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Role of AHR SNPs in Cholesterol Homeostasis

The Role of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Polymorphisms in Modulating 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced HMGCR expression
Zach D’Haem, 2nd year

Abstract

Hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have increased in the US population to epidemic proportions. NAFLD increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Epidemiological and rodent studies have linked NAFLD progression and cholesterol dysregulation with exposure to environmental pollutants such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). TCDD is the most potent ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR).
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Understanding Phage Defense Using Bar-Seq

Identifying Mechanisms of Phage Defense in Vibrio cholerae Using High-Throughput Barcode Sequencing
Drew Beckman, 2nd year

Abstract

Phage, viral parasites of bacteria, are primary drivers of bacterial evolution and ecology. My research centers on understanding how the bacterial pathogen Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera, defends itself against phage infection. Prior research revealed that the ability of lytic phage to infect V. cholerae was density-dependent such that phage infection did not occur at high cell densities.
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Education, Exposure & Transphobia in the ER

2021 MSUFCU Honorable Mention Award for the Lyman Briggs Research Showcase
Differentiating the Effects of Exposure versus Medical Education on Transphobia Among a Sample of Emergency Room Practitioners
Ishaan Modi, 2nd year

Abstract

Transgender individuals are a marginalized population in the United States, facing systemic discrimination from housing to employment to education. However, an area of discrimination that is equally as omnipresent is in healthcare. Transgender individuals may often face microaggressions or explicit discrimination from providers or staff; when this occurs in the emergency room, this transphobia (prejudice against transgender people) could be deadly.
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Temporal Dynamics of Investigation in Rodents

Temporal dynamics of social versus food investigation in C57BL/6 mice and Wistar rats
Valerie Khaykin, 4th year

Abstract

We recently characterized the Social versus Food Preference Test, a behavioral paradigm designed for investigating competition between the choice to seek social interaction versus food, and examined how stimulus preference was modulated by social isolation and/or food deprivation using a 2×2 within-subjects design in C57BL/6 mice and Wistar rats.
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Neural Substrates of Investigation

Neural substrates of social and food investigation in adolescent C57BL/6 mice

Navya Kalia, 2nd year
Valerie Khaykin, 4th year

Abstract

Social interaction-seeking and food-seeking behaviors are both motivated behaviors that we hypothesize are regulated by overlapping neuronal populations. To test this, we exposed male and female adolescent C57BL/6 mice to either a food stimulus (standard lab chow), a social stimulus (unfamiliar age- and sex- matched mouse), or an empty corral. Before testing, all mice were socially isolated and food-deprived to increase their motivation to investigate the stimuli.
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Saccade Vigor in Schizophrenia

2021 MSUFCU Runner up History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Science presentation for the Lyman Briggs Research Showcase
Saccade Vigor in Individuals with Schizophrenia
Zeeba Ali , 2nd-year

Abstract:

Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that is associated with huge personal and societal costs. Along with hallucinations and delusions, individuals with schizophrenia often experience profound amotivation and anhedonia—the inability to seek out activities and to derive pleasure. These so-called negative symptoms are gravely impairing and are more predictive of meaningful functional outcome measures, like employment and relationships, than the florid psychosis that is more commonly associated with schizophrenia.
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Ovarian Follicular Structures and Infertility

Ovarian Follicular Structures in Mexican Wolves: Clues to Infertility
Heather Sayles, 2nd year

Abstract

Mexican wolves are carefully monitored and their reproduction controlled because of their endangered status. The genetic variability in this species is low due to inbreeding, which lowers their reproductive success and overall population health. In humans and other species, premature ovarian senescence has been linked to infertility. To better understand the reproductive problems plaguing this species, ovaries are collected from Mexican wolves after death or elective sterilization and evaluated grossly and microscopically in order to identify abnormalities.
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College Students Supporting Healthy Eating

2021 MSUFCU Outreach Award for the Lyman Briggs Research Showcase

Investigating College-Aged Students as Agents of Change to Support Healthy Eating Among Their Families and Friends

Lasya Marla, 2nd-year

Background:  10.5% of Americans adults have Type 2 Diabetes which costs $237B in medical costs annually (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) . Additionally, 25% of American adult deaths are a result of cardiovascular disease which costs $219B in medical costs annually (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
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Septics and Microbial Communities

Identifying Signals of Septic Contamination in Groundwater Microbial Communities of the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed
Maria Berry, 3rd year

Abstract

Microbial communities in groundwater adapt to their local physical and chemical environment. When this environment contains contaminants, it may be reflected in the genetic content of resident microbial communities. This project explores the utilization of environmental DNA to record the influence of septic fields and other potential contaminants in the Grand Traverse Bay watershed by linking microbiological, geochemical, and hydrological approaches.
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GNAO1 Mutant Mice and Movement Disorders

2021 MSUFCU Honorable Mention Award for the Lyman Briggs Research Showcase
GNA01 Mutant Mice and Movement Disorders
Alex Roy, 3rd year

Abstract

Mutations in the gene GNAO1 have been associated with ultra-rare (ca. 200 patients) neurologic abnormalities including movement disorders, epilepsy, and developmental delay. Patients with these mutations often display symptoms at birth or in early childhood. GNAO1 codes for the alpha subunit (Gαo) of the G-protein Go, which is the most abundant membrane protein in the central nervous system.
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