STEM

The essential balance between differentiation and self-renewal of stem cells requires regulation via pathways, proteins, and surrounding niches. Without careful regulation of stem cells, cell over-proliferation and infertility can occur. Previous research suggests, the novel gene, Chigno (CG11180), normally functions in the D. melanogaster adult testis to maintain cyst stem cell (CySC) self-renewal and/or promote CySC differentiation into cyst cells. It is hypothesized that Chigno downregulates pathways to promote differentiation of CySC daughters into cyst cells. Chigno could also directly promote the activation of pathways that promote cyst cell differentiation. My research aims to further elucidate Chigno function with interacting pathways and their activation. I have investigated multiple pathways hypothesized to regulate Chigno function. A particular pathway of note is the Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase target of rapamycin (PI3K-Tor) pathway. In combination with the highly conserved JAK-STAT pathway which promotes self-renewal in CySCs, the PI3K-Tor pathway primes cyst cells adjacent to the niche for differentiation. In order to further explore the role of the PI3K-Tor pathway with Chigno, I used RNAi technology to knockdown Chigno within the testis and assessed for changes in PI3K-Tor pathway activity. My initial data suggests that, when Chigno is knocked down, the PI3K-Tor activity is present around the expanding over-proliferated differentiating cyst cells. This observation suggests that PI3K-Tor may not be inhibited which will further the over-proliferation of cells during Chigno knockdown. It is important to continue research with Chingo because it has a human homolog PINX-1 that is expressed in reproductive tissues and regulates telomere maintenance. Determining the function of Chigno can, therefore, lead to better understanding of human disease like infertility and cancer.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience and Hispanic Studies

Advisor: Matthew Wawersik, Biology

The Diels-Alder reaction with multiply substituted bisalkynes is a regioisomeric selective reaction. The reaction products structure can be predicted based on pass results. This selectivity remains consistent with past research, whether the group attached to the bisalkyne is electron donating or electron withdrawing. However, it was discovered that is an electron withdrawing group is on the bisalkyne, the tautomer was more stable than the predicted aromatic compound. These synthesized molecules could aid in the synthesis of complex natural products, such as the guapyridine family of natural products or the amasamide family of natural products. The synthesis of these compounds reinforces past research regarding the reaction of oxazinone and bisalkyne as worked on by Graydon Andres and Jonathan Scheerer. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry major, Biology minor

Advisor: Jonathan Scheerer, Chemistry

Motor neurons have a precise growth pattern as they develop, but it is unknown if development can be influenced by providing the need to use the neuromuscular synapses more often. A zebrafish larva set against a constant water current will automatically coordinate a swimming movement, so time spent in this environment repeatedly for several days could strengthen or otherwise affect the newly developed synapses between motor neuron and muscle. Studies demonstrate the positive effects of activity on neurogenesis in adult zebrafish, but not much has been detailed about how exercise affects their developing motor neuron systems. Some diseases result in poor growth or organization of motor neurons, so a treatment that enhances their development will reduce the physical symptoms of these diseases. In order to determine how to treat an abnormal motor system, the optimal range of activity necessary to alter a healthy system must first be characterized.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience

Advisor: Jennifer Bestman, Biology

While many studies have been performed on the plant-pollinator interactions of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), few have acknowledged the important role that microbes play in these relationships. This study focuses on how pollinator visitation, and therefore microbe introduction, affects the sugar concentration of nectar and the ability of pollinia to germinate in it as well as how the presence of nectar microbes themselves affect pollinia germination. At a field site in Blandy Experimental Farm, nectar was sampled from 40 randomly selected milkweed ramets over the season. Half of these ramets were bagged to prevent pollinator access. Separately, six pools of nectar were collected from varying locations at Blandy and half of each pool was filtered to remove microbes. Pollinia were then allowed to germinate in all nectar samples. Pollinia germination vigor was greatest in nectar from ramets that excluded pollinators and filtered nectar indicating that microbes inhibit pollinia germination.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Undeclared

Advisor: Harmony Dalgleish, Biology

Helicobacter pylori is a leading cause of gastric cancer and peptic ulcers. Acetone is present in the human stomach during starvation conditions,a frequent condition during human evolution. Due to the ancient association between H. pylori and the human stomach, we speculate that the ability of H. pylori to metabolize acetone as a source of carbon provided an advantage to the survival of this bacterium. Acetone carboxylase is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of acetone in H. pylori and is encoded by the operon, a cluster of the genes, acxABC. The expression of this operon is regulated by each of the three of H. pylori’s two component systems (TCSs) and both the known orphan response regulators. We hypothesise that acetone will increase acxA mRNA expression in H pylori. Through growing bacterial cultures and qPCR analysis, my research aims to answer the question, “What is the effect of acetone on acxA mRNA expression in H. pylori?”

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Mark Forsyth, Biology

Group 3 Medulloblastoma is one of the most common pediatric brain cancers. Affecting children normally under the age of 10, this cancer has the worst prognosis of the medulloblastoma group. Current treatments use radiation to afflict the cancer, however no cure has been found. This project aims to model one of the many pathways that are currently being investigated in Group 3 Medulloblastomas which may be used to synthesize future treatments. Specifically, showing the interconnections between various precursors of BCL-xL, an antiapoptotic protein, and how modulation of these factors influences the progression of the disease. Scientific databases were used to find previous research articles that were analyzed for qualitative and quantitative information. In silico modeling and simulating biochemical processes were performed by CellDesigner and COPASI, respectively. These methods were used to represent and quantify the overall pathway. It was found that BCL-xL inhibits the formation of the BAX pore and is modulated by NRL and its precursors OTX2 and CRX as well as the IL-6 pathway. This project hopes to show that increased concentrations of intracellular NRL and intercellular IL-6 lead to increased BCL-xL concentrations and promote BCL-xL binding with the BAX pore subunits, inhibiting apoptosis. This pathway supports previous hypotheses for Group 3 Medulloblastoma cancer cell progression by modeling the biochemical pathway that prevent cell death. Future treatments may be aimed at shunting the progression of the pathway by inhibiting precursors to the antiapoptotic protein BCL-xL. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience major, Chemistry minor

Advisor: Randolph Coleman, Chemistry

I completed a mark and recapture study to estimate the population and distribution of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in Felgates Creek and Indian Field Creek, tributaries of the York River sub-estuary of Chesapeake Bay. Terrapins are aquatic turtles that live in estuarine environments and heavily overlap with blue crab populations. Their populations have been threatened due to drowning as bycatch in crab traps. My goal was to assess their populations in two creeks located on federal naval base property, where recreational and commercial crabbing are forbidden. In both creeks I set standard commercial-style blue crab traps fitted with 150-cm “chimneys” to allow trapped terrapins access to air. Each terrapin captured was notched along their scutes with a unique number using a base two system. There were 248 total captures and 44 were recaptures. 222 of these captures occurred at Felgates Creek, while only 26 occurred in Indian Field Creek.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology, Marine Science

Advisor: Randy Chambers, Biology

What is a species? How do they form? And how do they remain distinct from one another? These questions are central to the concept of speciation: the evolution and subsequent maintenance of new species through the divergence of populations. Research on speciation usually concentrates on how female mate choice prevents interspecies matings. Male-male competition also plays an important role in reproduction but is relatively understudied as a mechanism of speciation. This project investigates how sexual selection via male-male competition contributes to speciation in two local "sibling" species of frogs: northern and southern cricket frogs. A field playback experiment was conducted to discern whether male northern cricket frogs (Acris crepitans) can discriminate between male calls of their own species versus those of the southern cricket frog (Acris gryllus) and modulate their aggressive responses accordingly. This research will provide insight into the interplay between speciation and competition in two closely-related species.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology & Psychology

Advisor: James Tumulty, Biology

Normal activity helps maintain muscle strength and tension. Extended periods of muscle unloading causes atrophy and degeneration from lack of tension and muscle mass. This project will use rat soleus muscles to determine the effects of muscle unloading on juvenile muscles versus adult muscles. There will be four treatment groups, juvenile and adult muscles each of which will include a hind-limb suspension group and normal activity control group. These muscles

will be treated with immunofluorescence procedures and measured for muscle size and fiber type composition. Using this data, the effects of unloading can be determined and useful in recovery procedures. Juvenile muscles are at increased states of plasticity and encouraging lack of weight-bearing activity during recovery which is detrimental in development if there is a significant difference in size and fiber type composition with hind-limb suspension.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience

Advisor: Michael Deschenes, Kinesiology

At high ambient temperatures, desert-adapted zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) parents produce a particular “heat call”. Findings suggest that embryos exposed to these calls develop a heat-adapted phenotype that they maintain into adulthood, preferring hotter breeding nests. This project investigated the possible production of “heat calls” by other songbirds, focusing on the eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) by recording inside bluebird nesting boxes around the Williamsburg area during the bluebirds’ two egg laying/incubating periods- late spring/early summer and mid/late summer. If the bluebirds make a significantly different sort of call that may be similar to the zebra finch “heat call” during the warmer mid/late summer period, it could be an indication of a call with a similar function to the “heat call”. Data collected earlier in the summer is still being analyzed, will send in update form later once it has been analyzed.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Undeclared

Advisor: Integrative Conservation, Biology

This research investigates the dynamics of two interacting species, a native species, and an invasive species, using mathematical modeling. Building upon previous work on one-species models, the study introduces and simulates a new model to explore the dynamics of the two species, including how the invader affects the extinction rate of the native species. As the growth rate of the invasive species surpasses that of the native species, the invasive species becomes dominant in the long run. The study also explores the impact of varying the carrying capacity and the competition strength on population dynamics. These findings might help build new models that can more realistically simulate species invasion and may give insights that help manage the effects of an invasive species.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Computer Science & Math

