Abstracts
1. Effect of road proximity and habitat fragmentation on the dispersal and genetic diversity of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) in natural and created vernal pools.- Wilson, Emily*, and Megan Rothenberger Lafayette College.
2. Characterization of Phytoplankton and Bacterioplankton Communities in the Eutrophic Raritan Bay.- Best, Austin*, and Megan Rothenberger Lafayette College.
3. A five year (2016-2021) summary of water quality, zooplankton, and fish community changes in Presque Isle Bay, Erie Pennsylvania.- Dempsey, Chris*, Michelle Kuns, and Greg Andraso Gannon University.
4. A survey of Hydra species in selected south central Pennsylvania lakes, and differences between species in dispersal-related behavior.- Morrill, Kayla*, Riley Moore*, Katie Hollen, Alexandra Gates, and Diane Bridge Elizabethtown College.
5. The influence of alcohol after traumatic brain injury in Drosophila melanogaster.- Buia, Ainsley*, Nayab Baloch*, Macey Eberly, and Valbona Hoxha Lebanon Valley College.
6. Collective motion from attraction and burst-and-glide dynamics.- Tulevech, Grace*, and Daniel Strömbom Lafayette College.
7. Use of camera collars to monitor reintroduction risks to Oryx dammah, scimitar- horned oryx.- Klopp, Elijah*, M. Dana Harriger, Sonny Bleicher, and Katherine Mertes Wilson College.
8. Responses from bees, butterflies, and ground beetles to different fire and site characteristics: A global meta-analysis.- Mason, Stephen*, Vaughn Shirey, Lauren Ponisio, and Jon Gelhaus Immaculata University.
9. Exploring the relationship between ClearCode34 gene expression, race, and genetic ancestry as risk factors for racial disparities in renal cell carcinoma survival.- Greenberg, Samantha*, and Khadijah Mitchell Lafayette College.
10. African American-enriched loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 3q24 impacts scramblase tumor suppressor genes in kidney cancer patients.- Bart, Alex*, and Khadijah Mitchell Lafayette College.
11. Comparing the association between genetic ancestry, DNA methylation, and patient survival in African Americans and European Americans with lung cancer.- Osei-Gyening, Isaiah*, and Khadijah Mitchell Lafayette College.
12. Comparing active DNA demethylation in lung cancer patients with high and low west african ancestry.- Marks, James*, and Khadijah Mitchell Lafayette College.
13. Somatic copy number variation in African Americans and European Americans with renal cell carcinoma.- Ortiz Fernandez, Destiny*, and Khadijah Mitchell Lafayette College.
14. The combinatorial effects of lumefantrine and tetrandrine on the radiation sensitivity of U-87 glioblastoma cells.- Vargas, Shaylene*, Brad Engle, and Kathryn Sarachan Wilson College.
15. The roles of lipopolysaccharide and flagellin in the TLR4 and TLR5 signaling cascades.- Newman, Thalia*, Annarose Taylor*, Liew Chun Wai, and Robert Kurt Lafayette College.
16. Characterizing ferroptosis in the model invertebrate Hydra vulgaris.- Dardis, Jackson*, Darci Ott, Victor Witkofski*, and Diane Bridge Elizabethtown College.
17. Correlating in vitro matrix deposition and COL1A expression with tumor fibrosis in human pancreatic cancer.- Buckwalter, Silas*, Courtney Williams, and John Harms Messiah University.
18. The Role of SCAMP3 in CXCR4 Trafficking.- Ordoñez, Catalina*, Mikyung Jang, and Quyen Aoh Gannon University.
19. Identification of horizontal gene transfer between Caudovirales bacteriophages and bacteria for the hemolysin-coregulated protein.- Monostra, Megan*, and Vinayak Mathur Cabrini University.
20. Molecular genetic evidence for the existence of a hybrid cross between Largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, and Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieui.- King, Erin*, and Ann Yezerski King's College.
21. Chromatin Protects DNA from Alkylation Damage.- Rotondo, Julianna*, and Daniel Ginsburg Immaculata University.
23. Chemotaxis as a novel paradigm for assessment of mutant behavior.- Matthews, Mikayla*, John Minora, and Christopher Brey Marywood University.
