spring 2015 urp research projects - temple university projects... · spring 2015 urp research...

Spring 2015 URP Research Projects

10/23/14

Professor Name

Email Title of Research Project

Description Location Preference for Majors

Class Year

Skills Courses completed

HoursPerWeek

Abdelkarim Sabri

[email protected]

Inflammatory proteases and cardiac repair

In the adult heart, cell death following myocardial infarction initiates an inflammatory reaction that removes dead cells and contributes to scar formation and cardiac repair. Since the regenerative capacity of the adult mammalian heart is limited, induction of this innate immune response could be maladaptive and compromises cardiac contractile function. Our study uses a combination of in vivo and in vitro model systems to define the role of inflammatory proteases on endogenous cardiac repair and function after myocardial infarction.

TU Health Science Campus

Biochemistry Junior & Senior

Basic cell and molecular biology techniques. Highly motivated students with sound knowledge in cell and molecular biology.

TBD

Adil Khan

[email protected]

The causes for variability in blood glucose results between glucose meters and laboratory analyzers in the critically ill and non-critically ill patients


Pathology & Lab medicine

Sophomore, Junior or Senior

TBD

mailto:[email protected]






10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Alexandra Davatzes

[email protected]

Martian Crater Counting

Craters on the surface of Mars provide insight into the age of the surface, provide insight into the underlying lithology, and are potential astrobiological sites. This research involves a global survey of impacts to identify properties key for astrobiologic potential.

TU Main Campus

Geology majors only

juniors or seniors

Willingness to work hard, familiarity with petrography, skilled in Excel

Planetary Geology required; can be concurrent

TBD

Alexandra Davatzes

[email protected]

Petrology of Meteor Impact Deposits

This research investigates Precambrian meteor impact deposits from Australia, South Africa and Greenland. These deposits provide insight into the early Earth climate. Laboratory work includes SEM analysis and thin section petrography of rock samples. Requires significant point counting, so skill in mineralogy is required.

TU Main Campus

Geology majors only

juniors or seniors

Willingness to work hard, familiarity with petrography, skilled in Excel

Physical Geology and Mineralogy are required; Geochemistry preferred

TBD

Allen Nicholson

[email protected]

Analysis of a Gene-regulatory Ribonuclease Complex

Proteomic analyses of protein-protein interactions in the bacterium Escherichia coli suggest that two ribonucleases, RNase III and RNase II, as well as the protein YmdB, function as a complex to process RNA molecules. We will investigate how RNase III and RNase II may work in concert to process RNA, and how YmdB regulates the action of RNase III. These experiments will use purified recombinant proteins and RNA substrates to examine the activity of the protein complex and the individual proteins.

TU Main Campus

Biology, Biochemistry


Interest in biochemistry and molecular biology; strong foundation of basic biochemical/biological concepts, critical thinking skills, attention to detail, willingness to tackle an early-stage research project.

Biology 2112, Genetics, Chemistry

10 to 15









10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Ana Gamero

[email protected]

Understanding the Role of STAT2 in Colorectal Cancer

Cancer is a very complex disease driven by multiple genetic alterations. The focus of my research is to investigate the mechanism by which the transcription factor STAT2 promotes tumor progression in colorectal cancer. The long-term goal of this project is to determine how STAT2 cooperates with tumor oncogenes to enable tumor progression, conversion of benign lesions to malignant and metastasis. Understanding this process will lead to the development of novel therapeutic interventions to treat colorectal cancer.



Sophomore, Junior, Senior

Good communication skills, attention to detail and able to follow directions

general biology and chemistry

9 to 12 hours per week

Ann Valentine

[email protected]

Bioinorganic Titanium Chemistry

The Valentine Lab is interested in hydrolysis-prone metal ions of biological relevance. The student will investigate possible ligand systems for stabilization of titanium(IV) in a water environment, will make and characterize new inorganic

coordination compounds, and will evaluate their interactions with

biomolecules

TU Main Campus

chemistry biochemistry

Sophomore, Junior

intelligence enthusiasm conscientiousness - will teach skills necessary

TBD








10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Bassel E Sawaya, PhD

[email protected]

Involvement of HIV-1 protein in brain aging.

