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The Combined Effects of Curcumin and Cyanidin-3-Glucoside on Lipopolysaccharide-induced Denaturation in Bovine Serum Albumin
No full textNeurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are projected to increase from 50 million to 152 million cases globally by 2060. Cognitive and motor decline associated with these disorders are caused by the accumulation of denatured proteins, disrupting cellular function (Armstrong, 2020). This study evaluated whether the polyphenols curcumin and cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), can prevent protein denaturation to provide a potential therapeutic treatment against NDs. It was hypothesized that combined curcumin and C3G treatment would protect bovine serum albumin (BSA) from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced denaturation by stabilizing hydrophobic regions. Different concentrations of curcumin and C3G were added to LPS-BSA solutions while absorbance was measured via UV-Vis spectroscopy. For the bis-ANS fluorescence assay, various concentrations of the polyphenols were added to solutions containing LPS, BSA, and bis-ANS dye and measured for relative fluorescence units (RFU). A one-way ANOVAs of max wavelengths (λmax) and RFU revealed a significant difference for all concentrations of treatments for UV-vis, F(4, 25)= 444.7; p \u3e .001, while only 62.5 nM was significant for bis-ANS treatment, F(4, 170)= 3.991; p = .0040. Post hoc analysis indicated that 25 µM curcumin and C3G treatment had a significant impact in preventing the hypsochromic shift caused by LPS. In the bis-ANS fluorescence assay at 62.5 nM, combined treatment significantly decreased RFU, indicating reduced hydrophobic exposure. Curcumin and C3G treatment provide enhanced protection of BSA’s hydrophobic regions. The combined treatment may prevent or slow the progression of ND’s by stopping denatured proteins and limiting the accumulation of aggregates
The Effect of Pyroligneous Acid on Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilm Formation on High-Density Polyethylene Surfaces
No full textThe purpose of the study is to determine if pyroligneous acid (PA) can effectively inhibit S. epidermidis biofilm formation on a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) surface to determine natural, alternative treatment methods for biofilm-related infections associated with medical implant devices. It was hypothesized that as the concentration of PA was increased, the inhibition of biofilm formation would increase based on previous studies showcasing the effectiveness of PA and other phenolic-rich natural compounds (Yang et al., 2016; Minich et al., 2022; Zou et al., 2019). In this study, HDPE cubes were exposed to S. epidermidis cultures treated with solutions of different PA concentrations. Biofilm biomass was quantified using crystal violet staining and measuring absorbance (AU) using a spectrophotometer. The results suggest that PA exhibits a concentration-dependent inhibition of S. epidermidis biofilm formation on HDPE surfaces (F (3,116) = 14.05, p\u3c0.001), as the 2% PA concentration was the only group which was statistically different from the control (Tukey Stats). These results suggest that PA has the potential to be used in clinical settings to treat biofilm-related infections on medical devices based on its effectiveness in disrupting biofilm formation and antimicrobial activity. This study highlights the necessity of discovering alternatives that exhibit antimicrobial activity and promote environmental sustainability, as well as offers a promising approach to treat biofilm-related infections while accounting for both factors. Further research is necessary to confirm results and minimize variability in the procedures, as well as to test PA’s effects against other bacteria and on other materials
Transforming Peanut Plants Using Gene Editing Techniques to Decrease Allergen Content
No full textPeanut allergies pose a significant public health risk, often resulting in severe or life-threatening reactions. This study aimed to reduce the allergenic potential of peanuts by using CRISPR-Cpf1 to target and edit genes responsible for major allergenic proteins. A plasmid named PZJ009 containing the Cpf1 gene and a hygromycin resistance gene cassette were introduced to peanut plants and calluses using both Agrobacterium and biolistic particle delivery approaches. DNA was extracted from the transformed samples and tested with PCR using Cpf1 or hygromycin primers to confirm successful delivery of the plasmid with gel electrophoresis. Out of 54 samples, 2 tested positive for Cpf1 gene, which is a 4% transformation efficiency with the biolistic method being more effective. Further, PCR testing using Ara h primers were done on Cpf1 positive samples to check for presence or absences in the allergen-related gene regions in the plant. While the transformation efficiency was low, this research supports that transformation is possible using gene editing to develop safer, hypoallergenic peanut varieties
Identifying Genes Involved in Anti-fungal Drug Resistance