24. Alterations in the non-coding transcriptome of glucose-stressed human glomerular epithelial cells may indicate novel biomarkers associated with early diabetic kidney disease.- Castaneira, Ryan*, Daniel Morris, Josie Rice, Savannah Kreiser, and Nik Tsotakos Penn State University-Harrisburg.
25. The evolution of resistance: how quickly do bacteria evolve antibiotic resistance?.- Masters, Ashlynn*, and Cynthia Keler Delaware Valley University.
26. Flow cytometric and microscopic analyses of antimicrobial properties exhibited by protein extracts purified from Eisenia hortensis.- Mazza, Samantha*, and Sheryl Fuller-Espie Cabrini University.
27. Phenotypic and genomic characterization of a novel Pedobacter recovered from a freshwater creek in Northcentral Pennsylvania.- Davila, Juan*, and Jeffrey Newman Lycoming College.
28. Metagenomic analysis of contaminated soils near Erie Coke Corporation in Erie, PA.- Kowalski, Rae Ann*, Jared Fagan*, Colin Olson, Zachary Buchman, Nicole Schwab, Jenna Kunst, Rajinikanth Mohan, and Michael Foulk Mercyhurst University.
29. An evaluation of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli in feline commercial raw meat-based diet and kibble.- Cook, Brandi*, Adam Cooke, and Deborah Austin Wilson College.
30. A time-course comparison of bacterial communities in different soil environments using next-generation sequencing.- Brown, Thomas*, Hannah Laughner*, Allison Mattern*, Joseph Colosi, and Lara Goudsouzian DeSales University.
31. Generating neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against bacteriophage T4: designing a screening assay.- Zondory, Hunter*, Lily Velazco*, and Lawrence Mylin Messiah University.
32. Genomic comparisons between yellow and pink Pedobacter species.- Branigan, Carter*, James Johnson*, and Jeff Newman Lycoming College.
33. Phenotypic and genomic characterization and comparison of two novel Pedobacters recovered from a freshwater creek in Central Pennsylvania.- Davila, Dayana*, and Jeffrey Newman Lycoming College.
34. The compost project.- Panetta, Sydnie*, and Susan Cronin Immaculata University.
35. Testing antiviral activity of baicalin against the mouse hepatitis virus protease.- Franges, Jared*, and Dia Beachboard DeSales University.
36. Coronavirus cleavage of host proteins using the nsp5 protease.- Kumar, Nidhi*, Brennan Gerancher, Jared Franges, and Dia Beachboard DeSales University.
37. Identifying novel antibiotics from soil bacteria.- Armstrong, Alexis*, Alexandra Kroznuskie, Ryan Stackhouse, Brennan Gerancher, Nidhi Kumar, Jared Franges, and Dia Beachboard DeSales University.
38. Impacts of e-liquids upon macrophage phagocytosis of Escherichia coli.- Shah, Raivat*, Emily Luo*, and Giancarlo Cuadra Muhlenberg College.
39. Comparison of AutoMLST, GTDB, rpoB, and 16s trees in evaluating the position of novel Pedobacter species, as well as known Pedobacter species, in a potential reclassification.- Saar, Lily*, Kiyah Bell, Dayana Davila, and Jeffrey Newman Lycoming College.
40. Secretory carrier membrane protein 3’s (SCAMP3) role in β-amyloid production and secretion.- Zarilla, Alexandria*, Daniel Oar*, Joshua Nel*, and Quyen Aoh Gannon University.
41. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater to estimate COVID-19 occurrence at York College of Pennsylvania.- Keller, Caleb*, and Meda Higa York College of Pennsylvania.
42. The Role of trans-Golgi Network and Endosomal Adaptors in Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.- Madden, Ellen*, Mia Krevh*, and Quyen Aoh Gannon University.
43. Exploring differential circRNA expression in a model T cell line.- Greenwood, Kate*, Gabriel Castro*, Alexia Williams*, and Brian Gray York College of Pennsylvania.