At Experimental levels :Students will be exposed to Molecular biology techniques (cell culture,

RNA and DNA isolation, protein purification, Western blot analysis,

PCR, qPCR ,Kinase assay, methylation assay, phosphorylation assay, animal work ,

immunostaining and imaging .)

At Education level: In addition to learning few techniques (depending

on the project) the students will be also interacting with lab members ,

attending lab and Department meetings and exposed to Journal

club. The students will be also challenged on their knowledge of their own projects .

At a social level: The students will learn how to interact with other

members in the lab and will learn lab ethics, they will learn to respect

their equipments as well as other members equipments. They will be

working in a friendly environment that will allow them to express their

ideas and ask scientific questions .


Biology, chemistry or engineering.


1- Someone who is serious, ready to learn. If the students does not have any lab experience, this will not work against him/her. Our mission is education and we are ready to help the student to require the min and necessary information that will help them to excel in their studies and we will make their lab experience rich as possible.

TBD





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Bettina Buttaro, PhD

[email protected]

Antibiotic Resistance Gene Transfer Mediated by Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pCF10.

The plasmid makes helps make E. faecalis antibiotic resistant and virulent. Current biochemistry projects focus on characterizing how oxidative stress increases the number of plasmids in the bacterial cell. The biology projects focus on how the plasmid transfers antibiotic resistance genes to other bacteria in mixed species biofilms.

TU Health Science

Chemistry and Biology

Any introductory biology or chemistry courses are sufficient

8-10 hours

Brad Rothberg

[email protected]

Molecular Mechanisms of Fragile X Syndrome

This project is focused on understanding the structure of Fragile X protein (FMRP), and its function in nerve cells. Interested students will be trained in protein purification techniques and fluorescence microscopy, with the potential for some introductory training in X-ray crystallography.


Biology or Biochemistry.


Most important criterion is a strong interest in neuroscience. Good communication skills are also preferred.

No specific courses are required.

8-10 hrs per week








10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Brad Rothberg

[email protected]

Molecular Mechanisms of Fragile X Syndrome

This project is focused on understanding the structure of Fragile X protein (FMRP), and its function in nerve cells. Interested students will be trained in protein purification techniques and fluorescence microscopy, with the potential for some introductory training in X-ray crystallography.

Biology or Biochemistry.


Most important criterion is a strong interest in neuroscience. Good communication skills are also preferred.

TBD





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Brent Sewall

[email protected]

Influence of vertebrate frugivory on plant seed dispersal and germination

Vertebrate frugivores (fruit-eating mammal and bird species) play an essential ecological role, by facilitating the dispersal and germination of the seeds of a diversity of plant species. Vertebrate frugivory is therefore a key determinant of the reproduction of many plants. Frugivory is especially important in the tropics, where frugivorous primates, birds, and bats disperse seeds for up to 90% of tree species in some forests. The foraging behavior and community ecology of most species of frugivore, however, are poorly understood. This lack of understanding hinders our ability to quantify the impact of specific frugivore species on the plant community or to conserve threatened frugivore species. In addition, frugivores are particularly vulnerable to hunting, fragmentation, and other human-caused threats, but we still have only a rudimentary ability to predict the effects of the loss of a specific frugivore species on the plant community. The objectives of this study, therefore, are (1) to investigate the influence of frugivore feeding preferences and frugivore interspecific interactions on seed dispersal and germination, (2) to examine the ultimate impact of frugivore species on the composition of plant species in natural ecosystems, and the regeneration of plant species in disturbed ecosystems, and (3) to investigate means by which an improved ecological understanding

TU Main Campus

Biology, Environmental Science, or related


Coursework, training, or experience in relevant subjects such as ecology, statistics, Geographic Information Systems, animal behavior, conservation biology, and/or French language. Also strong motivation for research and strong interest in this topic.

Intro Series in Biology (Bio 1111, 2112) or equivalent required. Principles of Ecology (Bio 2227) strongly preferred. Statistics, Animal Behavior (Bio 3254), and/or Conservation Biology (Bio 3307) preferred.

