Anna Fetter (Dr. Binney Girdler, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI).

Riparian wetlands have a wide range of functions, they provide a unique home to many plants and animals and they often serve as a buffer between humans and nature. These wetlands face many threats; draining for agricultural purposes, waste entering them through the streams, the effects of climate change leading to a change in periods of drought, and the spread of non-native plants. While waste and the draining of wetlands is known to destroy them, there is not yet much known about the effect of invasive species spread in these areas and effect of human disturbance. We conducted our research on a wetland by Wolf Lake in Van Buren County privately owned by the Diget family. This study focused on surveying this mix of forested bottomland and riparian system. We also mapped man made trails and non-native plant species. Using Trimble GPS, we created a survey study looking at patterns of invasive plant species distribution, trail effect, and the location of native plant species. This information was then combined with the oral history of the land from its owners, the Diget family, who have been living on it for over half a century. The purpose of this study was to map most of the man-made trails on the study site and look at the patterns in the spread of native and invasive plant species. Our data showed that most open sky with high levels of sunlight was on trails due to lack of trees on the road, however there was a separate effect of the trail itself on the plants beyond just the increase in light levels. Native species abundance increased in low light and low anthropogenic stress areas that were off-trail, while invasive species abundance increases on-trail points with high levels of light and human disturbance.

Penelope Brewer (Dr. Ann Fraser, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI).

I collected and sorted the seeds of various native plants from the wildflower sanctuary and other locations around Kalamazoo College’s campus to prepare them for planting in the spring. I also learned about, and will discuss, the importance of native wildflowers in their ecosystems.

Rachel E. Cornell (Dr. Daniel Hulbert, Vestaron Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI).

At the forefront of addressing insecticide resistance is the development of peptide-based insecticides. These are highly effective at pest management without harmful environmental and non-target species impacts commonly associated with synthetic pesticide use. This study analyzes the development of Vestaron’s second peptide-based product, 7304; the original peptide (7300); and two other strains of the peptide family with beneficial mutations (7302 and 7305). The peptides were assessed in proportion knockdown injection and feeding assays with house flies (M. domestica), corn earworm larvae (H. zea), and fruit flies (D. melanogaster). Based on prior research, it was hypothesized there would be a significant difference in 95% confidence intervals between at least two of the 7300 family peptides across the assays (H0: No significant difference in 95% confidence intervals between the 7300 family peptides). KD50 values and 95% confidence intervals generated in R Studio revealed there was no significant difference between the 7300 family peptides in the injection assays and D. melanogaster feeding assay, failing to reject the null hypothesis. Conversely, the corn earworm feeding assay rejected the null hypothesis. These conclusions were consistent with preliminary findings. The corn earworm feeding assay elucidates 7300’s inability to withstand the Lepidoptera gut and exemplifies 7302’s increased gut stability due its strain mutation. Imidacloprid, Spinosad, and Vestaron’s product Spear were included in assays to compare 7300 family peptides with insecticides used in the pest-management industry. Peptide-based insecticides compete with chemical synthetics, minimize environmental and non-target species impacts, and contribute to insect resistance management practices.

Molly A. Ratliff (Dr. Erin Muths, United States Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO).

Amphibians have unique physical characteristics that increase their susceptibility to environmental disturbances. Their permeable skin and ectothermic manner of thermoregulation coupled with pathogen exposure are contributing factors to the global decline of amphibians. Additionally, most amphibians are biphasic, meaning they have two distinct habitat requirements over the course of their life. An aquatic environment is required for reproduction, while feeding and wintering as adults takes place on land. Amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]) is a skin pathogen affecting amphibian populations globally, including the populations of boreal toads in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in Colorado. We conducted population monitoring in tandem with size measurements of individual boreal toads found at two sites in RMNP. Lost Lake is a site that tests positive for Bd and Spruce Lake is a site with no evidence of Bd. Male and female toads found in the presence of Bd at Lost Lake had shorter snout-to-vent length (SVL) measurements and lower mass, suggesting that Bd may effect body size. Reproductive capacity may be altered by body size, so understanding the relationship between Bd and body size is important for species conservation of endangered boreal toads.

Lia A. Schroeder (Dr. Rebecca Whelan, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN).

