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206 - Identities and Nesting Patterns of Cavity-Nesting Bees and Wasps
Get PDFCavity-nesting bees and wasps lay eggs in hollow stems or other pre-made cavities and provision their larvae with food to overwinter until their emergence in spring. To observe nesting patterns, we placed nesting boxes containing “bee tubes” made of hollow reeds in five locations around the SUNY Geneseo campus. We photographed the tubes once a week over the summer, as the tubes were gradually sealed off by insects to form larval cells. We noted the type of material used to fill the tubes and analyzed the trends in the phenology and site preferences of the various fill types using the photographic record. The bee tubes were allowed to overwinter and then, over the spring of 2024, the bee tubes were dissected and observations were made to identify the immature occupants based on their morphology and the materials used to provision the young. This fall, we pinned the voucher specimens and identified them using the online tool “Discover Life”. Some of the commonly observed bee taxa in the tubes include Megachile pugnata, Megachile rotundata, Megachile relativa, and Osmia caerulescens. Wasps were also common occupants of the tubes, including taxa such as the grass-carrying wasp Isodontia mexicana, the spider predator Trypoxylon sp., and the potter wasp Ancistrocerus capra. In this study, we connected the identities of occupants to the cavity fill type, site preferences, and timing of occupation. This information gives us a better understanding of our local native bee and wasp ecology and the conservation efforts necessary to support their populations
046 - Synthesis and Analysis of a Ytterbium- and Thulium-Codoped Upconverting Dicalcium Phosphate Cement for Potential Use as a Bone Defect Filler
Get PDFWe synthesized and characterized a ytterbium- and thulium-codoped dicalcium phosphate cement with potential therapeutic applications. Critical bone fractures pose a significant challenge to healthcare, often requiring invasive autografting due to a lack of effective alternatives. Calcium phosphate cements have arisen as a possible alternative, as they mimic the chemical composition of bones and promote healing. Among calcium phosphate cements, dicalcium phosphate cements, particularly monetite, are advantaged in resorption rate and osteoinductivity. The mechanical properties of monetite, however, pose an issue for its implementation as a bone replacement material. Recent research explores rare earth metal doping as a means to enhance the performance of calcium phosphate cements. To test this, we manufactured a ytterbium- and thulium-codoped dicalcium phosphate cement by preparing codoped β-tricalcium phosphate and reacting it with monocalcium phosphate monohydrate in the presence of water. The synthesized codoped dicalcium phosphate cement was then characterized with fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The cement’s final setting time was determined using a Vicat needle apparatus, while photoluminescence spectrometry was used to monitor upconversion luminescent emissions caused by ytterbium/thulium codoping. The optimization of lanthanide doped dicalcium phosphate cements may allow for a resorbable, injectable, and theragnosticly useful cement to enhance the fracture healing process
103 - Targeting G-Quadruplex DNA using Groove Binding Compounds as an Anticancer Study
Get PDFThis research project investigates the effectiveness of groove binding compounds in binding to G-quadruplex DNA. Previous work by researchers within the field have shown that G-quadruplex (G4) DNA is a viable anticancer therapeutic target. Compounds that stabilize G4 have shown promising antitumor effects in preclinical cancer models. This project seeks to study drug-G4 interactions using fluorescence displacement assays and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Thioflavin-T (ThT) fluorescence displacement data have shown significant displacement of ThT bound to G4 DNA with certain groove binders, indicating G4 binding and stabilization. Circular dichroism spectroscopy displays the differential absorption of circular polarized light in the presence of chiral carbons such as those that exist in a sample of DNA. Each molecule will have a unique spectra, so when a drug is incrementally added to it, each sample generates a new spectra. We have observed noticeable shifts in the CD spectra when the groove binders of this study were added to G4 DNA. This indicates a change in structure and potential stability of the G4 DNA. Our research lab is currently interested in the drugs/groove binders: DAPI, Hoescht33258, distamycin, and berenil. Upon comparison of the results of CD spectroscopy and fluorescence displacement between telomeric and c-MYC G4 DNA, we have seen a difference in binding affinity and structural change that will be studied further. We plan to add other groove binders (e.g., rapamycin) to our toolbox for future comparisons and evaluations
198 - Genetic variation and endosymbiont incidence in the introduced ant-mimicking spider, Myrmarachne formicaria
Get PDFWe examined the genetic and endosymbiotic diversity of the ant-mimicking jumping spider Myrmarachne formicaria, a spider native to Eurasia whose presence in North America has expanded over the past several decades. Non-native populations often exhibit reduced genetic diversity, so patterns in genetic diversity may help demystify their number of and source of introduction events. Prior sequence analysis of several mitochondrial genes revealed little genetic variation within M. formicaria across most European and North American populations. One of this study’s aims was to sequence two nuclear genes, 28S rRNA and Histone H3, to expand the number of genetic loci available for assessing genetic diversity. Compared to other arthropods, little is known about the incidence of endosymbiont infections in arachnids and their impacts. Colonization of new geographic areas have been found, in some taxa, to result in the loss of endosymbiont bacteria. Previous surveys of both North American and a limited sample of European M. formicaria identified ubiquitous Cardinium infections and somewhat sporadic incidences of Wolbachia infection. A Cardinium gene sequenced from infected M. formicaria showed minimal variation across most samples, with a European outlier. This study also involved surveying spiders for Phage WO, a bacteriophage infecting Wolbachia. Exploring the genetic and endosymbiotic diversity of M. formicaria may help us describe patterns in their introduction and spread in North America