Advisor: Leah Shaw, Mathematics

TENSIN1(TNS1), a homolog of the PTEN tumor suppressor, is a pseudo-phosphatase that lacks the ability to dephosphorylate proteins. Despite an inability to dephosphorylate, TNS1 helps regulate cell migration, proliferation, and adhesion, which may lead to pathogenesis if mis-regulated. We aim to better understand this protein through assessing expression efficiency of mutated and wild type (WT) TNS1. Mutated constructs were a N113C point mutation. Usage of the N113C mutation allows us to determine whether this construct has restored phosphatase activity, since it mimics a protein tyrosine phosphatase catalytic signature active motif (HCX5R). HEK293 cells were transfected with WT (TNS1) mammalian expression plasmids or mutated N113C plasmids. Post-transfection, cells were lysed, and protein expression analyzed via immunoblotting. Both WT and mutated TNS1 showed predicted band visualization at 240 kDA and were consistently expressed, indicating that expression efficiency of TNS1 remained for mutated TNS1. The next portion of this project is to assess the relative level of phosphatase activity in both constructs. Determination of phosphatase activity requires usage of phosphatase activity assays. Therefore, both radioactive isotope labeling with P32 and non-radioactive phosphatase activity procedures will be used to determine the level of phosphatase activity in both WT and mutated TNS1 forms. This is done through detection of free phosphates in buffer solution upon TNS1 isolation via immunoprecipitation. After completion of these procedures, the anticipated outcome is that the WT form of TNS1 will have low phosphatase activity detection, whereas the N113C mutation will have phosphatase activity.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology & Hispanic Studies

Advisor: Biology

This project explored whether or not people associate certain colors and shades of colors in a significant manner as positive, negative, or neutral in order to test the hypothesis of  people associating negative emotion or feeling descriptive words with darker shades and colors and positive forms of words with lighter shades and colors. Participants were asked to fill out a survey designed to determine what the participant associates with a specific shade and color and what emotions. Using data collected from the survey, responses were analyzed to determine what people associate with colors through a second survey in which participants were asked to rank the responses on a range from negative to neutral to positive. This research provided an opportunity to discover how individuals' perceptions can affect interpretation of colors in guidance with examination of skin color, racial biases, and a better way of studying where those biases originate and just how much they permeate.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience & Biochemistry

Advisor: Jennifer Stevens, Psychology

Tokamaks are a type of fusion reactor that work by confining high-temperature plasmas within a magnetic field. The energy gain, and thus performance of the tokamak concept, is strongly linked to the plasma density and our ability to fuel the plasma using gas, also referred to as neutrals. However, while finding neutral distributions will be an important task in the development of future devices, measurements and validated modeling of fueling have only more recently risen to prominence. KN1D is a computer code developed by B. LaBombard which solves for these distribution functions numerically. A new version of KN1D, KN1DPy, has been written in Python for greater ease of use within the plasma physics community. This implementation will be compared to the original and validated against experimental data from the C-Mod Tokamak in order to assess the viability of using KN1DPy in the development of more powerful fusion devices.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Physics & Math

Advisor: Saskia Mordijck, Physics

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterial pathogen that has co-evolved with humans for tens of thousands of years. This pathogen infects the mucus layer within the stomach and may subsequently cause peptic ulcer disease or gastric cancer. To survive in the acidic environment of the stomach, H. pylori produces the enzyme urease, which then converts host urea to ammonia to mitigate acidity. The expression of urease is regulated by a mechanism known as a Two-Component System (TCS). Two proteins, a histidine kinase, ArsS, and a response regulator, ArsR, work together through a series of phosphorylation events to activate genes that assist with H. pylori survival in the stomach. This project focuses on potential lysine acetylation of highly conserved lysine residues in ArsR that we hypothesize affect its function as a transcription factor and thus affect H. pylori colonization of the stomach.  

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Mark Forsyth, Biology

My project aimed to explore the role of the E3 ligase Rsp5 in the cytosolic SUMO stress response in yeast cells. Specifically, I examined the interactions between Rsp5 and the SUMO ligase Siz1. To try to confirm if Rsp5 and Siz1 interacted at all, I used a two-hybrid assay, in which yeast cells only grow if Rsp5 and Siz1 interact. Additionally, I used temperature-sensitive Rsp5 cells, in which Rsp5 stops functioning at higher temperatures, to see if Rsp5 functioning affected amounts of Siz1 in the cells. While the two-hybrid assays failed to show an interaction between Rsp5 and Siz1, the preliminary results from temperature-sensitive Rsp5 tests indicated lower levels of Siz1 in cells without functional Rsp5. If confirmed, these data could provide new insights into how the SUMO stress response operates in the cytosol.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Oliver Kerscher, Biology

This research project explores the synthesis and characterization of polycyclic (meaning multiple fused rings) naphtho-chromenes using common, easy-to-get starting chemicals. We used a 5-step process to make each of the compounds. We then verified that we had our desired compounds using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS). All the compounds we synthesized  yielded the anticipated spectra, meaning that our synthetic pathway worked exactly as intended. In the future, we will test these compounds for activity when shined with ultraviolet light. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry major, Mathematics minor

Advisor: Robert Hinkle, Chemistry

My lab focuses on synthesizing nitrogen-containing molecular ring systems that are commonly found in pharmaceuticals and bioactive natural products. This summer, I worked on synthesizing molecules in the isoquinoline and xylanigripone families—2 different biologically active families that can be used as vasodilators and have central nervous system tranquilizer properties, respectively.  Our methods have proven a one-step approach to the isoquinoline core structure and offer variety in substitution and functionalization of groups. Additionally, I have synthesized a precursor to xylanigripone A, from commercially-available starting material, and will have a full synthetic pathway composed by the end of the academic year. These syntheses allow access to complex molecules and may be applied to drug synthesis or used to construct similar molecule families. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry & Biochemistry

Advisor: Jonathan Scheerer, Chemistry

Wildfires are one of many climate change driven natural disasters that are taking large human and ecological tolls. In terms of humans, many factors play a role in how a population of people are able to respond to and adapt to wildfires besides just wildfire occurrence and intensity. These include poverty levels, healthcare access and more. Therefore, this study aims to combine a variety of factors to calculate vulnerability scores across the globe. In order to do this, I downloaded online global datasets which include indicators such as wildfire weather, population, healthcare access, etc. to be factors in the vulnerability scores. Utilizing ArcPro, I combined datasets in order to calculate vulnerability scores for the globe. By identifying high human vulnerability zones around the globe, I can make informed recommendations for which areas of the globe require more support in adapting to climate change-driven wildfires.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Robert Rose, Institute for Integrative Conservation

Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in the general population have been associated with an elevated risk of developing psychotic disorders and other psychopathologies. Research has indicated that emotion regulation moderates the effect of PLEs, prompting numerous studies that have explored the relationship between PLEs and emotion regulation strategies. The objective of this review is to assess current research findings and identify potential gaps in the literature that warrant further exploration. Through an electronic database search, reviews and studies were identified and categorized based on relevance. This review provides an overview of previous research and identifies multiple directions for further research, including one’s perception of self-reported emotion regulation ability, gender differences, group behavior, and facial emotion regulation in those with PLEs.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience & Data Science

Advisor: Psychological Sciences

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a method of successfully identifying fugitive organic colorants in paintings, including lake pigments (i.e., natural dyes mixed with inorganic mordant salts). However, the complex mixture present in paints as well as the strong dye-mordant interactions often hinders the SERS-based detection of fading colorants. To help with this we apply an extraction hydrolysis pretreatment solution to thoroughly extract the dye from the pigment matrix. In the past the pretreatment wait time was 15 min, but this past summer I worked to try to improve our results from it and noticed that results seemed to improve as the wait time increased. Now the procedure calls for a 6-24hr pretreatment wait time, and the samples prepared in this way produce significantly better spectra, demonstrating that SERS spectral intensity and quality are increased with pretreatment time.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry

Advisor: Kristin Wustholz, Chemistry

My project worked to help historians using the power of machine learning. To do this I created dynamic image filters to analyze high variability in page and word quality. What this can do is turn an otherwise extremely difficult to read historical document into something more legible. This was designed with the purpose of analyzing port documents from early 19th century Argentina, but can be applied to other types of documents. While helpful in of itself, the goal of these filters is to help with the process of text analysis. With the help of AI transcribing documents, historians will be able to work much faster without losing precision.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Data Science

Advisor: Fabricio Prado, History

This research mapped both surficial deposits and bedrock in the Schuyler 7.5’ quadrangle located in the eastern Blue Ridge province of Virginia, about 30 km south-southwest of Charlottesville in Albemarle and Nelson counties. Surficial mapping of the 7.5’ quadrangle was done using detailed LiDAR digital elevation data and Adobe Illustrator. Alluvium, debris flow scars, and waste piles from quarrying occur across the 7.5’ quadrangle. Geologic cross sections were constructed based on field data and reveal the basement-cover contact, known as the Great Unconformity, where the Grenvillian basement complex is overlain by the Neoproterozoic metasedimentary cover sequence. The cover sequence is subvertical to overturned at some locations. Further analysis of these cross sections will provide insight into the kinematics that led to the structure of the cover sequence and help us to understand if a thin- or thick-skinned tectonic model is applicable for the Blue Ridge thrust sheet.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Geology

Advisor: Chuck Bailey, Geology

When proteins form, they fold into specific shapes that help determine their functions.  Prions are proteins that have misfolded and can propagate by causing other proteins to misfold; they are associated with neurological diseases.  This project explored the question of whether prions compete with each other in a host and how competition affects the host. This research focused on the [SMAUG+] prion in yeast, which is formed by the Vts1 protein and is involved in mRNA degradation. The goal was to engineer strains of yeast known to have differing strengths of the prion phenotype with a fluorescent reporter that would identify prion status, then investigate prion  competition with cells. Thus far, a whole panel of strains has been generated for future experiments testing prion competition. These and future results provide more information on how prions behave and the levels of selection that act upon them, which may be important in studying their role in several prion-caused diseases.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology major, Data Science minor

Advisor: Helen Murphy, Biology

The goal of this project was to see if the protein MK-STYX affects expression of the protein vimentin in N2a cells. Vimentin is an intermediate filament key to neurite formation, while MK-STYX is a pseudo phosphatase that has been shown to interact with vimentin. To do this, N2a cells were transfected with a combination of GFP, GFP-MK-STYX, or GFP-MK-STYX(active mutant) and mCherry or mCherry-vimentin. Then, the cells were lysed and run through a western blot. There was no significant difference in expression of vimentin, but the cells transfected with MK-STYX showed vimentin of two different sizes, suggesting the presence of two isoforms. Previous research has shown that this does not happen in HEK 293 cells, suggesting that the isoforms in N2a cells are related to neurites.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology 

Advisor: Shantá Hinton, Biology

Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) are an essential component of proteoglycans. In articular cartilage, the dominant chains are keratan sulfate (KS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS), which incorporate the monosaccharides GalNAc and GlcNAc respectively. The aim of this study is to determine the changes in KS to CS ratio in newly synthesized GAGs in inflamed cartilage using a click chemistry method. Cartilage explants harvested from calf knees were cultured for 3 days with or without the presence of a proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1b) and treated with GalNAz or GlcNAz which were incorporated into CS and KS chains respectively. The GAG chains were labeled using fluorescent dye that “clicked” onto the chains. We then calculated the ratio of GlcNAz to GalNAz labeled GAG using a fluorescent plate reader. Our results show a higher ratio of KS to CS in IL-1b treated samples. This indicates that inflammation may change the GAG composition of articular cartilage. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience

