Undergraduate Research Day Projects
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Organized by the University of Houston Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards, Undergraduate Research Day is an annual event showcasing exceptional scholarship undertaken by the UH undergraduate community.
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Browsing Undergraduate Research Day Projects by Department "Biology and Biochemistry, Department of"
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Item A Black Death: Can Relic Oysters Be Used in Restoration Efforts?(2018-10-18) Sanchez-Ruffra, RachelThe eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, plays an important role in estuarine ecosystems, but populations have been decimated compared to historic levels. Large storm events, including hurricanes, periodically eliminate populations through freshwater input and sediment deposition, leading to death and entombment of shell in sediments. Buried within anoxic sediments, shells turn “black”, and with limited shell for restoration, resource managers have dredged this alternative substrate for larval settlement. Value for “black” shell to facilitate larval recruitment is unknown and this study examined the effectiveness of “black” sun cured shell, freshly removed “black” oyster shell, and normal restoration shell, taking into account background oyster population demographics. Oyster recruitment was significantly greater on sun cured black shell, algal growth on shells was ubiquitous among treatments, and larval recruitment was extremely limited. No significant difference was found from recorded oyster population characteristics, as they were similar to levels after initial construction. This suggests sun cured black shell can be utilized for restoration efforts, but immediate dredging efforts may be impractical. Further, the impact from large storms, such as Hurricane Harvey, can impact settlement substrate and larval supply, thus, resource managers should consider both factors when implementing future restoration efforts.Item A long-acting Betaarrestin “biased” agonist to selectively activate AT1R to confer cardioprotection during heart failure and COVID-19 cardiovascular complications(2022-04-14) Medina, BryanIn patients with Heart Failure (HF) and COVID-19 induced HF, the principal hallmark is a depressed cardiac ejection fraction. Cardiac contractility is mediated through G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCR). A critical cardiac GPCR that mediates cardiac contractility is the Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor (AT1R). In the cardiovascular system, homeostasis is maintained by the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS). An overactivation of the RAAS triggers an increase of Angiotensin II (AngII) and overactivation of AT1R, resulting in vasoconstriction, sodium retention and altered myocyte growth. These factors cause cardiac remodeling (ventricular hypertrophy and dilation) which overall leads to HF. Advancements in drug discovery are leading towards long-acting beta arrestin biased agonist that can simultaneously block AngII - mediated hypertension via AT1R-G alpha q-protein and activate cardioprotective AT1R-Betaarrestin. Activation of AT1R-beta arrestin will provide better therapeutic outcomes than other currently available non-selective drugs. At least two signaling pathways have been characterized for AT1Rs, G alpha q-protein and beta arrestin2. Signaling through the canonical pathway, AngII binds to AT1Rs to recruit Galphaq which causes cell injury. Alternatively, AngII binds to AT1Rs to recruit beta arrestin2 and induces cell protection. Our work will characterize the pharmacological properties of our synthesized peptide-based drugs for beta arrestin2 biased agonism to AT1Rs. We expect to develop a therapeutic drug that provides greater selectivity to ATR1-beta arrestinmediated signaling to increase cardiac contractility in failing hearts and prevent myocardial infarction in patients with COVID-19.Item A native Coreopsis variant competes more strongly against the invasive Verbena brasiliensis(2023-04-13) Nguyen, Minh KhueOrganic light- emitting diodes (OLEDs) are the top-performing technology for flat-panel color displays in smartphones and televisions. Cyclometalated iridium complexes are the most successful class of phosphorescent metal complexes used to produce light in OLEDs. Currently, blue-phosphorescent iridium complexes are the most challenging due to the requirement of the high HOMO-LUMO energy gaps. Strong s-donors are targeted as a supporting ligand for blue-emitting compounds. Acyclic diaminocarbene (ADC) and other strong s-donors ancillary ligands derived from isocyanide precursors are hypothesized to improve the phosphorescence efficiency. Understand the effects of these