates suitable for a wide variety of desired experimental conditions. This will allow thiopyridines to be used in various applications including carbonylative cross-coupling and biochemical studies. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Sarah Tasker, Department of Chemistry

This summer, the CIFOW internship was working on solving many city-wide issues that face the Lancaster population, with our final project focusing on the Community Health Needs Assessment. Lancaster General Hospital, which distributes the survey, was looking to solve the issue of a lack of participation and quality responses. Our group worked to target the younger population of Lancaster- 18-30-year-olds and asked “How might we meaningfully increase engagement with the Community Health Needs Assessment?”. Our solution was to implement a course that can be taken at Franklin & Marshall College that uses students as liaisons between LGH and the community. This course prioritizes service-based learning by utilizing students conducting qualitative research, and empathy interviews as agents of the LGH Community Health department. Synthesis of Sulfonyl Ketones for the Transfer Hydrogenation of Conjugated α, β-unsaturated Sulfonyl Ketones by the Hantzsch Amide.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's Creative Innovation of Future Works Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Maya Greenshpan, Department of Italian Studies and Hebrew

The synthesis of differently substituted phenyl sulfonyl ketones and methyl sulfonyl ketones is described. The utility of the Hantzsch amide as a transfer hydrogenation reagent has been tested on a variety of conjugated α, β-unsaturated compounds such as the α, β-unsaturated ketones, but-2-enamides, nitroalkenes, and propanedinitriles, both in solvent and solvent-free conditions. Research on the Hantzsch amide will continue to explore the range of effectiveness in reducing conjugated α, β-unsaturated compounds like the conjugated α, β-unsaturated sulfonyl ketones.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Scott Van Arman, Department of Chemistry

Down Syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder resulting from the triplication of human chromosome 21. One of the hematopoietic abnormalities that occurs in children with DS is transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD), which is identified by the overproduction of megakaryocytes. Of the 10% of children with DS born with TMD, up to 20% develop acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) before age five. An increase in megakaryocytes is expected in Dp(16)1Yey mice, which are genetic models for DS, when compared to euploid mice. Spleens and bone marrow are harvested from mice prior to 3 months and flow cytometry is used to characterize and quantify cells at three stages of megakaryopoiesis using cell surface markers. Results aid in understanding the timeline of this overproliferation in the Dp+ mice. This research could allow a better understanding in how to treat TMD and prevent the development of AMKL in humans with DS. This project was supported by funding from F&M’s Hackman Summer Scholar Funds and the Benedict-Miller Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Clara Moore, Department of Biology

Down Syndrome (DS), also known as Trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder that occurs most commonly when abnormal meiotic cell division increases the genetic material of chromosome 21. This triplication causes developmental challenges and well-defined phenotypes, including abnormal hematopoiesis, high rates of transient myeloproliferative disease/leukemia, and immune system abnormalities (Lui et al. 2017). The Dp(16)1Yey mouse colony was utilized to investigate hematopoietic stem cell irregularities between samples of embryonic liver after testing the methodologies with adult spleen and bone marrow. We analyzed stem cell populations using stem cell enrichment and flow cytometry with fluorescently-tagged Ly6A/E(Sca-1), CD117(C-Kit), and CD34 antibodies which identify different blood cell lineages. Our findings will give us a better understanding of cell populations in developing tissues and sexual dimorphic stem cell patterns. This project was supported by funding from F&M’s Hackman Summer Scholars Program and the Benedict-Miller Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Clara Moore, Department of Biology

This research examines the political economy of agrarian change in Nepal, where neoliberal reforms have led to an agrarian crisis and a loss of food sovereignty. The research analyzes how the decline of agriculture and the stagnation of industry have pushed many Nepalese workers to migrate overseas, creating a dependency on remittances and food imports. The research also explores the socio-economic implications of this dependency and the challenges it poses to the country’s food security and sovereignty. The research uses quantitative and qualitative data, including trade and agriculture statistics, and key informant interviews with farmers, government officials, agricultural entrepreneurs. The research aims to develop an index of Nepal’s growing dependency on food imports and to critically assess the impact of neoliberal policies on the country’s agrarian sector. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Danish Khan, Department of Economics

