Undergraduate Scholars Program

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The Undergraduate Scholars Program (USP) is one of the largest multidisciplinary undergraduate research programs at MSU. We are here to help undergraduate students in all disciplines pursue research, scholarship, and creative projects.

The Undergraduate Scholars Program (USP) facilitates, supports, and promotes undergraduate research and scholarship by providing funding and logistical support directly to students.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 463

Access to Healthcare in Chiang Mai, Thailand
(2013-03) Lorentz, Natasza; Hill, Wade
The focus of this study was on access to quality healthcare services in crucial areas of public health. Among those areas examined were acute treatment, chronic care, mental health services, end of life care, and wellness services. Data was gathered by conducting interviews with doctors, nurses, and academics associated with the healthcare field in Chiang Mai during an 18-day visit to Chiang Mai, Thailand and its environs. The information obtained throughout this study highlighted the excellence of the Thai public health system. Since universal healthcare coverage was enacted in 2002, Thailand has seen a direct correlation between increased governmental health expenditure, increased use of public healthcare services, and a decrease in morbidity and mortality. Thailand’s low Infant Mortality Rate and Child Mortality Rate are exemplary indicators of the efficacy of the healthcare system and illustrate the exceptional access, quality, and provision of free public healthcare available to the Thai populace. The information gathered during this study is significant in that it adds to the current understanding of the universal health care system in Thailand and by extension, supplements the existing body of knowledge on the international health community.
Acoustic Analysis of Campus Classrooms: How Do Acoustics Effect a Learning Space?
(2013-03) Loessberg, Reid; Maher, Rob C.
Acoustics are often a little understood part of room design, yet the acoustics of a room are crucial to the success of a space designed for learning. With too much background noise, or a room with a poor frequency response, the intelligibility of a speaker can be severely inhibited. In a space that has these or similar issues the learning environment is at risk of being impaired. To gain an understanding of standard classroom acoustics, this project consists of an objective examination by way of a software based frequency analysis test, as well a subjective review of background noise and frequency response in a selection of Montana State University classrooms. The end result of this project is a qualitative analysis of these campus facilities, their overall functionality including what factors may inhibit the learning environment. The final report includes recommendations for possible improvement in these facilities, as well as an analysis of why certain locations have good/poor acoustic qualities.
Active Pitch Control for Cross-Flow Water Turbines
(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Gauthier, Tim
Cross-flow water turbines (CFTs) are complex devices that, while studied extensively, have seen little implementation relative to the conventional horizontal-axis (wind) turbine. This research intends to prove that active pitch control (APC) methodology can significantly improve performance of CFTs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation will provide the design space to determine an optimal control configuration, while experiments will be conducted in the future to validate simulation results. Preliminary investigation suggests that passive pitch control (APC) can increase coefficient of power of the CFT, which represents rotor output and is therefore a main indicator of improved performance. However, PPC estimates the overall flow field by a simple mathematical relation that only takes into account turbine radius and velocity. APC provides the ability to measure the flow field during simulation, giving the ability to specify exact values for more accurate control and take into account the dynamic fluctuations of each turbine blade. The model is a straight-bladed CFT with three cambered blades and a radius of 0.108, along with dimensions from the Civil Engineering water flume. A proportional-integral (PI) controller is used in tandem with two-dimensional CFD to drive blade rotation rate. Individual blade moments are selected as input parameters and each blade is controlled separately based on fixed-pitch moment data. Initial results show improved performance due to a wider positive torque bucket and a higher starting pitch angle per revolution.
Addressing grasshopper (Melanopus differentialis) herbivory, and the feasibility of developing biological/locally acquired applications�� for determent
(2013-03) Miles, Nicholas; Dunkel, Florence
Two experiments’ were completed, using the ‘Holistic Process’ to address a grasshopper issue at the Little Bighorn College Community Garden in Crow Agency, Montana. The first one utilized samples of swiss-chard and parsley from the community garden. One sample of swiss-chard was doused with 5ml of well water (control), while another was doused with 5ml of ‘parsley slurry’ (treatment); 5 male and 5 female grasshoppers were placed in an aquarium with the control and treatment for approximately 45 minutes. Observations’ were made throughout the allocated experiment time, which indicate that rather than deter grasshoppers, parsley slurry is an attractant. Second experiment tests the food preference of grasshoppers, given five choices of raw plant material from the Little Bighorn College Community Garden. Swiss-chard, chrysanthemum flowers, chrysanthemum leaves', peppermint and parsley (15x12cm) are placed in an aquarium. 10 female and 10 male grasshoppers are dropped simultaneously onto parsley, and their food preference is documented over the following two days’. The study shows that when given raw parsley, grasshoppers favor it the least out of the five other choices. Such a result between the two studies indicates that grasshoppers cannot digest raw parsley due to parsley’s physical structure.
