Tag: Allee P

Nathan Blaney

Enhancing Computing with Biologically Inspired Design

Computers as an integral part of the modern world are continuously being improved upon, and yet there is still a lot of space for advancement. With the impending end of Moore’s Law and the limits to how small components can be made, new computer designs and engineering models are needed to make further progress.

One area of inspiration that researchers and engineers have been turning to is that of the biological world. Computer architecture and design that takes a page from the structure of neurons and how they work in the brain promises great improvements in areas such as efficiency and parallel computation.

This process however of creating a biologically inspired computer is one that has required large amounts of research and study, as the vast differences between binary-based computers and biological neurons makes a fusion of the two paradigms very difficult.

This presentation will explore these topics and examine how these problems are being solved with the use of clever engineering and novel technologies.

BIOL 499, Capstone

Paul Allee

P003

1:00 – 1:30 PM

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Joshua McCluskey

CRISPR

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, Crispr for short is a dna sequence that can be used by the cas9 system of rna guided nucleases that effectively cleaves the section of dna containing a specific genome to repair or alter that specified genome. The crispr system is an adaptive immune system that is used and regulated by microbes and cells to defend against foreign substances and viruses by recognizing and eliminating the specific dna sequence associated with that virus. Most crispr systems contain 20-24 regularly spaced palindromic bases separated by spacers. The crispr cassettes are found in almost every archeon and almost half of bacteria studied. This provides a wide range of uses for the cas9 system and adds to the versatility of the system. We can use this system to replicate and code for specific genomes in animals and further understand how their traits are coded and replicated, we can create complex models for human inherited diseases or cancers, it can also be used to pinpoint the cause for underlying genetic processes by genome wide screening of the dna in any human cell. The origin of crispr however is the most intriguing aspect of the system. Being a biological system that was discovered and not a human engineered system, the origin is not entirely clear.

BIOL 200, General Biology

Paul Allee

P003

1:30 – 2:00 PM

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Benjamin Drach

CRISPR: The Healing Tool of the Future

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; 9 nuclease (CRISPR/Cas9) is a new tool based upon a bacterial protein that is associated with CRISPR. Cas9 comes from Streptococcus pyogenes. CRISPR’s functions and associated genes are essential in adaptive immunity in archaea and bacteria, enabling them to respond and eliminate invading genetic materials. The goal of many scientists and their communities is to apply this adaptive immunity to the human race. CRISPR/Cas9 can also be used to remove genetic diseases and even affect future generations of humans. By researching and analysing CRISPR/Cas9 further, humanity could be free from disease, disorders, and even aging. This paper reviews what CRISPR/Cas9 is and its possible future effects it will have upon humanity.

BIOL 499, Capstone

Paul Allee

P114

10:30 – 11 AM

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Jordan Weinkauf

Ebola, A Threat Assessment

Hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola have been in the news over the last several years as severe outbreaks have sprung up in West Africa.  It has captured our imagination due to its extremely virulent nature and by the spectacularly gruesome way in which kills those it infects.  In addition its origin is relatively unknown which furthers the myth of this virus.  Understandably the American public became incredibly worried, with large portions of the population concerned that the pandemic would spread to our shores.  But was all this hype really worth it?  Sure, Ebola is very deadly.  In fact in some cases it kills up to 90% of those infected.  What’s even more incredible is that it is not the virus that ultimately kills you, but rather your own immune system.  Through viral trickery, the Ebola virus silences and short circuits your immune cells causing massive internal bleeding and organ failure.  Also it can last relatively long periods on common hospital surfaces and still remain viable.  However while it is quite destructive on the individual level it seems to be relatively impotent on a global level.  Outbreaks have been severe but still remain locked to a relatively small area.  This becomes very evident if we look at the R0 number and other infection factors of the virus and we can see that it has less teeth than originally thought.  Therefore, I believe Ebola is not the harbinger of some future apocalypse, but it is an incredibly complex and fascinating virus that deserves future study.

BIOL 499, Capstone

Paul Allee

P114

11 – 11:30 AM

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Michelle Fletcher

Dental Caries: A review of pathogenesis and genetically linked predispositions

Bacteria are small unicellular organisms that can cause an array of human diseases. They can take on a variety of shapes and sizes and can infect through many different modes of transfer. Streptococcus mutans is a spherical, Gram-positive bacterium that is responsible for causing dental caries. This disease is characterized by the breakdown of calcified tooth tissue, and is known more commonly as “cavities”. Studying and understanding the pathogenesis of a disease such as dental caries is helpful for medical professionals to recognize and treat the disease.

Besides understanding the exact mechanisms through which S. mutans invades and infects, it is also worth exploring any genetic predispositions for dental caries. The completion of the Human Genome Project has allowed researchers to sequence complete human gene extracts. With this information, researchers have been able to determine which genes and proteins are responsible for resistance or susceptibility to caries. Alterations to protein expression can lead to modifications in enamel structure, immune response, and sugar metabolism. Any of these modifications make one increasingly susceptible to disease.

Understanding pathogenesis and knowing genetic risk factors for diseases are two powerful weapons in combatting against them. Preventative measures should be taken when fighting against dental caries. Vaccines have been developed with some success, but perhaps the greatest method of prevention rests in low sugar diets and the daily practice of brushing.

BIOL 499, Capstone

Paul Allee

P103

10 – 10:30 AM

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Emily Sanders

Engaging Students at the Junior High Level: How to Overcome Biological Hindrances to Learning and Foster a Prosperous Classroom Environment for a Student’s Ultimate Success

In the teenage years, as one undergoes puberty, many biological changes are occurring. In order, to understand how to teach students at this level, teachers should be aware of how their brain works and the ways in which they learn. Taking a look at the process of myelination and examining different hormones, grasping the effects of poverty on the brain, and seeing how those with disabilities differ in the learning process provides insight into the effects on learning. In schools today there are various types of learners. Some learn through visual means, some auditory, and some kinesthetic. Through understanding these types of learners, a teacher can construct a classroom that accommodates students and pushes them to their highest potential. With the background knowledge of brain structures and functions, it becomes easier to limit distractions in the classroom, build lesson plans which collaborate and invent, and enforce classroom structure and discipline. This also informs how technology is used in the classroom and what type of relationship a teacher should have with students. All of these components construct a complete view of how a classroom can cater towards students and assist them to reach success, no matter the biological hindrances.

BIOL 499, Capstone

Paul Allee

P103

10:30 – 11 AM

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Cassidy Winters

Food and People: a Review of the Western Diet and Implications for Human Health

The need for food is something that all humans have in common and is something that has not changed since we have started walking the Earth. What has shifted, however, is the way that we obtain food. Immense change has occurred at various levels of the food chain, from the crops grown, to raising meat, all the way to how we eat. Known as the “western diet” our way of eating today looks far different from our hunter-gatherer days, with highly processed foods full of refined sugar, fat, and grains comprising over half of our energy intake. With the emergence of the western diet phenomenon, so have “western diseases”, which are understood to be noninfectious chronic diseases common to developed societies, including type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and various types of cancer, not to mention obesity.  Wherever people have shifted towards a westernized way of eating, western diseases have seemed to follow. As eating and food becomes more simplified, it seems that our health continues to get more complicated.

BIOL 499, Capstone

Paul Allee

P103

11 – 11:30 AM

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