3-Bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) is a compound that has shown promising anti-tumor effects in preliminary clinical trials. 3-BrPA's therapeutic activity depends on the Warburg effect, in which most energetics for tumors derive from glycolysis, while healthy cells use other metabolic processes like the citric acid cycle. 3-BrPA had shown in early testing that it mainly targets tumor cells, which is ideal for cancer treatment (1). The main goal of the current research is to understand how 3-BrPA binds to human glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (hGAPDH) through X-ray crystallography. Through enzyme assays, it was confirmed that 3-BrPA permanently deactivates hGAPDH enzyme, eliminating 100% of activity. This deactivated hGAPDH with 3-BrPA covalently bound in the active site was successfully crystallized through PEG-ion screening. Further improvement of the crystal quality by batch seeding gave crystals large enough for X-ray diffraction. These crystals were cryoprotected and frozen in liquid nitrogen for transport to the synchrotron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. This project was supported by funding from F&M’s Hackman Summer Scholar Program and the Eyler Fund.

Project Mentor:  Professor Gabriel Brandt, Department of Chemistry

The light emission of lanthanide impurity ions in granular host materials depends on how the impurities are incorporated. Impurities randomly substituted throughout a host have little interaction in dilute materials, but when impurities cluster together, interactions between the impurities gain importance. Thus, the study of impurity ions can reveal information about the crystal structure of the host and how the impurities are incorporated. In this research, we synthesized alumina doped with different combinations of Eu and Tb using a sol-gel method. Varying the sintering temperature we transform the alumina host through a series of known structures. The absorption and excitation spectra in the visible range are measured. We demonstrate (Donor to Acceptor) energy transfer from the terbium to europium impurities. And the energy transfer is more likely with higher Tb (donor) concentration and varies insignificantly with change in structural forms.  This project was supported by funding from F&M’s Hackman Summer Scholars Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Ken Krebs, Department of Physics and Astronomy

In the research, we propose a novel method called Code Knowledge Base (CKB) prompting us to improve the performance of large language models (LLMs) on math word problems. The key idea is to create a knowledge base of Python code templates demonstrating how to solve specific types of math problems. These templates guide the LLM to generate step-by-step code to solve new problems. A template matching algorithm finds the most relevant templates to include in the prompt for a given question. The generated code is executed to validate the solution, enabling multiple attempts if needed. Experiments on math word problem datasets show CKB prompting achieves higher solve rates than previous prompting methods like input-output and chain-of-thought prompting on some tasks. The number of attempts and code templates are key factors influencing success This work demonstrates the promise of leveraging validated code examples to enhance LLM reasoning and interpretability. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Brad McDanel, Department of Computer Science

Cubic close packed (ccp) Co9S8 nanorods (NRs) were synthesized via cation exchange on Cu2-xS roxbyite nanorods. Se2- and Te2- anion exchange was performed on the NRs based on known procedures from the Plass Lab. The CoNRs demonstrated greater susceptibility to dissolution at high temperatures than Cu2-xS roxbyite NRs, so anion exchanges were performed at a maximum of 200 °C rather than 260 °C. Samples were characterized with Powder X-Ray Diffraction spectroscopy (PXRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Scanning Electron Microscopy combined with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) mapping. Initial findings show a low (>10:1 Se2-/Te2-:S2-) anion incorporation, which suggests a core-shell model of incorporation. Further work will need to be done on varying reaction conditions (time, temperature, starting materials, etc.) as well as STEM-EDS elemental mapping and UV-Vis spectroscopy characterization. These experiments are important in enabling synthesis of nanoparticles with fine-tunable composition and morphology.  This project was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Kate Plass, Department of Chemistry

