Poster Session
Saturday, February 12
10:00 - 11:00 AM
The poster session will be conducted virtually through a platform called Gather. A virtual room has been created on Gather that can be accessed 30 minutes prior to the session’s start time (10am on 2/12) by presenters.
The following describes the experience you should have with entering and using Gather:
Click on Gather. (or use the url https://gather.town/events/Y06SY6qMqQvZXhvTvfCx). Chrome is the recommended browser.
Click the “Join Event” button.
Create an avatar that will represent you in the virtual world.
You will use the arrow keys in order to move your avatar around the room and explore.
When you get close to certain objects (e.g. posters or Tetris games), they will light up. You can press x to interact with them.
Approaching a poster will reveal a snapshot of it. Press x to interact and view the entire poster.
To chat with others, simply move your avatar close to theirs. Your cameras should turn on and you can video chat.
2022 Posters
Bacterial Art: Where Science meets Arts
Julie Alvarado, Jamie Dixon, Gayla Lawrence, Monike Thomas, South Florida State College
Science and Arts have drawn inspiration from each other since the time of Charles Darwin and Alexander Fleming. In the emerging field of Bio-art, biotechnology is used to create artwork. In this project, genetically modified E. coli to produce colored pigment or chromogens were used as paint to create art pieces on an agar plate. This project served a learning opportunity for topics such as plasmid vectors, transformation, and ethical issues arising from biotechnological advances.
Is There a Correlation Between Hypermobility of the Spine and Chronic Back Pain in Young Adults?
Mackenzie Brady, Peter Reuter, Florida Gulf Coast University
Excessive range of motion across multiple joints is called generalized joint hypermobility (GJH). It is said that the main complaint of symptomatic GJH individuals is chronic musculoskeletal pain (MSP). Our hypothesis was that young adults with spine hypermobility are less likely to suffer from chronic back pain than their peers without spine hypermobility. We invited Anatomy & Physiology students who evaluated their joint hypermobility to complete an anonymous survey with questions about MSP and its severity.
Project Swap
Victoria Genendlis, Gabriela Sordo, Ana Delgado, Miami Dade College
"In my freshman year of college, I founded an environmental organization called "Project Swap." This project aims to reduce textile waste through the process of facilitating clothing swaps throughout the Miami-Dade community. "Project Swap" promotes awareness of the environmental danger of contributing to fast fashion and has facilitated over 50 swaps. I recruited two peers that showed interest in the project and they became the co-founders. This project is something I am deeply passionate about. The idea stemmed from the rise in demand for fast fashion during the pandemic. Everyone I knew was purchasing in abundance from online websites, more specifically, the youth’s consumption of fast fashion from websites such as Shein increased drastically during the pandemic. This is a modern-day issue that requires awareness and action!"
Importance of Gelatinases in Multiple Sclerosis
Nihasika Gopi, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease caused by immune cells invading the central nervous system and causing damage. The cause of the disease is unknown; however, altered expression of a particular group of enzymes, the gelatinases is associated with disease progression. This project utilizes a unique inhibitor, Triple-helical peptide inhibitor, to determine the therapeutic potential of gelatinase inhibition. To date, our data demonstrates reduced clinical severity in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, MS animal model.
Electric Scooter Micro-mobility Program Proposal
Natahja Graddy, Santa Fe College
The purpose of this project is to examine the environmental benefits of adding a micro-mobility program like electric scooters onto a campus. Implementing an electric scooter micro-mobility program at Santa Fe College will help with contributing to the fight against climate change by reducing carbon emissions from cars. The goal of the program is to reduce auto dependency by offering an alternative model for short-distance transportation while promoting multimodal transportation.
Containment, Care, & Corpses: West African Mortuary Practices Amid the Ebola Epidemic
Hannah Merritt, University of North Florida
In a time of public health turmoil, reflecting on past global health crises can reveal information about current and future pandemics and epidemics. This research uses quantitative and qualitative data to examine correlations between mortuary practices and the 2014-2015 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. By examining factors and components of West African environments, cosmologies, belief systems, and public health responses I answered questions regarding how West African mortuary practices have been influenced by Ebola.