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is a commonly recurring form of epithelial ovarian cancer characterized by the detection of recurrent lesions and is frequently fatal (R21 proposal, 2021; Lisio et al., 2019). Early detection of HGSOC recurrence currently relies on a double-determinant immunoassay that analyzes levels of resurgence for ovarian cancer biomarker CA125 (MUC16) (Schuster-Little et al., 2020). Targeted mass spectrometry-based methods may be an attractive alternative to current methods for the ability to reliably identify and quantify low abundance proteins like MUC16 with higher sensitivity and accuracy. Similarly, bottom-up proteomics allows biological samples, such as MUC16, to undergo protein extraction, enzymatic digestion, and tandem mass spectrometry ion fragmentation to determine relevant sequence data. Using ovarian cancer cell line, OVCAR3, cells were cultured with and without fetal bovine serum (FBS) and filtered through 3 and 100 kDa molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) filters. Protein digests and desalting protocols developed by Schuster-Little et al., 2020 were performed to prepare samples for analysis on the Q Exactive (QE) LC-MS/MS mass spectrometer. Samples loaded on the QE were run for 48- and 90-minutes under data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) methods for comparison. Optimized method conditions involved filtering FBS (–) samples through the 100 kDa MWCO filters with 90-minute runtimes using the DDA method. We hope to further optimize the PRM method to apply targeted, bottom-up proteomics and mass spectrometry analysis for various sample types to verify that these methods may provide another early detection method for ovarian cancer recurrence.

Emmelyn DeConinck (Dr. Mackenzie Fleischer, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI).

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are an extremely common injury in young, often female, athletes. Whether reconstruction surgery is performed or not, ACL ruptures are a particularly devasting injury that leads to alterations in gait biomechanics. The pain, inflammation, and stress on the articular cartilage of the knee that accompanies gait after an ACL rupture is why these injuries are the leading precursor to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). PTOA is a subcategory of osteoarthritis that occurs when a traumatic injury leads to deterioration of the tissue, ligaments, or bones of a joint. The aim of this study was to use DigiGait analyzing software to determine if the use of a stem cell mobilizer, AMD3100, and an anti-inflammatory enzyme, indoleamine 2,3- dioxygenase (IDO), could ameliorate the risk of PTOA induced by a non-invasive anterior tibial subluxation ACL injury in rodents. Female Lewis rats underwent an isolated ACL rupture before being assigned to one of four possible treatment groups: Saline & empty liposomes (control), Saline & IDO (IDO only), AMD & empty liposomes (AMD only), and AMD & IDO. Preliminary findings suggest that the therapeutic combination of AMD3100 and IDO provides an observable difference in returning gait biomechanics to pre-injury conditions. This study identified IDO having effects in the acute timeframe by augmenting the immune cascade after increased inflammation. The effects of AMD3100 are seen in the post-acute timeframe to promote articular cartilage prevention associated with improved gait biomechanics compared to untreated controls. Research regarding AMD3100 and IDO therapeutic treatment could ultimately reduce the severity or onset of PTOA in humans, which would decrease the need for total knee replacement surgeries.

The Clustered Regulatory Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) system has become a powerful technique for genome editing due to its flexibility, simplicity, andaccuracy. It has been discovered that the CRISPR system can be used to perform site-directed mutagenesis in transgenic zebrafish lines while co- injecting a donor plasmid, short guided RNA (sgRNA), and Cas9 mRNA. Few transgenic zebrafish lines report harmful mutations from differences in cellular division processes that result in morphogenesis defects. In zebrafish, one of these mutations is known as the harpy (hrp) mutation. The hrp mutation is characterized by the occurrence of premature stop codons which leads to a cease of cellular division before all stages of development are complete (Riley et al., 2010). In this study, the CRISPR system will be used to genetically edit DNA sequences of hrp mutants by targeting the hatching gland promoter (hgg) responsible for the early arrest mutation. Here I report efficient site-specific DNA integration of target insert minustarget364. Through molecular cloning techniques, polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and sequencing events, cleavage of the donor plasmid and the integration of donor DNA for one out of two vector clones successfully took place. With the integration of target insert minustarget364, future directions may include injecting and observing protein fluorescence in zebrafish that have an upstream activating sequence (UAS) driving a color reporter. This study is representative of the flexibility and simplicity of DNA integration when using the CRISPR system.