44. Roscovitine and Antimetabolites Inhibition of CDK5 Activates a Potential PI3K Involvement in Cancer Progression and Aggression.- Nguyen, Tiffany*, Bianca Caresosa*, and Ronald Kaltreider York College of Pennsylvania.
45. The search for a more specific histone deacetylase Inhibitor.- Pezak, Corey*, James Murray, and Daniel Ginsburg Immaculata University.
46. How important are the different DNA double strand break repair pathways?.- Terry, Madeline*, and Daniel Ginsburg Immaculata University.
47. Optimizing a PCR-based technique to measure telomerase regulation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.- Wolfinger, Madison*, Khushali Vyas*, and Andre Walther Cedar Crest College.
48. Examining the role of Replication Protein A in the cellular response to chemotherapeutic drugs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.- Franzone, Katherine*, and André Walther Cedar Crest College.
49. FabI G93V substitution as one mechanism for triclosan resistance.- Jaber, Khoula*, Sydney Jones*, and K. Joy Karnas Cedar Crest College.
50. Optimization of a novel qRT-PCR assay for relative quantification of CCK2R splice variants in pancreatic cancer.- Johnston, Natalie*, and John Harms Messiah University.
51. Identification of key amino acid substitutions between members of the Candida glabrata PMU gene family, and their role in conferring phosphatase activity.- Tulio, Dominic*, and Kelly Orlando Immaculata University.
52. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay development for the detection of Frog Virus 3 (FV3).- Prematta, Spencer R.*, and Jeffrey P. Thompson York College of Pennsylvania.
53. Novel CRISPR-Cas9 visualization system for the functional removal of IL13ɑ1 receptor and analysis of cell behavioral changes.- Skirboll, Sydney*, and Jeffrey Thompson York College of Pennsylvania.
54. Identification of Replicatin Protein A phosphorylation dependent protein-protein interactions via Yeast Two Hybrid system.- Dias, Kathlyn*, and André Walther Cedar Crest College.
55. Examining growth rate and capsule formation in mutant strains of the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus neoformans to be used in biodiesel production.- Silva, Nicole*, Zahaira Velasco*, and André Walther Cedar Crest College.
56. The Mechanisms Involved in the Development of Vemurafenib Resistance in Human Melanoma Cells.- Finniff, Bridget*, and Angela Hess Bloomsburg University.
57. Development of a cell-based vaccine against pancreatic cancer.- Guevin, Daniel*, and Lawrence Mylin Messiah University.
58. Identifying Population-Specific UGT and CYP mRNA Isoform Expression upon Menthol Exposure in Lung Cancer Among African Americans and European Americans.- Shrestha, Adina*, and Khadijah Mitchell Lafayette College.
59. Exploring The Relationship Between Telomere Lengthening Pathways And Genetic Ancestry In African-American And European-American Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.- Acheampong, Kwabena*, and Khadijah Mitchell Lafayette College.
60. Effects of virgin coconut oil on oral commensal bacterial species Streptococcus oralis.- Wong, Felicia*, and Giancarlo Cuadra Muhlenberg College.
61. The effectiveness of sulfuretin as an antifungal chemical compound compared to clotrimazole on Trichophyton rubrum.- Holzinger, Shealyn*, Kathryn Sarachan, and Adam Cooke Wilson College.
62. Quantifying the contact-independent inhibitory effect of cinnamon bark oil on the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans.- Slifka, Jacob*, Brad Engle, and Sonny Bleicher Wilson College.
63. Determining the impact of pollution from Bethlehem Steel on the microbial communities of nearby soil.- Brown, Thomas*, Hannah Laughner*, Joseph Colosi, and Lara Goudsouzian DeSales University.
64. Isolation and characterization of carotenoids in Pedobacter and Roseopedobacter gen. nov..- Bell, Kiyah*, and Jeff Newman Lycoming College.
65. Genomic surveillance of Sars-CoV-2 variants enhances mitigation strategies and reveals viral evolution in a university campus context.- Hertel, Austin, Madison Heeter*, Mara Bestram, Ross Gibson, Gwendolyn Ciletti-Dougherty, and Steven Mauro Gannon University.
