2016 IUSB Undergraduate Research Conference
Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2022/20984
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Item Identification of Fusarium and Trichoderma species associated with Alliaria petiolata and native species of Hydrophyllum(Indiana University South Bend Undergraduate Research Conference, 2016-03-25) Nascimento, Adriene; Rice, Angela; Marr, Deborah L.The focus of our study was to identify the strains of Fusarium and Trichoderma associated with a non-native plant host Alliaria petiolate (garlic mustard) and a native plant host Hydrophyllum appendiculatum.Item Early Development of a Glyphosate Biosensor(Indiana University South Bend Undergraduate Research Conference, 2016-03-25) Black, Voleta; Rogers, Amanda; Krista, Schilling; Tobias, Sell; Vrydaghs, Andrea; Kemmerling, Kourtney; Stinnett, Austin; Rizk, Shahir Samir, 1978-Glyphosate is a member of the class of molecules known as phosphonates and is the active ingredient in the herbicide “Roundup”. As the use of “Roundup Ready” crops increases across the globe, growing concerns regarding environmental contamination create demand for an effective method to detect glyphosate. The aim of our project was to convert a bacterial protein into a biosensor for glyphosate. We used phosphonate binding protein (PhnD), which naturally binds to phosphonates, but has a low affinity for glyphosate ((Kd ≈ 650μM). Our goal was to increase the affinity of PhnD for glyphosate. To accomplish this, we designed and then tested three mutants of PhnD for their ability to bind glyphosate. The mutant proteins were expressed recombinantly in bacteria, isolated, and tagged with the fluorescent reporter Alexa 488 for analysis of binding via fluorescence spectroscopy. We found that introducing asparagine or serine mutations at position 205 had no significant effect on affinity. However, an asparagine mutation at position 177 improved binding affinity for glyphosate by approximately 100-fold (Kd ≈ 8μM). While improvements need to be made in the future, this mutant in particular represents a significant step toward the creation of a useful biosensor and a reliable way to test glyphosate concentrations in soil.Item Testing effects of the SSRI drug Paroxetine on survival of a freshwater amphipod (Hyalella sp.)(Indiana University South Bend Undergraduate Research Conference, 2016-03-25) Lewis, JoshuaSerotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are drugs that typically are used as antidepressants and as treatment for anxiety in humans. It has been realized that these drugs are showing up in bodies of water from our waste water. As these drugs pollute the waterways, it can negatively growth, survival, or reproduction in aquatic organisms. The main goals of my study were to develop protocols for maintaining healthy amphipod (Hyalella species) cultures in the lab, and test how well amphipods were able to survive when exposed to different concentrations of the SSRI drug paroxetine (Paxil). Amphipods in the Genus Hyalella are common in lakes and rivers throughout the Midwest. Larger volumes of water (30 mL), maximizing air/water surface (to increase oxygen levels) and some vegetation are needed to maintain healthy Hyalella cultures. Even small concentrations of the paroxetine SSRI drug can kill freshwater amphipods.