My experiential SIP will be a reflection on how consistent social interactions affect brain development in children ages 0-5 at the YWCA. My focus will be on enhancing social interactions to reduce the negative effects that are caused by a lack of consistent interactions for children who have a lack of familiar faces. I will be volunteering in the classrooms at the Edison location for 3-4 hours a week. The reason I have chosen the YWCA is because they have informed me in the past on how the employees are at a constant rotation and how the parents of the children usually have to work long hours. Because of this, these children are not having consistent interactions with familiar faces. The lack of connections built with people in their lives can have effects on their brain development and pave the way for their behavior later in life. I will be volunteering for over 100 hours and writing about my experience and what I am doing with the kids. In my SIP I will summarize research that identifies the negative effects resulting from a lack of familiar caregivers. I will also do some background research on how the brain is developing with consistent interactions through scientific articles.

Megan Williams (Angie Sagert, Racine Zoo, Racine, WI).

During the summer of 2021, I dedicated much of my time working at the Racine Zoo as an animal care intern. In this position, I was granted the opportunity to observe, and then later mimic, the daily tasks and skill sets of most of the zookeepers employed there. The program they have established is constructed in a way that allows for interns to receive thorough training and experience in all animal routines. This is different and exceptional to most other animal care internships in which interns only work with one species or with a limited number of species at the zoo. Not only was I taught how to care for both exotic and domesticated animals at the level of a zookeeper, but in some instances, at the level of a veterinarian as well. Having had this opportunity has given me incredible insight into the field and has helped me to understand more about myself and my future career path.

Udochi N. Okorie (Dr. Anthony Lee, Borgess Brain and Spine Institute, Kalamazoo, MI).

This Fall, I had the privilege of continuing my position as a medical scribe with the Borgess brain and Spine institute in Kalamazoo. I was working under Dr. Anthony Lee, A neurologist for a 10 week period. During this time, I was involved in scribing all appointments that he provided for that day. I was tasked with documenting patient history of present illness, physical exam, their plan of action and their follow up procedure. In order to scribe effectively, I had to be able to discern between important vs unimportant information that the patient says. My position as a scribe is also important because it will be a key factor in whether the labs and test orders will be approved by the patient’s medical insurance and at times allow the patient worker compensation or time off work. Therefore, it was important for me to keep well organized and informative notes. As a Medical scribe I also mastered medical terminology, general medical knowledge, and the CERNER electronic medical record system. I was responsible for communicating the results and plan for the patient’s treatments and was able to work in a fast-paced environment. This experience allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the field of medicine.

Alaina M. Kirschman (Ruth St. Onge, The Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House and Insect World, Mackinac Island, MI).

Over the summer of 2021, I worked as an entomologist for the Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House and Insect World on Mackinac Island, MI. I took care of a plethora of insects including various beetles, stick insects, cockroaches, and, of course, butterflies. Over the course of the summer, I learned about butterflies in depth and worked with them in the lab every day. These butterflies would be shipped to us in their chrysalis stage from all over the world and my job was to pin them all to rods, making sure they had everything they needed to form a butterfly. Every day, I would go into the lab and collect the butterflies that had emerged, dried, and looked ready to fly. Some butterflies fell early, so I hung those ones back on the rods and let the ready butterflies go into the garden. My main job was to educate families and guests on the life cycle of butterflies, as well as inform them about the insects and animals we had in our Insect World. The lab was visible to the guests, so I spoke with them about the life cycle of butterflies and how they can transform into these butterflies. I was able to spark interest in children and open their eyes to the world of insects, which most people do not want to learn or even think about. In addition to education, I did start research on butterflies from Costa Rica and their life cycles depending on their diet. I tagged butterflies in our garden that had known diet differences, some being bananas and some being pollen and/or nectar and tracked their lifespan there. Overall, my internship was a great opportunity and helped me develop my interest in insects and entomology.

Natalie P. Barber (Dr. Binney Girdler, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo MI).