Adsorption Capacity of Various Hydrocarbons through Zeolite Structures as Determined by Breakthrough Experiments
(Montana State University, 2017-04) O'Brien, Barry
The goal of this project is to develop adsorption isotherms for various hydrocarbons in zeolite structures. While zeolite structures have been known to be flexible, this research will focus on the effects of different molecules being adsorbed, and whether the expansion and contraction of the zeolite unit cell has an effect on adsorption capacity. The ability to manipulate the framework flexibility of a zeolite structure could lead to huge advances in catalysis and separation processes utilizing zeolite structures, particularly in the petrochemical industry. With possibly large advances in specific processes including, but not limited to: isomerization, hydrocracking, dewaxing, detergent building, and otherwise difficult gas separations. This research will focus primarily on the adsorption capacity of ZSM-5 zeolite with respect to n-hexane and 2-methylpentane hydrocarbons in pure and binary flow systems, in an effort to observe a potential framework flexibility in the zeolite structure. ZSM-5, n-hexane, and 2-methylpentane have been chosen due to the prevalence of relevant literature data. Experiments are still being conducted, however preliminary data has proven highly variable and inconclusive. Current and future efforts are to be directed at lowering the data variability, and improving the overall consistency of the results.
Aggregation Characterization of Lectin Interactions with Sugar-Functionalized Dendrimers
(2013-03) Goodman, Candace; Cloninger, Mary
The ability to characterize aggregation is significant in developing a mechanistic understanding of the process and in designing strategies to control it. Aggregation is involved in tumor proliferation, amyloid-related diseases (such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases) and pathogen infection. Of the many diverse methods to study aggregation, fluorescence offers exceptional speed and ease. Steady-state fluorescence is more common than time-resolved fluorescence owing to long acquisition times associated with the latter. Our innovative approach, referred to as direct waveform recording, is capable of acquiring high quality time-resolved data at steady-state speeds. The work presented here demonstrates the applicability of this measurement in the study of complex aggregate formation with glycodendrimers.
Airborne Thermal Imaging for Wildlife Surveys
(2013-03) Lommatsch, Gavin; Shaw, Joseph
Taking the level of wildlife surveying to the next level, infra-red cameras have the potential to accomplish research through more thorough, accurate, and cost-effective methods. Infra-red video captured from a camera attached to the bottom of a plane is analyzed with custom Matlab code to isolate still frames and video clips that illustrate the various types of signals observed during the test flights. These results are used to tailor the code to make it smarter and make the data more easily analyzed and manipulated for data gotten from future flights.
Alginate Epimerization by AlgG
(2013-03) Smith, Erin; Franklin, Michael
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium found in the respiratory tract of cystic fibrosis patients. This opportunistic pathogen thrives in the thick mucus layer formed in the lungs of people with chronic pulmonary infections. Under these conditions the mucoid strain of this bacterium, FRD1, is able to form a protective extracellular matrix making it resistant to antimicrobial treatments. The major component of this matrix is alginate, a secreted extracellular polysaccharide; in this strain alginate is composed of D-mannuronic acid residues and L-guluronic acid residues. Initially alginate is produced by the cell in a poly-mannuronic acid form. The protein AlgG epimerizes some of the mannuronic acid residues into guluronic acid residues. The entire structure of AlgG has been proposed and is the model used as the foundation for this research. The focus of this current project has been to characterize the functional region of AlgG. During this project single amino acid mutations have been made in regions of algG with a hypothesized function. These constructs have then been expressed in a strain of P. aeruginosa with and algG deletion to determine the effect of the mutation on alginate production. Assays of these different mutants will give a better understanding of which regions of AlgG play a role in this proteins function.
Alkaliphilic Microalgae for Biofuel Production: Scaling-up to 50 Liter Bag Bioreactors
(2013-03) Schmidt, Matthew; Macur, Rich
The use of microalgae for the production of biofuels is in the spotlight due to a reputationfor high photosynthetic efficiency, rapid growth rates, high oil productivity and potential for growth in saline or brackish waters in landscapes not suited for crop production. Research and engineering efforts are now focused on overcoming a variety of hurdles to reduce production costs and attain economic viability. Extremophilic algae have unique attributes that can potentially be used to overcome some of the problems associated with biofuel production, including resistance to competitive organisms. The objective of this research was to characterize the growth three extremophilic algal strains in 250 mL shaker flasks, and then characterize growth of the most promising strain in a larger scale (100 L) bag reactor. Of the three algae examined, strain PGV-8 showed the most promise for scaling-up based on growth rate (cell counts) and oil production as measured by Nile Red fluorescent staining. Strain PGV-8 demonstrated a maximum doubling time of about 1.5 d and produced significant quantities of oil in a 100 L bag reactor system, revealing that it has potential for use in larger scale systems.