ancillary ligands on photophysical properties are the key to producing better blue-phosphorescent iridium complexes which are suitable for OLEDs application. Cycolometating ligands are used to control phosphorescence color and fluorinated 2-phenyl pyridine ligands are known to give blue phosphorescence. So fluorinated 2-phenyl pyridine-based cyclometalating ligands are used in this study and paired with different ancillary ligands installed by reactions between azide and isocyanides. Aryl isocyanide ligands with different electronic characteristics (CNAr-dmp, CNAr-NO2, CNAr-OMe, CNtBu) were used to produce different bis-cyclometaled iridium bis-isocyanide complexes. Then the bis-cyclometalated iridium bis-isocyanide complexes react with sodium azide (NaN3) in different solvents (CH2Cl2, CH3CN) at different conditions. This process produces new luminescent structures. These complexes have unique structures but were not obtained by the traditional synthesis route and they have unusual photophysical properties.Item ALCAM Deficiency Dampens Renal Inflammation in Lupus Nephritis(2022-04-14) Nune, RadhaSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, autoimmune disease affecting many organs. In nearly 50% of patients with SLE, the disease progresses to lupus nephritis (LN), a severe complication of SLE that increases the risk of end-stage kidney disease and mortality. There is no cure for LN, and the pathogenesis of the disease remains incompletely understood. In a comprehensive screening of over 1000 urine proteins, the activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) was identified as a top molecule elevated in the urine of patients with active LN compared to healthy controls. Expressed on antigen presenting cells, ALCAM serves as CD6 ligand. ALCAM binds CD6, resulting in recruitment of signaling factors such as SLP-76 and GADs that enhance TCR signaling. It also activates several MAPK pathways related to T cell activation, proliferation, differentiation, and infiltration into inflamed renal tissues. Such upregulated T cell activity contributes to end organ disease by promoting autoantibody production, subsequently leading to B cell differentiation and expansion. Despite its significant modulation of immunity, the precise role of ALCAM in the development of LN remains unknown. Given ALCAM's published function in autoimmunity, we examined whether the development of LN is contingent upon the presence of ALCAM. We anticipate that our study will shed light on ALCAM's role as a key pathogenic player and potential therapeutic agent in lupus nephritis.Item Alleviating the Maternal Mortality Epidemic Caused by Preeclampsia Through CHW Based Interventions(2019) Ahmed, SarahMaternal mortality rates in the US have been consistently rising and are currently higher than any other developed nation. Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, affects about 18% of pregnancies worldwide [13], and 60% of preeclampsia deaths had a good to strong chance of being prevented [6]. A DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) model was created to show causes and effects of preeclampsia and to see where in the pathway an intervention would be most effective. Stories were collected from women to get a perspective of the issue through the lens of those experiencing it. Based on the DAG model and the stories, a two pronged intervention was designed. One prong focused on health professionals while the other focused on the public. A simulated city modeled after Houston was created to see how many people were affected by the condition, how many deaths were expected, and how necessary the intervention was. On this basis, it was found that raising awareness and teaching the population how to be their own advocate, how to deal with medical professionals, and preventative measures they could be taking to prevent any complications was the best method to help decrease the number of preeclampsia-related deaths.Item Amino Acid purification and Single-Molecule FRET study of tRNA translocation(2019) Kapadia, Taher; Lin, RanUnderstanding the basic translational mechanisms of the ribosome during protein translation is essential to developing novel chemical defenses against the increasing amount of anti-biotic resistant bacteria. To study the fundamentals of the protein building process, we can employ smFRET studies which require debris-free, pure samples of amino acids, the building blocks of all proteins. Our experiment focused on the overexpression and purification of the Glutamic Acid tRNA and its translocation in the ribosome. This was accomplished by inserting a Glutamic Acid sequence into a vector plasmid through a series of digestion and ligation reactions. The recombinant plasmid was then overexpressed in E. Coli and the tRNA was purified through chloroform extraction, gel