66. The effect of Poly(I:C) and IFN-ɑ on the immune system as Observed through IL-12 production in dendritic cells.- Kleb, Sarah*, and Jodi Lancaster Elizabethtown College.
67. Analysis on the outcomes of physical therapy on patients with shoulder injuries in different age groups.- Whittington, Jacob*, M. Dana Harriger, Tonia Hess-Kling, and Rebecca Thomas Wilson College.
68. Effects of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome and potential causes.- Howells, Joshua*, Kathryn Sarachan, and Brad Engle Wilson College.
69. Generation of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against bacteriophage T4.- Velazco, Lily*, Hunter Zondory, and Lawrence Mylin Messiah University.
70. Increased expression of SAM68 in SV40 transformed human diploid fibroblast cells and the effect on downstream splicing targets.- Caroland, Kailey*, John Hanson, and Jane Cavender Elizabethtown College.
71. SV40 T-antigen sensitization of human cells to erastin and cisplatin-induced death: apoptosis or ferroptosis?.- Hanson, John*, Kimberly Manning, and Jane Cavender Elizabethtown College.
72. Studying the impact of lactate on the metabolic stress response in macrophages.- Esposito, Abigail*, and Robert Kurt Lafayette College.
73. Targeting altered metabolism in tumor associated macrophages.- Chang, Musea*, and Robert Kurt Lafayette College.
74. Examining the mechanism of Replication Protein A regulation of telomere length in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a PCR amplification-based protocol.- Vyas, Khushali*, and André Walther Cedar Crest College.
75. Use of cylindrical topology self-organizing maps for reference-free rotational image alignment and classification.- Dempster, Ruth-Ann*, Keyanna Safforld, and Christopher Kavanau East Stroudsburg University.
76. Effects of Microcystis aeruginosa on the Reproduction and Development of Capitella teleta.- Wynings, Rachel*, Alyson Grindall, Nathan Hendel, Nicole Wartella, and William Biggers Wilkes University.
77. Microbial associations with Metcalf’s Tryonia, Tryonia metcalfi (Gastropoda: Cochliopidae), an imperiled ciénega endemic.- Minton, Russell*, and Kathryn Perez Gannon University.
78. Coliform Trends in Urban Streams Receiving Stormwater within Lycoming County MS4 Area.- Odoemena, Sofia*, and Leslie Rieck Lycoming College.
79. A test of the enemy release hypothesis in the New Zealand mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum.- Harlow, Gracie*, and Edward Levri Penn State University-Altoona.
80. The effect of the pesticide malathion on the mortality of the invasive New Zealand mud snail.- Wright, Kara*, and Edward Levri Penn State University-Altoona.
81. The effect of heat stress on invasive New Zealand mud snail mortality.- Wallace, Kaylee*, and Edward Levri Penn State University-Altoona.
83. Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in Erie.- Mitchell, Michaela*, Collin Olson, Nicole Schwab, Jenna Kunst, Zach Buchman, and Rajinikanth Mohan Mercyhurst University.
84. An interdisciplinary approach for establishing baseline conditions prior to dam removal in Bushkill Creek, PA.- Hanna, Donna*, and Megan Rothenberger Lafayette College.
85. Development of a naturally derived hydroponic nutrient solution from recirculating aquaculture system effluent using batch vermifilter reactors.- Lopez-Soliz, Maurice*, Ashly Ramos*, Stephanie Soto Mangandi*, Joseph Tetreault, and Rachel Fogle Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.
86. A comparative study of primary land use and microplastic concentrations of sediment in the Conococheague Creek.- Villeda, Blanca*, Adam Cooke, M. Dana Harriger, and Deborah Austin Wilson College.
87. Effects of Diameter and Crown Class on Ash (Fraxinus spp.) Mortality from Agrilus planipennis (Emerald Ash Borer) in Northwestern Pennsylvania.- Petrick, Hayden*, and Christopher Dolanc Mercyhurst University.
