Biological Sciences Research

Physiological effects of tail regeneration following autotomy in Italian wall lizards [[Podarcis sicula]]
Students: P. Eberle
Faculty: H. Liwanag

How do harsh soils contribute to speciation in two species pairs from the California flora
Students: Farrow, S.
Faculty: N. Rajakaruna

Comparative metagenomic analysis of follicuilind ciliates unveils role in biogeochemical cycling.
Students: D. Banta, R. Leon
Faculty: A. Pasulka

Work in Progress: The effects of herbivory on capsaicin content in peppers
Students: M. Bridgeman, S. Farrow
Faculty: N. Rajakaruna

The development of diving capabilities in Weddell seal ([[Leptonychotes weddellii]]) pups throughout ontogeny
Students: E.L. Weitzner, L.E. Pearson, S. Whoriskey, L. Tomanek
Faculty: H.E.M. Liwanag

The effects of drought conditions on nickel hyperaccumulation in [[Streptanthus polygaloides]]
Students: A. Ferrero, P. Walsh
Faculty: N. Rajakaruna

A histological analysis of the whisker system in deep-diving temperate and polar seals
Students: C. Cooper, C. Strand, E. Keeling
Faculty: H. Liwanag

Birds of a Feather: Morphological Adaptations of Birds to Aquatic Environments
Students: H. Gonzales, K. Burns, E. Brauer
Faculty: H. Liwanag

Cal Poly Pre-Dental Society ? Dental Outreach Program (DOP)
Students: P. Mashaw
Faculty: Winstead

Drivers of temperature variability in a small coastal embayment
Students: T. Ellis
Faculty: R. Walter

Work in Progress: Impacts of multiple nutrient element enrichment on native and alien plant species interactions in California's serpentine grasslands
Students: M. Devlin, A. Williams
Faculty: Dr. N. Rajakaruna

Fire and phos-chek (fire retardant) influence on plant and biological soil crust diversity on distinct soils and slope aspects
Students: Z. Raposo, S. Whitlock, C. Howington, G. Orta, P. Walsh, A. Ferrero, C. Bishop, C. Miranda, M. Morris, G. Goldrich-Middaugh
Faculty: N. Rajakaruna

Snake in a Box: The Metabolic Rates of [[Crotalus oreganus]] Determined via Respirometry
Students: Katie King, Hayley Crowell, Heather Liwanag
Faculty: Emily Taylor

Anthropogenic Nightlight and Noise Effects on FeederWatch Bird Abundance
Students: A. A. Wilson, N. H. Carter, J. R. Barber, E. Miller
Faculty: C. D. Francis

Resurveying Yosemite alpine plant communities after six years of drought
Students: A. Ayers, K. Miller, D. Burke, M. McCollum, A. Colwell
Faculty: D. Grossenbacher

Evaluating insulin-like growth factor-1 (Igf-1) as a hormonal biomarker for growth rate in Copper Rockfish ([[Sebastes caurinus]])
Students: K.L. Cordova, F.L. Glaser, N.L. Hack, M.L. Journey, E.J. Resner, K.M. Hardy, B.R. Beckman
Faculty: S.C. Lema

Environmental Impacts of Deepwater Floating Offshore Wind and Wave Energy Facilities
Students: H. Farr, Y. Wang, B. Ruttenberg, R. Walter
Faculty: C. White

The effect of tick parasitism on aggressive behavior in western fence lizards ([[Sceloporus occidentalis]]).
Students: D. Lanser, G. Kolluru
Faculty: L. Vredevoe

The effect of tick parasitism on aggressive behavior in western fence lizards ([[Sceloporus occidentalis]]).
Students: D. Lanser, G. Kolluru
Faculty: L. Vredevoe

Is plant diversification associated with pollinator shifts along elevation gradients in the neotropics?
Students: J. S. Apland
Faculty: D. L. Grossenbacher

Indigenous Restoration Garden at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens
Students: H. Dougan
Faculty: D. Grossenbacher

Quantitative analysis of biofilm formation across diverse [[Escherichia coli]] strains
Students: Autumn Barker, Daphne Lin
Faculty: Alejandra Yep

Survey of curli-associated phenotypes in [[Escherichia coli]]
Students: Bella Patenaude, Natalie Lopato, Hayley Isaman
Faculty: Alejandra Yep

Differing effects of [[E. coli]] strains on viability and adherence of human bladder and kidney cells
Students: Lindsay Callahan, Jennifer Guzman, Alejandro Valdivia, Haley Isaman, Amy Howes
Faculty: Alejandra Yep

The effect of drospirenone on [[Escherichia coli]] antibiotic resistance
Students: Leah Van Otterloo, Rianna Flores, Allison Tammen, Jennifer VanderKelen
Faculty: Alejandra Yep

