Senior Projects Conference

As the demand for new alternatives to fossil fuel reserves is increasing, scientists are constantly in search of new sources that can be used to produce biochemicals and other bioproducts. Much of this research has been geared toward agricultural and food sources, but there are many creative avenues available to produce energy. One untapped source is the possible utilization of hair waste from humans and animals obtained from beauticians and veterinarians. This literature report focuses on whether hair waste has untapped energy that can be used to propel motor vehicles and satisfy the industrial demand caused by other fossil-fuel dependent commodities.

A growing number of women around the world are turning to homeopathic remedies to cure vaginal yeast infections. Along with natural suppositories and yeast arrests, a new social media-driven product known as Yoni Pearls^TM are becoming an online sensation. While many women are taking to social media to give testaments to the product’s efficiency, very little research has been done on the usage, effectiveness, and safety of using these Yoni Pearls^TM  as well as other homeopathic options. In an attempt to decipher this trend, yeast arrest, Yoni Pearls, boric acid suppositories, and tea tree oil suppositories, were placed in fermentations performed on Saccharomyces cerevisiae in simulated vaginal fluid. The first major finding seen was the difference in yeast growth for each media. The yeast was inhibited more in the simulated vaginal fluid than when in only an aqueous glucose (5g/L) solution. This difference was attributed to chemical inhibitors in the simulated vaginal fluid. When the effect of the homeopathic treatments was studied in the aqueous glucose solution, significant (P<0.5) differences were observed in the amount of CO₂ produced. Fermentation yields were measured stoichiometrically as CaCO3 by capturing the CO₂ in a Ca(OH)₂ saturated solution. The homeopathic treatments decreased the fermentation yields in this order: Tea tree oil suppository, Yoni Pearls^TM, Yeast Arrest, boric acid suppository. Further directions include determining which chemicals in the simulated vaginal fluid are inhibiting S. cerevisiae fermentation, replicating the experiments on Candida albicans, and using Bovine Serum Albumin assay to determine anti-inflammatory characteristics.

Multidrug resistant bacteria and the lack of effective antibiotics have quickly become a global crisis, specifically for women dealing with vaginitis. Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina that results in discharge, itching, and pain, most commonly caused by an imbalance of vaginal bacteria or yeast; hence, the most frequent vaginal infections being bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections, respectively. There have been many different strategies used to treat the disease and/or symptoms of these infections, such as outdated antimicrobial agents, homeopathic methods, and combination drug therapy. Though there are many forms of treatment, none of these help combat the multidrug resistant vaginal bacteria that causes recurrent infections and induced inflammation. In an attempt to drastically improve the medicine prescribed for patients dealing with vaginitis, this study will investigate the synergistic properties of known anti-inflammatory drugs with known antimicrobials. By combining anti-inflammatories and existing azole antifungals, improved antimicrobial properties, synergy, and unique pharmacological profiles could possibly be produced.

The focus of the project revolves around Mobs, which is the acronym for metal-organic biohybrids, particularly CuHARS, a Mobs composed of copper and cystine. Because of the biodegradable nature of Mobs, there are a multitude of possible applications, including biological applications, such as drug delivery, in addition to construction and energy processes. To further research, various conditions were looked at with a chemistry focus. The first focus was stability in sodium chloride with respect to Locke’s solution, a physiological solution meant to simulate an isotonic solution relative to body fluids in our body. Serial dilutions were used and as the salinity changed, the patterning of the CuHARS changed as well. Since the bonding of CuHARS are ionic in nature, the sodium chloride molarity could be cause for the change in patterning. The CuHARS display distinct movement as well depending on the solution they are put into. Future ideas for research revolve around the interactions of CuHARS with oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide to see if there is any degradation and PDA, polydopamine, to see how binding to them can possibly allow for delivery across physiological environments such as the blood-brain barrier.

Epilepsy is a widespread disease that is characterized by recurrent seizure activity. Glutamate (GLU) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are, respectively, the primary excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain and, as such, are implicated in the genesis and spread of seizure activity in epileptic patients. An enzyme-coated platinum (Pt) microwire biosensor array was developed to continuously record GLU and GABA activity in vivo during an induced continuous seizure state known as status epilepticus (SE) in rats. The array is composed of three platinum microwires, two of which are enzyme coated. L-glutamate oxidase (GluOx) is used for GLU detection. The GluOx reacts with GLU to form H₂0₂ which is electro active and generates a current detected by the probe. For GABA detection, a second wire is coated with GluOx and GABASE, both of which produce H2O2. The signal from the GLU sensor is subtracted from the GABASE/GluOx-coated probe to provide the GABA signal. The sentinel wire is not enzyme coated and detects signals from interferent molecules which are subtracted from the GABA and GLU channels. Simultaneously recorded GABA and GLU signals show differences in the dynamics of GLU and GABA release for specific seizure behaviors commonly seen in SE.

