Senior Independent Study Theses from 2020
Investigation of the Effect of the Gut Microbiome on Activity of Drosophila Melanogaster, Lauren E. Ahmann
Department: Biology
Painting With Dead Fish: A Study of Phenotypic and Genetic Differences in Ossification Across Betta Morphs, Elizabeth S. Anderson
Department: Biology
Battle for Blood: A Study of the Effects of Halymorpha Halys Volatiles on Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, Fiona Yaaba Armoo
Department: Biology
Ecological Niches of Costa Rican Glass Frogs (Centrolenidae) and Evidence of Niche Partitioning and Plasticity, Robert P. Chamberlin
Department: Biology
Land Use Change and Its Effect on Eye Size Morphology in Western Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys obtusus, Matthew Thomas Conrad
Department: Biology; Geology
Sanitizing Treatments to Common Oral Bacteria Plaque during Oral Surgeries: The Prevention of Growth and Dissociation of Adhesion to Enamel-Like Surfaces, Audrey R. Cordova
Department: Biology
Conspicuousness of Dissosteira carolina against varying environmental backgrounds using avian predator and conspecific insect visual modeling, Frederick R. Gilbert
Department: Neuroscience; Biology
A Frog and a Bromeliad: Exploring a Potential Nutritive Plant-Animal Mutualism Between Oophaga Pumilio and Bromeliads, Mackenzie Goltz
Department: Biology
Behavioral Effects of Human Tau Expression and Sleep Deprivation on Drosophila melanogaster, Benjamin R. Gregoire
Department: Neuroscience; Biology
Promoting Diversity: Sequencing The Melanocortin 1 Receptor (Mc1r) Promoter in Northeast Ohio Eastern Grey Squirrels (Sciurus Carolinensis), Alyssa Hamm
Department: Biology
The Hormonal and Behavioral Effects of Acute Nutritional Stress on Female Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata), Dakota Shaw Hayes
Department: Biology
Identifying Host Processes Targeted by Phytophthora sojae Effector Protein PsAvh172 Using Synthetic Lethality, Hannah Hirsch
Department: Biology
The Role of Dissosteira Carolina (Band-Winged) Grasshopper Visual Acuity in Communicative Signaling During Courtship, Vienna Leigh Howard
Department: Biology
Ecologically relevant cooling early in life does not affect expression of neophobia in zebra finch chicks (Taeniopygia guttatta), Anna James
Department: Biology
Investigating the effects of chronic corticosterone exposure during the weanling phase of Rattus norvegicus on adult learning and memory function, Dina Jamshidi
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Background Matching in Dissosteira carolina: Color Morph and Background Advantage Analyzed Through Humans Modeling Avian Predators, Kamba F. Kayoka
Department: Biology
Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis responsiveness following unpredictable food availability in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), Seung Yeon Lee
Department: Biology
Brick-red Bug-eyed Frog Theloderma lateriticum: Tadpole Morphology, Adult Vocalizations, and Genus-level Nuclear Phylogeny, Todd Le
Department: Biology
How do mothers influence the gut microbiomes of their infants?, Kathleen Loftus
Department: Biology
Oratory Analysis of Salamander Abundance and Body Condition in Early Successional, Mature, and Old Growth Forests, Sally Lorbach
Department: Biology
Swimming into Climate Change: The Impact ofFreshwater Acidification on Betta Splendens, Kathlyn MacDonald
Department: Biology
Should I Stay or Should I Flow: Characterizing Genetic Structure and Color Morph Genetic Differences for Polymorphic Thamnophis sirtalis Populations on Lake Erie, Riley Moreau
Department: Biology
Identification of Contaminants in Transformed Yeast Using NCBI BLAST+ Alignments, Nathan A. Morit
Department: Biology
Effect Of Nutrient On Sleep In Drosophila, Augustine U. Ogwoh
Department: Neuroscience; Biology
Learning and Memory Examination of Bombus Impatiens Bumblebees on Campanula Americana American Bellflower 3-D Models, Kelechi Okoronkwo