Construction of efflux pump chromosomal deletion mutants in [[Escherichia coli]]
Students: Brendon Huynh, Chris Wilderink, Jennifer VanderKelen
Faculty: Alejandra Yep

The Effect of Oral Contraceptive Use on [[Escherichia coli]] Antibiotic Resistance
Students: M. Colling, M. Sieffert, K. Andrews, J. Armanino, K. Blair, E. Bowden, M. Brown, M. Dizon, T. D'Souza, S. Eggerton, K. Goerlich, M. Hauser, E. McGhee, J. Merriam, S. Park, J. Plate, L. Ramirez, P. Volnuhina
Faculty: J. VanderKelen

The Effect of Steroid Hormone Ethinyl Estradiol on Growth and Antibiotic Resistance of uropathogenic [[Escherichia coli]]
Students: R. Flores, A. Tammen, J. VanderKelen
Faculty: A. Yep

$beta$-glucuronidase activity of [[Escherichia coli]] in hormonal contraceptive users and non-users
Students: Emma Gadberry, Jennifer VanderKelen
Faculty: Alejandra Yep

Exploring a possible link between hormonal contraceptive use and antibiotic resistance in [[Escherichia coli]] populations.
Students: A. Clatch, J. VanderKelen
Faculty: A. Yep

Validating the use of environmental isolates as unknown strains for MCRO 224
Students: Yayoi Marumo, Autumn Barker, Daphne Lin, Kristi Cheung, Sudeep Dutta
Faculty: Alejandra Yep

The Effect of Triclosan on Antibiotic Resistance in Uropathogenic [[E.coli]]
Students: K. Owen, A. Rousek, A. Clatch
Faculty: A. Yep

Investigation of Blood Cell Populations in the Development and Regeneration of a Colonial Ascidian
Students: M. Boyd, E. Balde, T. Houck
Faculty: E. Keeling

Nanoscale Protein Manipulation and Stabilization
Students: M. Mitchell, G. Plastina, B. Strong
Faculty: N. Martinez

How do giant acorn barnacles ([[Balanus nubilus]]) maintain function of their giant muscle fibers during environmental hypoxia?
Students: M. Katz, K. Liautaud, A. Molinari, L. Levesque, K. Grady
Faculty: K. Hardy

Does flower color impact stress tolerance to harsh soils?
Students: A. Ford
Faculty: D. Grossenbacher

If you can't handle the heat go extinct? The thermal environment of western fence lizards
Students: L.P. Burgos, K. Cervantes, S. Wang
Faculty: E.N. Taylor

Tid1 and Ndj1 roles in distributive segregation in [[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]
Students: Ethan Shaw, Bailey Thompson
Faculty: Ken Hillers

Effects of zinc oxide sunscreens on developing [[Strongylocentrotus purpuratus]] embryos
Students: B. Cunningham
Faculty: N. Adams

Monitoring of Feral Pig ([[Sus scrofa]]) Activity in the Morro Bay National Estuary
Students: B. Nakaji
Faculty: J. Perrine

Behavioral changes in a pig model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Students: H. Onat, N. Zeltser, R. Manjarin
Faculty: M. Maj

Induction of RNA Interference in [[Caenorhabditis elegans]] to study meiotic protein function
Students: R. Segal
Faculty: K. Hillers

Induction of RNA Interference in [[Caenorhabditis elegans]] to study meiotic protein function
Students: R. Segal, M. Clark, E. Cohen
Faculty: K. Hillers

Biogeography of ultraviolet and visible color variation in a California wildflower
Students: M. Vanderlip, C. Rowland
Faculty: D. Grossenbacher

The metabolic effects of supercooling in the Italian Wall Lizard ([[Podarcis siculus]])
Students: R. Wohlgemuth, D. Haro
Faculty: H. Liwanag

Inglorious Baskers: Comparative Behavior of Pacific Rattlesnakes in Coastal and Inland Populations
Students: T. Nhu, P. Maier, H.L. Crowell
Faculty: E. Taylor

Bringing Bryology to Cal Poly
Students: C. Girvin, M. Vanderlip, J. Collins, D. Grossenbacher
Faculty: J. Yost

The influence of natural sounds on California ground squirrel ([[Otospermophilus beecheyi]]) foraging and vigilance
Students: My-Lan Le, Christopher Garvin
Faculty: Clinton Francis

The Recovery of the Ochre sea star [[Pisaster ochraceus]] and the Bat star [[Patiria miniata]] after the sea star wasting disease
Students: A. Dornblaser
Faculty: J. O'Leary