10 to 20





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Brent Sewall

[email protected]

Large-scale analysis of correlates of susceptibility to white-nose syndrome, an emerging pathogen in hibernating bats

White-nose syndrome is an emerging fungal pathogen affecting hibernating bat populations of eastern North America .Although it only appeared for the first time in 2006, it has already spread rapidly and has had devastating effects, including the death of millions of bats across hundreds of caves and mines .Such losses have important implications for endangered species management ,conservation biology, and the ecology of natural communities in North America .

Little is known about the disease, but most research to date has focused on bat-to-bat transmission and site-level effects .Recently, however ,the disease has spread across a broad geographic area, and an improved understanding of factors influencing both the impacts and spread of the disease is needed .We will investigate factors that may influence the susceptibility of bats to the disease and its spread across large geographic scales .

TU Main Campus

Biology, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related


Coursework, training, or experience in relevant subjects such as statistics, Geographic Information Systems, epidemiology, public health, ecology, or conservation biology. Also strong motivation for research and strong interest in this topic.

Statistics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), or Epidemiology (PBHL 3101) courses or equivalent (already taken or concurrent with first semester on project) strongly preferred

10 to 20





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Brent Sewall

[email protected]

Regional and global patterns of threat to biological diversity and the identification of large-scale spatial conservation priorities

Biological diversity is under threat from a variety of local- and global-

scale threats, including land use change, climate change, and

invasive species .Ecologists and conservation biologists have

worked for decades to document patterns of biological diversity and

the threats facing biological diversity from the tropics to the

poles .Recently, the results of some of these efforts have been

compiled into several new spatially-explicit regional and global

datasets .We will use these

datasets, along with Geographic Information Systems software, to

investigate large-scale patterns of biodiversity and change, and to

identify spatial priorities for conservation action to protect the

Earth's biological diversity .

TU Main Campus

Biology, Environmental Science, or related


Coursework, training, or experience in relevant subjects such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, statistics, ecology, or conservation biology. Also strong motivation for research and strong interest in this topic.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course (already taken or concurrent with first semester on this project) required. Intro Bio series (Bio 1111 and 2112), Principles of Ecology (Bio 2227), and/or statistics preferred.

10 to 20





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Brian Rushton

[email protected]

Large-scale properties of subdivision rules or A graphical interface for planar subdivision rules

Subdivision rules are a new area in geometry with connections to cell biology, fractals, cosmology, 3-d graphics, and Islamic art. A subdivision rules is an algorithm that take a collection of shapes and divides them into smaller pieces, which are then divided into smaller pieces, etc. Projects include classifying these subdivision rules by their overall structure (e.g. how fast they divide, how many independent colonies form, etc.); and crrating a simple graphical user interface to allow people to input subdivision rules quickly (currently, entering a subdivision rule into a computer can take up to 8 hours).

TU Main Campus

Mathematics, Computer Science

Junior or Senior

familiarity with rigorous proofs (first project); experience with GUI's (second project)

TBD

Chiu C. Tan

[email protected]

Energy efficient mobile data collection

Collecting data from mobile phones (GPS location, WiFi beacons, etc) consumes energy. There lies a

fundamental trade off between energy and accuracy. The more data the phone collects, the more accurate the result, but the more energy it consumes. This project will seek to develop a framework to allow users to easily configure this tradeoff using user specified policy requirements .

TU Main Campus

CIS/IST, Math,


Familiar with Android programming and/or Web programming

None TBD







10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Chiu C. Tan

[email protected]

Bandwidth efficient migration of scientifc and medica datasets

Modern computational science (computational physics, biology, etc.) research often include working

with large datasets. During computation process, the data will

have to transferred across different servers, consuming significant

network bandwidth. This project will explore how algorithms and

coduct experiments to miminize the bandwidth necesssary during the migration process .

TU Main Campus

CIS/IST, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science


For non-CS majors, familarity with scientific datasets and mathemtatical software like matlab will be helpful.