An Analysis of Organic Ice Patch Materials
(Undergraduate Scholars Program, 2024-04) King, Colin M.; Dersam, Scott; Lee, Craig M.; Puesman, Kathryn
Ice patches are a unique source of information that can be used to infer past environments. With support from the Matthew Hansen Endowment for Wilderness Studies, and the Beartooth Environmental Alpine Archaeological Research Group, I was able to participate in two archaeological surveys of ice patches in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in 2023. While both surveys were compromised by late lying snow, one resulted in the identification of non-rooted—and likely non-cultural—wood in association with two ice patches. Examination of Google Earth imagery indicates the presence of two small ice cores; a ca. 15 m long transverse core, as well as a less defined 10 m lateral core of ice in this location. The ice patch was identified by Lee’s 2019 revised assessment of snow and ice for the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC) as “SB1_A.” With additional support from Montana State University’s Undergraduate Scholars Program, I was able to submit samples of the three collected specimens to Paleoscapes Archaeobotanical Services Team (PAST) for genus and composition analysis. PAST’s analysis suggests that two of the samples (1A and 2A) are consistent with Picea (spruce). The composition of the samples appears to be similar, and macroscopic observations suggest they are likely fragments of branches. The third sample (3A) is a species of Abies (fir), with the generally smaller size of the tracheids suggesting it is from a branch. With the financial support noted above, a fragment of the spruce and fir were submitted for radiocarbon analysis, the result of which will be compared to extant reports on dated wood from other ice patches in the Rocky Mountains.
Analysis and mitigation of oxygen electrode delamination in solid electrolyzer cells
(2013-03) Reutter, Colin; Schmidt, Hugo; Sofie, Stephen
Hydrogen production using solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOECs) suffers from rapid degradation issues. In order to understand these problems unique to electrolysis, more information on the conditions of SOEC failure is needed. A current model by Anil Virkar addressing degradation in SOECs based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics is summarized. The model indicates high pressures developing in the electrolyte under certain conditions may be the source of the oxygen electrode delamination reported in the literature. It is predicted that introducing some electronic conductivity into the electrolyte will mitigate this delamination. The process of fabricating solid oxide electrolyzer cells to verify the model begins with tape casting a Ni-based supporting anode for consistent performance across all cells. The electrolyte is deposited by spin-coating layers to vary the thickness. The progress on fabrication and the use of ceria in the electrolyte or a ceria-based interlayer as options to increase the electronic conductivity is addressed. Future work on alternative cathode materials is suggested.
Analysis of Correlations Between Low Resting Heart Rate, Personality Tendencies, and Decision Making
(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Pancost, Angie
Low resting heart rate has been found as a prevalent biological marker for personality tendencies along the antisocial spectrum. Additional characteristics that emerge along the antisocial spectrum include superficial charm, grandiose sense of self-worth, stimulation seeking, and a lack of empathy for others. Studies suggest that this lack of empathy could play a role in jury decisions. This research examines possible correlations between people’s resting heart rates, personality tendencies, and decisions made on court cases. We hypothesize that low resting heart rate will correlate to high prevalence of the three researched personality traits as well as less empathetic decision making in the court case analysis. In order to test the hypothesis, we ran a social survey that collected data on low-resting heart rates, personality traits, and evaluations of court cases. We focused on three main personality tendencies seen in the antisocial personality disorder spectrum: callousness, deceitfulness, and thrill seeking. The court cases selected were particularly difficult scenarios that hinged on perspective. Our goal was to examine the degree to which low resting heart rates, personality traits, and extreme sentencing showed a statistical relationship. Understanding the ways in which biomarkers affect decision making could benefit the legal system tremendously.
Analysis of GAL3 and Lactose functionalized PAMAM Binding by EPR
(2013-03) Bernhard, Samuel; Cloninger, Mary
In order to better understand the binding characteristics between lactose functionalized PAMAM dendrimers and the galactoside lectin Galectin-3, the synthetic production of heterogeneously functionalized TEMPO and Lactose PAMAM dendrimers were undertaken. To analyze the relevant lectin/ carbohydrate relationship, these dendrimers will be subjected to electron pair repulsion (EPR) studies. The implication of analyzing several dendrimer generations through EPR is that a quantitative understanding of the relationship between dendrimer size/ degree of functionalization and binding strength can be determined. In terms of progress, a significant portion of the synthesis has been completed. Optimized yields have been determined and characterization has been completed on the reactions that lead to the production of the Lactose tether.