filtration, and ion-exchange chromatography. The pure sample was used to make a ribosome complex and the translocation of Glutamic Acid from the A site in the ribosome to the P site was studied through smFRET. From the results, it was concluded that the ribosome can efficiently process the Glutamic Acid tRNA when a frameshifting motif is not present. This raises the question of what may occur if frameshifting motifs are added into an mRNA transcript and how this may affect the trans-locational process of glutamic acid. The future of this study should target the translational process in the presence of frameshifting motifs to identify targets which can halt the building of the proteins. Studies attempting to apply such mechanisms to cells in a host should, however, be mindful that both the bacterial and host ribosomes are susceptible to frameshifting which may limit or complicate discovery of target sites.Item An Analysis Characterizing the composition of the Corneal Limbal Epithelial Stem Cell Niche (LSCN)(2022-04-14) Parsaie, ArianLimbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) are required for the long-term maintenance of the corneal epithelium and are required to regenerate the corneal epithelium after injury.The loss or damage to LESCs or the LSCN can lead to Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). LSCD causes corneal erosions, neovascularization, and conjunctivalization of the cornea, which leads to ocular pain and vision loss. Hyaluronan (HA) is a constituent of the LSC Niche (LSCN) that is necessary for maintaining LESCs in their stem cell state. My research this summer focused on characterizing the HA-specific LSCN by identifying HA-bound proteins and proteoglycans (PGs) within the limbal region of human and porcine corneas. HA bound proteins and proteoglycans (PGs) were extracted from the central corneas and limbal region. Firstly, we dissected the corneas and used chaotropic agents and mechanical trituration to homogenize the tissues. Then, an anion exchange chromatography was used to isolate HA bound proteins and PGs. Finally, samples were desalted and concentrated.Total protein/PG extracts were analyzed by Western Blotting and agarose gel electrophoresis. Additionally, human corneas were processed for histological analysis. Inter-Alpha Inhibitor (IaI), a molecule that forms specific HA matrices with anti-inflammatory properties, was identified in our samples by both Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Future studies will work on characterizing the role of this HA/IaI or HA/TSG-6/IaI matrix within the corneal limbus. Characterizing the role of the LSCN is vital for establishing novel mechanisms for treating LSCDItem An Investigation into Patterns of Scaling Among Morphological Traits(2018-10-18) Mai, SarahProper scaling of morphological traits to body size is necessary for ecological function. Individuals with better nutrition grow larger body sizes and traits, whereas individuals with poor nutrition develop smaller body sizes and traits. However, morphological scaling relationships may differ among traits. Fly wing size scales approximately 1:1 with body size, whereas traits such as beetle horns have a larger trait to body size ratio and insect genitalia has a smaller trait to body size ratio. Changes in the slopes of such scaling relationships result in morphological evolution, but the role of development in the expression of scaling relationships and how variations in development will influence the changes in scaling are unknown. Individual Drosophila melanogaster from isogenic lines were subjected to different diets in the larvae stage to produce the complete size range for each genotype. The wing and body size of these individuals were measured and used to fit genotype-specific scaling relationships. We will investigate the scaling of other morphological traits in the lineages that exhibit the steepest and most shallow slopes for wing: body size scaling, to determine if scaling across traits is correlated within a genotype. Such correlations may suggest that the same alleles regulate scaling for multiple traits, suggesting a restriction on the independent evolution of morphological scaling relationships.Item An Investigation into the Correlation between PM 2.5 and Low Birth Weight Rates in Texas(2020-09-29) James, Anjali; Jimenez, Ashley; Juhas, Claire; Mandviwala, Sakina; Sanati, SalarStudies from countries such as Brazil and the Czech Republic show pregnancy and infant abnormalities relating to an increased concentration of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 in the atmosphere for inhalation by mothers during the second trimester. Texas has been highlighted as one of the United States’ most polluted states due to excess petrochemical and manufacturing facilities, which emit PM 2.5 along with other