The goal of this study is to develop a solid-phase gene sampling device for efficient, quick, and non-invasive extraction of genetic material. This method involves using RNA capture pins (1cm×200μm) that have been functionalized with dT(15) oligos for selective purification of mRNA. Stainless steel needles were cleaned using ultrapure water, acetone, and hexane and then etched with sulfrochromic acid. Using the layer-by-layer technique, a triple precursor layer of polyethelenimine and poly(styrenesulfonte) was applied followed by the application of five alternating layers of oppositely charged polyacrylic acid and polyethylenimine. Amine functionalized biotin was covalently linked to the carboxyl group of the polyacrylic acid. A layer of streptavidin was applied, and the needles were incubated with 100μM solution of biotin-conjugated dT(15) oligos that selectively bind to the polyA tail of the RNA. The feasibility of the mRNA purification method was validated using a radish plant as a biological source. The RNA capture pins were inserted in the plant material for 2 minutes and transferred to the PCR reaction mixture for gene analysis. The RNA extraction step can be done in 2 minutes so this method can greatly improve the ability to perform genetic testing at a reduced cost.

Bacillus anthracis cells have the capability to transform into a more resilient type of cell called a spore when faced with starvation. This resiliency makes killing this microorganism a great struggle; this issue is of the utmost importance for B. anthracis specifically because it can be used as a biological weapon. When in the presence of the proper nutrients, the spores can switch back to the original, vegetative form in a process called germination. It has been proven that heating these spores to a temperature just below the lethal range increases the rate of germination. This effect, known as heat activation, has been proven to reverse in some Bacillus species in under three days; however, B. anthracis has not been tested.

B. anthracis Sterne spores were prepared and split into four conditions: unheated, heat activated on day one of the experiment, heat activated on the day of germination, and heat activated on both days. The germination rates were tested for these four conditions in triplicate on days 1, 7, 14, 21, and 35.

As expected, heat activation had a positive impact on spore germination. The data shows that, over a period of 35 days, there remained a significant difference between all heated and unheated samples.

Our data suggest that B. anthracis spores remain activated for at least 35 days after heating. This may have broader impacts on our understanding of heat activation.

In nature, opals are formed through deposition of silicon dioxide spheres and water into natural faults, cracks, and voids. Once the water evaporates, the silica that is left behind dries out and hardens into precious opal. Although opal structures are amorphous, they have some internal order and are composed of a matrix of silica sphere particles with sizes on the visible light range of 0.4-0.8 μm. The sizes of the particles determine the gem color. Presently, opals have many scientific applications, outside of their visual worth as gems, that exploit their optical or electro-optical properties. Although synthesized opals can be purchased through many laboratories, little research is published addressing the methods one can use to synthesize them. Over the course of this research, various methods of synthesis were explored: photonic crystal synthesis, spontaneous emulsification, “at home” recipes, and different combinations of these methods. From these experiments, we were able to determine the success or failure of varying the chemical ratios of the silica source (TEOS), ethanol, ammonia, and electrolyte.

On average 15,000 people are killed annually, in America, due to a gun-related homicide. To aide in investigations, crime labs need to be able to determine who recently fired a gun. After a gun has been fired a powder blows back onto that person. This powder, known as gunshot residue (GSR), contains trace elements in varying amounts such as lead, barium, antimony, and tin. An x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) is a non-destructive technique that can identify and quantify these elements at the part-per-million level. By matching the ratio of the elements in GSR samples, the XRF spectrum can be used as a forensic fingerprint for the type of gun and ammunition. To test whether XRF can be used to identify GSR on a suspect, a cotton swab soaked with isopropyl alcohol was used to wipe across the hand of a person who just finished firing a gun. The cotton swabs were stored in plastic bags and later loaded into the XRF instrument. A calibration curve was used to identify the concentration and ratios present in the samples. These ratios were then correlated to determine whether the identification of gun type, gun caliber, or the ammunition brand were possible.

Various separation techniques were utilized to isolate the different components of JUUL pod e-liquid. One important component is the amount of nicotine. Since nicotine is a minor component, several techniques have been used to separate it from the propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin and quantify it. The nicotine was obtained by either solvent extraction or thin layer chromatography (TLC) followed by analysis with ATR-FTIR, Raman Spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Other techniques used combined separation and quantification: high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection and gas chromatography with an FID detector. The results show that nicotine can be extracted and quantified from the e-cigarette liquid. However, some results proved to be inconclusive as the technique was unable to provide sufficient data.