Department: Biology
Independent bees working together: Male fitness of prairie perennial Echinacea angustifolia is more influenced by cumulative bee visitation than by any individual species, Avery E. Pearson
Department: Biology
Maternal Fatty Acid and Methionine Supplementation Interact with Sex, Impacting Learning, Memory, and Stress Response in Domestic Sheep, Hannah Prokop
Department: Biology
Through the Lens of Bumble Goggles: Manipulating Visual and Olfactory Cues of 3-D Printed Realistic Flowers for Bombus Impatiens to Monitor Their Learning and Decision Making, Jessica Rae Roberts
Department: Biology
Hummingbirds are not Fab-aceae pollinators: Erythrina flabelliformis, a hummingbird-pollinated desert perennial, has significant fine-scale genetic structure and low pollen movement distances, Mia Stevens
Department: Biology
A Boolean Model of Interleukin-6 Mediated Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Emmalee Sullivan
Department: Biology
The Effect of Bacteriophage Therapy on the Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Pseudomonas Bacterial Strains, Trenton J. Tipton
Department: Biology
The Abundance and Diversity of Glass Frogs (Centrolenidae) in Primary and Secondary Tropical Forests of Costa Rica, Keara Weiss
Department: Biology
The Effect of Seminal Fluid Adipokinetic Hormone on the Blood Feeding Behavior of Aedes aegypti, Chen Wu
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2019
Smell You Later: Attraction Inhibition Against Aedes aegypti By Compounds Derived From Halyomorpha halys, Jarrett A. Art
Department: Biology
Why so Aggressive? A Study of Amino Acid Conservation of Monoamine Oxidase (mao) in Bettta Splendens Compared to Other Species, Gabrielle B. Basinski
Department: Biology
The Influence of Mate Separation During Period of Food Deprivation on Behavioral Stress in Zebra Finches, Taeniopygia guttata, Sangita Biswas
Department: Biology
The Bug Butter Battle: A Study of the Effect of Halyomorpha Halys Volatiles on Mobility of Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, Katherine Bohl
Department: Biology
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mortality and Histone Expression in Drosophila Melanogaster, Dennis Bolshakov
Department: Biology
Transportin’: Investigating the Impact of Social Context on Transportation-Induced Stress in the Zebra Finch, Taeniopygia Guttata, Autumn Brostek
Department: Biology
When Science and Art Collide: Learning the Methods Like a Scientist in Order to Break the Rules Like an Artist, Marissa Bailey Fiume
Department: Art and Art History; Biology
Science Perspectives and Stories: A Journey of Growth and Maturity Through the Multifaceted Machine of Science, Sara Garcia
Department: Biology; English
An Emerging Amphibian Fungal Pathogen: Long Term Monitoring in Wooster Memorial Park and Infection Dynamics Across 21 Ohio Counties, Jesse N. Garrett-Larsen
Department: Biology
Mosquito Diversity and Blood-feeding Patterns in a Dry Tropical Forest in Costa Rica, Patrick Gilkey
Department: Biology
A Comprehensive Analysis of the Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) Population in Ohio over Time with a Focus on the Melanistic Color Morph, Weston Gray
Department: Biology; History
Artificial Light at Night Has No Effect on Depressive-Like Behavior or Maternal Care Behaviors in Sprague Dawley Rats, Megan A. Healy
Department: Biology
The Effects of Biased Auditory Sex Ratios on Ejaculation Parameters in Healthy Human Males (Homo sapiens)., Harper Jones
Department: Biology; Psychology
Parental Love: Impacts of High Ambient Temperature on Thermoregulation and Parental Care Behaviors in Cooperatively Breeding Florida Scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens), Do Hyun Kim
Department: Biology
A Quantification of Variables Contributing to Offside Decision Accuracy in Soccer, Andrew W. Klein
Department: Biology
Repercussions of Electric Lighting: Light-at-Night Exposure on Anxiety in Early Development in Rats, Julia Kowala
