Prem Chanda, Joshua Davies, Raymond Vo

Diisopinocampheylboron triflate (Ipc2BOTf) has been successfully used in the enantioselective aldol reactions of carboxylic acid esters. However, such reactions of N, N-dialkylphenylacetamides are not reported to date. We have used Ipc2BOTf to develop enantioselective syn- and anti-aldol reactions of N, N-dialkylphenylacetamides. Herein, we will discuss our efforts to optimize the reaction conditions for enantioselective syn- and anti-aldol reactions of N, N-dialkylphenylacetamides.

Lauren Hanna, James Cho

Nanoparticles can be formed when a metal solution such as chloroauric acid is reduced with reducing agents. Insects such as the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea microptera), which are native to Louisiana, are an abundant bio-available source of reducing agents, such as proteins that can reduce metal solutions into nanoparticles. In our study, we took the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper and extracted a protein-rich solution that could be used to produce nanoparticles. It was found that when the extract components of the grasshopper were mixed with metal ions then nanoparticles were formed. A unique finding from the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper was the formation of an aggregated precipitate when the extract components were combined with the metal solutions (silver nitrate, chloroauric acid, cobalt chloride, and copper chloride). The presence of gold and silver nanoparticles was confirmed via UV/vis spectroscopy and observed SPR of the samples. Further testing needs to be done on the aggregated precipitate of cobalt and copper samples to ensure that it’s nanoparticles. The formation of cobalt and copper nanoparticles could be a potenial bases for many biomedical applications.

Ruth Boquet, Sarah Bergeron

Harvest of crawfish native to the Gulf coast, Procambarus clarkii (P. clarkii), accounted for $270 million in state revenue in 2020. Continuous propagation in foreign environments has caused non-native crawfish imports to compete with local harvesters. Differentiation of foreign and local P. clarkii populations is essential to ensure fair market regulation of Louisiana’s economy. To discriminate these recently separated populations, this study focuses on Penelope-Like Elements (PLEs or retroelements), mobile genetic elements that transpose throughout a genome through reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate and subsequent integration of complementary DNA into a chromosome. When a PLE is inserted into a chromosome, it becomes a permanent part of the DNA that accumulates spontaneous mutations that are then transmitted to offspring. Sequence comparison of PLEs from local and foreign populations should provide sufficient divergence information.  Degenerative PCR primers were designed to target conserved PLE reverse transcriptase sequences of the P. clarkii genome. P. clarkii samples were collected from the Atchafalaya Basin in South-Central Louisiana, a common origin site for local wild caught crawfish. Genomic DNA was extracted and quantified from the hepatopancreas and abdomen of the collected samples. Targeted amplification of the retroelements is ongoing, with future directions to purify and clone amplified PLE sequences into vectors for sequencing.

Laurie Earls

Area CA2 of the hippocampus is important for social memory.  As we age, social memory is known to decline.  In Alzheimer's disease, CA2 is severely affected, resulting in patients forgetting even family members.  However, little is known about the genes important for CA2 function, especially with age.  Here we show that Pants, a novel micropeptide expressed with age in the hippocampus, is found in area CA2.  Knockout of Pants results in a decline in CA2 function at both the cellular and behavioral levels in the maturing brain.  This study emphasizes the importance of Pants for healthy aging of area CA2.

Samuel Ordoyne, Sarah Bergeron, Jade Ordeneaux

The emergence and spread of bacteria resistant to antibiotics is a global concern.  The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials to treat, prevent, and control bacterial infections in animals and plants has driven rapid genetic changes in bacterial pathogens.  Currently, there are bacteria resistant to a number of first and second line antibiotics, from penicillin to vancomycin. The World Health Organization reported that bacterial antimicrobial resistance was responsible for 1.27 million global deaths and contributed to 4.95 million deaths in 2019. Our goal is to identify bacterial species producing novel antibiotics in Louisiana soil samples, as soil is unique in different regions and highly bioactive. Finding a novel antibiotic could assist modern medicine in fighting against antibiotic resistance. A soil sample was collected and suspended in water, and a serial dilution was performed. The dilutions were grown on LB plates and individual bacteria colonies were streaked for isolation. Once isolated the bacteria colonies were tested for their ability to inhibit growth of pathogenic-like bacteria, indicating possible antibiotic production.  One potential candidate was isolated, partially characterized, and will be identified through sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.  Future studies include isolation and characterization  of the bacterial produced antibiotic.