Advisor: Dr. X. Lucas Lu, Mechanical Engineering

Limb immobilization has detrimental effects on the entire neuromuscular system which, like other body systems, is capable of adapting to its environment. A previous study in this lab discovered that juvenile, developing neuromuscular systems faced greater consequences of an extended period of muscle disuse compared to fully developed neuromuscular systems. Since structure is intimately related to function, this study aimed to identify the unique structures responsible for the age-specific neuromuscular function decline observed in juveniles. To visualize these structures, the soleus muscles of juvenile and adult rats were sectioned and stained. We anticipate that since juvenile rats are in a critical period of rapid growth, analysis will reveal more severe negative structural adaptations to unloading than developed adult muscles. Findings from this study will fortify efforts aiming to treat and prevent consequences caused by the absence of weight-bearing activity such as extended bed rest and even space travel.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience & CAMS

Advisor: Michael Deschenes, Kinesiology & Health Sciences

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This project was designed to explore the benefits of artistic interventions when incorporated with long hospital stays at UAB hospital in Birmingham, AL on overall patient wellness. The goal was to draw quantifiable data from women experiencing high-risk pregnancies who practiced quilting and people receiving bone marrow transplants who were visited by a storyteller. The patients would complete a survey over two weeks to monitor their response to the intervention. Many studies have demonstrated the positive impact of arts on patient wellness. However, as a student researcher from William and Mary seeking double IRB approval, I spent more time learning of the complexity of research, particularly involving humans, and can speak more on my own learning and understanding of the research process.

Student Major(s)/Minor: CAMS (Mathematical Biology) & Hispanic Studies

Advisor: Richard Marcus, Music

Student Major(s)/Minor: Physics

Advisor: Keith Griffioen, Physics

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium found in 50% of the world’s stomachs that predisposes individuals to gastric ulcers, gastritis, and has links to gastric cancer. H. pylori is able to evade host immune responses and survive long term in the stomach. This project focused on one gene in H. pylori, HP1440, which encodes a protein only found in this genus. The expression of this gene is controlled by a signal transduction system that responds to nitric oxide, a part of the stomach’s immune response. Using a variety of lab techniques, I created three H. pylori mutants that are now testable for nitric oxide sensitivity against wild-type H. pylori. If further research in the fall shows that HP1440 is necessary in the bacterium’s response, this will be the first gene that has been found to be involved in this process. This information could potentially be useful for future research on the response of H. pylori to nitric oxide and therefore its overall survival in the stomach.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Mark Forsyth, Biology

This research project explores the life of Austrian physicist Lise Meitner. Nuclear fission is the basis for many medical breakthroughs such as cancer treatment and scanning capabilities, as well as nuclear power, heating and powering deep space exploration, and the creation of the atomic bomb. Despite its immense applications and importance in the physics field, credit to Meitner is often unrecognized for her contributions to the discovery of nuclear fission. This project reveals Meitner’s historical achievements in the physics field and brings awareness to the overshadowing of women in STEM fields. Culminating in a script that details her life, specifically her research and scientific contributions, this project brings attention to a woman physicist through an interdisciplinary approach.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Physics and Film & Media Studies

Advisor: Timothy Barnard, Film & Media Studies

Firn is a transitional material created by the compacting of snow layers that forms the boundary between snow and glacial ice. Firn plays an important role in many glaciological processes and knowledge of firn structure is used applications such as determining the age of air pockets trapped within ice cores. Collecting firn structure data is a difficult and slow process and as such being able to extend the limited amounts of data using mathematical models would be a useful resource for glaciologists. In order to test the ability of mathematical models to generate so called "synthetic firn", measurements were taken from three firn datasets collected at different depths and trends in this data were used to score the accuracy of synthetic firns generated by various mathematical models. The models tested represent a wide variety of image generation techniques and mathematical simulations of physical processes. Some initial conclusions can be drawn but additional work is needed to refine the models and more accurately determine the level of agreement between the synthetic and real data.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Computer Science

Advisor: Sarah Day, Mathematics

Invasive species pose significant threats to local environments due to their rapid growth and highly adaptable characteristics, resulting in profound environmental, social, and economic losses. This project, in collaboration with the Institute of Integrative Conservation and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, aims to design a comprehensive and adaptable strategy for managing invasive species across all 41 state parks in Virginia. The project entails three primary approaches: the development of a detailed decision tree based on relevant literature, research into individual invasive species documented within Virginia, and the implementation of the decision tree in one Virginia state park. Additionally, the project involves conducting fieldwork at Virginia state parks to gather invasive species location data, which will be used for spatial analysis and statistical modeling to inform decision-making. The ultimate outcome will be an invasive species management plan that can be effectively deployed throughout all 41 state parks in Virginia.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Erica Garroutte, Institute of Integrative Conservation

While ttyh1 has been implicated in neural stem cell maintenance and the Notch signaling pathway, and ttyh2 in the immune response, the cellular role(s) of ttyh3 remains unknown. All members of the tweety gene family have been implicated in a range of pathologies ranging from aggressive cancers to neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. This project seeks to characterize ttyh1 and ttyh3 through overexpression and gene knock out. To overexpress these genes, tweety mRNA will be injected into Xenopus laevis embryos. To knock out the genes, guide RNA sequences were designed to be complementary to the tweety genes. Injection of Cas9 along with the guide RNA cuts the gene, prompting repair that leads to gene inactivation. Embryos with the various injections are fixed at a variety of developmental stages and the effects will be measured through the expression of marker genes, as measured by in situ hybridization.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Andrew West: Neuroscience major, German Studies minor; Marcus Royster: Neuroscience

Advisor: Margaret Saha, Biology

Productivity provides the energy for all biological transformations as well as calcification in reef systems. Various factors influence primary productivity; namely light availability, water flow, and benthic community structure. With this project, we evaluated in-situ productivity rates of reef communities across different water flow conditions on Bermuda’s northern reef. We used the gradient flux approach to calculate productivity. This method consists of deploying two pairs of oxygen and flow sensors. One pair approximately 1.1 m from the bottom and another 0.1 m from the bottom. We also deployed a light sensor to account for the influence of light on productivity. For each reef site we took photos in order to create composite images of the reef and determine the proportion of coral, algae, and sand at each site. The final product consists of a dataset of primary productivity for each day at each site.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology, Marine Science

Advisor: Biology

Indigenous Peoples and local communities protect important biodiversity worldwide, so supporting their continued rights and leadership in leading conservation management and policy is critical. Working alongside the Biological Monitoring Group of Milpa Alta, a grass-roots conservation group working to conserve and manage Indigenous land, South of Mexico City, Mexico, this project designed a citizen science-based vegetation monitoring plan and procedure to support their advocacy, restoration, and conservation goals. The area is a natural heritage site for biodiversity and home to many endemic plant and animal species. The monitoring plan will be used to assess the effectiveness of the group’s controlled burns and conservation efforts in grassland and forest ecosystems. We tested and refined the method in Mexico over the summer and began the effort to collect data on the managed, afforested, and natural sites in the community forest. We hope to understand how their management has affected the forest vegetation. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology, Environmental Science

Advisor: Martha Case, Biology

This research project will delve into the important issue of low connectivity and unreliable networks, and the potential impact these issues can have on peer to peer network protocols. Peer to peer networks are a type of decentralized network where computers communicate directly with one another, rather than through a central server. With many parts of the world experiencing suboptimal internet connections, the research project aims to identify the ways that a poor connection can affect the performance of these internet protocols. The project will explore the technicalities of these protocols and how these disruptions, such as packet loss,

high latency, and low bandwidth, can be mitigated. The project aims to investigate solutions that can mitigate the effects of low connectivity on these internet protocols. The results of this project could inform the development of more robust and resilient peer to peer network protocols that can better handle these poor network conditions.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Computer Science

Advisor: Kevin Coogan, Computer Science

In the growing field of Synthetic Biology, researchers are developing a number of groundbreaking biological devices to perform complex tasks like carbon sequestration, degradation of microplastics, or monitoring of diseases. These systems have seen success in lab environments, working inside bacteria in petri dishes and test tubes, but they can have no real impact if they are not characterized and understood for practical deployments in target environments, like soil and water. This project bridges this gap by developing new computational models for characterizing the behavior of bioengineered strains of bacteria in soil, each constructed with a focus on accessibility and reproducibility using tools like Python. With these developments, this project seeks to provide a comprehensive recommendation of techniques for researchers and stakeholders in the field of soil bioengineering to better understand, and ultimately deploy, systems which have the potential to revolutionize soil health, the climate, or agriculture.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Computer Science

Advisor: Margaret Saha, Biology

Plastic is pervasive in our lives and our waste causing visible pollution nearly everywhere. However, plastic is also creating significant invisible pollution in the form of microplastics which is when plastic is broken down small enough it cannot be seen with the naked eye. This creates cause to wonder about the state of microplastic pollution in our community at William & Mary. This project established an efficient protocol for microplastic testing efforts at W&M for the College Creek Alliance testing strategies to monitor the health of local W&M campus bodies of water, as well as baseline data for microplastic pollution in the area. The microplastic findings from this work was used to incorporate an awareness component by creating advocacy resources like stickers and pamphlets for the Williamsburg James City County community about microplastic pollution and preventive strategies.  Microplastic pollution research and awareness is crucial because microplastics pose a human and environmental health threat to our community. Everyone should be informed of this new type of pollution and its risks.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry

Advisor: Randolph Chambers, Environmental Science

My research involves the development, construction and testing of an automated plant care system that allows for those with dementia and other memory issues to grow produce without the hassle of traditional gardening. This system will involve moisture and light sensors that control a water pump and lighting. The long-term goal is to have wireless data transmission for a simple user interface. I spent the summer doing research on the benefits of interacting with plants as well as designing the physical system and writing/debugging the code. The initial iteration had issues with feasibility of waterproofing so I made a secondary design that makes use of a plastic bin for water storage. The code works to run the pump and the LEDs. Future plans for this project involve conducting market research on what features would be the most beneficial for seniors and their caregivers as well as creating more refined iterations. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Physics (EPAD)

Advisor: Ran Yang, Physics

This research paper aims to investigate effective strategies and interventions for coping with stress and managing chronic illnesses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study addresses the central question: What are the relationship correlations between stress and chronic illness in the face of the pandemic? Are stress and chronic illness directly correlated and if so, how were chronically ill people more directly affected because of the added stress of the pandemic?