Effect of probiotic supplementation on hepatic steatosis and inflammation in a swine model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Students: G. Hernandez, M. Melnyk, R. Manjarin
Faculty: M. Maj

Wnt Pathway Involvement in Whole Body Regeneration in [[Botrylloides violaceus]]
Students: E. Medina, J. Blackmer, I. Roldan, J. Sumner, A. Talken, H. Bulosan, C. Steigerwald
Faculty: E. Keeling

Resuscitation of Viable but Non-Culturable Bacteria
Students: Z.R. Taylor
Faculty: M. Yeung

Rapid Prototyping of Microfluidic Conductivity Detectors via Extrusion Based 3D Printing
Students: S. Prabhu, A. Jangid, B. Strong, B. Liu
Faculty: N. Martinez

Identification and Characterization of Soil Bacteria with Antimicrobial Activities
Students: F. Kelly, K. Iemori
Faculty: L. Vredevoe

Home Range and Movement Patterns of Pacific Rattlesnakes ([[Crotalus oreganus]]) in Chimineas Ranch
Students: S. Gonzales, H. Crowell
Faculty: E. Taylor

Behavioral Risk Factors for UTI's
Students: Andie Grimm, Hnin Soe, Kimberly Salazar
Faculty: Alejandra Yep

Effects of acclimation temperature on neural cell proliferation in adult lizards [[Sceloporus occidentalis]]
Students: K. Ahmad, P. Latson, P. Delgado
Faculty: C. Strand

Antimicrobial activity of [[Umbellularia californica]] leaf extracts
Students: N. Lukasko, J. Yost, J. Carroll
Faculty: A. Yep

Antibacterial activity of [[Mimulus aurantiacus ]]aerial parts
Students: J. Inman, N. Lukasko, J. Yost, J. Carroll
Faculty: A. Yep

Lateral Flow Immunoassays: From the Pregnancy Test to Diagnosing Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks
Students: E.B. Strong, A.W. Martinez
Faculty: N.W. Martinez

MINIATURIZED DIALDEHYDE PAPER (MDAP): A METHOD OF AMBIENT ENZYME STABILIZATION FOR USE IN PAPER-BASED DIAGNOSTICS
Students: N. Tod, E. B. Strong, E. Escamilla, K. Radomski, S. Olmstead, A. W. Martinez
Faculty: N. W. Martinez

Expression of Type VI Secretion System in [[Vibrio parahaemolyticus]]
Students: A. Campbell
Faculty: M. Yeung

Use of Phos-tag? labeling to identify effects of UV radiation on phosphorylation of Chk1 in the purple sea urchin [[Strongylocentrotus purpuratus]]
Students: Jessica Stewart, Yareli Alvarez, Elizabeth Hotchkiss, Johann Ayala, Grace A. Goschke
Faculty: Nikki L. Adams

Sexual selection and the maintenance of polymorphism in a poeciliid fish
Students: C. Castillo, H.K. Brown, N.C. Carreiro
Faculty: G.R. Kolluru

Natural sounds interfere with conspecific cue detection and discrimination in songbirds
Students: V.A. Reed, J.R. Barber
Faculty: C.D. Francis

The Preparation of Novel Indole-Based Small Molecules for the Modulation of Bacterial Biofilm Production
Students: C. Hasselbrink, B. Arellano, A. Faron, A. Gandler, M. Porter, A. Clewis, A. Disney, K. Negri, A. Prosser, E. Sapper
Faculty: K. Meisenheimer

Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention for Opiate users in SLO County
Students: M. Neumann, N. Tod
Faculty: C. Winstead

Natural sounds shape bat foraging patterns
Students: S. Jaeger, R. Vosbigian
Faculty: C. Francis

Engaging middle school students in STEM topics through videos of real Cal Poly research
Students: R. Immel, G. Gullen, A. Flamenco, E. Weitzner, H. Liwanag
Faculty: E. Keeling

A Potential New Source of Groundfish Age and Length Data
Students: Z. Kucinski, C. Skinner-Horne, G. Waltz, M. Monk
Faculty: D. Wendt

Pulsed Electric Fields as a Method of Algal Lysis for Biofuel Applications
Students: F. Alzammar, K. Kohlsaat, T. Nim, J. Kim, J. Iourovitski, L. Ramirez, L. Kameny, E. Keeling, J. Fernsler
Faculty: D. Arakaki

Site-Directed Mutagenesis of LAGLIDAG Endonucleases to create DNA Nicking Enzymes
Students: J. Stroup, Dr. Ken Hillers
Faculty: Dr. B Elizabeth (Betsy) Turner

Effects of commercial probiotic bacteria on the expression of human iron transporter
Students: R. Jifcu
Faculty: M. Yeung