Solid phase peptide synthesis proves to be a useful procedure in the synthesis of polypeptide chains, which would be difficult to express in plasmids. Expression of these proteins can be used for a variety of research practices, such as testing the affinity of different sequences in relation to certain microbial spores or viruses. The solid phase resin that was used in the protocol is the rink amide resin. This resin acts as an anchor during the addition of each peptide bond and is cleaved from the protein once the target sequence has been fully synthesized. The addition of each bond is possible by deprotection of the amine group of each amino acid using a strong base, followed by the addition of a prepared coupling solution. The general outline of the practical mechanism of this rink amide polypeptide synthesis is as follows: 1) Attachment of initial N^α protected amino acid to rink amide resin, 2) Deprotecting N^α of attached amino acid, 3) Activation and coupling of following amino acids, and finally 4) Cleaving polypeptide from resin.

Current therapeutic agents on the market lack specificity and struggle to penetrate a cell’s natural barrier. To limit the side-effects of these therapeutic agents, there is a growing need to discover agents that are selective and specific for biomedical applications. The use of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) has increased in recent decades due to their ability to cross these natural barriers and target specific cells. This study used solid-phase synthesis to synthesize two CPPs: Penetrin and Octaarginine. Solid-phase peptide synthesis was performed using Rink Amide resin and Fmoc protected amino acids. From prior CPP studies, the most efficient chemical washing reagents, deprotecting reagent, and cleaving reagents were used. The CPPs synthesized are then evaluated for yield and efficiency.

Our research goals focus on the design and synthesis of functionalized polymeric materials. In this research, our aim is to prepare 4,4’–bis(silyloxanyl)alkyloxy)azobenzenes incorporated into a polymer that forms photo–reversible calamitic liquid crystalline networks. Such polymers may have advanced technological use as stimuli-responsive, shape-memory materials. To–date, we have been exploring efficient methods of synthesizing the 4,4’– bis(hydroxyl)–azobenzene core structure en route to this target elastomeric polymer network.

NMR J-couplings can be a useful tool for chemists to determine unknown structures because of the relationship between J-coupling and bonding. The NMR J-couplings of two tin complexes, [SnH3]- ¬and [SnH3]+, have been studied extensively. [SnH3]- has a pyramidal geometry due to the lone pair on the tin. [SnH3]+ has a planar geometry. In this project, we looked at J(1H,119Sn). The J-coupling of the two tin complexes is vastly different. We used first principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations to view the NMR spectra and the molecular orbital diagrams of 4 tin complexes. The complexes we analyzed were the two standard geometries of the tin complexes, then we forced the [SnH3]- to a planar geometry and [SnH3]+ to a pyramidal geometry. Using perturbation theory, we analyzed the coupling constants and now have an understanding of the relationship between the molecular orbitals and the change in the coupling constants of the two tin complexes.

As light-emitting diodes (LEDs) become more popular for general lighting applications, there is a need for LEDs with high color rendering. As either electroluminescent materials or phosphors, lanthanides can be used to afford color tunable LEDs. This is because lanthanides have high Stokes shifts and sharp emission spectra. High color rendering can be achieved through the development of trichromatic systems. For a trichromatic red-green-blue (RGB) based LED, the complex can contain two lanthanides including Eu3+ as the red emitter, Tb3+ as the green emitter and an organic ligand as the blue emitter. Our group has used lanthanide beta-diketonate ligands to obtain lanthanide complexes with varying color emissions. Based on current work in our group, it has been found that lanthanide beta-diketonate complexes have luminescence characteristics that can also change with reaction conditions. The effect of moisture on these lanthanide beta-diketonate complexes continues to be investigated using mechanochemical synthesis of both hydrated and anhydrous lanthanide starting materials in both air and nitrogenatmosphere. The physical and spectroscopic properties of these complexes was analyzed using DSC, FTIR, UV-Vis, and fluorimetry to determine how ambient moisture affects color rendering in lanthanide-based LEDs.

Cerium is unique amongst the lanthanides for having two accessible oxidation states: +3 and +4. The ability of cerium to act as a Lewis acid and undergo redox reactions has made it attractive as a catalyst for organic reactions. The oxidation state of cerium can be tuned through coordination of electron donating or withdrawing ligands. Electron withdrawing ligands stabilize the trivalent oxidation state, whereas ligands with electron donating groups stabilize the tetravalent state especially ligands bearing bidentate oxygen donors. In order to study the effects of redox tuning, the beta-diketonate ligand provides the same donor atoms and allows for fine adjustments of the electronic and steric properties of the ligand. Several beta-diketonate cerium complexes of the form Ce(beta-diketonate)3 hydrate or Ce(betadiketonate) 4 were prepared and analyzed by 1H and 13C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), IR (infrared spectroscopy), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. We synthesized all Ce complexes in solution and mechanochemically to compare the results using the aforementioned techniques. The results obtained from this study will be used to design structurally related redox active bidentate oxygen donor ligands.