Employing a mixed-methods research design, this study contains quantitative surveys to explore the relationships between individuals with chronic illnesses and their perceived stress. The quantitative phase employs a validated survey to gather broader insights. Anticipated results include a comprehensive identification of coping strategies, their effectiveness, and any differences based on demographic variables.

This research aims to shed light on working theories about the development of chronic illness and the stress that individuals experience on a daily basis. Solutions found can help assist healthcare professionals, caregivers, and policymakers in offering tailored support to this vulnerable population. By emphasizing accessible language and avoiding technical jargon, this abstract ensures that its findings are understandable to a diverse, multi-disciplinary audience, ultimately contributing to improved diagnostic exams for chronic illness as well as prevention for vulnerable populations. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Health Data Analytics & Psychology

Advisor: Adrian Bravo, Psychology

It was discovered in 2022 that the Lassa virus spike complex has a hanging polysaccharide, coined "soluble matriglycan". Little is known about the length of the polysaccharide, as it is too small to be visualized under cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM). The goal of this project was to employ the protein laminin as a means to measure the length of this soluble matriglycan, since it has already been proven to bind four units of matriglycan at a time. Therefore, theoretically totaling the number of laminin particles bound to soluble matriglycan would allow us to determine its length (number of laminin particles multiplied by four). In addition to several smaller experiments, our primary methodology was to incubate Lassa virus spikes with laminin in order to induce binding to soluble matriglycan. We then visualized under cryoEM and totaled at least four laminin proteins per spike, equivalent to at least 100 Å of soluble matriglycan present.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology & Data Science

Advisor: Ron Diskin, Chemistry and Structural Biology

The two-component acid response system ArsRS enables bacterium Helicobacter pylori to colonize the human gastric mucosa in >50% of the global population. A gastric acid signal activates the ArsS “sensor” domain, resulting in it autophosphorylating in the cell. Subsequently, this phosphate is transferred to “receiver” domain ArsR, resulting in altered gene expression. ArsR can also be phosphorylated independently of ArsS to induce these changes. One possible source may be acetyl phosphate, a product of the phosphotransacetylase/acetate-kinase (pta/ackA) pathway, which enables transfer and phosphorylation of acetyl groups that may influence gene expression. This project experimentally explores the role of pta/ackA in ArsR phosphorylation and thus H. pylori survival and pathogenicity by creating a pta/ackA-deficient mutant strain and comparing growth rates to wild-type strain J99. We hypothesize that loss of pta/ackA will affect expression of genes in the ArsRS regulon, serving as a foundation for further investigations into ArsRS’s role in H. pylori pathogenicity.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience

Advisor: Mark Forsyth, Biology

A graph is a mathematical object consisting of vertices and edges connecting vertices. The edges can be partitioned into different classes under certain rules. We give all the edges in a given class the same label. This process of dividing and labeling is called a coloring. We investigate the upper bound on the number of colors it would take for a specific type of coloring called a strong edge-coloring, using a common method of proof called "discharging."  We attempt to find that the upper bound can be successfully lowered to 13 (from previously 15) for the class of graphs we are interested in.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Mathematics

Advisor: Gexin Yu, Mathematics

The aim of my research is to synthesize and analyze new neutral copper-metal compounds. The end goal is to find new materials which could be used in photovoltaic solar cells. Lead perovskites have shown some promise as next-generation photovoltaic materials but are disfavored due to their toxicity and instability. It is thought that bismuth/copper or antimony/copper compounds could also demonstrate similarly strong photovoltaic properties, yet only a few neutral Bi/Cu and Sb/Cu compounds have been characterized to date. Through the course of my research, I have identified five such compounds. My work consisted of carrying out numerous series of reactions and analyzing the products to determine their physical and chemical properties. Through X-ray crystallography, I have been able to determine the structures of these compounds and have further characterized them through thermal and spectroscopic analysis.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry

Advisor: Robert Pike, Chemistry

Mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) occurs when the inner mitochondrial membrane becomes more permeable, allowing many small solutes to pass through. These molecules are believed to pass through the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), a hypothetical protein channel that widens during mPT. When mPT occurs, molecules that leave the mPTP signal for immune cell activation and inflammation. Although the pore’s identity is unclear, ATP synthase likely constitutes part of its structure.

We explored how the mPTP plays a role in immune response by using dexpramipexole (or “dex”), a drug that binds to ATP synthase and blocks the mPTP pore. Previously, preliminary studies in our lab had suggested that dex may reverse T cell activation in tissue culture. We attempted to stimulate cell lines of three types: T cells, macrophages, and monocytes. T cells and monocytes appeared to respond to stimulation, yet this was prevented by exposure to dex. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biochemistry major, Music minor

Advisor: Elizabeth Jonas, Department of Endocrinology, Yale School of Medicine

Oyster populations have suffered a dramatic decrease in recent years and as such restoration efforts are needed. Previous research has created a system of differential equations modeling the dynamics of juvenile oysters, adult oysters, dead shells, and sediment volumes over time. However, the dynamics of the interactions within metapopulations have yet to be shown, and would be crucial to selecting locations for the construction of restoration reefs. I used simulations to explore how populations behave with internal larval input compared with external larval input. It was found that external larval input primarily controls if a population is able to succeed whereas internal larval input controls population size once a reef is established. Additionally, it was found that the threshold reef height for a population to be successful changes based on both internal and external input. Further work will include the connectivity between prospective reef locations to select ideal sites for restoration.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Mathematics & Kinesiology

Advisor: Leah Shaw, Mathematics

When a group votes, it can be organized into an nxn Group Preference Matrix(GPM), where the ij entry is the number of voters who prefer option i to option j. This can be converted to a reciprocal matrix, which can be reapproximated using an efficient vector if it is not consistent. My primary interest is in understanding the conditions for a GPM to have one, multiple, or all efficient vector orderings in the 3x3 and 4x4 cases. There is one efficient ordering, namely a>b>c>d, if on the upper triangle each ij entry is greater than the i(j-1) entry and the (i+1)j entry. All efficient orderings are possible if the GPM is not transitive in simple majority voting. This research can be used to understand how different voting results can be obtained from one GPM.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Mathematics

Advisor: Charles Johnson, Mathematics

In the Summer of 2023, an international team of undergraduate students worked on upgrading a particle detector, called the forward calorimeter, at Jefferson National Laboratory. Originally, this detector was completely composed of lead glass modules. The goal was to replace the center of the detector with newer lead tungstate crystals, which would increase the accuracy of the device. The work involved assembling, inspecting and testing the lead tungstate modules, redirecting cables, refurbishing the original lead glass modules, and stacking the modules back into the detector. By the end of the Summer, the detector should be mostly assembled, and testing and calibration can begin. Once this whole process is complete, the detector can resume collecting data. This data will aid scientists working on the GlueX experiment in bettering our understanding of the strong force, and could even lead to the discovery of unknown particles and particle decays.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Physics & Mathematics

Advisor: Justin Stevens, Physics

When a patient must be isolated due to an autoimmune or infectious disease, doctors need to provide them with resources like food and water without having any human contact. Robotics and AI can achieve this task, but must avoid collisions with the patient. One common method is motion detection cameras; however, these are expensive, locked in place, and ineffective if visibility is poor. To address this problem, we designed a smart shirt with conductive fabric sensors that change resistance when shoulder motion causes them to stretch. By comparing the fabric sensor data with the ground truth data from the angle software Kinovea using a Long-Short-Term-Memory model, I can accurately determine shoulder angles with a mean absolute error of 2.36, 3.63, and 8.94 degrees for each motion. I have collected data from 6 volunteers; in the coming months I will analyze the result and publish a paper.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Computer Science major, Biology minor

Advisor: Gang Zhou, Computer Science

While the genes controlling pattern formation have been well-studied in both plants and animals, less is certain about how these genes are activated. Reaction-diffusion equations, also known as Turing patterns, are one promising model. They predict that stable patterns arise when signaling molecules diffuse through a tissue at different rates, interacting with one another and creating complex motifs. This research will cultivate a population of Mimulus RILs (Recombinant Inbred Lines) for use in a mathematical modeling project, with an overall goal of explaining anthocyanin petal spot patterns through Turing patterns. This summer project will breed and catalogue the phenotypes of several hundred genetically distinct RILs. Ultimately, the goal is to deepen scientific understandings of plant pattern formation, facilitating efficient breeding of selective cultivars.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Josh Puzey, Biology

While cigarette usage is declining, nicotine usage remains high through devices such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. Here we investigated nicotine’s effect on anxiety in rats using the light-enhanced startle paradigm (LES) which measures stress reactions to innately aversive bright light. In Experiment 1 LES magnitude (anxiety) increased as intensity of environmental stress (light bulb brightness) increased. In Experiment 2 rats received acute saline, 0.15 mg/kg nicotine, or 0.40 mg/kg nicotine and were tested in LES with either a 150 or 300 lumen light bulb (both comparatively “low” brightness conditions).  Regardless of bulb intensity, 0.15 mg/kg nicotine reduced LES revealing an anxiolytic profile but 0.40 mg/kg nicotine enhanced LES revealing an anxiogenic profile that was sex dependent. Conclusion: nicotine can dose-dependently modulate (including increase) anxiety even to ‘low level’ environmental stressors. Nicotinic modulation of fear centers such as the amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis will be discussed. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience and Leadership & Organizational Management

Advisor: Robert Barnet, Psychology

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacterial hosts. They are abundant in natural environments, playing a critical ecological role in managing bacterial populations, and have been the subject of much interest in the fields of medicine and synthetic biology, for their potential applications as alternatives to traditional antibiotics and as vectors for genetic engineering. My research has revolved around a set of novel phage particles, dubbed “phagelets” on account of their unusually small genomes. These phagelets are a curiosity because, upon infecting their bacterial host, they induce the production of another phage, “Herbert”. Herbert resides within the bacterial genome, being activated only when the phagelets infect. Using bioinformatic tools, such as DNA Master, I investigated the small genomes of these phagelets, determining where their genes resided, how many there are, and what functions they hold, in hopes of better understanding the way these novel particles function.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Mitchell Doherty: Biology major, CAMS minor; Zoe Riddick: Biology; Mahima Shijo: Biology