None TBD

Darius Balciunas

[email protected]

Genetic analysis ofregenerat ion in zebrafish

We are using a genetic model system with excellent regenerative capacity - the zebrafish - to analyze how genes control the process of regeneration. To achieve this goal, we are using gene trap mutants isolated in our laboratory, making new mutants using ge nome editing technology, and are generating new transgenic fish to identify gene regulatory elements (enhancers) active during regeneration.

TU Main Campus


Sophomore, Junior

General curiosity, interest in biology, desire to learn new things and gain first - hand experience in research. Preference will be given to students interested in continuing research during the academic year

TBD

Eric Borguet

[email protected]

Nanoparticle sensors for biological and chemical agents

.Develop nanoscale materials for rapid, high sensitivity detection of biological and chemical agents. Students will learn to use a variety of analytical techniques such as IR, Atomic Force Microscopy

http://www.temple.edu/borguet/index.html

TU Main Campus

Chemistry Sophomore or Junior

Interest in research - Aptitude for careful laboratory research

Gen Chem Gen Physics








10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Eric Borguet

[email protected]

Laser Vibrational Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Molecular Species at Aqueous-Mineral Interfaces

The position involves the use of vibrational Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) to investigate

molecules at interfaces, such as mineral surface .Students will learn

about surface chemistry and laser spectroscopy We are also

investigating the ultrafast

vibrational dynamics of aqueous species, including water, at mineral surfaces

http://www.temple.edu/borguet/index.html

TU Main Campus

Chemistry Physics

Sophomore or Junior

Interest in research - Aptitude for careful laboratory research

Gen Chem Gen Physics


Evgeny Krynetskiy

[email protected]

Energy crisis in cancer cells: toward development of novel anticancer drugs

My lab uses molecular biology and cell biology methods to dissect the processes in cancer cells that can identify the novel targets for anticancer chemotherapy


Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology

Junior or Senior

lab experience desirable

Biochemistry, Molecular or Cancer Biology are highly desirable

10

Evgeny Krynetskiy

[email protected]

Epigenetics of anticancer chemotherapy

My lab uses molecular biology and cell biology methods to dissect the processes in cancer cells that can identify the novel targets for anticancer chemotherapy


Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology

Junior or Senior

lab experience desirable

Biochemistry, Molecular or Cancer Biology are highly desirable

10




10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Gerardo A. Mendoza

[email protected]

Wave propagation on planar graphs

The project consists of 1) determining realistic differential equations governing small amplitude wave propagation on a planar graph placed in three dimensional space, where the edges are assumed to have certain elasticity properties. 2) Using separation of variables and abstract methods to determine fundamental properties of modes of oscillation. 3) Using numerical methods to find approximate low energy solutions.

Main BS in Mathematics or Physics

Junior & Senior

Knowledge of ordinary differential equations. Some programming experience with MATLAB or equivalent, desirable. Knowledge as determined by academic credentials and an interview

MATH 2101: Linear Algebra, required MATH 3041: Differential Equations or equivalent, required MATH 3141: Advanced Calculus I or equivalent, desirable PHYS 2021: General Physics I or equivalent, desirable

12





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Gianfranco Bellipanni

[email protected]

Role of Beta-Catenin in Zebrafish Development and Cancer

In our laboratory we are interested to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to the induction and specification of D/V patterning in the zebrafish embryo via Wnt/ Beta-catenin activity. During our previous research we have identify the gene responsive for the maternal recessive mutation ichabod (ich) in a second beta-catenin gene (beta-cat2) (Bellipanni et al. 2006). Beta-catenin plays essential roles in cellular physiology being the pivotal player for Ca+-dependent cell-cell adhesion and for transduction of Wnt signaling. In the cytoplasm b-catenin interacts with alpha-catenin and type I cadherins mediating cell-cell adherence junctions adhesion, but, in response to Wnt signaling, it is also transduced into the nucleus where binds to DNA binding factors of the lef/tcf family and activates transcription of a battery of Wnt target genes. Aberrant activity of this factor has been linked with congenital birth defects and cancer. We use large array of biochemical and molecular biology techniques to understand at molecular level the mechanism that control b-catenin nuclear localization in zebrafish embryo and cancer cells.