Department: Biology
Antiviral Response of Type I Interferon Alpha/Beta Receptor to Hepatitis E Virus in Human Liver Cells, Jodi Michelle Livesay
Department: Biology
Characterization of Melanocortin Receptors in Betta Splendens, Kaitlin R. Looney
Department: Biology
Color Diversification and Species-Specific Signals in Band-Winged Grasshoppers, Abigail S. Martin
Department: Biology
Are You Happy? Effect of Stress on Gene Expression of Betta Splendens, Rie Matsuzaki
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
The Rescuing Effect of the Dunce Gene on Chronic Sleep Deficits Presented in Intellectually Diseased FMR1 Mutant Drosophila, Eleri K. Miller
Department: Biology
A Bioinformatic Analysis of Halophile Helicases, Austin N. Morit
Department: Biology
Bumblebees Can Learn and Remember Floral Coloration Differences on a 3D printed Model of American Bellflower, Campanula americana, Mary Kate Norton
Department: Biology
The Characterization of Mary Shelley, a Drosophila Ortholog of the Mammalian Cables1 Protein, In the Drosophila Larval Brain and Ventral Nerve Cord, Erin Killeen O'Connor
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
How Effective is Tle1, an Effector Protein, at Interacting within a Microbiome? A Study of Tle1 and how it COuld be Used Against Bacteria Associated With Probiotics Cultures, Myles P. Parker
Department: Biology
Structural and Biochemical Characterization of Zika Virus- and Dengue Virus- Neutralizing Antibodies, Caroline Elisabeth Peterson
Department: Biology
Characterization of Opsin Genes in Betta splendens, John R. Petrecca Jr
Department: Biology
The Effect of Male Fin Ornamentation on Female Mate Choice in Betta Splendens, Alexis Noel Popejoy
Department: Biology
The Effect of Acute and Chronic Stress on Macronutrient Preference in Male Rats, Sochina Ranjit
Department: Biology
A Comparison of Salamander Community Composition in Early Successional and Mature Forests, Austin C. Russell
Department: Biology
A Study on the Efficacy of Bacteriophage Therapy and Other Stories, Allison Secard
Department: Biology; English
The effects of temperature manipulation on the rate of telomere shortening during the nestling period of the eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis, Bridget Serrurier
Department: Biology
Comparing the Allelopathic Potential of Invasive, Native, and Hybrid Myriophyllum Watermilfoil Species from Wisconsin Lakes on Microcystis aeruginosa Blue-Green Algae, Linden Ann Taylor
Department: Biology
Effects of a Maternal High-Fat Diet on Sprague Dawley Rat Offspring, Conner Thomson
Department: Biology
The Fruit Fly as a Model Organism For Studying Neurological Disease: Investigating the role of dNAB2, the Ortholog of Human ZC3H14, in Drosophila Mushroom Bodies, Adelaide F. Tsueda
Department: Biology
Surface-Area Biomass Index: Using Photography to Measure Biomass of Coral-Dwelling Crustaceans, Solaimon Turner
Department: Biology
Vegans Beware Phytophthora is Here Analyzing the Locations and Implications of PsAvh Proteins of Phytophthora Sojae, Alexis Victoria Valente
Department: Biology
Identification of the Killing Mechanism Used by Pseudomonas Spp. Against Agrobacteria: Implications for the Success of Biological Control Agents, Jessica G. Vorse
Department: Biology
Plaque Attack! Discovering How Bacteria Common to the Oral Cavity Interact With Metal and Ceramic Orthodontic Brackets, Alia Lyn Yossef
Department: Biology
Specialist Pollinator Andrena Rudbeckiae Removes More Echinacea Angustifolia Pollen per Visit Than More Generalist Bee Taxa, Ezekiel P. Zelman
Department: Biology
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2018
The Effects of Divorce on Baseline Corticosterone, Affiliative and Neophobic Behaviors in Zebra Finches, Rachel Brandon
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
That’s Just the Way it grows: A Look at Phenazine Compounds and Their Effects on Agrobacterium rhizogenes Growth, Maxwell Clement