Advisor: Margaret Saha, Biology

Proteins are crucial to life as they are responsible for virtually all functions necessary for cellular survival. Thus the ability to biologically image and study proteins is an important scientific tool. Profluorophores are a class of molecules that become fluorescent only after a reaction occurs. This research aims to synthesize and attach a profluorophore directly to a protein. This allows it to act as a protein imaging agent because it would not emit much background fluorescence when unreacted, and is extremely specific and precise, reacting only with the protein of interest. To accomplish this, a compound, EBTZ, was synthesized and reacted in a proof-of-concept non-biological reaction to mimic its attachment to a protein and characterize its photophysical properties. The fluorescence was measured between the reacted and unreacted EBTZ, and a significant change was observed. This implies that EBTZ could function as a profluorophore and thus a biological imager for proteins.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry

Advisor: Doug Young, Chemistry

This research project investigates the implications of wait time inflation at Walt Disney World. Specifically, this study examines whether wait time inflation can raise profit by encouraging guests to pay extra for the Lightning Lane system, enhancing guest satisfaction, boosting merchandise sales, and reducing maintenance costs. The study gathers real wait times for various rides from the Touring Plans app and compares them with the posted wait times at Walt Disney World. The empirical analysis reveals that Disney inflates wait times to dissuade guests from choosing popular rides, which can save Disney time and resources in ride maintenance and staffing. Moreover, wait times tend to be more exaggerated during nighttime hours, encouraging guests to end their visits earlier, thereby reducing the costs associated with extended park operations.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Undecided

Advisor: Shi Qi, Economics

In fusion research, predicting neutral profiles is critical to understand the fueling requirements for a fusion reactor [1]. KN1D [2], developed in the 2000s, relies on a collisional-radiative model for the 10 most important electron interactions [3], and elastic collisions are included using a BGK model [4], instead of using modern open-source databases of atomic physics reactions [5]. We will first convert KN1D into Python to simplify its use for the wider community and improve compatibility with experimental data as well as predictive modeling.

The updated code will be verified through comparison to the previous IDL version using data from the C-Mod tokamak at MIT. Using the newly developed KN1DPy, we will perform predictive analysis of neutral densities for the SPARC fusion device. Currently, the SPARC team uses code to produce models for ICRH heating, turbulent transport, pedestal structure, edge profiles, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) stability, and ripple loss of fast alphas [5]. However, there is a lack of adequate modeling of neutral profiles. With the development of KN1D, we hope to produce models for neutral densities which can then further inform us about electron densities and pressure gradients.

S. Mordijck, Nucl. Fusion 60, 082006 (2020).

LaBombard B., KN1D: A 1-D Space, 2-D Velocity, Kinetic transport algorithm for atomic and molecular hydrogen in an ionizing plasma, MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center Report PSFC/RR-01-3; Research Report PSFC/RR-01-3

Sawada, Keiji, and Takashi Fujimoto. "Effective ionization and dissociation rate coefficients of molecular hydrogen in plasma." Journal of applied physics 78.5 (1995): 2913-2924.

Bhatnagar, Prabhu Lal, Eugene P. Gross, and Max Krook. "A model for collision processes in gases. I. Small amplitude processes in charged and neutral one-component systems." Physical review 94.3 (1954): 511.

M. Greenwald, Journal of Plasma Physics 86, 861860501 (2020).

Student Major(s)/Minor: Physics & Math

Advisor: Saskia Mordijck, Physics

In this study, we sought to determine the extent to which increased behavioral switch costs (the processing delay that occurs when switching between tasks) in older adults are associated with differences in their capacity for task-set switching following an explicit cue as measured using event-related potentials (ERPs). 28 older adults (64-89 years, M= 75.2) from the Williamsburg community and 30 younger adults (18-36 years, M=20.5) from the College of William and Mary were recruited to complete the study. Behavioral and electrophysiological responses were recorded while participants made judgments regarding the identity of two figures. Responses were made by moving a mouse cursor from a central position at the bottom of the screen to one of two positions to the left and right of the target stimulus. The task included 320 trials with each of the three Switch types (i.e., Repeat, Switch-Attention, & Switch-Attention&Intention) equally represented across the experiment. Behavioral results show that older adults took longer to initiate a response than younger adults. There were also significant main effects across conditions increasing from repeat to Switch-Attention to Switch-Attention&Intention. Importantly, the degree of increase across conditions was significantly greater in older adults, reflecting that age-related changes in brain function impact both attentional and intentional set-switching mechanisms  While the amplitude of a posterior positive P3b-like ERP component mirrored the increase in behavioral switch costs, these increases were equivalent in the older and younger adults. These results suggest that the cognitive control of task set reconfiguration in anticipation of a task switch may be spared with cognitive aging and encourage future research to understand how cognitive aging may impact the task set inertia component of task-set switching.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience

Advisor: Paul Kieffaber, Psychology

The implementation of renewable energy sources like the hydrogen fuel cell is critical in combatting the growing environmental crisis created by the overuse of fossil fuels. Fuel cells utilize the water-forming reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to create energy. The reliance of this reaction on hydrogen makes finding efficient and sustainable methods of hydrogen production a topic of great interest. Organometallic complexes, metal ions surrounded by organic compounds, provide a promising avenue for hydrogen generation. This project looks at the functionality of the organic compound N,N’-bis(antipyrylmethylidene)ethylenediamine, or BAME, which previous testing has shown produces hydrogen when complexed with iron. The role of BAME in hydrogen evolution was tested through photochemical and electrochemical analysis of a zinc-BAME complex, as zinc does not participate in the hydrogen-forming reaction. Results suggested that the central metal was key in the ability of BAME to produce hydrogen. Electrochemical testing of the iron-BAME complex was also performed to further elucidate its catalytic properties.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry & English

Advisor: William McNamara, Chemistry

Trees are the majority of terrestrial biomass. When trees die, specialized wood-decaying fungi release carbon stored in their wood. Thus, wood decomposition greatly impacts carbon cycles, nutrient cycles, and climate. However, fungal succession and competition determines decomposition rates. Fungus farming ambrosia beetles are among the first to visit dying trees. They bore into wood and inoculate it with varieties of fungal symbionts. Their fungal partners have been thought to increase tree decay, but recent research suggests they may slow decay by competing with wood-decaying fungi. Our study utilizes Lindgren Funnel collections, a beetle exclosure experiment, and DNA metabarcoding to observe the ambrosia symbiosis and measure its impact on wood decomposition. We are testing the hypothesis that non-native fungi associated with recently introduced and hyperabundant non-native ambrosia beetles suppress wood decay and compete with native fungi. As more non-native symbioses invade, it is imperative that we understand the native ecosystem’s response. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology & Environment and Sustainability

Advisor: James Skelton, Biology

The plant hormone ethylene has numerous roles in plant growth and development. Plants produce ethylene from a molecule called 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). Several recent reports have shown that ACC itself may be a plant signal that leads to physiological responses that are independent of ACC’s role as the ethylene precursor. To uncover the roles of ACC, it is critical to have mutants that do not make ACC. A mutant with mutations in all eight ACS (ACC synthase, the protein that creates ACC) genes created in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana using the CRISPR/Cas9 method, will be analyzed in my study. Current research shows that one of the ACS genes, ACS11, may have a heightened impact on the development of the plant. The study of this mutant will advance an understanding of the role of ACC in plants, hopefully demonstrating ways in which ACC is indeed a plant signal.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Lizabeth Allison, Biology

Redlining, the practice of systematically denying access to home loans based on a neighborhood’s racially-determined perceived riskiness for investment, still has a lasting impact on many U.S. cities today, including Richmond, VA. One such impact is its effect on the local climate. Previous work has shown that historically-redlined neighborhoods are hotter on average than non-redlined neighborhoods in the same city due to a lack of tree cover and increased impervious surface. However, there is currently a knowledge gap about how this affects urban ecohydrologic processes. I plan to fill this gap by comparing the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and infiltration rates in redlined vs non-redlined neighborhoods to see if water behaves differently in different parts of Richmond, which could impact the neighborhoods’ risk of flooding, pollution, and/or heat-related illness. This is important because if these issues are influenced by redlining, communities of color could be disproportionately affected. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology & Geology

Advisor: Dominick Ciruzzi, Geology

The group 12 metal ions, consisting of zinc, cadmium, and mercury, have a diverse effect on the human body. Zinc is essential to biological function and enzymatic activity, while cadmium is carcinogenic, and mercury causes dangerous protein misfolding. This research explores how these metals bind to a novel organic ligand, bis[(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)methyl]amine (BLA), and how their coordination structures differ based on metal identity and counter ion. BLA was chosen due to its biomimetic functionality, with a structure similar to common amino acids. After synthesis, compounds are evaluated by X-ray crystallography, NMR, and IR to elucidate their unique structures. Dimerization occurred in both the CdCl2 and HgCl2 complexes. Key structural elements differ depending on the metal and counter ion selected: for example, both the cadmium chloride and mercury chloride complexes bridge across multiple molecules, while all perchlorate metal complexes attempt to bind extra solvent molecules to increase their overall coordination number. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biochemistry & Sociology

Advisor: Deborah Bebout, Chemistry

Proteins are commonly regulated by the addition and removal of strongly negative phosphate groups. The removal of phosphate groups is catalyzed by a class of enzymes known as phosphatases, which have tightly regulated structures. Some phosphatases, known as pseudophosphatases, have important pieces missing, and cannot remove phosphate groups. Despite this, organisms which lack pseudophosphatases can still develop severe issues. SPE-54 is one such protein, as it lacks the components it needs for phosphate removal, but worms without SPE-54 have noticeable phenotypes. We quantified the impact of missing SPE-54, demonstrating that these worms produce fewer viable progeny than wild-type worms. Further analysis showed that sperm fail to persist in and reach the site of fertilization. Immunofluorescent analysis showed that MSP (Major Sperm Protein, located in the pseudopod) was less localized in spe-54 mutants, clarifying motility defects which prevent sperm from reaching the site of fertilization.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Jack Howell: Biology & Chemistry; Corinne Vanella: Biology, French

Advisor: Diane Shakes, Biology

The goal of the current study was to investigate whether the relationship between cognitive restraint and consumption of sugar and fat was moderated by self-reported difficulty in emotion regulation. 103 undergraduate students completed the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised-18 item to assess restrained eating, in addition to the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. In a subsequent laboratory session, the participants completed an anagram task that induced negative mood and were subsequently given four snack options that varied in fat and sugar content. Moderation analyses revealed that there was a negative association between restrained eating and sugar intake in individuals with low levels of nonacceptance of emotional responses. However, the association was positive in individuals who were high in levels of nonacceptance. These findings suggest that emotional regulation may be an important additional factor to consider when assessing restrained eaters’ food-related responses to negative mood.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience & English