TU Main Campus

Biology or Chemistry

Sophomore, Junior

TBD


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Gregory Smutzer, Ph.D.

[email protected]

Examination of Human Chemosensory Function

Humans perceive five basic taste qualities ,which include sweet,

sour, salty, bitter, and umami taste. In addition ,humans readily detect

chemosensory irritants in the oral cavity, in the nose ,and on the

surface of the skin. One important chemical irritant is capsaicin ,which

is the pungent chemical that gives chili peppers their unique taste .

Capsaicin is a vanilloid compound that activates TRPV1 receptors in

trigeminal nerves in the oral cavity, and causes a stinging or burning

sensation in the mouth. We recently developed a novel delivery

method for examining capsaicin perception in the human oral cavity

by incorporating this hydrophobic compound in edible taste strips. In

addition, we recently identified compounds that temporarily block

the stinging sensation of capsaicin in the oral cavity. Finally, we have found that capsaicin

chemosensation contains both an olfactory and a trigeminal

component. The goal of this research project is to examine the

effect of inhibitors on capsaicin perception in the oral cavity by means of threshold studies, whole

mouth suprathreshold taste studies, and regional studies on the

tongue surface. Experiments will also be undertaken to examine how

TU Main Campus

Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry

Sophmore, Junior or Senior

Grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Ability to learn basic lab techniques. Standard lab skills include ability to prepare solutions, ability to use pipettes, and ability to carry out protein assays. Willingness to learn new lab techniques such as mammalian cell culture and fluorescence microscopy.

General Biology I and II. General Chemistry I and II. A course in cell biology is preferred, but not required.

three hours per credit of research


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

these inhibitors block TRP receptors when these gene products are

expressed in a stable cell line. Results from this study could lead to effective oral and topical

treatments for chronic pain.


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Gregory Smutzer, Ph.D.

[email protected]

Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Signaling in Mammalian Odontoblast Cells.

Although calcium is critical for the formation of dentin, the origin and regulation of calcium during dentinogenesis is not known. Odontoblasts are specialized cells that secrete proteins and other molecules during the formation of dentin in mammalian teeth. We reported that secretory odontoblasts express high levels of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor/channel, along with an associated GTP-binding protein. This receptor/channel releases calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum of cells. We are currently using cultured MDPC-23 cells as a model for dentin formation. The goal of this research is to demonstrate that the IP3 receptor, and a related GTP-binding protein are expressed in differentiated MDPC-23 cells. In addition, calcium flux will be measured in differentiated MDPC-23 cells by the calcium indicator dyes Fura-2 and calcium green-1. These experiments will demonstrate the importance of IP3 signaling in controlling intracellular and extracellular calcium flux during the formation of dentin by odontoblast cells

TU Main Campus

Biochemistry Biology Chemistry

Sophmore, Junior or Senior

Willingness to learn new lab techniques. - Standard lab skills including ability to prepare solutions, ability to use pipettes, ability to carry out protein assays, ability to carry out SDS-gel electrophoresis, and basic computer skills GPA of 3.0 or higher in science.

A year of General Biology. Cell Structure and Function.

three hours per credit of research


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Hong Wang

[email protected]

Mechanism of metabolic disorder-induced cardiovascular disease, DNA methylation, monocyte and stem cell differentiation, vascular inflammation and repair.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the developed countries, but the mechanism remains largely unknown. Dr. Wang’s laboratory is focused on exploring molecular and biochemical mechanisms contributing to cardiovascular disease. The Wang lab has extensive expertise in the areas of cardiovascular inflammation, atherosclerosis, vascular function, molecular mechanism, and signal transduction. UPR studies will use bioinformatics, cell biology and molecular biochemical approaches to assess the potential fundamental mechanisms. We will examine monocyte differentiation, vascular and systemic inflammation, vascular cell growth control, apoptosis, gene expression control and DNA methylation. Each UPR student will be instructed by a PhD student or a postdoctoral fellow.