Anthropogenic disturbances such as agricultural land use and bridge crossings negatively impact freshwater ecosystems. To determine the extent of the impact of these disturbances on freshwater systems, we collected data on freshwater macroinvertebrates, common bioindicators for freshwater streams. The goal of this study was to survey the macroinvertebrate community in Campbell Creek, a stream on private property owned by Pat and Dave Diget in Van Buren County, MI, and use this information to determine its water quality. To collect the macroinvertebrates, we performed the kick sampling method using a D-shaped net. All macroinvertebrates were identified down to either family or order, and we analyzed the data using five different indexes: total abundance, taxa richness, EPT index, Shannon-Wiener index, and biotic score. We found that footbridges did not have an impact on the macroinvertebrate community, but we did discover that the water quality of Campbell Creek decreased going upstream. We also found that ammonia levels increased, and depth decreased going upstream. We suspect that the increased levels of ammonia may be due to agricultural activity upstream of the property. In addition, Beaver Creek (a stream that flows into Campbell Creek) may be responsible for the improved water quality downstream because it is bringing in cleaner water from a wetland, diluting the ammonia. Future studies should survey both upstream of the property and Beaver Creek to get a better idea of the agricultural and wetland impacts on the two creeks. Information from this study can be used to guide future conservation and restoration initiatives.

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a specialized nursery unit in a hospital that focuses on care for infants that often are born with infection, complications, or other medical conditions. Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. This STI has the potential to damage the female reproductive system and cause numerous poor birth outcomes if left untreated. C. trachomatis often has little to no symptoms which allows it to pass between individuals easily and unknowingly. There are higher rates of Chlamydia in people Of Color compared to White people. Racial disparity in the healthcare system has been evident throughout the United States. Infant mortality rates among the black community are significantly higher than in the white community. To understand the impact of Chlamydia infection on NICU admission, a retrospective analysis was conducted examining 35,755 birth records for women in Kalamazoo County. Biostatistical analyses were conducted to examine the impact of Chlamydia on the study population using 25 variables. Overall, there was an increased risk of NICU admission when a mother was infected with C. trachomatis. The percentage of women with a low-birth-weight infant, a preterm birth, and an infant admitted to the NICU were shown to significantly increase when a mother was infected with Chlamydia. When the data was stratified by race, the factors that contribute to poor birth outcomes remain similar suggesting that once an infant is in the Kalamazoo healthcare system, there is no further racial disparity in admission to the NICU.

Zachary Worthing (Dr. David Wilson, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI).

Utilization of icosahedral point arrays to characterize spherical virus capsids has offered further insight into viral structure than current methods of classification like triangulation number. Recent studies have illustrated that these point arrays describe certain structural features such as viral protrusions, areas of capsid stability, and maturation of a virus. Given the ability of point arrays to characterize structural changes in viral capsids, this study aims to investigate the effects of two recently discovered monoclonal antibodies of Human Enterovirus 71 and their mechanisms of viral neutralization using point array classifications. Expanding investigations using point array analysis of virus capsids illustrates further applications of this classification method beyond maturation studies. Results of this study indicated that point arrays can characterize distinct mechanisms of neutralization: steric interference and capsid destabilization and further suggests that point array analysis descriptors such as the number of admissible arrays and RMSD values are indicators of total capsid stability.

Madeline Guimond (Dr. Amanda Kissel, Conservation Science Partners, Fort Collins, CO).

Amphibian populations are declining rapidly due to habitat loss, disease, and invasive species, which will be compounded by climate change. The changing environment of the planet has led to an increasing variability in temperature, precipitation, and snowpack, which has caused an increase in mortality and a negative impact on individual amphibian metamorphosis and growth. Elevation is an environmental variable that has been studied widely, however it can be hard to tease apart the effects of elevation in comparison to climate change. Pseudacris maculata (boreal chorus frog) populations are distributed at various elevations, but it is unclear if this is due to elevation preference or in response to climate change. This study aims to investigate if there is a connection between elevation and amphibian presence, specifically proposing that increasing elevation would have a negative effect on the presence of P. maculata in Rocky Mountain National Park. This research was carried out using double visual encounter surveys at various sites in the park. At each site the elevation and whether or not P. maculata presence was detected was recorded. The binomial linear regression analysis run showed no significant results. Elevation did not have an impact on P. maculata presence, and although there was a negative correlation between P. maculata and elevation, the result was not statistically significant. Future climate change consequences indicate a continued rapid population decline, with high mortality and stunted growth in P. maculata. Conservation efforts and longer-term research must be carried out in order to protect this species and preserve the biodiversity of our planet.

