Browsing Biology by Type"Honors Thesis"
Now showing items 1-20 of 61
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Analysis of the miR319 target Zmtcptf24 in the maize inflorescence
(2014-12)Maize inflorescences are essential for reproduction and also produce seeds that are consumed as food. To understand the genetics pathways that control normal inflorescence development, we study mutants with abnormal ... -
Androgen and progesterone receptor knockouts in Danio rerio affect aggression and social dominance (part 1)
(East Carolina University, 2018-12-07)It is well known that competition for the basic resources of food, shelter, and mates will always exist in nature. The most prevalent method of competing for such resources is aggression and social dominance. There is ... -
ANDROGEN AND PROGESTERONE RECEPTORS KNOCKOUTS IN ZEBRAFISH AFFECT AGGRESSION AND SOCIAL DOMINANCE
(East Carolina University, 2019-05-03)ABSTRACT - There is circumstantial evidence that steroids, such as androgens and progesterone, play roles in aggression and social behaviors in vertebrates. However, the genetic basis for these behaviors needs to be further ... -
Assessing Morphological Variability in Silversides along the Mid-Atlantic Bight
(2015)Inland silversides (Menidia beryllina) and Atlantic silversides (Menidia menidia) are ubiquitous fishes in the estuaries on the east coast of the United States. These species are very similar in appearance and may share ... -
BEHAVIORAL STUDY OF GOBIOSOMA BOSC IN RESPONSE TO VISUAL IMPLANT ELASTOMER (VIE) TAGGING
(East Carolina University, 2019-05-02)The naked goby (Gobiosoma bosc) is a small benthic fish that inhabits western Atlantic estuaries, where it ranges from Massachusetts to Mexico. Previous work has found limited gene flow between and among populations of G. ... -
Can an Invasive Species of Crayfish Help Save a Population of a Threatened Species of Bird, the King Rail?
(East Carolina University, 2018-05-24)ABSTRACT - Invasive species are frequently harmful to native species and to ecosystem stability. Yet, in a few cases, alien species have been found to benefit native residents. I investigated the relationship between a ... -
Characterization of the Bone Marrow Microenvironment During the Development of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Metastases
(East Carolina University, 2017-05-05)Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype that lacks expression of progesterone and estrogen receptors, and does not over-express human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). TNBC is not responsive to standard ... -
Characterizing Multigenerational Effects of Nicotine-Dependent Behaviors in Caenorhabditis Elegans
(East Carolina University, 2017-05-03)This project aims to investigate the effects nicotine, a highly addictive chemical associated with tobacco smoking, have on offspring (F1 and F2) using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). C. elegans is ... -
Characterizing the role of the Early Gene at 23 (E23) in Drosophila Melanogaster Oogenesis
(East Carolina University, 2016-04-29)Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) females undergo oogenesis to create oocytes from undifferentiated stem cells in the ovary. Similar to estrogen in humans, the steroid hormone ecdysone in fruit flies has a known role in ... -
Consequences Of Long-Term Fertilization on Wetland Microbial Function
(East Carolina University, 2019-05-02)Anthropogenic disturbances have led to increased deposition of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) into soils. Nutrient enrichment of soils is known to increase plant biomass and also increase rates of microbial litter ... -
Conspecific pollen precedence and its contribution to speciation in Triodanis perfoliata
(2015)Speciation is the process by which one species diverges into two distinct species. To fully understand speciation, it is important to understand reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation, the inability of two individuals ... -
CRISPR/CAS9 SYSTEMS FOR PLANT GENOME EDITING
(East Carolina University, 2016-04-28)The increasing burden of the world population on agriculture requires the development of more robust crops. Dissecting the basic biology that underlies plant susceptibility to pathogens and drives crop loss will inform ... -
Do female Eastern Bluebirds trade-off egg size with clutch size?
(East Carolina University, 2017-05-09)Egg size and clutch size are traits that show a fundamental trade-off in life history theory. Producing a larger number of offspring can come at the cost of being able to invest in those offspring. The degree of maternal ... -
Early Nicotine Exposure Altered Larval Neuromuscular Function and Adult Germline Apoptosis via MiRNA-Dependent Mechanisms
(East Carolina University, 2016-04-29)MicroRNAs fine tune the expression of target genes needed for homeostasis. Our pilot study showed that nicotine altered 17% miRNAs in C. elegans larvae. Here, we investigated the role of microRNAs in mediating nicotine-induced ... -
THE EFFECT OF CHANGES IN SODIUM CONCENTRATIONS ON MITOCHONDRIA
(2015-05-01)Atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries, is the major cause of stroke, peripheral artery disease and heart attack. . Overproduction of superoxide anions in mitochondria can give rise to atherosclerosis. Superoxide anions ... -
THE EFFECTS OF PRENATAL LEAD EXPOSURE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIOMARKERS OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
(2015-04)While often well known for its adverse effects on memory, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is also noteworthy for being the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 5.2 million Americans had the disease as ... -
Elucidating the mechanisms of Nickel as an animal mutagen
(East Carolina University, 2016-04-28)Nickel is an essential metal for many organisms. Nickel occurs naturally from volcanism and weathering of stone. Recently production of nickel from anthropogenic sources has overtaken natural production. Combustion of ... -
EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT, SEED BANK POTENTIAL AND GERMINATION OF THE FEDERALLY ENDANGERED HERB OF PINE SAVANNAS, THALICTRUM
(East Carolina University, 2016-06-03)Plant conservation efforts strongly rely on knowledge of species seed biology and viability for further propagation. Virtually nothing is known about the seed biology of the federally endangered Thalictrum cooleyi Ahles ... -
Epigenetic Effect of Modified Diet and Exercise on Drosophila Metabolic Phenotype and Cardiovascular Health
(2015-04)Obesity is a growing world-wide epidemic. Overweight populations are prone to a variety of morbid conditions including diabetes type 2, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. The catastrophic increase in obesity rates, which ... -
Exploring the Potential of Sucralose as a Cryopreservative for Red Blood Cells
(East Carolina University, 2017-12-11)Cryopreservation is a technique that involves freezing living cells to preserve them in long-term storage. Freezing and preserving living cells would not be possible without the assistance of cryopreservatives. Many ...