2023 Undergraduate Exhibition

Excessive alcohol consumption is a major public health crisis with a myriad of negative implications. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been demonstrated to be deeply associated with alcohol misuse. Somatostatin neurons within the PFC are fundamentally involved with binge drinking behaviors. However, somatostatin’s mechanistic role in binge drinking is not well understood. Using a well-validated rodent binge-drinking model, I elucidate the effect of binge alcohol consumption on somatostatin cell number expression and signaling. 

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is defined by the excessive use of this drug despite a negative impact on the individual’s life. The current medications to treat AUD have limited efficacy and several side effects. One target for novel therapeutics is nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Data from both genetic and pharmacology studies provide evidence that nAChRs modulate alcohol intake. Interestingly, the reviewed literature demonstrates that pharmacological modulation of all nAChR subtypes examined can decrease alcohol consumption.

Squid Euprymna scolopes and Vibrio fischeri symbioses exist in nature as a multi-strain colonization model. Transformation is the process of a cell incorporating exogenous DNA into its genome. In Vibrio fischeri, natural transformation efficiency varies in co-isolated strains. This project uses transformation efficiencies of natural isolates via an erythromycin reporter gene under different protocol conditions to maximize efficiency. This technique can be utilized to generate mutants and explore strain co-evolution.

Various Drosophila neurons prune and regrow their dendrites during metamorphosis, induced by ecdysone. Neurons can be injured in many ways and require regenerative pathways. A deficiency screen showed no candidates for dendrite regeneration, but two lines show decreased branching. Both deficiencies have the same endpoint containing a UAS insertion in the gene for the ecdysone induced protein 93f. The UAS insertion is being activated by Gal4, causing expression of E93, possibly leading to premature pruning.

For Tick-borne flaviviruses like Powassan virus, vector specificity and tropism are poorly understood and there are no vaccines available to prevent infections. I investigate the role of Powassan virus Envelope (E) protein, crucial for viral entry and vector specificity. I successfully constructed cDNA clones and generated chimeric Yellow Fever-Powassan virus. My experiments show these chimeras are efficient BSL-2 model systems to study the role of E protein in virus entry, receptor interactions, and vector specificity.

The Epidemic - Pandemic Impacts Inventory (EPII; Grasso et al., 2020) was used to assess respondents’ perceptions of the impact that COVID-19 had on numerous aspects of their lives. Participants from a university subject pool and from social media recruitment were surveyed online during Fall 2021. 

Group norms drive belief and shape the behavior of in-group members, creating a sense of collective identity. When deviation from these norms occurs, in-group members must decide whether to excuse or condemn the behavior. This research examines political in-groups' variations in responses to violators, specifically hypothesizing that the violator as well as the nature of the norm violation itself impact response. Additionally, I examine issue salience, preference structures, and the unique dynamics of political groups.

Wild meat is not homogeneous, as different groups of animals vary in their economic and cultural role and in environmental and disease significance. Focusing on three wild meat clades and two areas of a rainforest, I investigate whether animal clades also differ in their quantitative nutritional role. I compare clades' proximate nutritional composition, the relative frequencies of their use in recipes, and their relative significance to human diets, testing for differences between areas as well.