Biology, Biochemistry, Computer Science

Junior GPA greater than 3.4, Cell culture or Protein biochemistry , Hard working and dedicative

TBD


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Ilker K. Sariyer, DVM, PhD

[email protected]

Molecular regulation of JC virus reactivation in the brain.

Patients undergoing immune modulatory therapies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and individuals with an impaired-immune system, most notably AIDS patients, are in the high risk group of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), an often lethal disease of the brain characterized by lytic infection of oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). Immune system plays an important regulatory role in controlling JC virus reactivation from latent sites by limiting viral gene expression and replication. However little is known regarding the molecular mechanism of this regulation. My ongoing studies on JC virus and demyelinating disease, PML, are focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in regulation of viral replication and gene expression during the course of JCV reactivation in immunocompromised individuals, discover potential biomarkers which will indicate JCV reactivation and develop effective therapeutic interventions for the treatment of PML.


Biology Pharmacy


Talented with good work ethics,

TBD


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Ilya Buynevich

[email protected]

Coastal Archives of Environmental Change

The new Coastal and Aeolian Research Laboratory at Temple is focused on understanding modern

processes and the geological record of the Earth's most dynamic

environments and ecosystems at the land-sea interface .

- Fieldwork will include investigation of modern coastal

processes ,geological record of storms, and biogenic sedimentary

structures within beaches and dunes along the Atlantic Coast (Maryland, New Jersey, and New

England.

- Laboratory work will involve sediment examination using a new

particle-size analyzer, post-processing of geophysical records

(from sites ranging from the dunes of New Mexico to the shores of

eastern Europe), and opportunities for projects with a biological component (trace fossil analysis

and coastal paleoecological indicators.)

TU Main Campus

Geology Environmental Science Biology


Ability to work in the laboratory and in the field as part of a research team; strong quantitative and writing skills; willingness to present data at student forums and professional conferences.

2001 Physical Geology or higher-level EES courses or equivalent - The proposed work is part of a new research initiative at Temple and will provide undergraduates with a range of skills necessary for a career in Geological and Environmental Sciences or a related field.

TBD

Joel Sheffield

[email protected]

Analysis of microglia in retina and pecten

Immunohistochemical localization of specific antigens during development of the chick retina.

Main Biology Junior & Senior

Electrophoresis, microscopy

Bio 3096 is a plus.




10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Karen B. Palter

[email protected]

Does hyperinsulinemia affect the basal and induced levels of Upd2 (leptin) in Drosophila?

Patients who are obese are at an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, characterized by impaired glucose tolerance, abnormal plasmid lipids, hypertension and development of Type II diabetes. Our laboratory has shown that Drosophila melanogaster lacking a functional sialic acid pathway display a range of metabolic defects, that are similar to those observed in patients with Type II diabetes. We have demonstrated that one target of sialylation is a potassium channel in the nervous system. We propose that the metabolic defects are a result of excess insulin secretion from insulin producing cells (IPC), due to channel dysfunction. Marban and Roth (1996) have shown that transgenic mice that secrete excess insulin (hyperinsulinemic) become insulin resistant, the hallmark of Type II diabetes. The mechanism of how hyperinsulinemia leads to Type II diabetes is not understood and is being actively studied. In both Drosophila and humans, the fat body (flies) or adipose tissue (humans) is a nutrient sensor, and in flies remotely conveys the nutrient status to the insulin producing cells. Under conditions of nutritional surplus, upd2, a

TU Main Campus

Bio, Biochem or Neuroscience


Motivation, interest in project and academic accomplishment. Quick learner, careful and good at quantitiative skills.