A model of the pools and fluxes of DNA in the biosphere
Students: K. Vandivier
Faculty: C. Knight

What's in a bite? Analyzing shark bite marks on northern elephant seals ([[Mirounga angustirostris]]) to provide insight into shark population dynamics
Students: G.M. Santos Elizondo, M. P. Voisinet
Faculty: H.E. Liwanag

Insights into the pools and fluxes of DNA in the biosphere
Students: K. Vandivier
Faculty: C. Knight

Activity levels and behavior in relation to feeding in juvenile Children's pythons [[Antaresia childreni]]
Students: S. Schwartz, D. Denisov, R. Greisen, S. Perrella, C. Tower
Faculty: C. Strand

Ethanol Effects on Muscle Transcriptional Responses to Acute Endurance Running
Students: E. Smith, M. Zepeda, D. Tailor, T. Eldib, A. Babin
Faculty: J. Blank

The role of two secreted nucleases in [[Vibrio fischeri]] physiology evolution and ecology
Students: C. Childs, V. Mariscal, J. Stellern, A. Darin, A. Lorenzo, R. Foxall, S. McAnulty, C. Whistler, S. Nyholm
Faculty: P. Fidopiastis

Fishin' for Answers: Methods of Sharing Recent Research on Tropical Fish Behaviors
Students: A. Willcox, A. Averbuj
Faculty: G.R. Kolluru

Chimineas Ranch Photo Survey
Students: J. Hopkins, A. Kretschmar, B. Stafford
Faculty: J. Dr. J. Perrine

The Effect of Food Availability on Siphon Opening in the California Mussel
Students: MK Feezell, AC Kretschmar, O Carmo, S Gonzalez, MA May, MC Vasquez, AE Todgham
Faculty: L Tomanek

Microbial quality of popular canine food products
Students: J. Nunes
Faculty: M. Yeung

Internally Constrained Cyclophenylene Macrocycles
Students: S. Vansdadia, S. Dutta, Z. Shermann, A. Griffin
Faculty: D. Frantz

Natural acoustic environments positively influence human wellbeing: the phantom chorus experiment.
Students: C. Van, D. Ferraro
Faculty: C. Francis

Selective packaging of non-viral RNA into HIV virus-like particles produced by [[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]
Students: R. Bitter
Faculty: M. Black

The effect of [[Romaleon antennarium]] and [[Hemigrapsus oregonensis]] on [[Zostera marina]] communities in Morro Bay CA
Students: L. Silva, T. Stratton
Faculty: L. Needles

Antimicrobial activities of essential oils against cockroach entomopathogens
Students: V.L. Navarro, A. Yep
Faculty: L. Vredevoe

The Effect of Steroid Hormone Ethinyl Estradiol on Growth and Antibiotic Resistance of Uropathogenic [[Escherichia coli]]
Students: Rianna Flores, Allison Tammen, Alejandra Yep
Faculty: Jennifer VanderKelen

Miniaturized Dialdehyde Paper as a Patternable 3D Cell Culture Scaffold
Students: C.W. Kirschbaum, B.A. Lore
Faculty: N.W. Martinez

Differences in UV tolerance between intertidal and subtidal populations of the purple sea urchin [[Strongylocentrotus purpuratus]]
Students: Y. Alvarez
Faculty: N.L. Adams

Exploring the Relationship Between Forced Consumption Episodes during Early Childhood and Dietary Patterns during Adulthood
Students: M. Katague
Faculty: A.K. Ventura

Continuous Extension of Conway's Game of Life
Students: P. Kerrigan
Faculty: E. Brussel

Brant Geese and Eelgrass Decline in Morro Bay
Students: J. O'Leary, M. Gates
Faculty: E. Nyman

Over-expression of recombinant protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) subunits for antibody validation in Western blot analysis
Students: J. D'Addabbo, P. Brown, M. Firpo, D. Mickle
Faculty: S. Clement

Tail Movement Following Autotomy in Male and Female Italian Wall Lizards ([[Podarcis siculus]])
Students: Rekevics, Kendra; Haro, Daniel; Eberle, Paula; McDonald, Madeline; Liwanag
Faculty: Heather

Development of an assay to measure epigenetic signals in human stress-response genes
Students: L. Hamilton, J. McPherson, K. Moses, A. Skeate
Faculty: S. Clement

Developing a Molecular Marker for Genotyping in the plant [[Brassica rapa]]
Students: N. Alaimo
Faculty: E. Himelblau

A Variety of Sequencing Approaches Used to Identify a Gene Associated with Chloroplast Development in [[Brassica rapa]]
Students: S. Alvernaz, E. Hansen, R. Howell, A. Merder
Faculty: E. Himelblau