carcinogens. This study evaluates the impacts of PM 2.5 emissions on the newborn population in Texas by comparing regional emissions data to reported Low Birthweight (LBW) Rates of newborns across Texas. Average PM 2.5 measurements are taken in micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m^3) throughout different regions where air monitors are distributed, sorted by county. Low Birth-weight Rates are identified as the average population of reported newborns under 2,500 grams in a given year per county. Furthermore, this study identifies the top PM 2.5 emission sites in Texas throughout the years of 2014-2018 and compares them to trends in their yearly county LBW rate. LBW has been linked to increasing complications with age including diabetes and heart disease. The findings of this study can provide further insight onto whether Texas, who receives one of the highest funding allocations for air quality monitoring and pollution control of any state by the EPA, should redistribute a bulk of its funding from monitoring to preventative measures in PM 2.5 pollution due to harmful links associated with these prenatal inhalants by mothers.Item Analysis of Early Myelin Development in the Central Nervous System(2018-10-18) Sidiq, SaadMyelin, produced by oligodendrocytes (OLGs), is the major factor for the stability of neural transmission in the central nervous system (CNS). The interaction between axons and OLGs has been of interest in determining factors to increase myelination. This study aims to examine genes that may be responsible for this increase in early postnatal development. Expression level results show that genes responsible for mitochondrial transport protein stability and axonal outgrowth (MIRO1 and TRIO, respectively) were significant in early postnatal development, while the gene involved in OLG process extension through actin cytoskeletal rearrangement was significant in late postnatal development (ERMN). Results from this study can serve as preliminary data for others studies concerning factors affecting myelination, with applications to treatment of de-myelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. This project was completed with contributions from Philip Horner, Scientific Director for the Center for Neuroregneration at the Houston Methodist Research Institute.Item Androgen receptor mutation affects testes organization in an African cichlid A. burtoni(2022-04-14) Mathews, MarkAndrogen receptors (AR) are a ligand-dependent transcription factor that modulate the expression of androgen target genes. Androgens are hormones that bind to ARs and are essential to reproductive development and fertility. Past research illustrates that mutations in AR lead to small testes, disorganization of seminiferous tubules, and delay the process of spermatogenesis. The objective of this research is to investigate how the mutation of both ARalpha and ARbeta affect the organization of the testes and the process of spermatogenesis in the African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni. Firstly, we used a cryostat to section the testes at a thickness of 10 microns. Once the slides were dry, we conducted a Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain on the tissue in order to differentiate cell types. Photomicrographs were then taken of multiple sections in each testis and a grid of randomly generated points was overlaid. The cell type underneath 50 points was counted on a random section of the tissue; cell types of spermatogonia, spermatids, spermatozoa, and interstitial tissue were quantified as a measure of spermatogenesis. The homozygous ARalpha;ARbeta mutants appear to have numerous holes relative to the wild type (WT) testes and this will be quantified in the future. Furthermore, quantifications of cell types will be analyzed between WT and mutants in the future as well as the fertility of the sperm of the mutants.Item Antibody-Functionalized Nanophosphor Particles for Use as Reporters in Lateral Flow Assays(2017-10-12) Hasan, Aisha; Goux, Heather; Trabuco, JoãoThe main goal of this project was to identify important buffer components that improve the performance of nanophosphor reporters in a lateral flow assay. A model system based on the capture of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) by two antibodies: monoclonal mouse anti-β hCG antibodies (Arista Biologicals, item # ABBCG-0402) and goat polyclonal anti-α hCG antibodies (Arista Biologicals, item # ABACG-0500). The principles of partial factorial design of experiments were used to screen common buffer additives. Comparing the relative effect of such components is key to develop better buffer formulations that enhance the performance of nanophosphor-based LFAs. Furthermore, relating the effects of certain buffer components to its mechanism of action could also shed a light on