Fall 2022 VIRTUAL Undergraduate Research Symposium

Do amino acid changes alter the structure of a protein within the context of its primary structure or through it tertiary structure? Common garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) in western North America have evolved different levels tetrodotoxin (TTX) resis...

The zoo is a place where people can learn more about animals from all over the world. This can bring attention to protecting the ecosystems that house those animals and the animals themselves. The first step is making sure those animals we take care of ar...

We are wondering if diatoms can outcompete harmful algae if there is enough monosilicic acid present. Diatoms use monosilicic acid to grow their shells but monosilicic acid is rare in the environment, so there are fewer diatoms. If we could increase monos...

We are wondering if diatoms can outcompete harmful algae if there is enough monosilicic acid present. Diatoms use monosilicic acid to grow their shells but monosilicic acid is rare in the environment, so there are fewer diatoms. If we could increase monos...

Fruits contain nutritional rewards for dispersers such as sugars, lipids, minerals, and proteins. Secondary metabolites are chemicals with no known primary physiological function in the plants that produce them. They are important in interactions with h

Linanthus parryae (L. parryae) is a small annual plant of the Mojave desert with blue and white flowers. Plants are obligate outcrossing and interfertile; however, they show constant spatial segregation often observed along the sides of shallow desert rav...

Only one antiviral drug compound is licensed in the United States for the prevention and therapy of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. This drug is remdesivir, but it is only prescribed for people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 and need supplemental oxygen ...

Influenza viruses can infect a human host as part of their infectious life cycle and have been responsible for large-scale pandemics and illnesses. However, not all strains of influenza that infect humans are capable of being transmitted from person-to-pe...

Introduction: In a synthetic system of protein production, what are the necessary elements of the protein(s) to create fibers? In the natural system, the hagfish has to create the protein in abundance, export the protein from the cell, and create a fiber...

Genetic Counseling is a growing career within healthcare. It is a fascinating blend between medicine and psychology.
This semester, I had the opportunity to work with a board-certified genetic counselor, Jessica Hidalgo. She specializes in obstetri...

Internship as a medical assistant at Rocky Mountain Dermatology in Logan and Brigham City, Utah. I worked in both offices, although I was primarily in Logan. I worked with many amazing providers in the dermatology world.

Hagfish are ancient animals that eject a strong slime when attacked by predators. This slime is composed of intermediate filaments that contribute to its incredible strength (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2). To defend against foes, the Navy launches plastic ropes into t...

A lot of researchers have compiled checklists to better understand the richness of bee species in their states. Despite the fact that Utah is a hotspot of bee diversity, no such list exists for our state. To create this list, data was obtained from a publ...

Bumble bees are important pollinators in commercial and natural settings. Understanding behavioral patterns of bumble bees can provide a baseline for understanding how they will react to environmental stressors. Bumble bees experience increasing levels of...

Diatoms are beneficial algae that can outcompete the toxic algae, but only if they have sufficient bio-available silicon. Silicon is highly abundant on earth but is in a form that is unavailable to diatoms. We found that there are bacteria that can conver...

Linanthus parryae (L. parryae) is a small annual plant of the Mojave desert with blue and white flowers. Plants are obligate outcrossing and interfertile; however, they show constant spatial segregation often observed along the sides of shallow desert rav...

Diatoms are beneficial algae that can outcompete the toxic algae, but only if they have sufficient bio-available silicon. Silicon is highly abundant on earth but is in a form that is unavailable to diatoms. We found that there are bacteria that can conver...