Advisor: Catherine Forestell, Neuroscience

SUMO, or small ubiquitin-like modifier, is a small protein involved with the cellular stress response by modifying damaged proteins. When cells are exposed to stressful conditions, like elevated temperature or oxidizing agents, SUMO becomes conjugated to other cellular proteins. In this project, we are using a split-GFP approach to observe and quantify cytosolic SUMO-dependent interactions on the mitochondrial surface before and during the SUMO stress response. Different fragments of the green-fluorescent protein are fused to the ends of a SUMO targeted proteins GFP(1-10) or anchored to the mitochondrial surface GFP(11). When GFP1-10 and GFP11-tagged proteins interact on the mitochondrial surface they will reconstitute a full GFP protein and fluoresce. This interaction can be imaged, quantified, and analyzed using fluorescence microscopy to determine a potential stress-induced enhancement. We created and analyzed strains with Tom70-GFP(11) and Apj1, Oxr1, and Ulp1-GFP(1-10). There was statistical significance in fluorescence levels between stressed and unstressed conditions for all constructs. Additionally, for Oxr1 and Ulp1 we observed unique phenotypic and morphological abnormalities, such as mitochondrial fragmentation and failed mitochondrial import. Currently, we are testing the effect that deletion of the SUMO ligase Siz1 has on these interactions.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience 

Advisor: Oliver Kerscher, Biology

High-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) are common and aggressive ovarian cancers, and the tumor microenvironment (TME) is pivotal in their progression. Our lab focused on understanding TME interactions using three-dimensional (3D) fallopian tube spheroids as an in vitro model created on a hanging drop plate. These spheroids incorporate fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells (FTSEC), macrophages, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to study how these stromal non-malignant cells affect the progression of transformed FTSEC towards HGSC. We created heterogeneous spheroids by combining FTSEC, MSCs, and macrophages, each tagged with a unique fluorescent marker. Confocal microscopy confirmed the presence of these cell types in the spheroids, and flow cytometry assessed FTSEC viability. Our findings suggest that the presence of stromal cells may support FTSEC progression from precursor lesions (STIC) to HGSC. Understanding these cellular dynamics within the TME enables us to personalize drugs and improve their effectiveness in treating HGSCs.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Dr. Geeta Mehta, Biomedical Engineering (University of Michigan)

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park (ACHP) is in the western Piedmont of south-central Virginia. It is where the American Civil War concluded with the surrender of the Confederate Army in 1865. Although the park’s historic significance is well known, its underlying geology is poorly understood. Detailed mapping in and near the ACHP to better understand the geology of the area.  The ACHP is in the Smith River Allochthon (SRA), a suspect terrane interpreted as a regional scale thrust sheet of metaclastic and meta-igneous rocks which were emplaced over lower grade greenschist facies assemblages. In the northern SRA, a suite of meta-volcanic rocks (the Oakville Suite) occurs in association with the Fork Mountain Formation.

Rocks in the ACHP include hornblende gneiss, fine-grained epidote gneiss, and fine-grained quartzofeldspathic schist all interpreted to be part of the Oakville Suite. Some rocks preserve primary igneous structures, like phenocrysts, in a fine-grained recrystallized matrix and flattened epidote-amygdules in mafic rocks. The dominant foliation in these metamorphic rocks is folded into gentle to open upright folds with northeast-southwest trending axes.

Whole-rock geochemistry indicates that the Oakville Suite records bimodal magmatism (basalt & rhyolite). Zircon U-Pb geochronology on four felsic schist/meta-rhyolite samples from the Oakville Suite yield ages of 540 to 570 Ma.  We interpret the Oakville Suite as the product of rift-related magmatism on a stretched block of Laurentian crust during the Ediacaran.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Geology

Advisor: Christopher Bailey, Geology

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multi-drug-resistant bacterium that can't be treated with typical antibiotics. One reason P. aeruginosa is so hard to treat is because the bacteria utilize a kind of cell-to-cell communication mechanism that allows the bacteria to cause all kinds of problems including the production of toxins. So, my project aimed at synthesizing an organic molecule that can inhibit the toxin production in P. aeruginosa by interrupting a known protein-protein interaction within the cell, and therefore improving our ability to treat infections caused by the bacteria. I synthesized two organic molecules with similar structures to the protein’s active site. Then, using biological assays, I determined that one of the two molecules binds to the protein’s active site with good affinity, however, it does not inhibit the protein-protein interaction. So, the next step is to explore variations of the promising molecule that I synthesized to better inhibit these interactions.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry

Advisor: Isabelle Taylor, Chemistry

Across scientific fields, a prominent area of research has been investigating biological systems at the nanoscale. This can be done by labeling the systems with pigments called fluorophores, exciting the pigment with a laser, and analyzing how the fluorophore emits light. Variations of this method, however, have proven challenging to execute for a multitude of reasons. Previously, the Wustholz lab has developed a technology called blinking-based multiplexing (BBM) which allows these laser-excited fluorophores to be differentiated via their blinking patterns– that is, how the fluorophores switch from being emissive (or ‘on’) to non-emissive (or ‘off’). This project explores the use of BBM to differentiate blinking patterns between fluorophores, focusing specifically on pyrromethene-605 and understanding its blinking mechanism compared to previously studied fluorophores. Additionally, it explores how such data can be made more generalizable through background subtraction. By doing this, a broad spectrum of pigments can be used to label and image biomaterials at the nanoscale. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Data Science & Chemistry

Advisor: Kristin Wustholz, Chemistry

Increasing antibiotic use has allowed bacteria strains to evolve quickly and become resistant to antibiotics. This issue is compounded due to many new antibiotics being created from derivations of preexisting antibiotics because the mutant bacteria strain that survived the previous antibiotic can more quickly adapt to its derivations. This project explored the creation of novel antibiotics through a Glaser-Hay reaction which connects two molecules to form one. The compounds created through this reaction were then tested for their ability to kill bacteria. This research shows the potential for new antibiotics using the Glaser-Hay coupling method which could help combat the growing antibiotic resistance in bacteria strains.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry & Classical Studies

Advisor: Douglas Young, Chemistry

Organic chemistry labs present the opportunity for students to learn more about laboratory instrumentation and techniques used in everyday organic chemistry laboratory settings. We plan to work designing a laboratory procedure that will allow students to be able to extract a caffeine product from a beverage that already contains caffeine within it. This will be done through using instruments such as the Rotovap apparatus, that performs rotary evaporation of liquids; solid-liquid extraction; liquid-liquid extraction; thin layer chromatography for caffeine detection; and melting point analysis to test the authenticity of your extracted caffeine product. We also plan to use virtual reality (VR) technology to better showcase the Rotovap apparatus as an instrument that can be better understood in a more accessible way. The laboratory procedure is currently being edited and consolidated for William & Mary laboratory classes that may include those of CHEM 209 and/or CHEM 253 for Organic Chemistry students. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Kyle Lewis-Johnson: Chemistry & Biochemistry; Jungmin Shin: Biochemistry and Mathematics

Advisor: Dana Lashley, Chemistry

In order to study the Hospital Arrival Rate data for the past times, we need to form a step function(a piece wise function for every time frame). We specifically choose step function for further research purpose. We used python code to from the step function and data science tool to examine it. In the process, we researched various method that could yield the step function correctly, we finally put our eyes on Plain Average, Moving Average and Exponential Smoothing. We modified technique such as Moving Average and Exponential Smoothing, data outcomes assured that Exponential Smoothing is the best tool to use in our experiment

Student Major(s)/Minor: Mathematics

Advisor: Daniela Hurtado Lange, Mathematics

This project continues the investigation of bis[2-(1-methylimidazolyl)methyl] amine (BMIMA) as a ligand for five- and six- coordinated group 12 metal complexes. The methylimidazoyl rings of BMIMA mimic the coordination behavior of histidine, an amino acid commonly found in proteins. BMIMA demonstrates successful crystallization with zinc, cadmium, and mercury in both 1:1 and 1:2 metal-ligand ratios. The compounds are characterized using X-ray crystallography, 1H NMR, IR, and elemental analysis. Comparing small models of zinc protein metal binding sites to related complexes of toxic cadmium and mercury has the potential to improve understanding of metal bioactivity. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry

Advisor: Deborah Bebout, Chemistry

Vibrio fischeri are the bacteria responsible for a symbiosis with squid, where the bacteria luminesce and allow for camouflage by counterillumination for the animal host. V. fischeri typically thrive in marine environments where the primary salt is NaCl, and current literature is unable to predict how the bacteria will react when other salts overtake the growth environment. By systematically changing the salt conditions while growing V. fischeri, this study was able to analyze the bacteria’s growth in environments supported by the salts RbCl and KCl, compared to NaCl conditions, over various time periods. As the study continues, it is predicted that while growth with hardy V. fischeri strains is possible in altered salt conditions, it occurs to a significantly lesser degree than in typical NaCl conditions. Analysis of this growth has implications in global warming discourse, as rising sea levels will likely introduce foreign salts to marine microbial communities.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: William Soto, Biology

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Biology

The Arvonia Formation is an important geologic unit in the central Virginia Piedmont. High-quality slate has been quarried from this unit for more than 200 years.  However, the age and depositional significance of the Arvonia Formation have been debated for well over a century.  The research is focused on an exceptional exposure of the Arvonia Formation at New Canton to determine the stratigraphic relationships between the Arvonia and Buffards Formation. Although these rocks are metamorphosed enough to contain garnets, primary sedimentary structures and fossils are preserved at this outcrop. For the methods, there was a detailed examination of the exposure, going over ~250 meters of rock, analyzing bedding and foliation, to create a geologic map. To complement this map, there will be a stratigraphic section and cross section. Currently, this research has identified a schistose quartzite layer, a quartzite layer, and a schistose phyllite layer, some sections that are overturned, and the depositional environment is interpreted to be a high-energy marine environment that experienced some changes in water level. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Geology