Analysis of Homogeneous and Inhomogeneous Gelation of Alginate Derived from Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(2013-03) Sherick, Matthew L.; Seymour, Joseph; Brown, Jennifer; Codd, Sarah
Mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria produce the extracellular polysaccharide alginate, which forms a physical biopolymer gel upon introduction of a divalent cation. Both acetylated and de-acetylated bacterial alginate have been extracted by refining isolation procedures found in publications, and their gels analyzed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques. Alginate gels have potential applications in the field of artificial tissue engineering due to their ability to form mesoscale structures. This system is also of interest as cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are vulnerable to chronic P. aeruginosa infections. Studying bacterial alginate formation and gelation provides a greater insight into the role of water molecular dynamics in gels produced by these infections. Gelation of algal alginate has previously been thoroughly examined using NMR, and a point of interest is to compare the properties of bacterial alginate gels with those of algal alginate gels. In addition, acetylated bacterial alginate isolated from P. aeruginosa FRD1 is shown to have different gel properties than de-acetylated alginate isolated from P. aeruginosa FRD1153, with the latter forming a more inhomogeneous gel using a diffusion reaction front process. In addition, homogenous gels were prepared and analyzed with the same NMR techniques.
Analysis of Long Term Photosynthetically Active Radiation Data from McMurdo Dry Valley Lakes to Identify Turbidity Stratification Patterns
(Montana State University, 2015-04) Pedersen, Stephen
The current study focused on four perennially ice covered, meromictic, fresh water lakes in the Taylor Valley of the McMurdo Dry Valley region: West and East Lobe Bonney, Fryxell, and Hoare. Data from these lakes have been collected annually for more than 25 years, and are cataloged in the McMurdo Dry Valley Long Term Ecological Research database. The objectives of the current study were to determine whether turbidity stratification patterns could be identified within the four McMurdo Dry Valley Lakes, to look for seasonal and annual changes in those stratification patterns, and to correlate environmental data to identify potential causes of the turbidity. To identify patterns in turbidity, extinction coefficient depth profiles were calculated using photosynthetically active radiation data collected annually during the past 29 years. Averaging the profiles revealed distinct stratification of turbidity layers that were shown to be relatively stable across all recorded years. To examine potential causes of turbidity revealed by the extinction coefficient data, chlorophyll-a profiles were compiled for the same years, and compared to those of the extinction coefficients. Within the photic zones of Lake Hoare and East and West Lobe Bonney, chlorophyll-a was significantly correlated with turbidity. A linear plot of extinction coefficients against time revealed that later season average turbidity is much higher than that of early season turbidity, and that turbidity increases with depth in the photic zones of all lakes. Future research focusing on stream flow data could help identify the causes of the increase in late season turbidity observed in this study, and analysis of environmental data other than chlorophyll could help to determine what other phenomena control turbidity gradients in Lakes Fryxell and Hoare.
Analysis of phospholipase activity in adeno-associated virus particles by liquid-chromatography/mass-spectrometry
(2013-03) Brooke, Dewey; Bothner, Brian; Agbandje-McKenna, Mavis
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) belongs to the Parvovridae, a family of small, non-enveloped isosahedral viruses. The viral capsid has T=1 symmetry and is composed of 60 subunits, made up from three proteins (VP1, VP2, VP3) in a ratio of 1:1:10. The minor proteins are the same as VP3 in their C-termini region, but they have additional domains on their N-termini that play essential roles in cellular entry and trafficking. Structural studies of AAV have shown that the N-termini of VP1 and VP2 are initially internalized in the capsid and become externalized, most likely during endocytosis. Based on sequence and structural similarity, VP1 contains a phospholipase A2 domain (PLA2) which, when mutated, dramatically reduces infectivity. Currently, little is known about the mechanism of VP1 externalization or the role of the lipase in escape of the virus particle from the endosome. Also, due to low sequence similarity, there is even concern over whether this is a true PLA2 type domain. To address these questions, we have developed a liquid-chromatography mass-spectrometry based assay for lipase activity. To date, we have tested factors such as receptor binding, heat, and pH on the externalization of the PLA2 and are addressing the question of substrate specificity.
