The MU Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum showcases the creative and scholarly activities that undergraduates have been engaged in over the summer. All students engaged in scholarly or creative activity with a faculty mentor are invited to present their work.

Recent Submissions

  • Issues with scale using very high resolution digital aerial photographs 

    Yousif, Mustafa; Larsen, David R. (David Rolf); Chastain, Robert (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    This study involves the use of remote sensing equipment to observe plant communities. A remote sensor is any instrument that gathers information about an object or area from a distance. Advanced cameras, the most common ...
  • The role of Periostin in regulating the biomechanical properties of cushion tissue 

    Wright, Lee; Damon, Brooke James, 1974-; Norris, Russell; Mjaatvedt, Corey; Mironov, Vladimir; Markwald, Roger; Forgács, Gabor, 1949- (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    During embryonic heart development the atrio-ventricular (AV) cushions swell and fuse to form the valves and septa of the adult heart. Initially, the cushions appear as swellings on the interior wall of the AV canal and ...
  • Molecular free volume and viscosity changes in non-Newtonian fluids probed with molecular rotors 

    Wilson, Joseph P.; Haidekker, Mark A., 1963- (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    An empirical relationship between molecular free volume and viscosity has been established (Doolittle AK, J Appl. Phys. 1952; 23: 236-9). Non-Newtonian fluids hold much importance to scientific study because of their ...
  • "Either he was too weak, or the world was too strong" : motifs of male wounds and healing in African American literature 

    Wilmot, Jennifer M., 1984-; Prahlad, Anand (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    African American men throughout history have tried to establish and define their identities, collectively and individually, beyond those formed, forced, and fashioned by western civilization. Consequently, they have inflicted ...
  • Reduction of rheniumV oxo Schiff base complexes with triethylphosphine 

    Williams, Stephen A.; Lane, Stephanie R., 1982-; Sisay, Nebiat; Jurisson, Silvia S. (Silvia Sabine) (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Pioneering techniques for therapeutic treatment of cancers involve targeting cancer sites with strong beta-emitting radionuclides, thereby destroying the cancer cells. This is achieved by coordinating the radioisotope to ...
  • Localized adherence of Haemophilus influenzae to human lung cells in tissue culture 

    Williams, LaDerrick; Bratkowski, Matthew; Phillips, Thomas; Golomb, Miriam (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    The gram-negative coccobacillus H. influenzae is part of the respiratory mucosal flora of most healthy humans. Before the era of Hib vaccination, encapsulated H. influenzae of serotype b were the leading cause of childhood ...
  • How do we know that we have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? 

    Vu, Kim Khanh; Nair, Satish S., 1960- (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    The brain is a network of neurons that control our pleasure, emotion, motivation and is important for all types of learning. The objective of the overall research in the OCD's group is to examine the changes in brain ...
  • Post-Translational modifications and the effects on protein identification through mass spectrometry 

    Traas, Jacob; Song, Zhao, 1978-; Xu, Dong, 1965- (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Mass Spectrometry is an effective tool for protein identification. A typical process for protein identification is to break down a protein into smaller peptides and to determine the mass of each of these peptides. These ...
  • Effects of washings and treatments on the usefulness of hair as a biomarker 

    Timpe, Stefanie; Brockman, John Douglas, 1978-; Spate, Vickie; Robertson, John David, 1960- (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Hair is a useful matrix for the analysis of many trace elements found in the human body. Studies show that hair can incorporate trace metals into its structure during the growth process. Hair is an attractive monitor because ...
  • Expression, purification and initial characterization of Halobacterium proline dehydrogenase 

    West, Jeremy; Tanner, Jack (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Nature recycles proline by converting it to glutamate. This 4-electron oxidation process is catalyzed by two catabolic enzymes, proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) and Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (P5CDH). Inborn ...
  • Structural basis for substrate specificity of the alpha-D-phosphohexomutase superfamily 

    Waterman, Matthew; Griffith, S. C.; Beamer, Lesa J. (Lesa Jean) (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Phosphoacetylglucosamine mutase (PAGM) is a human enzyme that is the key to the formation of the essential metabolite UDP-N-acetylglucosamine. Bacterial phosphoglucomutase (PGM) from Acetobacter xylinum catalyzes the ...
  • Anti-galectin-3 peptides increase apoptosis in galectin-3 expressing human breast cancer cells 

    Thoma, Michelle C.; Landon, Linda; Deutscher, Susan L. (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    A critical factor in the proliferation and the metastatic nature of carcinoma cells appears to be their resistance to natural programmed cell death (apoptosis). However, the molecular mechanisms that enable carcinoma cells ...
  • Promotion of functional heterotrimeric type I collagen via transfection in osteogenesis imperfecta fibroblasts 

    Tempesta, Michael; Phillips, Charlotte L. (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a heritable disorder due to mutations in type I collagen. Normal type I collagen forms a heterotrimeric protein comprised of two pro1(I) chains and one pro2(I) chain [1(I)22(I)]. The ...
  • Synthesis and analysis of activated carbon briquettes as an adsorbent for natural gas 

    Taylor, Demetrius; Pfeifer, Peter (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Activated carbon has been used for many years for its adsorptive properties. These adsorptive properties are a result of its high surface area to density ratio. It achieves this through its activation process. During ...
  • Calix[n]arene derivatives for gas storage 

    Tabi, Harry E.; Thallapally, Praveen; Atwood, J. L. (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    The calix[n]arenes are versatile inclusion compounds (Scheme 1) comprise of cyclic, polyphenolic compounds that can be tailored synthetically by altering X, Y, R and n. In solid state, we found simple calixarenes are quite ...
  • The effect of Camgaroo-2 incorporation on the differentiation potential of embryonic stem cells 

    Struckhoff, Jessica; Spears, Kathleen; Pierret, Chris, 1972-; Kirk, Mark D. (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Embryonic stem (ES) cells are capable of differentiating into any cell type in the body and are a promising therapeutic agent. Our research focuses on the differentiation of ES cells into functional neurons and/or glial ...
  • Interaction of a heterodimerization partner with glucocorticoid receptor (GR), androgen receptor (AR) and GR/AR hybrids 

    Strawbridge, Phillip; Nichols, LaNita A.; Holland, Lené J. (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Steroid hormones are a class of compounds that play a role in regulating many functions. Glucocorticoid hormone is a compound in this class, which helps maintain homeostasis, including regulation of production of γ-fibrinogen, ...
  • Up-regulation of the P2Y2 receptor by cytokines in neuronal cells 

    Stanley, Emily; Camden, Jean M.; Erb, Laurie; Seye, Cheikh I.; Weisman, Gary A. (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is characterized by inflammation and neurodegeneration in the brain due to the presence of extracellular amyloid beta (A β) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Microglial and astrocyte cells ...
  • Reduction of rhenium (V) oxo Schiff Base Complexes with triphenyl phosphine ligands 

    Sisay, Nebiat; Williams, Stephen A.; Lane, Stephanie R., 1982-; Jurisson, Silvia S. (Silvia Sabine) (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    One approach to the treatment of cancer is to direct beta-emitting radionuclide to the cancer site where the radiation destroys the cancer cells. This can be achieved by coordinating the radioisotope in a very stable ...
  • Detection of Sad genes in various species of Neurospora 

    Singh, Ashwin; Morris, Ryan; Shiu, Patrick (University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate Research, 2005)
    Neurospora crassa is a haploid fungus that reproduces asexually during vegetative growth. However, in a nitrogen deficient environment, the two mating-type cells, A and a, can fuse together and enter the sexual cycle. ...

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