Advisor: Geology

Common Milkweed (A. syriaca) and other species in the Asclepias family rely on insects for pollination and offer nectar rewards in exchange for pollen dispersal. However, pollinator visitations have the potential to disperse nectar-feeding microbes, which may change the composition and concentration of sugars. These microbes consume the sugars in the nectar and produce enzymes that can break down these compounds. My project will focus on how sugar concentration and sugar type are affected by these volatile conditions. Utilizing the hanging drop method I wanted to understand how each naturally occurring Sucrose, Glucose, and Fructose affected pollen tube germination. From my previous study I anticipate that the most germination will occur in Sucrose and Glucose and the least in Fructose. To further understand the affects of Fructose on pollen tube germination, I combined Fructose in varying amounts to the other sugar types. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology

Advisor: Harmony Dalgleish, Biology

Chlorophyll, when consumed, can serve as an antioxidant, neutralizing reactive oxygen species that damage DNA and lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. This research examines chlorophyll's capability to be "recycled" through light reactions while in the body, allowing it to serve as an antioxidant multiple times. To study these reactions, I used two metabolic products of chlorophyll, chlorin e6 and pheophorbide A, and compared them to methylene blue, a widely studied photosensitizer.  The reactivity of these chlorophyll metabolites changes when bound to both chemical detergents as well as proteins that might be found in the bloodstream. Through UV/Visible spectroscopy, I found that binding to certain detergents or proteins protected chlorophyll metabolites against photobleaching, or damage from light exposure, and increased the amount of chlorophyll that reacted in the presence of light. I also found that these reactions are affected by the amount of oxygen present. My findings provide insight on the reactions and capabilities of dietary chlorophyll.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry

Advisor: Lisa Landino, Chemistry

The goal of this project was to develop an interactive application within Google Colab, a coding platform accessible to anyone with an internet connection, that would allow a student researcher to parse, visualize, and conduct experimental analyses on a large set of neuroscientific data. As Google Colab is typically used for analysing data in a team environment and not much more, much of this project relied on finding workarounds to the platform's limitations. As the site doesn't natively allow many features typically available when working with the Python language, like buttons, sliders, or similar interactive elements necessary for the app, much of the application was coded from scratch using HTML and Javascript together with Python. So far, the tool is able to use an existing study's EEG data to parse and visualize. Mass data collection to be used in the tool, as well as further development, is in progress.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience

Advisor: Paul Kieffaber, Neuroscience

Premenopausal women with high and intermediate risk hormone receptor (HR)+ breast cancer (BC) undergo treatment to induce near-complete estrogen deprivation (NCED) using ovarian function suppression (OFS) and an aromatase inhibitor. Additionally, premenopausal women with HR- BC may receive immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) as a part of treatment. In other populations, premature menopause is associated with adverse cardiovascular (CV) events. Additionally, other components of BC are known to be associated with CV morbidity. The long-term negative CV after-effects in women who have been treated with NCED therapy remain unknown. However, links between ICI and early, accelerated atherosclerosis have been documented. Aim 1 of the interim analysis is to characterize ventricular function and tissue characterization of the CROWN cohort at baseline with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Aim 2 is to describe the coronary calcium score from coronary computed tomography angiogram (CCTA). The CROWN cohort is enrolling women who have HR+ BC with plans to undergo NCED therapy as well as women with HR- BC who serve as controls. All participants completed planned chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation regimens prior to enrollment. Participants received an adenosine stress CMR to assess longitudinal changes in stress myocardial blood flow and a CCTA to quantify coronary calcium and plaque burden. No differences were observed for >/< mean age across all ventricular function and tissue characterization measures (p > 0.05 for all). Unexpected calcium was found in the CCTAs of one patient at baseline who was treated for HR- breast cancer and received immune checkpoint inhibitors. The calcium score was greater than 95th percentile for age/gender/race. Premenopausal HR+ and HR- breast cancer patients demonstrate similar LV function and tissue characterization at completion of cancer treatment; however, they may remain at higher risk for atherosclerosis from NCED therapy or ICI therapy.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry major, Biology minor

Advisor: Daniel Cristol, Biology

Is it possible to create a lighter material for less fuel consumption?

By utilizing synthetic 3D printed tapes, the strength to weight ratios are tested to determine if it is possible to create adhesive/epoxy free materials on a larger scale that will still be strong enough to withstand the weight of a large item while remaining lightweight to burn less fuel. The main method has been utilizing a computer code to 3D print different concentrations of ethyl acetate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene to simulate an epoxy free material with printed tapes aligning at different angles to find the ideal strength to weight ratio. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Neuroscience

Advisor: Hannes Schniepp, Applied Science

The goal of the project is to determine if: (1) the protein MK-STYX has a role in the pathways that can cause Ewings Sarcoma, and (2) if MK-STYX is required for the survival of the cells in a culture. This will be done by first testing if MK-STYX is present in the cells in multiple ways.. Once that's confirmed, MK-STYX will be knocked-out in half the cells, allowing for the cells expressing MK-STYX to be compared to the ones not expressing it. Since MK-STYX is consistently highly expressed in over half of Ewings Sarcoma tumors, it can be inferred that it has a major role in the survival of the cells. If this is the case, MK-STYX and its related pathway could be a target for chemotherapy in the future.  

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology major, biochemistry minor

Advisor: Shanta Hinton, Biology

This research investigates whether the kinase AKT plays a role in the phosphorylation of Ser1176 on eNOS, to uncover the signaling pathway during MEF. If AKT plays a role in eNOS phosphorylation, I expect to record decreased MEF, no increase in eNOS phosphorylation at Ser1176 or NO concentration during AKT blockage.

This investigation is significant because the mechanism of eNOS phosphorylation during MEF is unknown. Moreover, Ser1176 is the only site identified as important for eNOS function in arteries in vivo, such as during high flow-induced dilation, so understanding its regulation with other stimuli is valuable. In a broader context, eNOS phosphorylation is an important regulatory process that serves to activate the function of eNOS, which is to stimulate smooth muscle relaxation as part of MEF. This investigation’s insight into MEF is essential because this process is responsible for counteracting detrimental excessive sympathetic stimulation that occurs with diseases such as hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and heart failure.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Kinesiology and Health Sciences

Advisor: Robin Looft-Wilson, Kinesiology and Health Sciences

Quantum gravity is fraught with numerous conceptual and technical challenges. Motivated by an approach to quantum gravity rooted in stochastic processes, we analyze interactions In a stochastic description of certain quantum mechanical systems. A stochastic process includes a random contribution to the time evolution of a system. The randomness can be designed to reproduce the predictions of quantum mechanics. We test this idea In a system of two coupled harmonic oscillators. Using Mathematica, we simulate stochastic processes that describe mixing of two quantum mechanical harmonic oscillator modes. This analysis provides proof of principle that a stochastic description of states analogous to those relevant for quantum gravity agrees with expectations.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Physics

Advisor: Joshua Erlich, Physics

With climate change posing an immediate and increasingly dire threat to our environment, the search of new forms of green and renewable energy has never been more important. Solar panel energy is a very prevalent source of green, renewable energy, but it limited in its storage capabilities. My research focuses on storing solar energy in chemical bonds rather than solar panels by using light to reduce water into hydrogen gas, whose byproduct is only water. By creating and examining new manganese complexes for their photocatalytic and electrocatalytic capabilities, I attempt to emulate biological photosynthesis to create new photocatalytic systems and broaden our understanding of manganese as a photocatalyst. By testing pendant ligands consisting of interconnected amines, anilines, and pyridines, I have created and analyzed a completely new manganese crystal which does exhibit photocatalytic properties for hydrogen generation at small concentrations. This new complex will serve as a baseline for future manganese studies in this field.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry & Theatre

Advisor: William McNamara, Chemistry

Our research addresses how to use Density Functional Theory, an algorithm that produce the energy and optimal structure of molecules, to guide further research into our lab's general goal of indirectly studying metal-binding proteins. We can use this method to judge whether certain compounds would be feasible to use, as well as what solvent we should use with them. Additionally, it can help guide the theory behind why the molecules take the shape that they do. For example, we can see how switching Mercury for Cadmium in a molecule might change it's structure, even if we have trouble producing the Cadmium-containing molecule, at least in that specific form. This lets us compare and contrast the different metals to find out their quirks without needing the hassle of producing high-quality crystals. Experimental evidence is still preferable, but these techniques help us choose which experiments are worth running.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry & Physics

Advisor: Deborah Bebout, Chemistry

Proteins are molecules that perform a wide variety of functions within biological systems. They exist as polymers, molecules created from multiple individual subunits connected together. These subunits are called amino acids, of which 20 canonical varieties exist. However, protein function can be enhanced by the incorporation of various non-canonical amino acids, whose structures differ from the canonical set, often including functional groups not typically seen in proteins. These unusual functional groups can serve as a site for the targeted linking of proteins containing non-canonical amino acids to ligands in a way that avoids negative side reactions and products. However, the genetic methods required to incorporate non-canonical amino acids limits the number that can be incorporated. My project was to develop an amino acid that had two distinct functional groups instead of one that could be reacted separately, thereby helping to make more efficient use of a single incorporation site. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology major, Biochemistry minor

Advisor: Douglas Young, Chemistry

SUMO is a protein involved in the cellular stress response through its association with damaged or misfolded proteins. We investigated the effects of SUMO under normal and stressed conditions. To do this, we utilized a split GFP approach. One fragment of the green fluorescent protein is inserted into the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM), and another other is attached to a cytosolic protein of interest known to interact with SUMO. If the protein of interest comes in close proximity to the MOM, the two fragments form a functional, fluorescing protein. We hypothesize that, under stress, as SUMO levels increase, so will the cytosolic GFP signal of interacting proteins. We tested six different proteins and determined that Dim1, a ribosomal protein, interacts with the mitochondrial surface. When cells were subjected to heat stress, levels of mitochondrially localized Dim1 decreased. One possibility is that Dim1 is degraded in a SUMO-dependent fashion. As part of our ongoing research we will test if Dim1’s localization is SUMO-dependent and how its protein levels change after stress exposure.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology & Chemistry

Advisor: Oliver Kerscher, Biology

As a linker between the plasma membrane, actin, and myosin; Anillin helps drive cytokinesis in somatic cells. But what about its function in syncytial structures such as the C. elegans germline? Previous studies by A. Maddox and colleagues discovered that, the integrity of C. elegans’ oocyte-producing germline requires both canonical anillin (ANI-1) and a second, germline-specific homolog (ANI-2). ANI-2 is shorter and lacks actin-and myosin-binding domains. ani-2 null hermaphrodites have structurally destabilized gonads and produce multinucleate oocytes. Here we show ANI-2 localization in wildtype male gonads resembles that of the hermaphrodite gonad in the distal arm, but diverges into a distinct pattern in the proximal arm. ani-2 null spermatocytes exhibit multinucleation defects similar to those of oocytes. Nevertheless, ani-2 spermatocytes initiate meiotic divisions and form haploid nuclei, suggesting there is no checkpoint to halt the cell cycle in the absence of ANI-2. Recently we found that spe-6 mutants also produce multinucleate spermatocytes. SPE-6 is spermatogenesis-specific member of a large casein kinase 1 superfamily that serves diverse roles in spermatogenesis. spe-6 null spermatocytes become multinucleate during the karyosome stage. Diverging from the wildtype pattern, the proximal region of spe-6 rachis is narrower in diameter and lacks structural complexity. Our findings show that both ANI-2 and SPE-6 exert control over spermatocyte detachment in the male germline. Ongoing studies will explore a potential molecular connection between SPE-6 and ANI-2.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Beatrice Tynan: Biology & CAMS; Emily Larsen: Biology, Art

Advisor: Diane Shakes, Biology

Virginia’s Piedmont is a geological province characterized mainly by metamorphic rocks. Among these rocks is the Arvonia Slate, (which has been historically been used as roofing material); and the Buffards formation, a metamorphosed muscovite/schist conglomerate. Both these formations are found in Buckingham county, VA and were originally deposited during the Silurian period in basins that formed after the Taconian Orogeny, where ancient North America collided with a volcanic arc.

