Stander Symposium abstract book - University of Dayton

9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
reprogramming. In order to accomplish this, cultured newt iris pigmented epithelial (IPE) cells were treated with histone deacetylase inhibitor
and transfected with oct-4 transcription factor. The cells treated with Trichostatin A (TSA) and oct-4failed to form aggregate and were not pursued
further with in vivo studies. Whereas, the cells treated with TSA only did form lens after the in vivo implantation. Thus, TSA treatment alone did
not have any effect on transdifferentiation capability of IPE cells to lens cells. Currently, an in vitro matrigel assay is being employed to perform the
transdifferentiation study of oct-4 transfected IPE cells.
Influence of Abiotic Factors on Biofilm Succession in the Little Miami River
Presenter(s): Mary V Timko
Advisor(s): Mark E Benbow, Jennifer M Lang
Biology - Independent Research
Biofilm growth is a product of the environment with respect to both biotic and abiotic factors. In streams, epilithic biofilm succession typically
results in a change in the proportions in community composition of bacteria, fungi, and algae. Due to the heterogeneous nature of stream communities,
the overall growth of a microbial community is profoundly influenced by both physical and chemical factors of the environment. With a
standard, healthy stream, manipulation of various physical factors can definitively serve as an indication of the effects on succession. To simulate
epilithic biofilm growth, porcelain tiles were placed in the Little Miami River under varying conditions of light and flow. Tiles were placed at
random locations along the stream continuum under regular light and flow conditions, treatments of increased turbulence, a dark treatment, and
a combination of dark/turbulent flow. The study of biofilm succession took place during a four-week period and tiles were randomly assigned to
be placed into the stream throughout the four weeks at intervals of 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. It was found that the treatments and days of growth
significantly effected the biomass turnover, primary production, and biomass of the epilithic biofilms. The results indicate that abiotic factors
influence development and succession of epilithic biofilms.
Influences of Disturbance Factors on Epilithic Biofilm Succession Throughout the Autumn
Season: Stream Flow and Organic Matter Pulse Dynamics
Presenter(s): Will P Kmetz
Advisor(s): Mark E Benbow
Biology - Independent Research
Succession in epilithic biofilms has been studied extensively, however the effects of disturbance factors on succession remain unexplored. We
studied the effects of large disturbances on epilithic biofilm succession in an Ohio stream over an 11 week period in which large disturbances and
leaf fall took place. Over the course of the study ceramic tiles samples were collected weekly. Tiles were scraped to determine primary production,
using chlorophyll a, and biomass turnover, using Ash Free Dry Mass (AFDM). Data indicate that temporal changes coincide with disturbance effects
on primary production and biomass turnover. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis may explain the decrease in primary production and
biomass turnover, despite the amplified levels of nutrients during the autumn season.
Isolation and characterization of peptides that interact with graphene
Presenter(s): Daniel P McCorry
Advisor(s): Sharon R Jones, Amit Singh, Rajesh Naik (WPAFB)
Biology - Independent Research
Graphene has recently been recognized as a promising nanomaterial for a variety of applications, such as in electronics and sensing. However,
effective and controlled functionalization of this material has been limited to a few physicochemical methods. Peptides can selectively interact
with specific nanomaterials and be used in controlled chemical reactions on the surfaces. Herein, we screen for peptides that bind to various
graphene-based materials, including highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene on copper foil using
a combinatorial phage library. We also show binding characteristics of the peptide-binders on the surface of graphene using atomic force microscopy
(AFM) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM).
28