RESEARCH DAY
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Kisha Pradhan
Scientist, Bonito Bio
Waltham, MA
Dr. Pradhan, who is originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, earned a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences in 2022 in Dr. Liwu Li's lab. Her research interests include exploring the role of immune cells in innovative treatments such as cell and oligonucleotide therapies and gaining expertise in both the research and translational aspects of the therapies. She is currently employed as a Scientist at Bonito Bio, an early startup company that is developing platforms for small and large molecules that can be directly conjugated to a payload in order to target a specific cell type or tissues.
NOTE: The primary parking spot for the Inn at Virginia Tech is in front of the building. Day visitors (for meetings or visitors at Preston’s) and buses can park for free in the designated areas. Overnight parking is allowed for guests only.
Schedule |
|
8:00 - 8:55 a.m. |
Coffee, refreshments, and poster setup |
9:00 - 9:05 a.m. |
Opening Remarks by David Popham |
9:05 - 10:05 a.m. |
Keynote Presentation by Kisha Pradhan |
10:05 - 10:20 a.m. |
Coffee Break |
10:20 - 12:00 p.m. |
Invited Student Oral Presentations by Sam Silknetter, Safoura Salar, Sara Teemer, and Evan Littleton |
12:05 - 1:00 p.m. |
Lunch/Break |
1:05 - 2:25 p.m. |
Breakout Oral Presentations Session 1 |
2:25 - 2:40 p.m. |
Coffee Break |
2:40 - 4:00 p.m. |
Breakout Oral Presentations Session 2 |
4:00 - 5:45 p.m. |
Poster Session and Happy Hour |
5:45 - 6:15 p.m. |
Award Announcements and Closing Remarks |
Sam Silknetter |
What can cryptic diversity tell us about biodiversity in streams of the southern United States? |
Safoura Salar |
Mechanistic and Dynamic Perspectives on Cross-Membrane Signal Transduction by Sensor Kinase GacS from Pseudomonas aeruginosa |
Sara Teemer |
Effects of ambient temperature on mechanisms of pathogen transmission in house finches |
Evan Littleton |
Flavonoid deficiency in Arabidopsis affects the circadian clock via ROS signaling |
Moderator: Taylor Fossett |
|
Gretel Baur |
Size spectra patterns in temperate and tropical river networks |
Taylor Fossett |
Neural correlates of increased aggression in an urban songbird: A focus on arginine vasotocin (AVT) |
Jesse Garrett-Larsen |
Cold Temperatures and Infection with a Bacterial Pathogen Affect Avian Immune Responses |
Abdeali Jivaji |
Endogenous giant viruses in the genome of Euglena gracilis |
Kait Malewicz |
Have Toxic Newts Found a Way Around the Extreme Resistance in their Snake Predators? |
Isaiah Jordan |
Experimental evolution of multiple antibiotic resistance |
Moderator: Ayo Okedigba |
|
Nathaniel Flynn |
Holin-dependent secretion of a large clostridial toxin by Clostridium perfringens |
Hollyn Franklin |
A bacteriophage-conditional mouse model to study the impact of gut phages |
Marcel Shams-Eddin |
Characterization of membrane associated proteolytic cleavages affecting spore germination in Bacillus subtilis. |
Foster Agyei |
Characterization of Sinorhizobium meliloti peptide chemotaxis mediated by McpU |
Shreya Choudhary |
A family of lipoproteins affecting B. subtilis germination |
Avishek Mukherjee |
A mathematical model of bacterial sliding motility |
Moderator: Carla López Lloreda |
|
Noah McNeill |
Risky Business? Responses of a Mixed Flocking Bird to Simulated Predators |
Riley Meyers |
Birds Can't Wash Their Hands: Effects of Feeder Cleaning on Pathogen Spread in House Finches |
Xavier Ozowara |
Environmental factors that shape fruit chemistry and microbial composition |
Brian Ruether |
A match made in (tree-of-)heaven: determining sequestration duration in the spotted lanternfly |
Caitlin Miller |
Evolutionary interactions between dispersal and plastic generalism during range expansions |
Maria Paula Erazo-Garcia |
Awakening Puñuy: the secret life of a giant virus |
Moderator: Zachary Baker |
|
Rebecca Busch |
Exploring the interaction between the septin cytoskeleton and the cell wall integrity pathway MAPKs MpkA and MkkA in Aspergillus fumigatus |
Saptarshi Chatterjee |
Predicting karyotypic outcomes in polyploid cell division through mathematical modeling |
Abigail Horton |
Comparative study of three flagellotropic Agrobacterium phages, Milano, 7-7-1, and OLIVR4 |
Chelsea Phillips |
Coronaviral subversion of intercellular communication |
Meghan Sedovy |
Endothelial injury induced connexin 43 expression regulates vascular healing |
Zachary Baker |
Sustained in situ protein production and release in the mammalian gut by an engineered bacteriophage |
|
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1 |
Pooja Acharya |
Genomic Diversity, Virulence Factors, and Antibiotic Resistance in Achromobacter xylosoxidans |
2 |
Parker Adams |
Developing Novel Phospholipase A2 Inhibitors Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Effector ExoU and its Homologs |
3 |
Joud Aldaroub |
Expanded genomic diversity of huge phages clarifies the independent origins of phage gigantism |
4 |
Ekenedilichukwu Anekwe |
TBA |
5 |
Isabella Badon |
How climate change affects activity in body condition in the Eastern Red-Backed Salamander |