Kalamazoo College promises an open and easily manipulated curriculum to allow for easy adjustment for a variety of students with different goals and future interests. What I found throughout my four years at this institution is that I was being left without experience, qualifications, exposure, or understandings to help me through the next steps of my life. This prompted me to initiate my time with Helix Scribes Solution, a program offering guidance through the healthcare system with direct teachings from physicians on site in Emergency Departments. This experience alone helped shape and prepare me for my future steps following undergraduate schooling, allowing me to feel confident in my preparedness.

MacKenzy Maddock (Dr. George McKelvey, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI).

After shadowing an Dr. Minard, an anesthesiologist at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), I was given the contact information for Dr. George McKelvey, a Research Associate at NorthStar Anesthesia. Dr. McKelvey had many current projects, but the most intriguing to me was the effects of prophylactic antibiotics in orthopedic surgery. The project was a retrospective study using the database PubMed. Dr. McKelvey required my assistance conducting literature reviews, analyzing the data from each relevant study, and recording specific data in an Excel form. 120 literature reviews were conducted, 27 of which were deemed relevant for the scope of the study. Most of the studies focused on total knee and hip arthroplasties but expanded to other orthopedic surgeries as well. Parameters to deem relevance were: human studies, surgery type, antibiotics, and the specific focus of the article. After the research was conducted no final analysis was necessary, but the use of prophylactic antibiotics was a controversial topic in medicine. Some argue that it was expensive and not necessary, but other studies revealed that prophylactic antibiotics are promising for the prevention of infection and further intervention. I value the experiences and opportunities Dr. McKelvey and this project have provided me with, my research skills have become highly developed through this project as well as my ability to self-manage and analyze scientific information.

Matthew Swarthout (Ren Pruis, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI).

Most of us have a very similar experience when it comes to Shakespeare, some are exposed to the works when we are young if we have rather ambitious parents, but most of us read Romeo and Juliet our first year in high school aloud as a class, decide if we like it or not and let it be. This decision is made by a 14- or 15-year-old brain and most of the time never challenged again. And typically, that decision is that we don’t like Shakespeare. It’s dense and the language no longer makes sense. I wrote ‘Acting Shakespeare’ to challenge your outlook on the playwright. Hear about their life history and the works that they wrote, the kind of person they were, and broaden your understanding. I wish to re-introduce you to William in the hopes that next time you see one of these plays produced elsewhere, you go and give it a try. This is a one-man-show acted, directed, written, and designed by Matthew Swarthout.

Abigail J. Allen (Dr.Larry Bauss, Surgery Center of Kalamazoo, Portage, MI).

Mariah D. Sarelis (Sarah Lindley, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI).

Pollination in angiosperms is crucial to many food systems including ours as well as sustainability in ecosystems. Agriculture depends on the transfer of pollen and fertilization to produce fruits and food. Variation of shapes and surface textures serve a function of tending to specific flowering plant’s needs structures. Pollen is thought of at an allergy level often times rather than the contribution to our natural world. At a closer look, pollen grains under 100x-1000x light magnification or placed under an electron microscopes have fascinating textures and shapes unseen by a normal eye. The exine, the outermost surface, of the grains are composed various furrows, lumina, sculptural. Many models of pollen grains expressing these textures are created through computer software, continuing the two dimensional format. This stylizing can also undermine the organic shapes and rendering due to perfect modeling. Through a ceramic rendition, this thesis explores the sculpting of pollen grain in a three-dimensional form.  The use of clay as a medium allows for manipulation and illustration of the pollen spores. The scale of the sculptures are exaggerated to be accessible and intriguing to the natural eye that is often over looked.

Madeline C. Harding (Dr. Dwight Williams, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI).