Department: Biology
Stay at Home Dads:The Effects of Abiotic and Biotic Factors on Decisions on When to Provide Paternal Care in Costa Rican Hyalinobatrachium valerioi, Sarah Comstock
Department: Biology
Inhbitory Effects of Phytophthora sojae RXLR Effectors on MAPK Signaling in Yeast, Thomas DiFilippo
Department: Biology
Effects of nab2 on Phosphorylated Tau Protein Accumulation in Drosophila Melanogaster, Jacob A. Fling
Department: Biology
Potatoes and Pathogens: The Creation of a Functional Plant Vector Using Effector Genes from Pathogenic Oomycete Phytophthora Infestans, Cameron Friedman
Department: Biology
Analyzing the Effects of Bacteriophage Therapy Against Pseudomonas on Lettuce Leaves as a Means to Prevent Overuse of Antibiotics, Cheyenne Gregg
Department: Biology
Comparing Glass Frog (Centrolenidae) Diversity in Primary and Secondary Forests in Costa Rica, Christopher W. Gumpper
Department: Biology
Investigating the Influence of Nab2 on CaMKII Expression in Drosophila Melanogaster, Camille Hanes
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Investigating the Impact of Invasive Plant Species on Native Plethodontid Salamander Populations, Haley M. Hartman
Department: Biology
Dispatches from the Fly Killer: A mathematical model that studies the correlation between sleep fragmentation and longevity in Drosophila melanogaster, Vedica Jha
Department: Biology; Mathematics
The Effect of Vitamin D on Sprague-Dawley Rats Muscle Performance During Training, Patrick Johnson
Department: Biology
Survival and Abundance of Glass Frog (Centrolenidae) Embryos in Primary and Secondary Forests in Costa Rica, Mackenzie Nicole Kellar
Department: Biology
Investigating Soybean Resistance Mechanisms to Phytophthora Sojae Through the Plant Hormone Auxin, Tara Keller
Department: Biology
Should You Lyse Your Neighbors’ Houses? This Model Says ‘No’ an in Silico Examination of the Interactions Between Bacterial and Viral Populations in the Presence of the Arbitrium System for Viral Communications, Brendan Kelley-Bukovac
Department: Biology
Blue Genes: A Comparative Genetic Analysis of Steel Blue, Royal Blue, and Turquoise Betta Splendens, Margaret Kuk
Department: Biology
The Behavioral and Genetic Effects of Repeated Exposure to the Anesthetic Tricaine (MS-222) on Learning and Memory in Betta splendens, Christina Labib
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Selection on Phenological Traits Changes over the Flowering Season in a Self-Incompatible Annual: Implications for the Formation of Adaptive Temporal Clines, Laura C. Leventhal
Department: Biology
Are the Frogs Still Croaking? Surveying for Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris Blanchardi) in Northwest Ohio and Assessing Mechanisms of Decline, John McCall
Department: Biology
Fin Morphology and Role of zic1/zic4 in Betta splendens, an Assessment of Veiltail and Doubletail Morphologies, Luke J. Mierzejewski
Department: Biology
How Might Fish Protect Crops? a Study of Water Mold Saprolegnia Spp. and Plant Parasitic Oomycete Antagonism with Dermal Mucus from the Mottled Sculpin Cottus Bairdii, Isaac M. Nordmoe
Department: Biology
Forever Young: Modeling the Effect of p16 on Two Types of Senescence, Caroline Obermeier
Department: Biology
Flint Still Matters: The Effect of Lead Exposure On Aggressive Behavior and htr1aa Gene Expression in Male Betta splendens, Sara Onitsuka
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Busy Bees: Comparing Pollinator Efficiencies of the Three Primary American Bellflower Pollinator Taxa, Ashley Padilla
Department: Biology
Ecological and Acoustic Niche Differentiation in Glass Frog (Centrolenidae) Communities in Costa Rica, Amberleigh Ray
Department: Biology
Rescuing Sleep in FMR1 Null Drosophila Melanogaster, Kaitlyn Marie Rayl
Department: Biology
An Examination of Salamander Abundance and Behavior in Response to Invasive Plants, Alexa Rojas
Department: Biology