6 |
Jacob Banta |
Determining the mechanism of protein secretion through the Gram-positive cell wall using Clostridium perfringens |
7 |
Rogerio Bataglioli |
Engineered Commensal Bacteria to Confer Protection Against Enteric Pathogens |
8 |
Michael Beall |
TBA |
9 |
Elizabeth Burrell |
Host Genetics and Age Affect Intestinal Bacterial Communities of Hatchery-raised Rainbow Trout (Onchorynchus mykiss) and Brown trout (Salmo trutta) |
10 |
Rebecca Busch |
Exploring the interaction between the septin cytoskeleton and the cell wall integrity pathway MAPKs MpkA and MkkA in Aspergillus fumigatus |
11 |
Samir Chethan |
Understanding the regulation of a cell cycle oscillator |
12 |
Idella Collett |
Characterizing Methylation of Sinorhizobium meliloti Chemoreceptor McpX |
13 |
Marija Corluka |
Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of Phafin2 interactions in macropinocytosis |
14 |
David Da Silva Barreira |
Impact of phage mediated nutrient release on microbial community’s composition and dynamics |
15 |
Abigail Detloff |
Potential Protein-Protein Interactions on the Bacillus Spore Inner Membrane |
16 |
Nisha Dhiman |
The 4-helix bundle domain of McpW in Sinorhizobium meliloti binds to transition metals |
17 |
Beija Gore |
Utilizing American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) tadpoles to Assess Uptake and Depuration of Tire Wear Particles |
18 |
William Hanger |
Isolation of Jumbo Phages that Infect Phytopathogenic Pantoea spp. & Erwinia spp. from Soil Samples |
19 |
Abby Heimbach |
Identifying metabolic requirements of the bacterial plant pathogen Pantoea stewartii in the maize xylem environment |
20 |
Joshua Heuler |
Influence of bacteriophages on inflammation in the mammalian gut |
21 |
Dexter Howard |
Variable Forecast Skill of Dissolved Organic Matter Concentration in Drinking Water Reservoirs |
22 |
Elizaveta Kadukhina |
Cell cycle progression relies on PER2's control of S-phase metabolism |
23 |
Bibek Kandel |
Strong control of phytoplankton blooms on methane and carbon dioxide emissions from small inland freshwater reservoirs |
24 |
Sukhmanpreet Kaur |
Investigating the carrot resistance to swamp dodder (Cuscuta gronovii) |
25 |
Harsimran Kaur |
A natural biomaterial to improve menstrual health and hygiene products |
26 |
Nicholas Keen |
Population evolution with transitions in a looped chain generates damped oscillation |
27 |
Tajrian Khan |
Holin-dependent secretion of a large clostridial toxin by Clostridium perfringens |
28 |
Babatomiwa Kikiowo |
Finding the elusive ligand of the histidine kinase GacS from Pseudomonas aeruginosa |
29 |
Cameron Lloyd |
Mechanism of Virulence in Achromobacter xylosoxidans Clinical Isolates |
30 |
Carla López Lloreda |
Seasonal and short-term changes in carbon cycling in hydrologically dynamic wetlands |
31 |
Rita Makhlouf |
Engineering temperate phages for a genetic-based anti-virulence |
32 |
Kathleen Mayer |
Environmental Influences on the Uptake of Anti-Inflammatory Pharmaceuticals in Lampsilis siliquoidea |
33 |
Casey McLaughlin |
Sublethal lead exposure impacts gene expression in the brain of developing songbirds |
34 |
Caleigh Meehan |
Freshwater ecosystem health across a mining-induced salinity gradient |
35 |
Shaeri Nawar |
Investigating the Roles of CwlD and GerS in Clostridioides difficile Spore Cortex Modification |
36 |
William Ngo |
Mitigation of anti-nutritional agents in soybean meal to improve animal performance |
37 |
Ayoyinka Okedigba |
Understanding soybean lectin molecular interactions to mitigate its adverse effects in animal feed |
38 |
Millicent Opoku and Kelahni Smith |
Effects of habitat disturbance on the microbiome of Tipularia discolor and Goodyera pubescens |
39 |
Sharat Paka |
LdtR Controlled Transglutaminase is Essential for S. meliloti Motility |
40 |
Katherine Pérez Rivera |
Comparison of metabolism estimates in two catchments of contrasting lithology |
41 |
Mark Renton |
Pannexin1 as a Central Regulator of Coronary Microvascular Disease |
42 |
Kailynn Roberts |
Methodology to Assess Immune Cell Control of Endothelial Cell Fate Following Vascular Injury |
43 |
Pratistha Sarkar |
Proteomic Insights into Ovarian Cancer Brain Metastasis: TME Interactions and Immune Evasion |
44 |
Renee Sarmiento |
Direct macrophage-smooth muscle cell interactions in the injured arterial wall |
45 |
Tori Shimozono |
A phage-based approach to identify antivirulence inhibitors of bacterial type IV pili |
46 |
Mychala Snead |
Title TBA |
47 |
Meredith Snyder |
Long-term effects of biochar feedstock on Virginia pastureland soil |
48 |
Ghazal Soleymani |
Antivirulence against Type IV pilus assembly ATPAST PILB: Structure activity relationship of benserazide as a PILB inhibitor |
49 |
Megan Sweet |
Oxidative stress and serum deprivation influence the evolution of newly-formed tetraploid cells during tumorigenesis in mice |
50 |
Brittany Winter |
Title TBA |
51 |
Jackson Wood |
An active AcrAB-TolC efflux pump is important for infection of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium by the bacteriophage Chi |
The maximum allowed poster size is 36" x 48". The BIOL IT Office's poster printing information is here.