Completed Biology 1111 and 2112

TBD




10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

petide hormone is secreted from the fat body and binds receptors on GABAergic neurons relieving their inhibitory effect on the IPCs to which they project, resulting in fly insulin (dilp2, 3 and 5) secretion. Rajan and Perrimon (2012) recently identified the cytokine Unpaired 2 (Upd2) as the functional homolog of human leptin. In humans, leptin produced by adipose tissue acts on the hypothalamus to regulate appetite and energy expenditure rather than insulin secretion although it has many target tissues. As upd2 is a potent regulator of insulin secretion in response to nutritional status in flies, we wished to investigate whether hyperinsulinemia directly alters Upd2 regulation, which may lead to insulin resistance. We will compare the levels of Upd2 RNA under fed and starved conditions in wild type and our SAS

2d/2d (sialic acid

synthese null) flies which are hyperinsulinemic using quantitative RT-PCR. In addition, we have generated transgenic flies carrying an ectopic copy of the sialic acid synthase gene (SAS) under the Dilp2 (insulin promoter) that is active only in IPC cells. These rescued flies will also be examined for Upd2 regulation.


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Karen B. Palter

[email protected]

Is there a functional sialic acid pathway in the insulin producing cells (IPCs) of Drosophila?

Our laboratory has previously shown that Drosophila melanogaster lacking a functional sialic acid pathway display a range of metabolic defects, that are similar to those observed in patients with Type II diabetes. We have demonstrated that one target of sialylation is a potassium channel in the nervous system. We hypothesize that the metabolic defects are a result of excess insulin secretion from insulin producing cells (IPC), due to channel dysfunction. However, we have been unable to detect any RNA encoding the sialic acid pathway enzymes by in situ hybridization in IPC cells in adult brains, and therefore, cannot rule out that the metabolic defects could result from defects in other brain neurons impacting the IPC cells. In order to establish whether the sialic acid pathway is functional in IPC cells, we have generated transgenic flies carrying an ectopic copy of the sialic acid synthase gene (SAS) under the Dilp2 (insulin promoter) that is active only in IPC cells. Fly strains were generated that express this transgene in a SAS

2d/2d (sialic acid

synthese null) background and therefore will express the sialic acid synthase only in IPC cells. We wish to examine whether such flies will

TU Main Campus

Bio, Biochem or Neuroscience


Motivation, interest in project and academic accomplishment. Quick learner, careful and good at quantitiative skills.

Completed Biology 1111 and 2112

TBD




10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

still exhibit the neuronal phenotypes characteristic of flies deficient in sialic acid (such as neurodegeneration), but will no longer display metabolic defects, establishing that the metabolic defects were due solely to loss of sialic acid in the IPC cells. A variety of both behavioral and biochemical assays will be used to assay for metabolic defects.


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Ke Chen

[email protected]

Develop of Electron Tunneling Devices for Applications

Electron tunneling is a quantum phenomenon that can be utilized to probe materials with a energy

resolution and richness of information that many other

techniques cannot achieve. It can also be used to construct portable

sensors to detect molecules, magnetic field, radiation, etc. This

project is to fabricate a tunneling device and apply it to chemical

sensing. Students will be training to use basic micro-/nano- fabrication and characterization tools,

including atomic force microscope, photolithography, evaporator, etc.

and gain knowledge and hands-on experience in vacuum technology,

cryogenic measurement, nano-fabrication that can lead them for

future studies in related areas.

TU Main Campus

Physics, Chemistry, Electric Engineering


Hard working, good motivation, fond of problem solving by independent study, as well as basic training in physics, chemistry, or electronics.

general physics e.g. PHYS 1061, 2021

TBD

Laura Goetzl, MD, MPH

[email protected]

Placental Serotonin Transporter (SERT) is Modified by Maternal Opioid Exposure: Implications for Altered Fetal Vulnerability with Multi-Substance Use

In the placenta, SERT transports serotonin and amphetamines to the fetus. Prenatal exposure to drugs, which triggers changes in placental SERT expression, may also change fetal synaptic serotonin and serotonergic neurotransmission. . Maternal drug exposure may also alter SERT activity resulted in increasing and/or decreasing fetal exposure to medications in early gestation.


Neuroscience, Biology, Pharmacy, Medical, Psychiatry, Gynecology

Juniors & seniors

Advanced, motivated, interested in research

10--5








10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Laura Toran

[email protected]

Stormwater Monitoring

Organize and analyze data collected from stormwater monitoring sites on and off campus. Data collection and monitoring design will be included. Extensive mathematical analysis needed.