The Wg/Wnt signaling pathway is a transduction pathway whose signal is involved in development and homeostasis. Misregulation of the Wg/Wnt pathway can lead to diseases, including cancer. β-Catenin plays a role in the Wg/Wnt pathway as a transcriptional coactivator of Wnt target genes. β-Catenin is regulated by a destruction complex that contains APC and Axin. APC has a role in regulating β-catenin within the destruction complex, but its role in the complex is unknown. Previous studies on APC function in the complex suggest that APC β-catenin binding sites might be redundant and interchangeable. We are currently testing these hypotheses in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster by generating several APC transgenes and crossing them into various APC mutant backgrounds. Our preliminary findings suggest that APCs β-catenin binding sites are redundant with those on Axin, and interchangeable with a subset of β-catenin binding sites from other β-catenin binding proteins. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program and Eyler Fund.

Project Mentor:  Professor David Roberts, Department of Biology

This project focused on increasing the engagement of underrepresented groups of Lancaster in the Lancaster County Community Health Needs Assessment. Our focused community was narrowed down to the African-American population within the county. After interviews, observations, feedback sessions and prototyping, we identified health literacy issues as the root cause behind the lack of engagement. The solution we came up with will help the underrepresented groups navigate the complex healthcare system to make the health services easily accessible. Our idea is to establish a resource desk that provides information about healthcare services in Lancaster County, provide people with basic medical treatment and collect data through in-person interactions for the Health Needs Assessment. In addition, this desk will be placed in already existing community organizations and various events around the county, to better reach individuals. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Creative Innovation of Future Works Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Maya Greenshpan, Department of Italian

Sequential anion and cation exchange on nanoparticles is an effective technique for constructing complicated heterostructures, merging elements traditionally challenging to synthesize on the same particle. In this project, In3+ and Zn2+ cation exchanges were done on copper sulfide nanoparticles, followed by subsequent anion exchanges using Te2- and Se2- with the goal of incorporating both the cation and anion while retaining the original Cu2-xS morphology and crystal structure. Moreover, treatment of the Cu2-xS particles with I2 was experimented with to increase the exchange percentage. While the anion exchanges are not immediately working on these metal sulfides to a large extent, the project yielded valuable insights into how metal sulfide nanoparticles, other than copper sulfide, respond to Te2- and Se2- exchanges and enforce the effectiveness of copper sulfide as a foundational material in creating novel heterostructures. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program and the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Kate Plass, Department of Chemistry

Documenting the Italian Diaspora in Lancaster is a project that utilizes primarily on-site local library research and oral history interviews with Lancastrians of Italian descent. We specifically wanted to hear from first- and second-generation Italian American immigrants in the Lancaster area about their specific experiences and what Italian American identity means to them. This project is meant to be ongoing and develop into an F&M course which we developed a syllabus for.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's Center for Sustained Engagement with Lancaster. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Giovanna Faleschini Lerner, Department of Italian Studies and Hebrew

This summer, as a part of my Hackman fellowship, I worked with professor Shelton on her book Midwives and the Making of Modern Medicine in Provincial Mexico. As her research assistant, I reviewed and gave feedback on her first chapter about social medicine and midwifery. Additionally, I worked with primary court documents about medical malpractice by interpreting the paleography, translating it from Spanish into English, analyzing the content, and then ultimately synthesizing the key information from the trial. Lastly, I examined medical legal treaties that discussed the intersection of law and medicine during the late 19th century while states in Mexico were undergoing national education reforms in the fields of medicine and medical law. In these readings, I extrapolated information relevant to abortion, infanticide, incontinence, assault, and rape which will be used in other chapters of Professor Shelton’s book. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Laura Shelton, Department of History

