Tag: Poster 18

Runx2b Transgene Expressing the Peb2A2 Isoform Shows Spatially Restricted Expression in the Developing Zebrafish Craniofacial Skeleton

Presenter: Nathan Johnson

Mentor: April DeLaurier

PM Poster Presentation

Poster 18

Transgenic techniques have revolutionized the study of cellular, developmental, and molecular biology by allowing researchers to visualize the proteins they study in vivo. When expressed in skeletal elements of the zebrafish (Danio rerio), transgenes allow us to explore cell behavior and the genetic pathways involved in craniofacial morphogenesis. Here we discuss a runx2b transgenic line generated with BAC mediated recombination that expresses 1 of 3 runx2b isoforms, pebp2A2. As an early gene in specifying skeletal cell identity, pebp2A2 expression predicts pre-osteoblasts and pre-chondrocytes. Pebp2A2 expression in progenitor cell populations pre-specifies osteoblasts and chondrocytes prior to expression of other known markers in the skeletogenic pathway, such as sp7, the earliest marker of osteoblast identity. Through the use of spinning disc confocal microscopy, we describe pebp2A2’s spatial and temporal expression in specifying osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Understanding the early specification of osteoblasts will allow us to interpret mutants such as the mef2ca mutant – a mutant with ectopic and mis-patterned craniofacial bones. Subsequent research with the runx2b transgenic line will help us to elucidate the role of the runx2b signaling pathway in ossification and patterning the skeleton.

Determining the Effects of Essential Amino Acid Supplementation for Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients

Presenter : Caitlin Gibson

Mentor : Hans Dreyer

Major : Human Physiology

Poster 18

Osteoarthritis affects 60% of the US population over 65 years of age. Total Knee Arthroscopy (TKA), used to mitigate osteoarthritis knee pain, is the leading cause of hospitalization for adults, ages 45-84 years old. The most significant clinical barrier following TKA surgery is persistent muscle atrophy and weakness. Previous research has shown that essential amino acid (EAA) ingestion is a potent means to stimulate muscle protein synthesis in older adults. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of twice-daily ingestion of 20g of EAA for 1 week prior to, and for 2 weeks post-TKA, on muscle mass, strength, and functional mobility. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), isometric quadriceps strength and functional mobility were obtained at baseline, 2 and 6 weeks post-TKA from older adults supplemented with EAA or placebo. RESULTS: Quadriceps muscle atrophy was greater in the placebo group at 2 and 6 weeks post-surgery. The intervention group had significantly less loss in quadriceps strength and performed significantly better at 2 and 6 weeks post-surgery on functional mobility tests. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that TKA surgery is associated with significant muscle atrophy, declines in muscle strength and reductions in functional mobility. Our findings will help us to better understand the potential for EAA supplementation in order to attenuate muscle loss and boost recovery of muscle mass, strength and function follow- ing TKA in older adults.

Analyzing the Deployment of Secure Routing Protocols at Internet Scale

Presenter: Braden Hollembaek

Mentor: Kevin Butler

Poster: 18

Major: Computer Science 

With large-scale attacks occurring at alarming frequency, the current state of Internet routing security has proven to be inadequate. Various security modifications to the current protocols have been proposed to help mitigate this problem, but none have seen widespread support or adoption due, in part, to the lack of investigative research on the high demands of bandwidth and cryptographic processing power required by these protocols. The purpose of this study is to provide the critical and independent analysis necessary to determine the feasibility and effect of deploying secure routing protocols across the highest levels of the Internet. By creating software capable of simulating all of the world’s routing traffic, we are able to analyze the additional bandwidth consumed by multiple secure protocols as well as increased load placed on the CPUs. As the research progresses, we will be comparing various secure protocol specifications to determine which security features are the best candidates for adoption and which are not well-suited for use at Internet scale. Based on their efficiency for real-world deployment while not compromising their security, we will be able to make strong recommendations on which protocol suite will be the most practical for implementation going forward.

Role of Endothelin Pathway in Enteric Nervous System Development and Hirschsprung Disease

Presenter: Parham Diba

Mentors: Julia Ganz and Judith Eisen, Biology

Poster: 18

Major: Human Physiology 

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is the largest part of the peripheral nervous system, containing about 400–600 million neurons in humans. It comprises a complex network of neurons and glia and controls intestinal functions, such as motility. Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a multifactorial congenital disease in which distal intestine is uninnervated and immotile. A variety of signaling pathways, including the endothelin signaling pathway, regulate ENS development during embryonic stages. In mouse, Endothelin3 and endothelin receptor type B regulate ENS development and mutations in these genes are found in some HSCR patients. However, there are still open questions about how the endothelin pathway is involved in ENS development, such as how it affects progenitor migration and neuronal subtype differentiation. To test the role of the endothelin pathway in ENS development, we are generating zebrafish mutants in components of the endothelin pathway using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology. We are currently creating zebrafish mutants in several different endothelin ligands and endothelin converting enzyme 1 and we have generated a mutant in the endothelin receptor gene ednrb1b. We will then analyze the phenotypes of these mutants to learn how ENS progenitor migration and differentiation are affected. Our strategy will enable us to explore the role of endothelin signaling pathway genes in ENS development and to determine if mutations in these genes lead to an HSCR-like phenotype.