Neurodegenerative diseases can be defined as the progressive degeneration or death of neurons for which there is no effective cure. The burden of neurodegenerative diseases is steadily increasing worldwide. There are a variety of different pathways that ultimately lead to neurodegenerative diseases. This paper investigates one pathway, glutamate excitotoxicity, specifically due to its role in nearly all neurodegenerative diseases. Glutamate excitotoxicity triggers a toxic calcium influx, through the binding of glutamate to its specific ionotropic glutamate receptors, which is thought to lead to neuronal death. It was previously hypothesized if glutamate receptors were antagonized this would lessen the toxic effect of extracellular glutamate on postsynaptic neurons because glutamate regardless of the concentration would not be able to bind to. However, antagonizing glutamate receptors has been studied and has failed to successfully treat glutamate excitotoxicity in vivo. Thus, a new model for modulating extracellular glutamate is needed. Past studies have found serotonin (5-HT) receptors knockouts have been able to reduce glutamate-induced neuronal death. This led to the present study which investigates the neuroprotective effect of 5-Hydroxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone (5-HPEC), a known 5-HT antagonist, in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Three strains of C. elegans were used to investigate our research question, a wild-type, a 5-HT receptor (SER-1) knockout as a control, and a glutamate transporter 3 (GLT-3) knockout which was our neurodegenerative model. It was found that 5-HPEC at a concentration of 39.23 mM had a significant neuroprotective effect in the heads of C. elegans with the glutamate transporter knockout. These results demonstrate that 5-HT antagonists may be promising therapeutics for treating glutamate excitotoxicity. 

Isabella Shansky-Genovese (Stephanie Wheeler, Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics, Laboratory Supervisor, Genemarkers, Kalamazoo, MI).

Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) is a major component of declining air quality and can be especially dangerous for those working in areas with increased levels of DPM, such as miners or construction workers. Given the increasing presence of DPM in daily life, particularly in urban environments, it is important to analyze the effect of this pollution. In this study, the effects of DPM on gene expression on human dermal fibroblasts are examined. Cell viability after exposure, as well as gene expression changes in genes related to antioxidant stress responses, collagen production, and inflammation are analyzed. The results of this study show that DPM exposure is related to an increase in antioxidant stress responses from genes such as NAD(P)H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 (NQO1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NFE2L2), as well as a decrease in collagen producing genes such as Collagen type 1, alpha 1 (COL1A1). These findings suggest that DPM exposure can induce oxidative stress and weaken skin through decreased collagen production.

Zhi Tian Wee (Gregory Vanden Heuvel, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI).

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a fatal, hereditary disease that causes fluid-filled cysts primarily in kidneys. PKD is the most common kidney disease and can have recessive or dominant traits called autosomal recessive (ARPKD) or autosomal dominant (ADPKD). This current study investigated whether Patched1 effected the Cux1 gene in PKD. The Patched1 gene in the primary cilia is a tool used to discover if it increased or decreased cell proliferation, and if decreasing the Patched1 gene can slow down ADPKD in patients. Cilia length was measured on kidney tissue sections from wildtype, Cux1 transgenic, and Notch signaling mutant mice with alpha-tubulin labeling. Notch regulates Cux1 expression and deletion of the RBPJ gene, a key Notch pathway component, results in reduced or absent Cux1 expression. My studies showed a lower amount of Cux1 expressed in the RBPJ K/O mice than the wildtype mice. When measuring the cilia length, there were no significant difference between the wildtype and RBPJ K/O mice. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate Patched1 protein amounts in the kidneys of wildtype and transgenic mice overexpressing Cux1, called Cux TG. The results indicated that Cux1 transgenic mice had less Patched1 in the kidney than age-matched, wildtype mice. For future experiments, there need to be tests on the hedgehog pathway (Hh) in the wildtype and transgenic mice because Hh signaling pathway activates PTCH1. Further research in this is necessary to be able to find a treatment for ADPKD

Aramide Apo-Oyin (Alison Geist, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI).

From the summer of 2020 to 2021, I interned at the Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois. The Transition Support Program (TSP) is a discharge planning program designed to help patients navigate the healthcare system. TSP’s mission is to support patients from under- resourced communities with care planning, and provide the tools needed for autonomy to effectively navigate their own care. My role was to ensure that patients had a plan prior to their discharge from the hospital. If the patients
had barriers to care such as not having insurance, no access to transportation, or experiencing homelessness, it was also part of my job to assist each patient with overcoming these barriers. Privatization, for profit, underfunding, lack of initiatives absent to help populations and communities
that face a lot of barriers due to classism, racism, and xenophobia. My opinion is that every physician should be taught about the social determinants of health and other health disparities during their formal training. All healthcare practitioners should complete volunteer-based work (over six months) working in an under-resourced community. I think doing this can lead to the change of dismantling structural barriers in the U.S. healthcare institution. Additionally, it will equip doctors and other healthcare providers with additional tools to help every patient they encounter across the country. When it comes to the transitions of care in the U.S., there is a lot to contend with but it is not impossible to devise a solution. More discussions, research, and policy implementation should be had so that every patient regardless of their race, gender, sexual identity, ethnicity, language, residency status, income, or disability has a right to equitable healthcare.