Some geologists, like N.H. Evans and J.D. Marr Jr., hypothesize that the Buffards formation is older than the Arvonia formation, while other geologists, like W.R. Brown and C.M. Bailey hypothesize that it is younger than the Arvonia formation.

Not much is known about the Buffards formation, so our goal is to further analyze the rocks using new geochronology techniques like U-Pb apatite dating, and geothermometers such as biotite-garnet and graphite. With these analyses we hope to gain a clearer understanding of the Buffards’ age, the conditions of formation, deformation, and metamorphism. Additionally, with the results we hope to finally settle the debate in the literature on the Buffards’ age.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Geology

Advisor: Christopher Bailey, Geology

My research analyzes the prevailing public health challenges in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, with a focus on identifying the implications and potential solutions. The Eastern Cape province has long struggled with a complex array of health issues, ranging from high burden communicable diseases to chronic non-communicable conditions.

My research highlights the impact of socioeconomic inequalities, limited healthcare infrastructure, environmental factors, and unequal distribution of resources as significant drivers of poor health outcomes. The implications of these health challenges on vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and marginalized communities, are thoroughly discussed. I also attempt to add the lens of the effect of apartheid on the current health situation in the Eastern Cape

Student Major(s)/Minor: Kinesiology major, Data Science minor

Advisor: Iyabo Obasanjo, Kinesiology

This project examines one of the environment's most daunting issues, eutrophication. Eutrophication is an issue in which excess nitrogen in the water creates an overgrowth of algae, which in turn creates areas of water with no oxygen. This kills fish, creates poor water quality, and harms overall environmental health. The sources of this nitrogen are septic systems, sewage, and fertilizer, all of which are present on Long Island. On Long Island, eutrophication threatens various important waterways that are essential not just to the ecosystem, but to the economy. This project's main question is what are the causes of eutrophication on Long Island, as well as the effects and solutions. This is examined via online research, as well as observations in nature. Solutions vary between more substantial methods that aim to reduce homeowners' nitrogen input, and more cost effective methods that reduce nitrogen once it enters the environment.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology & Environment and Sustainability

Advisor: James Kaste, Geology

X. laevis is a popular well-researched model organism in developmental biology. Natively from sub-Saharan Africa, these aquatic frogs typically dwell in freshwater ponds. However, despite these frogs spending much of their life in water, there has been little to no research done looking at the significance of water pressure on the frog’s embryonic development. To explore the potential effects of water pressure on X. laevis neural development, I collected X. laevis embryos and put 30 stage 10-11 embryos in a closed vessel filled with water, increasing the pressure inside the vessel to 30 psi for 2 hours using an air compressor. I then removed the embryos from the vessel and allowed them to grow out to a range of stages (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35) before fixing them for in-situ hybridization (ISH). For the control treatment group, I took 50 embryos from the same mating batch, grew them out to the same range of stages, and fixed them for ISH. Effects on neural gene expression were analyzed by assaying for Sox2, a crucial neural development gene, using ISH, and morphological effects on the developing central nervous system were analyzed by sectioning the hybridized embryos. Due to a weak probe, I was unable to evaluate the effect of water pressure on Sox2 gene expression. However, morphological examination of the sections shows that pressure did not affect the development of the neural tube and notochord in developing X. laevis embryos. This finding suggests that X. laevis embryos could still develop normally at deeper depths than they do in their natural habitat.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology 

Advisor: Margaret Saha, Biology

This project focuses on fossil specimens of a group of Triassic era reptiles called procolophonids from South Africa and eastern North America in the collections of the Smithsonian Museum of National History. These creatures lived between 265 to 201.3 million years ago. Over 50 anatomical traits will be measured and analyzed from the museum's specimens and the published literature to build a family tree (phylogeny) for these parareptiles, with a significant focus on traits from postcranial (non-skull) material. This study, accomplished in collaboration with Dr. Hans-Dieter Sues (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History), will help clarify the placement of this group in the larger reptile family tree and could help further understanding of their evolution in the aftermath of the destructive extinction event at the end of the Permian period.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Geology

Advisor: Rowan Lockwood, Geology

In our current society which is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, the need for an alternative green energy source continues to grow. This research project aims to partake in a highly promising category of renewable energy stored within the bonds of hydrogen gas. This is done by essentially mimicking a specific step in photosynthesis that turns a coenzyme known as NADP+ to NADPH by accepting a proton and electrons. We utilize a reaction utilizing the same concept known as hydrogen evolution reaction that involves combining protons into hydrogen gas. This procedure has already been found to be effective using platinum molecules and cheaper, alternative metals are being investigated to see if they can replicate the same success. Specifically, this project aims to use manganese, a relatively abundant metal, that can be tuned to a specific reaction by bonding it to an organic molecule called a ligand. In this case, we are bonding it to a redox-active Schiff-Base ligand to probe the activity of the resulting molecule categorized as a complex for this reaction.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Chemistry

Advisor: William McNamara, Chemistry

Kohnert polynomials are a family of polynomials that correspond to configurations of boxes in the first quadrant known as Kohnert diagrams. One can generate a “Kohnert poset” by performing a series of moves on a diagram that change the position of one box at a time; the poset is subsequently represented by the resulting collection of diagrams. This project focuses primarily on investigating when Kohnert posets are shellable, meaning the edges connecting diagrams in a poset can be labeled a certain way. Through generating Kohnert posets and looking at their associated Hasse diagrams, we were able to determine several structural results of posets that indicate shellability. We then used these structural results to investigate different families of Kohnert posets and established the conditions for which each is shellable. Two families looked at in particular were posets corresponding to Schubert and Key polynomials. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Mathematics

Advisor: Nicholas Russoniello, Mathematics

Previous studies have consistently demonstrated the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, yet few studies have evaluated the impact on other domains of sustainability including affordability and environmental impact. Identifying the tradeoffs between these sustainability domains will inform sustainable nutrition policy agendas. This study examined the relationship between the Mediterranean diet, environmental impact, and affordability. Nationally representative dietary data were retrieved from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013, 2018; n=17,589), greenhouse gas emissions were retrieved from dataFIELD, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured using the Mediterranean Diet Score algorithm. Linear regression models demonstrated that greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions but higher diet cost (P<0.001 for both comparisons). These results suggest that policymakers should consider the sustainability tradeoffs of diet patterns when formulating policy agendas.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Kinesiology and Health Sciences (Public Health Concentration) major, Mathematics minor

Advisor: Zach Conrad, Kinesiology and Health Sciences

I am investigating unidentified particulates found in Lake Matoaka water samples to identify their identity, prevalence, and potential source. I seek to learn if these fiber-like particulates are microplastics - serious environmental pollutants posing physical and chemical risks to the ecosystem as carcinogenic material, disease vectors, and biomagnified entities. Initial particulate observations range in length from 1mm to up to 5mm and have unnatural colorings consistent with microplastic pollution. To analyze, I am filtering Lake Matoaka water, using hydrogen peroxide to remove organic matter, and then analyzing the remaining particulates through microscopy. After confirming the existence of microplastic contamination in our college lake, I will begin to ask questions about their source. Knowledge of microplastic contamination in Lake Matoaka would also be invaluable to other scientific research at William and Mary. It may inform future understandings about local development, species behavior, and fundamental ecosystem characteristics - including risks to human health. 

Student Major(s)/Minor: Environment and Sustainability & Sociology

Advisor: James Kaste, Geology

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common type of congenital malformations and have the highest fetal and neonatal mortality rates. Efforts to study genetic causes of CHD are relevant, as approximately 55% of CHD patients do not have a molecular diagnosis despite such prevalence and penetrance. This project built a database of genes known to be associated with CHD. These were then analyzed for overlap with genomic data from a cohort of neonates with CHD. Recurrence of variants in the neonatal cases provided evidence for lethality in specific regions (22q11.2 deletion syndrome, etc.) and also presented novel candidate genes. This database-cohort approach optimizes the search for genetic causes of lethality in neonates with CHD and raises awareness to novel genes of interest. Developing this database into a publicly accessible website could facilitate clinical diagnoses and appropriate genetic counseling for families experiencing prenatal and/or neonatal losses associated with CHD.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Biology major, Sociology minor

Advisor: Shantá Hinton, Biology

Nest monitoring of the near threatened Amazona barbadensis, colloquially referred to as the Lora, was conducted during a single breeding season from May through September in the Caribbean Netherlands. We accessed nests by rappel in the cliffs of Bonaire to identify clutch size, determine hatching success, and conduct health checks of chicks at various stages of development. Our data collection facilitated the fostering of chicks with wild conspecifics—parrots of the same species—as a conservation strategy mid-season in July to increase their likelihood of fledging. This technique has been successfully implemented with wild Scarlet Macaws in Peru, as well as a single Yellow-Shouldered Amazon in Bonaire two breeding seasons ago. Fostering is likely to have been carried out with various parrot species in other countries as well, though there is little published literature. Findings from this season’s fieldwork reinforce the suggestion that fostering may be a promising approach for the recovery of vulnerable parrot populations by improving chick survivability in the wild.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Linguistics & Data Science

Advisor: John Swaddle, Biology