No full textWe are interested in understanding anti-fungal drug resistance mechanisms in the fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans. C. neoformans infection can cause pneumonia in humans and in rare cases, Cryptococcal meningitis in immunocompromised individuals. The commonly used anti-fungal drug currently used against Cryptococcal infection is the azole drug, fluconazole. Based on RNA-sequencing experiment to determine genes that are upregulated in C. neoformans in the presence of fluconazole, we tested 10 mutant strains, which were inhibited in multiple cellular pathways, of Cryptococcus, for growth in presence of fluconazole. We conducted preliminary assays to determine the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of each of the strains in comparison to wild-type, growth assays to detect growth of each of the mutant strains in the presence of fluconazole, and disc assays to determine the zone of inhibition of each mutant in the presence of fluconazole. We concluded that the sterol regulatory element( SRE1), is essential for regulating the sensitivity to fluconazole. This was an expected result as the mode of action of fluconazole is to inhibit the biosynthesis of the sterol, ergosterol. Future experiments will test the role of sterol regulatory element in regulating fluconazole sensitivity in the host, during Cryptococcal infections. â€
The Effect of Avocado Oil on the Antibacterial Effectiveness of Arthrospira platensis on Escherichia coli
No full textA quarter of the meat in the US spoils before it is cooked, due to its short shelf life. Because many synthetic ways to preserve meat are shown to be hazardous to human health, there is interest in natural alternatives that avoid harmful additives. Arthrospira platensis is a cyanobacterium that possesses various inhibitory effects, such as being antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant. A. platensis can be used to increase the shelf life of meats through the inhibition of various bacteria. The purpose of this study was to determine if A. platensis inhibited the growth of the K-12 strain of E. coli more efficiently when used alone or combined with a lipid polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), like avocado oil. It was hypothesized that the addition of avocado oil would enhance the antimicrobial properties of Arthrospira platensis, as many of the antibacterial compounds in this species are polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in avocado oil and disrupt the cell walls of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, thereby killing them. To test this, different amounts of A. platensis and avocado oil were combined on an Escherichia coli bacterial lawn, and the zone of inhibition after 24 hours of incubation was measured. No treatment showed any zone of inhibition, not supporting the hypothesis. Additional testing is needed to adequately defend or refute the hypothesis as no viable data was gathered
Young Voters in South Carolina 2026 Gubernatorial Election
No full textRecent trends have shown low voter turnout among young voters in America (United States Census Bureau, 2025). The data previously mentioned contains a trend that has remained consistent in U.S. politics for decades: the older you are, the more likely you are to vote. This begs questions as to why young voters are less likely to be registered voters in political elections. Many young Americans express concern over the way politics are handled at the national level. The 2021 Fall Harvard Youth Poll conveyed Americans\u27 concerns about the state of the U.S., with only 7% of 2,109 18-29 year olds claiming they felt the U.S. was operating with a healthy democracy (Harvard Youth Poll, 2021). Considering these concerns, there is a gap in current research pertaining to the values of all young adults eligible to vote in U.S. elections. This research will be narrowed to the state level, specifically the 2026 gubernatorial election. This research will employ a questionnaire pertaining to political orientation and values. Young adults (18-22) will complete this questionnaire, their responses compared to the campaign points of the gubernatorial candidates. The researcher will analyze the values of young voters and compare them to that of the gubernatorial candidates. The implications of this project are mainly involving the alignment of politicians and young voters. Is the difference in values between young South Carolinians and politicians great? Or minimal? This research can be applied to upcoming gubernatorial elections and federal elections given its findings
The Effect of Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil and Ampicillin on the Growth of Bacillus cereus
No full textThe purpose of this study was to determine if combining a vegetable oil with an antibiotic would show an increased antibacterial effect compared to the antibiotic on its own. Specifically, cold-pressed rapeseed oil (CPRO), a healthier variant of canola oil, was combined with ampicillin against Bacillus cereus, typically resistant to the antibiotic. It was hypothesized that adding 2.5 microliters of CPRO to 5 microliters of ampicillin would show the highest diameter of zone of inhibition of Bacillus cereus by creating a bacteriostatic effect, because the oil contains antimicrobial bioactive compounds. For each of the four treatment groups, 30 antibiotic discs were impregnated with 10 microliters of the solutions/suspensions and placed into the proper quadrant of the agar plates. Ratios of sterile water to ampicillin to oil were as follows; group 1 was 1:0:0, group 2 was 1:1:0, group 3 was 1:2:1, and group 4 was 0:1:1. The agar plates were incubated for 24 hours at 30 degrees Celsius. Treatment group 2 showed the highest mean zone of inhibition at 13.4 mm. Group 3 showed the second lowest zone of inhibition at 9.5 mm. Therefore, the hypothesis was not supported. The ANOVA test showed a p-value of \u3c0.001, prompting a post-hoc Tukey test. In conclusion, all data was shown to be statistically significant except the comparison of group 3 to 4