Karina J. Aguilar (Dra. Katie MacLean, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan).

The medical humanities are the interdisciplinary study of medicine from cultural and social aspects with a focus in social sciences, literature, culture and how this applies to medicine. This investigation helps define the medical humanities, argues the benefits of such a course, and creates a base to start a medical humanities course within the Spanish department at Kalamazoo College. The investigation will explore different areas of study such as linguistics, cultural studies, art, literature and religion all of which have an effect in the practice of medicine. The purpose is to demonstrate the value of this interdisciplinary study and to create a foundation for a future course. The idea is that this would interest students not only within the Spanish department but students with a background in the sciences and deviate from traditional literature courses. The study of medical humanities is in line with the pedagogical ideas expressed in the liberal arts education at K College. The point of a liberal arts education is to give students the
opportunity to learn from different disciplines to create intellectual students. This course would offer the opportunity for students to learn from different disciplines and become well-rounded individuals.

Pierce M. Burke (Dr. Jessica Fortin, Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI).

In amyloidosis, fibrils are formed from the misfolding of fragmented serum amyloid A (SAA) protein. These fibrils aggregate in tissues, causing diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Type II diabetes, prion diseases, and chronic inflammatory disease. It has been hypothesized that certain regions of the protein have a higher propensity to misfold, and this study will particularly focus on the signal peptide region of SAA. The SAA protein was fragmented and sequenced. A library of 35 peptides (fragments 1-19) from both domestic and wild animals was used to study aggregation propensity via in silico analysis and in vitro assays. After running an in-silico analysis as well as transmission electron microscopy, Congo red binding assay, and finally a ThT fluorescence assay, it was determined that each peptide aggregated in the given conditions of the experiment. With all peptides aggregating, that means the signal peptide region may play a role in amyloidogensis. This data points to the idea that further research in the signal peptide region can potentially play a role in future therapeutic strategies for amyloidosis.

Kyle E. Skiver (Dr. Kirsten Prior, Binghamton University SUNY, Binghamton, NY).

Neuroterus saltatorius (jumping gall wasp) is a species of gall wasp that has expanded its range from the Pacific Northwest US into British Columbia since 1986.  Gall abundance, developmental stage proportions, and developmental time were assessed for seven weeks during the summer of 2021 in both its native and expanded ranges. Photographs of Quercus garryana (Garry oak) leaves were analyzed for numbers of galls in early, middle, and late development, as well as visible signs of failure to develop or reaching maturity and dropping from the leaf. Data for each stage were compared between region and survey period in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Temperature data were also collected to determine if there is a correlation between climate and gall development. Overall, gall abundance was higher in the expanded range, consistent with previous results. Notably, gall development was slower in the expanded range. However, temperature does not appear to account for the differences in gall abundance and phenology between regions. This documentation of N. saltatorius motivates future surveys of this species’ developmental patterns in its current range and a possible new outbreak in the Midwest. Moreover, this stands as a case study demonstrating that both abiotic and biotic factors should be examined, to understand the course of phytophagous insect range expansions.

Caleb J. Waldmiller (Jen Meilinger, Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo MI).

An overabundance of deer populations in urban are rural areas has been an increasing issue in the past recent years. With urban sprawl on a continual increase, tracking deer populations in urban areas is becoming increasingly common and difficult. In order to find a way to track these populations, scientists have recently been utilizing citizen participation, or citizen science. This method of collecting data allows citizens to participate in a scientific study by taking pictures of deer and uploading to a website. I am continuing a project started in Fall 2020, where students used an app called iNaturalist to catalyze community participation. The app allows for citizens to assist in the tracking of deer populations as they are traveling at an increasing rate due to habitat loss. Residents of Kalamazoo neighborhoods are able to upload pictures of deer that the spot to iNaturalist. The app then creates a map of the sighting locations. These locations were then plotted on Google Earth to estimate herd location and movement. I then compared the results to the results of last year’s project. I classified 4 new herds of deer, creating a tentative map of 18 different herds. There was statistically significant data to suggest a relationship between deer their hunt for resources. This study has been conducted andwritten with the intention that it will aid in the city of Kamazoo’s ongoing attempt to control the local white-tailed deer population.