The Implementation of Organic, Industrial-Scale Fertilizer Production

Presenter: Josephine Kinney

Faculty Mentor: Galen Martin

Presentation Type: Poster 18

Primary Research Area: Social Science

Major: Environmental Studies, Spanish

Large-scale industrial mono-cropping is currently the primary form of agriculture to feed our growing global population of 7.4 billion people. Nonetheless, over 25% of the world population is undernourished and 48.1 million Americans live in food-insecure households. My research began with the goal of creating a more sustainable agricultural system that can reduce global hunger and improve environmental and human health by switching from synthetic fertilizer

to organic fertilizer application. Synthetic fertilizers are more commonly used but are petroleum-based and are associated with a variety of long-term problems such as soil erosion, acidification, and animal and human health effects. Furthermore, there is a 93.6% correlation between oil and food prices, signifying that rising oil prices drive food prices higher and will increase food insecurity. In this study I found that organic fertilizer can actually produce higher crop yields than synthetic fertilizer, both immediately and long-term, and are not affiliated with oil prices. The primary challenge to implementing organic fertilizer on an industrial scale is simply the lack of infrastructure, planning, and demand, not level of productivity. Although I did not conduct field research myself, I looked at a case study by Edwards et. al conducted in 2010 which compared crop yields from harvests treated with compost, synthetic fertilizer, and a control group treated with nothing. My research shows how transforming our agricultural system into an organic farming operation would actually be cheaper for farmers and consumers, be more efficient, and improve human, animal, and environmental health.

Drug Development with New Catalytic Molecules

Presenter(s): Maribelle Stanley − Pre-chemical Engineering

Faculty Mentor(s): David Tyler

Poster 18

Research Area: Chemistry

Funding: National Science Foundation grant CHE-1503550, UO Summit scholarship

Many drugs are produced by important chemical reactions which form molecules with carbon-carbon or carbon-nitrogen bonds. However, the variety of drugs that can be produced using these reactions is limited by whether a desired molecule is capable of being reacted. To make unreactive molecules react, a catalyst can be used. One common type of catalyst contains a palladium atom, which can interact with other molecules in order to form a catalytic molecule. The catalytic function of these molecules depends on how well the palladium can bring reactants together. The main goal of this research project has been to synthesize a suitable catalyst for these important reactions. Under Dr. David Tyler, and as a continuation of research conducted by Dr. Alex Kendall, novel molecules, called phosphines, have been designed, synthesized, and tested for catalytic behavior. Designing these phosphines required research into previously synthesized molecules published by other groups, and the synthesis of these molecules involved using “air-free” chemistry techniques to protect the sensitive reactants from oxygen. Testing for the presence of these molecules in reaction material was done by analyzing the structure of molecules, with two primary techniques: nuclear magnetic spectroscopy and gas-chromatography mass-spectroscopy. One molecule, called “S-Phos”, was successfully synthesized, and has been found to be catalytic; subsequent molecules are in the process of testing and synthesis. Developing new catalytic molecules can open the door to new varieties of drugs, providing better therapies to help people around the world.

Characterization of Asteroid 93 Minerva Searching for Variation of the Light Curve to Determine Physical Attributes

Presenter(s): Nicole Ringsdorf

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Jim Imamura & Scott Fisher

Poster 18

Session: Sciences

In 1967 Pine Mountain Observatory (PMO) made its first observations of astronomical objects that included everything from nearby planets and asteroids to distant nebulae and galaxies. In 2018, PMO continues to make research-grade observations of various kinds of celestial targets. In this poster we present the results of Broad-band optical photometry of the asteroid 93 Minerva using the 0.35 m Robbins telescope on September 5, 2018 (UTC). On this night the target asteroid was continuously observed for roughly 2.5 hours to measure variations in its light curve. The shape and magnitude of the changes in the light curve can be used to determine physical characteristics of the target including rotation period and 3-D shape. Photometry of the target, as well as calibrations stars, was performed using The Aperture Photometry Tool (v.2.7.5). Although there were limitations in the data due to non-optimal observing conditions, our obtained light curve closely matches previously published 93 Minerva data. These data are a successful proof-of-concept of our ability to perform accurate photometry of moderately faint objects at PMO. With this successful test, we will soon start a larger asteroid monitoring program at PMO. In conjunction with our colleagues at Kobe University in Japan, we will collect multiple- epoch, short-cadence photometry on several asteroids to construct light curves and map their three-dimensional features.