the interactions involved in the assay such as specific and nonspecific interactions or liquid diffusion through a porous membrane.Item Aspects Affecting the Expression of Hypoxia-Inducible Factors in Cardiomyocytes(2018-10-18) Vo, JenniferBy comparing the immunofluorescent images of each of the wells containing cells in different conditions, we can compare signals that are relevant to diabetic cardiomyopathy change HIF expression, activity, or localization. The cells were put in normal media, CoCl₂, or isoproterenol, and were transfected with HA HIF-1α and HA HIF-2α. We added only the 2nd antibody to one of the wells for a negative control. The signals from this well would show how much of the other signals should be expected as background. We knew from prior research that CoCl₂ should increase HIF expression and used cells in CoCl₂ as a positive control. The mouse HIF-1α antibody (ab113642) can be detected using cyanine 5 dye (CY5) because it emits a wavelength of 488. Similarly, the rabbit HIF-2α antibody (PA1-16510) can be detected using green fluorescent protein (GFP) due to its wavelength of 647. The results supported previous studies from other cell types. The cells in CoCl₂ were transfected with HIF-1α and HIF-2α overexpressed the HIFs in comparison to those in normal media. Additionally, we found that cells treated to induce hypertrophy also may increase HIF expression.Item Assessing a Possible Regulatory Network of Obp56h in Drosophila Melanogaster(2022-04-14) Mai, AlexanderMating behavior is a complex phenotype that can be controlled by changes in gene expression. Odorant binding proteins, such as Obp56h, are involved in male mating performance in Drosophila melanogaster. Obp56h allows an inhibitory sex pheromone to be sensed by males, making them less inclined to mate. As Obp56h expression decreases, courtship latency also decreases. However, the regulatory pathway that controls the gene's expression is not well understood. Here we show that CG2120, a gene that is negatively co-expressed with Obp56h, may be regulating Obp56h expression. We find that in CRISPR/Cas9 overexpression of CG2120 in males with Apolpp and Elav drivers for Gal4 resulted in decreased courtship latency when mated with Canton S virgin females but not significantly with Oregon R. We also find that the Apolpp-Gal4 lines had a higher percentage of successfully mated males than the Elav-Gal4 lines. Our results align with the hypothesis that CG2120 may be negatively regulating Obp56h and therefore, decreasing courtship latency. We anticipate that further data collection to the behavioral assay will substantiate our findings. Changes in Obp56h expression have not been studied, and fertility is currently being studied. Further workup using qRT-PCR will enable us to quantify whether Obp56h expression decreases in upregulated CG2120 groups. Obp56h expression is a fitness-related phenotype making it relevant to understanding the evolution of mating behavior.Item Assessing and Expanding Gynecological Knowledge(2021-04-01) Pham, KalaSeveral adolescent gynecology clinics and local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), it has become clear there is a lack of adequate access to helpful gynecologic information in Houston for adolescent girls. Gynecologic issues can have a significant impact on a girl’s upbringing, and studies reveal that many girls miss multiple days of school due to gynecologic-related issues. We have the potential to improve school attendance and empower adolescent girls with knowledge about their bodies, helping to break down the sense of taboo surrounding women’s health, thereby building their confidence.This research project aims to better understand the scope of the lack of accurate gynecologic information for girls in the Greater Houston community by learning from various health care teams that care for them. By initially assessing the needs from those with whom young girls seek care for a variety of health-related issues and preventive care, this research will contribute to an improved understanding of adolescent gynecologic knowledge deficits which will aid future research and community outreach. By understanding this issue more, we can begin to understand which topics are most important to disseminate into communities and begin to acquire ideas for improvement or innovation in methods of communication with adolescent girls and their caregivers. Based on the proposal, the project aims to improve the health of young girls and to empower them with knowledge that will benefit them throughout their lifetime.Item Assessing and Expanding Gynecological Knowledge in Houston Communities(2022-04-14) Pham, KalaAssess the perceived gap in gynecological health knowledge for adolescent girls, determine what medical resources are commonly used by adolescent girls, and determine what