Biology
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/2053
2024-03-29T00:52:50ZEvaluating Template-Switch Mutations (TSM) in E.Coli After Treatment with Dexamethasone, an FDA-Approved Anti-Inflammatory Drug
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/2973
Evaluating Template-Switch Mutations (TSM) in E.Coli After Treatment with Dexamethasone, an FDA-Approved Anti-Inflammatory Drug
Hubisz, Leigha-Mae
This presentation will provide an overview of an experiment to discover potential side-effects of current FDA-approved drugs, Dexamethasone, that can cause mutations in DNA. Mutations in DNA can change the structure and function of cells. DNA can transform into non-β form structures that stall replication and cause genomic instability. Quasi-palindromes (QP) are imperfect inverted repeats of DNA sequences which can block the DNA replication fork during DNA synthesis. If the DNA replication fork is blocked by quasi-palindrome structures, DNA polymerase can use an alternative method to continue DNA replication, called “template-switching,” which results in a perfect palindrome – a perfect inverted repeat of DNA. There is limited research for template-switch mutagenesis which tests selected FDA-approved drugs to understand the effect of TSM. The goal of this research project is to investigate the cellular effects of Dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid, which prevents the release of DNA, in quasi-palindrome mutations using E. coli as the model organism. The aim is to understand the consequence of selected drugs in template-switching quasi-palindrome mutations to increase our knowledge of the potential side effects for current FDA-approved drugs.
2023-05-01T00:00:00ZCharlotte Nichols Saunders Horner, trailblazing botanist
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/2926
Charlotte Nichols Saunders Horner, trailblazing botanist
Delissio, Lisa; Hall, Lindsay
While little known within today’s botanical community, Charlotte Nichols Saunders Horner (July 5, 1823 - July 18, 1906) was among the most highly accomplished American botanists of her time. Active during a fertile period for botany, this adventurous woman rose to become an expert on the plants of the Northeast United States and Colorado. She was one of only a handful of women in the Northeast United States to publish in scientific journals during this period, the first woman to give a scientific talk for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society which had been active for more than 50 years, and the first person to be awarded its silver medal for native plants. An active collector for longer than 30 years, more than 1300 of Horner’s herbarium specimens still exist and add value to more than a dozen scientific collections. Unusually for a woman of her time, she was paid for her expertise through her highly successful academic botanical supply business. Charlotte Horner’s contributions continue to influence science at an international scale.
2023-05-01T00:00:00ZTiny Earth: Studentsourcing Antibiotic Discovery
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/2654
Tiny Earth: Studentsourcing Antibiotic Discovery
Marashio, Kristina
There is a dire need for new antibiotics to treat antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. With the assistance of the course-based research experience Tiny Earth, isolates of antibiotic-producing bacteria discovered in BIO 304 Microbiology & Its Applications during Spring 2021 at Salem State University will be further characterized. This characterization may include performing 16S rDNA PCR identification of soil isolates, characterization of the secondary metabolites from these isolates by chemical extraction and testing the metabolites on ESKAPE safe relatives to confirm growth inhibitory activity, and testing the chemical extracts on eukaryotic systems, namely cultured mammalian cells for cytotoxic effects. The ultimate goal of this analysis is to contribute potentially novel antibiotic-producing soil bacterial species to the Tiny Earth database to help in the discovery of new antibiotics.
2022-05-01T00:00:00ZA Literature Review Of Effects Of Concussions On The Brain And Mental Health Of Athletes
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/2633
A Literature Review Of Effects Of Concussions On The Brain And Mental Health Of Athletes
Devine, Tyler
This literature review investigates the effects concussions have on the brain and mental health of athletes. The mechanism of concussions is described as how it affects the brain and some possible cellular effects. Then several studies are highlighted in the major contact sports of football and soccer as well as a comparison of the rate of concussions in men's versus women's sports. It is also pointed out that concussions occur much more often in competition than in practice sessions. The analysis shows there's a strong correlation between concussions and mental issues such as anxiety, depression, behavioral and emotional changes. Functional Neurocognitive Imaging is a new technique used in detecting concussion injuries and can be used to develop a treatment plan for injured individuals. It is also pointed out that concussions can lead to serious disorders like Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), Second Impact Syndrome (SIS) and Parkinson's Disease, but with the correct amount of treatment and recovery time, athletes can go back to living their life normally without the fear of future mental backlash from their initial concussion.
2022-05-01T00:00:00Z