GC-MS Studies on Solvent Extracts From Ziziphus celata
Amanda Money, Syed Qadri, Kate Calvin, South Florida State College
Ziziphus celata (Florida jujube) is a plant native to only Highlands and Polk Counties and officially listed as endangered. Well-known Ziziphus species contain several interesting medicinal compounds. In collaboration with Bok Tower Gardens, we have begun identifying the compounds in Ziziphus celata. Previous studies identified sterols, fatty acids, terpenes and metabolites. The current goals are to refine our methods to identify additional compounds and quantitate their relative abundance. Here, we present our latest results.
Key Role of Sugar in Development of Cardiovascular Disease
Devam Patel, South Florida State College
Sugar, over abundant and excessively consumed, is associated with many diseases. This project studied the effect of sugar on endothelial cells which line the blood vessels and found higher expression of Intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), an inflammatory marker, and endoglin which is involved in cell signaling. The data suggests that sugar can cause inflammatory changes in the endothelial lining of the arteries and thus play a key role in development of cardiovascular disease.
The Spatial Distribution of Phytoplankton: Relationship Between Phytoplankton Concentration and the Presence of Mangroves in the Indian River Lagoon
Luiz Ribeiro Rodrigues Do Prado, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a common problem in the coastal waters of Florida. In order to better understand this problem, scientists have studied the distribution of phytoplankton in bodies of water that are known for HAB occurrences. This research addressed the relationship between the presence of mangroves and the concentration of phytoplankton but the results were inconclusive. This research will explain the research’s limitations and propose a way to gather more accurate results.
Early detection of Epithelial to Mesenchymal transition in Colorectal Cancer
Alejandro Torres, South Florida State College
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world and the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. This cancer affects about 1 in 23 people and starts in the colon or rectum which makes up the large intestine. Recent studies have shown that earlier detection and therapeutic targeting helps decrease the mortality and morbidity of the cancer. CRC may initially begin as a polyp, and can eventually spread throughout the body by Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), the process by which epithelial cells detach and migrate to distant parts of the body. This transitioning can be identified by the biomarkers E- cadherin and Vimentin. E- cadherin is found in epithelial cells and helps with adhesion. Vimentin is an intermediate filament, usually expressed in mesenchymal cells but can also be found in migrating cancer cells. This study will analyze the expression of these biomarkers in deidentified formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections of non-cancerous, precancerous, and cancerous tissues collected during colonoscopies for routine histopathological evaluation. Down-regulation of E-Cadherin and the gain of Vimentin has been observed in the EMT occurring during CRC metastasis. Identifying these changes in CRC will aid in early detection of metastatic potential providing an opportunity for early intervention and allow for a treatment plan personalized to the patient.
Engineering bacteria using CRISPR-Cas 9 to Terraform Mars
Alejandro Torres, South Florida State College
There is tremendous interest in humans inhabiting planets beyond Earth and Mars is the front-runner as a potential candidate, however, changes need to be made in Mars to make it habitable, introduction of oxygen being a major one. In this project, CRISPR- Cas 9 system is used to genetically engineer E. coli bacteria to help them thrive on Mars. This may be the attractive tool to terraform Mars into a habitable planet for humans.
Residential Segregation
Aster Walters, Quelissa Stephen, University of North Florida
This presentation is carried out by UNF Honors Students Quelissa Stephen and Aster Walters. The poster focuses on the 10th Sustainable Development Goal, which aims at reducing inequalities among countries. We chose to focus on an inequality issue in the United States residential segregation; the separation of multiple social groups within a specific geographical area. During our session, we aim to highlight the history, effects, and solutions that we have found for this issue.
Quality Education for English Language Learners
Chloe Wells, Sydney Bhavsar, Kristina Morozov, Jemel Facey, University of North Florida
English Language Learners, ELLs, are one of the fastest growing populations in the nation. Our education system should be supportive of all learners and their proficiencies. As the population grows, our efforts and strategies to improve learning should increase. Speaking up and stepping out for those in need is a responsibility that we have and one we can accomplish together. While the world may continue to change, the importance of education will remain the same.