Testing Drought Stress Memory in Garden Pea (Pisum sativum) Using Controlled Water Loss and Rhizobial Treatment
No full textDrought stress reduces legume growth and can change the plant-microbe interaction that helps support the plant in obtaining nutrients and in recovering. This study examined whether drought exposure and rhizobial inoculation influence growth recovery in Pisum sativum by testing the plants with a drought duration (0 h or 72 h) and Rhizobium inoculant (0 g or 0.05 g). The purpose of this experiment was to determine if drought stress memory and Rhizobium leguminosarum treatment improve stem height following drought, because prior research shows that drought can modify physiological, biochemical, and microbial responses that shape plant performance during later stress. The hypothesis predicted that plants exposed to drought can given rhizobial inoculation, would show greater recovery and higher stem height than uninoculated plants or those without drought exposure. Growth was measured before and after drought, and the change in stem height (cm) served as the dependent variable. A two-way ANOVA tested the effects of drought, inoculation, and their interactions on growth. Drought duration did not significantly affect the change in height, F(1,116)= 0.71, p .400, and rhizobial inoculation also showed no effect on the change in height, F(1,116) = 0.46, p = .500. The interaction between the factors was not significant, F(1,116) = 1.13, p = .289. Mean growth varied widely among individual plants. However, no treatment produced a statistically significant increase. These findings indicate that, under the conditions tested, neither drought exposure nor rhizobial inoculation altered growth recovery. Future work may require longer drought cycles, strain-specific inoculants, or soil microbial controls to detect memory-based responses
The Comparison of Manufactured Mobile Home Foundation Types when Subjected to Seismic Stress Using a SpecFem3D Cartesian Model
No full textIn 2023, 36.8 million Americans were living below the poverty level, with 1 in 10 impoverished Americans residing in Manufactured Mobile Homes (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025; Bennett, 2018). Manufacturers of these homes primarily install cheap and easily accessible concrete cinder blocks as foundations. Despite this foundation’s popularity it comes with significant structural risks. Alternative foundation types exist, yet none have been deemed the most efficient in mitigating said risks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the most competent foundation type for providing safety to Manufactured Mobile Home (MMH) residents in geological emergencies. It was hypothesized that the pier & beam foundation would be most stable, as the concrete-wood combination would increase efficacy. To test this hypothesis, a SpecFem3D Cartesian Model with a GMSH integration was utilized to create models of single-wide MMHs with cinder blocks, full concrete, pier & beam, or runner foundations. Simulations of seismic activity, scaling from 1.0 to 10.0 magnitudes, were conducted three times on each foundation type. During each simulation, the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) was measured in meters per second squared. A One-Way ANOVA test with an alpha value of 0.05 was conducted and a p-value of \u3c0.001 was found. A Post-hoc Tukey test determined there was a significant difference in the PGA between the cinder block and the pier & beam foundations. It was concluded that the pier & beam foundation is the most proactive for MMH residents to avoid risk of property & financial loss. Further implications allude to widespread inclusion of MMHs in studies concerning protection from natural events to eliminate the research gap present
Berberine in Combination With Ginseng to Counteract Obesity using Caenorhabditis elegans as an In-vivo Model
No full textObesity is a leading issue in the United States, affecting almost half of the population. In 2024 alone, it was found that 123 million people nationwide were categorized as obese, and this number continues to rise (Miller et al., 2024). Obesity is often associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which is why it can be so deadly. GLP-1 medications and Bariatric surgery are the most common treatment methods for obesity. However, they continue to grow in cost, as insurance companies are not covering them, and they can also have many side effects/complications. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine if Berberine combined with Ginseng could serve as an alternative medication for obesity, because it is low cost and minimally invasive. The obesity was modeled by giving C. elegans a high-glucose diet. Then, berberine, ginseng, and a combined solution of the two substances were created. This was also added to the C. elegans diet. Pictures of the C. elegans were taken using MicroCapture Plus and a MacBook. Finally, the area of the C. elegans (mm²) was measured by changing the tolerance and then using the measurement tool on ImageJ. Based on the results, it was found that the combined solution did reduce the area of the C. elegans more than the substances given individually. Therefore, the proposed solution is a viable alternative medication for obesity; however, results should be interpreted with caution, as the number of trials per group varied