Analyzing the Effects of Treating Human Lung Cell Tissue with a Low-Level Chronic Metal Mixture
(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Paolini, Morgan
In 1983, Butte, Montana was designated a Superfund site due to the impact of over a century of mining activity. A recent study was conducted analyzing the accumulation of 36 elements in the hair and 11 elements in the blood of Butte residents as opposed to a control population, as well as an analysis of the soil and air of the Butte area. Elevated levels of several metals, including Cu, Mn, and As, were found in the hair, blood, soil, and air. The focus of this study was on the elevated metals in the air, arsenic and manganese. Previous studies have shown that elevated levels of metals, such as Pb, As, and Mn, can evoke serious health effects such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. In order to investigate the toxicity of airborne metal ions on Butte residents, this study replicated the environmental exposure of the airborne metals found in the human study, and evaluated the biological response of normal lung cells. To do this, human lung cell tissue (BEAS-2B) was treated with a low-level chronic metal mixture of either NaAsO2, MnCl2·4H2O, or a mixture of the two metals. Following metal exposure, the cell cultures were assessed with XTT cell viability assays measuring cell viability based on mitochondrial respiration and gene array plates measuring genetic changes. The results of these tests are expected to provide preliminary knowledge regarding the health impacts of low-level chronic metal exposure effects on human lung cells.
Antibiotic Potential of Flathead Fungi and Flora
(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Powell, Raser
Widespread overuse of antibiotics in medical and agricultural industries has resulted in extensive antibiotic resistance at the global level, which poses an immediate threat to human health. The most commonly used antibiotics are currently synthesized from fungi & bacteria, yet other organisms such as lichens, bryophytes and pteridophytes have sparked scientific interest as potential sources of antimicrobial compounds, but only a small fraction of species have been tested. The overarching goal of our research is to determine whether locally occurring fungi, lichens, bryophytes, and pteridophytes have antibiotic potential against several pathogenic bacteria. One-hundred-and-ten plant and fungal specimens were collected, identified, dried and deposited in the FVCC herbarium. Samples were later prepared for antibiotic analyses using ethanol extractions and tested using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Extractions from 9 different lichen, 3 bryophytes, and 1 pteridophyte species inhibited growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis, but none inhibited that of E. coli. Our continued research in this area will involve testing extractions from additional fungal, plant and lichen species against these bacteria, and combining various extracts to determine whether we can produce more synergistically effective antibiotics.
Application of MicroLab Resources in Rural Kenya Water Quality Testing
(Montana State University, 2017-04) English, Megan
Presently, there is little recurrent water testing performed on boreholes in the Khwisero sub-district of Western Kenya. A lack of financial resources and the rural nature of the area hinders local testing capabilities. Many of the boreholes are the sole sources of clean water for communities, yet their chemical safety cannot be continually ensured. Colorimetric determination may be a solution to water analysis in non-traditional lab settings. The MicroLab analytical device could be a rugged spectrophotometer option to perform this testing. This presentation proposes a method to perform colorimetric field testing and compares collected results with available historical data. Metrics were taken for seven wells that were constructed at primary schools throughout the Khwisero sub-district. Field measurements of nutrients, metals, turbidity were taken using the MicroLab device and software. Furthermore, an additional field review of the MicroLab device identifies some of the device challenges and overall obstacles with rural water testing.
Applications of Electron Backscatter Diffraction on Fossilized Dinosaur and Modern Eggshell
(2013-03) Kruk, Elizabeth; Jackson, Frankie; Shaw, Colin; Varricchio, David
The use of electron backscatter diffraction on eggs takes a material science approach to the field of paleontology. This technique provides high resolution data on crystallographic orientation and has recently been used to analyze the crystallography of fossilized and modern eggshell. Eggshell microstructure was examined for dinosaur eggs from the Cretaceous Tiantai Basin of Zhejiang Province, China, as well as modern avian eggs. The samples used in this study were radially cut and micro-polished for mapping. They were initially studied under a petrographic microscope and cathode luminescence to determine minimal effects of diagenesis. The EBSD detection on a scanning electron microscope was used to map the average orientation of the crystals pixel by pixel, producing maps and stereographic pole figures. The details of the calcite and aragonite structure of the eggshells, (i.e., preferred orientation, misorientation between adjacent shell units, lattice distortions, and sub-grain structure) were quantified. Avian eggshell will be mapped in order to compare the structure to the fossilized dinosaur eggshell, thereby showing morphologic differences with the aim of determining potential biological implications. The approach of electron backscatter diffraction provides high resolution, quantitative data on the internal microstructure of fossilized and modern eggshell which could be used for future morphological studies.