Undergraduate Scholars Program
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/404
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.
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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Item The link between serum cortisol levels within an American Indian community(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Racine, Jerry; Kipp, ColbiThe purpose of this study is to understand the link between serum cortisol levels within an American Indian community. Stress levels can be determined by serum cortisol, which have a direct impact on the immune system. Historically, Native American communities suffer from various stress disorders related to generational trauma, mental, and substance abuse. This has resulted in increased frequency of infectious disease, autoimmune disease and various cancers. Native American communities, potentially due to high-stress levels affecting their immune systems, suffer from the highest incidence of health disparities. This study seeks to find if there is a direct link between stress-related hormones and an increased vulnerability to disease by comparison of self – reported depression amongst various bio-markers and socio-economic factors. This project fully began in the summer of 2015, canvassing local students and members of the community to engage in this project. Each participant was asked to complete a survey, and donate blood and saliva samples for direct cortisol testing. Analysis was performed of serum and saliva samples for direct cortisol testing. Analysis was performed on serum and saliva samples via Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The assay is performed and analyzed to see the direct link of specific antigens or antibodies attaching to the surface of certain wells, within the ELISA test, to view cortisol levels within the system.Item Combining both Qualitative and Qualitative Measures(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Hall, Terydon; Ollinger, ScottThis project investigates serum levels of cortisol within a federally recognized tribe. Cortisol, a steroid hormone, is produced and released via adrenal gland function. Relevant to this study, cortisol can be detrimental to humans, as it directly suppresses immune function and thereby increases disease susceptibility. Historically, incidence of chronic disease is markedly higher within Native American populations, than other ethnicities. This mixed-methods study, combining both quantitative and qualitative measures, seeks to determine whether this federally recognized tribe experiences prolonged high-stress events via serum sample and analysis. A further goal of this investigation is to ascertain whether or not stress levels are related to increased infection vulnerability and chronic disease, via a participant self-report survey.Item Antibiotic Potential of Flathead Fungi and Flora(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Powell, RaserWidespread 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.Item A Mixed-Methods Community Investigation of Trauma and Depression Incidence within an Indigenous Population(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Spottes Horse, Dannette; Wagner, LanaAmerican Indians experience some of the highest health disparities in the nation per ethnicity, to include lower life expectancy and disproportionate stress, poverty, discrimination in the delivery of health services, poor social conditions, and cultural differences. Increased frequency and intensity of prolonged stress has been related to susceptibility of infection and autoimmune and chronic disease. This inquiry seeks to define the relationship between stress biomarkers, infection, and disease. A primary piece of this investigation is the potential connection between salivary cortisol, trauma, and negative health experiences. This was measured by both quantitative blood and saliva samples compared with the qualitative self-report survey called the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) with the aim of exposing the increased occurrence of chronic disease and infection frequency as well as adverse life conditions community participants were experiencing. Enzyme-linked immunenosorbant assay (ELISA) was used to establish salivary cortisol levels in 110 recruited participants, determining if they exhibited elevated levels of stress. This research further explored additional stress biomarkers such as c-reactive protein and immunoglobin A (IgA). The purpose of this work is to provide information to educate individuals in the management of stress to improve quality of life. We found that there was significant correlation between trauma and depression, though no correlational significance between salivary cortisol, C-reactive protein, nor immunoglobin-A with trauma.Item West Nile Virus 2016(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Capjohn, LorrieThe Goal of the West Nile Research on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation is to find the presence of the WNV. There are many steps to take in getting some answers. The first step is trapping and identifying the mosquitos that are carriers of the West Nile Virus, the Culex Tarsalis and Culex Pipien. Once the identification is done we move to extract the RNA from the sample mosquitos. We then prepare the RNA samples for the PCR machine to detect the presence or absence of the West Nile Virus. One of the unique things about Lame Deer is we are a “hot spot” for Culex Pipiens which are rare in other parts of the state. About half of every sample of mosquitos we collect is Culex Pipiens.Item Targeted Deletion of IFNγ- and GM-CSF-Activated STAT Proteins(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Dupuis, Lydia; Domanico, LukeVarious CRISPR-Cas systems act as adaptive immune system in the