How does the presence and visibility of hand gestures affect what students learn and remember from virtual lectures? Based on previous research conducted in the ECC lab, we observed that partial gestures were most frequently visible in virtual lectures. In this study, we recorded brief introductory-level lectures of five F&M professors across different disciplines, separating these stimuli into three gesture visibility conditions—full, partial, and none. F&M students recruited from the general population by random selection and convenience sample watched two different lectures of the same visibility condition while Tobii eye-tracking equipment monitored their attention. Comprehension questions were administered after the initial viewing and again one week later to assess participants’ learning performance and memory. Comprehension scores were analyzed to determine if the gesture visibility condition affected performance. Based on initial testing of 31 participants, there is a significant difference between groups in comprehension performance, with those who viewed the partial gesture stimuli performing higher than those in the other two gesture conditions. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program and the Puff Fund.

Project Mentor:  Professor Elena Cuffari, Department of Psychology

Lead poisoning in children is a prevalent issue in Lancaster and can result in significant cognitive impairment. Homes with exposed lead hazards can receive lead remediation to become lead safe. The City of Lancaster and LGH currently provide lead remediation services for those who qualify. This study aims to understand the impact of duration in lead-remediated homes on the cognitive function of children in Lancaster. We hypothesize that children living in lead-remediated homes will have higher cognitive test results than children living in non-remediated homes. Families were recruited by going door-to-door, attending community events, and sending flyers in the mail. The cognitive tests were administered for children aged 2-11 residing in the home. The parents were also interviewed to gain further insight. As this study progresses we hope to effectively gather more data and continue learning the best way to interact with the children who take part in our study. This project was supported by funding from the Lead Technical Studies Grant.

Project Mentor:  Professor Jennifer Meyer, Public Health Program and the Department of Government

With infectious diseases being one of the largest global health crises, the rise in antibiotic resistance is cause for concern, requiring synthesis and understanding of new antibacterial agents. Since natural products grant living organisms ecological advantages, including killing pathogenic bacteria, they have been used to inspire approximately 71% of non-vaccine antibacterial agents in th US from 1981 to 2019. Ficuseptine is a phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid that was first isolated in Papua New Guinea from the Ficus septica Burm. f. (Moraceae) fig tree. This plant has been used in traditional medicine to treat tropical ulcers; a common health concern in the area, and ficuseptine has been reported to have antibacterial and antifungal activity. Building on previous work in the lab, this summer we continued synthesizing derivatives and testing them against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (E. coli and B. subtilis) using a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) assay. Testing a variety of unnatural compounds allowed us to understand the Structure–Activity Relationship (SAR) of ficuseptine. Our results showed that none of the 15 derivatives tested significantly improved the moderate antibacterial associated with ficuseptine.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Sarah Tasker, Department of Chemistry

Generation of hydrogen gas can be achieved by catalysts of the form Cp*Rh(bpy) (Cp*: pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, bpy: 2,2′- bipyridine). However, these catalysts require very negative potentials, and therefore excess energy, to operate. We have developed a strategy, precedented for other transition metal complexes, to leverage redox-inactive metals to tune the reduction potential of [Cp*Rh] fragments. We employed a ligand similar to the bpy platform that also featured a 2nd binding site: [4,6-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrimidine] (bppm). [Cp*RhCl(bppm)]+ and [{Cp*RhCl}2bppm]2+ complexes were synthesized and characterized spectroscopically and electrochemically. The reduction potential of [Cp*Rh(CH3CN)(bppm)]2+ was modulated successfully by adding redox-inactive metals. In the course of these studies, the electrochemical behavior of [Cp*Rh(CH3CN)(bppm)]2+ was also investigated, revealing that the [Cp*Rh] fragment could become dissociated from its ligand. Analogous ligand crossover phenomena with [Cp*RhCl(bpy)]+ were investigated with four different bidentate ligands. The role of ligand exchange and the possible participation of [Cp*Rh(CH3CN)3]2+ in H2 evolution catalysis were evaluated.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Davide Lionetti, Department of Chemistry