type of health education is most effective to potentially help promote access to accurate information regarding adolescent gynecologic concerns based on our analysis. The overall goal of this work is to contribute to an improved understanding of adolescent gynecologic knowledge deficits and create a community program that can provide health education and change health behaviors for adolescent girls.Item Assessing the Function and Control of miR-322(424)/503 on Skeletal Muscle(2018-10-18) DesJarlais, Alex; Syed, AnamMuscle atrophy, a common complication of many diseases such as cancer, COPD, and heart failure, has no effective treatment approaches to date. Recently, we identified miR-322/503 as a significant regulator of muscle homeostasis and may play an important role in muscular degenerative diseases. Our objective is to explore the phenotypes and mechanisms of skeletal muscle-specific overexpression and the knock-out of miR-322/503. We found that miR-322/503 regulated skeletal muscle homeostasis through inhibition of elF4E and elF4G1, which are two critical components in translation initiation process.Item AWSEM Studies of Cyclophillin A Evolving Pseudogenes(2020-09-29) Allison, MichaelPseudogenes are defined as nonfunctional relatives of their protein coding parent genes that give us a glimpse at former coding genes that were under selection pressure, and now are neutrally evolving. By looking at multiple pseudogenes of a parent gene, we can see snapshots of evolution with dying genes and genes that are regaining function. This research aims to analyze and compare the energetic landscapes of pseudogenes and their respective parents in a way that has never been done in literature. Five pseudogene candidates demonstrating various levels of activity were obtained from the biologically important Cyclophilin A protein family. AWSEM Suite was chosen to predict the pseudogene protein structures which was compared directly against the parent gene structure. Our analysis of the different pseudogene structures found high similarity when compared to the parent crystal structure. Our analysis of the evolutionary energies showed that energies are lower between pseudogenes and parents as expected. We conclude that pseudogenes still maintain the structure of their parent gene (have similar physical energies) despite mutations and varying activity levels and that pseudogenes have more unstable evolutionary energies compared to their parents. This research only explored one protein family that had a complete protein family structure and multiple pseudogenes for testing. In the future, research should be expanded to more protein families and analyze the full sequence of pseudogenes. This project was completed with contributions from Hana Jaafari from Rice University.Item Azaaporphines: Creating A Novel Subclass of Aporphine Alkaloid Derivatives(2020-09-29) Martinez, AndreAporphine are a class of alkaloids that share a distinguishing rigid tetracyclic ring structure. While analogs of this class are found as natural products in a variety of different plant families, others are derived synthetically by researchers enticed by their broad biological properties. Properties ranging from being anti-cancer agents to treatment of advanced stage Parkinson’s disease. Hundreds of these alkaloids have been isolated and tested, however, there are no known examples of an aporphine which has a pyridine incorporated into its framework: an azaaporphine. After identifying two key intermediate compounds, we utilized a previously established reaction scheme to synthesize these stepping stones toward our final product. We have acquired and isolated these two intermediate compounds to construct the tetrahydroisoquinoline structure required for the final phenol arylation reaction that gives us an azaaporphine. Concurrently, we ran ligand similarity search within the Protein Data Base (PDB) to reveal potential biological targets of azaaporphines. We found that the enzyme phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) has reported inhibitors similar to our compounds so we ran molecular docking simulations against it. This allowed us to determine binding affinity and several interactions between the enzyme and our compounds, revealing that PDE10A is a potential target of azaaporphines. In establishing the synthetic methodology of azaaporphine alkaloids, we are creating a novel sub-class of compounds with distinct properties and trailblazing a new pathway for others to explore and employ azaaporphines in new discoveries.Item Be Free. Beat H. Pylori.(2019) Gligorova, Christina; Kandhadai, Anuttham; Isola, DeborahBe Free. Beat. H. Pylori aims to combat H. Pylori infection in our local communities. Our initiative seeks to raise awareness and empower vulnerable populations to take action towards a healthier future.