archaeal and bacterial domains. These systems utilize captured fragments of foreign genetic sequences to enable the prokaryote to defend against specific threats such as viral genomes. The CRISPR associated proteins (Cas), when expressed along with short segment of guide RNA (gRNA), are able to be used as tools for editing genomes with exquisite precision across all domains of life. Here, we created tools designed to employ CRISPR-Cas technology to target genes that code for STAT1 and STAT5A/B proteins and hypothesize that the resulting STAT knockout cells will be unable to adequately respond to transgenic leishmanial parasites expressing recombinant human IFNγ and GM-CSF, respectively. STAT1 and STAT5A oligonucleotide duplexes were successfully cloned into the pSpCas9(BB)-2A-EGFP plasmid at the tandem BbsI restriction sites. HEK293 cells were successfully transfected with the pSpCas9(STAT1)-2A-EGFP and pSpCas9(STAT5A)-2A-EGFP plasmids as demonstrated by EGFP expression in these cells. Monoclonal strains of HEK293 cells are being screened for unresponsiveness to STAT pathway-activating stimuli. Upon confirmation of successful gRNA-directed Cas9 mutations in STAT genes, lentiviral vectors containing these gRNA-encoding sequences will be used to similarly mutate human monocytic cell lines as an important tool for characterizing human IFNγ- and GM-CSF-expressing leishmanial parasite-mediated monocytic cell activation.Item Generation of Human Monocytic-Activating Leishmanial Parasites(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Kempainnen, Winter; Taylor, TealMacrophages and other monocyte-derived cells are used by the immune system in response to environmental stimuli and the polarized effect of the response can have beneficial or detrimental outcomes in different settings. This project evaluates the efficiency of the specific transgenic Leishmania tarentolae to activate human macrophages and, if successful, the parasites could be used for macrophage-activating therapeutics for infected hosts. We hypothesize that nonpathogenic L. tarentolae expressing human cytokines from transgenes, will activate human macrophages in a consistent and controllable manner. DNA recombination methods were used to clone hIFNG and hGM-CSF into plasmid vectors capable of recombining with the highly repetitive ribosomal RNA locus of leishmanial parasites. In addition, fluorescent protein-coding genes were cloned into the plasmid vectors as a marker of successful genomic integration. Current efforts are focused on optimizing the efficiency of generating transgenic L. tarentolae. In addition to the potential of these transgenic parasites for use as macrophage-activating therapeutics, it is possible through cross protection for these parasites to be used as vaccines against the pathogenic forms of this neglected tropical disease.Item Analysis of Correlations Between Low Resting Heart Rate, Personality Tendencies, and Decision Making(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Pancost, AngieLow 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.Item TRIMmunity and MAGE Interactions(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Crane, BrittneeInterferon (IFN)-β is involved in immune responses against viral infections. Some TRIM proteins, such as TRIM5 and TRIM22, are IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) since their expression levels increases in response to IFNβ-intitiated signaling and, interestingly, have been shown to have direct and indirect antiviral activities, respectively. In a recent transciptomic analysis of polarized macrophages, we found that TRIM31 was specifically upregulated in response to INFβ treatment relative to the 32 additional activation conditions tested. We hypothesize that TRIM31 has antiviral activity, a role that may be dependent on formation of active E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes containing melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) proteins. We have initiated yeast-two hybrid-based experiments to confirm interactions between TRIM31 and three members of the MAGE family as well as to identify TRIM31 interaction partners. Co-localization studies will follow. The overall aim of our research program will be to characterize TRIM31 and other TRIM proteins to shed light on this family of proteins that has been subjected to strong, positive evolutionary pressure.Item Injury Patterns among Skiers and Snowboarders at a Mid-Size Ski Resort(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Amtmann, AidenThe purpose of this research project is to determine the injuries, injury rates and injury patterns of skiers and snowboarders at a mid-size Montana ski resort. This research may help gather information vital to developing policies and equipment that may help improve safety and injury rates among snow sports enthusiasts. For this project, 161 incident reports from the Ski Patrol Department at Discovery Ski Area were obtained. Each incident report was sorted through to gather information such as; skier/snowboarder, ability, gender, trail difficulty, probable injury, anatomical location of injury, etc. The data concluded that males were more commonly injured than females. Snowboarder injuries were predominantly male (76%), also these males were younger (ages 13-18) and of beginner level. Snowboarders were more likely to have injuries to their shoulders, wrists, and head. On the other hand, skiers had a sweeping majority of knee injuries. Skiers aged 6-12 and 46 and over had the most injuries. Both skiers and snowboarders obtained a majority of possible sprain/strains, with possible fractures following. Also, most incidents occurred during morning hours and on beginner level trails. Replication of this research could provide more information for safety guidelines and protocols for Ski Patrol personnel.