88. A transcription factor involved in growth repression is a positive regulator of senescence in plants.- Rager, Sydnie*, Kaitlyn Stroscio, Olivia Pericak, Zach Buchman, Colin Olson, Christina Judy, and Rajinikanth Mohan Mercyhurst University.
89. The effects of leaf litter depth on seed germination of Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus).- Bui, Theresa*, and Amy E. Faivre Cedar Crest College.
90. A comparative analysis of the trigeminal nerve in the orbits of predatory birds.- Amendano, Brigette*, Suzanne Spriggs, and Ian Cost Albright College.
91. Spotted lanternfly infestation is associated with tree of heaven presence in the US.- Crocker, Amanda*, Grace Tulevech*, and Daniel Strömbom Lafayette College.
92. Modeling the local spread of the Spotted Lanternfly in the US.- Sands, Autumn*, Daniel Strömbom, Amanda Crocker, Grace Tulevech, Kelly Ward, and Cameron Cloud Lafayette College.
93. Five-year assessment of the effectiveness of the Forestry Reclamation Approach on an anthracite mine in northeastern Pennsylvania.- Fritz, Everett*, Julia Kobusky*, Allie Shulskie*, Alana Andreoli, Cheyenne Jenner, and Kenneth Klemow Wilkes University.
94. Acoustic analysis of changes in bat community composition along the Upper Delaware River from 2009-2020.- Munoz, Valerie*, Erica Spiess, and Howard Whidden East Stroudsburg University.
95. Establishing a developmental chemical hypoxia model in Danio rerio.- Johnston, Madeline*, Brittany Hayden, and Jennifer Ness-Myers Messiah University.
96. Synthesis of three putrescine analogs as possible antioxidants.- Gorecki, Shannon*, Abigail Stocker*, and Francis Mayville DeSales University.
98. Novel presumptive tests for drugs of abuse using chemiluminescence.- Romano, Giulia*, and Lindsey Welch Cedar Crest College.
99. Selective oxidation of naphthol derivatives with metal acetylacetonate catalysts.- Watson, Talia*, Lindsey Welch, and Audra Bratis Cedar Crest College.
100. Creating biodiesel using mutant versions of the oleaginous yeast, Cryptococcus neoformans.- Justice, Rachel*, Lindsey Welch, and André Walther Cedar Crest College.
101. Biodiesel production from aquatic fern Azolla caroliniana via hydrothermal liquefaction.- Assaf, Afaf*, and Lindsey Welch Cedar Crest College.
102. The comparative effects of a raw based diet versus a kibble diet on the reduction of dental calculus in dogs.- Wolfe, Calista*, M. Dana Harriger, Adam Cooke, and Deb Austin Wilson College.
103. A comparison of dental microwear between two cusps from M1 tooth of Mesodma (Mammalia: Multituberculata).- Gilla, Trisha*, and Frank Varriale King's College.
104. Comparing Dental Measurement in North American Bats with Corresponding Diets.- Chau, Phuong*, and Ian Cost Albright College.
105. The expression of linear and circBANP in developing chicken (Gallus gallus) retinal tissue and human cell lines.- Landry, Alianna*, and Sean Georgi York College of Pennsylvania.
106. Expression of circPDE4B in human cell lines and chicken (Gallus gallus) retinal development.- Grenier, Jazzlyn*, and Sean Georgi York College of Pennsylvania.
107. Interrogating the roles of eye genes in an eyeless arachnid.- Joyce, Isabella*, and Austen Barnett DeSales University.
108. Examining the evolution of epidermal growth factor (EGF) pathway ligands in insects.- Giletto, Martha*, and Austen Barnett DeSales University.
109. The effect of lighting conditions on the ability to consistently determine presumptive drug test results.- Marrero, Zee*, Jeanne R. Berk, and Audrey J. Ettinger Cedar Crest College.
110. Parameter optimization of EthoVision XT® for automated quantification of spontaneous grooming behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster.- Mukherjee, Sohini*, and David Andrew* Lycoming College.
111. Development of a novel low-cost apparatus for assessing thermal nociception in the rat.- Martin, Ciara*, Coby Rush*, Carl Tyce*, and Alexander Krupka* DeSales University.