TU Main Campus

Geology or Environmental Science majors only


Must have B or better grade in Introduction to Hydrology. Do not apply without having completed this course. Extensive experience with excel and other computer skills

TBD




10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Marc Ilies

[email protected]

Physicochemical and biological evaluation of novel carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and their pharmaceutical formulations.

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, E. C. 4.2.1.1) are a class of ubiquitous metallo-enzymes that catalyze the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide: CO2 + H2O ↔ HCO3

- + H

+.

Sixteen isozymes are currently known, with different catalytic activity, subcellular localization and tissue distribution. These isozymes are involved in critical physiologic and pathologic processes including respiration, acid-base regulation, electrolyte secretion, bone resorption/calcification, gluconeogenesis, tumorigenicity and the growth and virulence of various pathogens. Some of them are over-expressed in pathological conditions such as edemas, glaucoma, obesity and cancer. Therefore CA isozymes have become important targets for pharmaceutical research. We are seeking talented and passionate individuals to be involved in the physicochemical and biological testing of novel selective CA inhibitors and of their pharmaceutical formulations aiming towards treatment of various forms of cancer via novel drugs and drug delivery systems.


Biochemistry, Biology

Sophomore, Juniors, Seniors

previous experience in physicochemical/biological evaluation of organic compounds and their formulations (e.g. liposomes), as well as towards handling cells constitutes a plus

analytical chemistry, biochemistry, biology

10




10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Marc Ilies [email protected]

Synthesis of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors for cancer treatment

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, E. C. 4.2.1.1) are a class of ubiquitous metallo-enzymes that catalyze the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide: CO2 + H2O ↔ HCO3

- + H

+.

Since CO2 is the end-product of aerobic metabolism of living creatures, the CAs are found in virtually all organisms, from the most simple ones to higher vertebrates. These isozymes are involved in critical physiologic and pathologic processes including respiration, acid-base regulation, electrolyte secretion, bone resorption/calcification, gluconeogenesis, tumorigenicity and the growth and virulence of various pathogens. Some of them are over-expressed in pathological conditions such as edemas, glaucoma, obesity and cancer. Therefore CA isozymes have become important targets for pharmaceutical research. We are seeking talented and passionate individuals to be involved in the synthesis of novel pyridinium sulfonamides as selective CA inhibitors with antitumor activity.


Biochemistry, Biology

Sophomore, Juniors, Seniors

previous experience in synthesis of organic compounds constitutes a plus

analytical chemistry, biochemistry, biology

10

Maria Iavarone

[email protected]

Low Temperature STM Characterization of Superconducting Nanostructures

Superconducting ultrathin films and islands will be fabricated on different substrates in ultra high vacuum environment and characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy.

Main Physics Junior & Senior

The students should be very interested in research and very motivated to learn.

General Physics I and II. Introduction to quantum

flexible








10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

mechanics is optional.

Marion Chan

[email protected]

The action of dietary phytochemicals on ovarian cancer cells


Biological Sciences related majors and Chemistry majors

Biological Sciences related majors and Chemistry majors

Good work ethics, punctual, analytical thinking, dexterity

Basic/Introductory Biology

3-9 hours per week

Michael Autieri

[email protected]

Vascular protective effects of Interleukin-19

Vascular restenosis ,atherosclerosis, and other vascular diseases are inflammatory in nature .

Accordingly, any compound which may decrease inflammation could

represent a y to attenuate most vascular diseases .Interleukin-19

(IL-19) is a cytokine which occurs naturally in humans and functions

to modify inflammatory cells .We have previously shown that IL-19 is

turned on in arterial cells under inflammatory conditions .We have

generated IL-19 knock out mice to test the hypothesis that IL-19 is

protective for vascular diseases .In this project, the student will

prepare and analyze tissue sections from these mice by histology and

immunohistochemistry to determine if these mice are


1- biology, 2- pre-med

Junior or Senior

manual dexterity. ability to get along with others. ability to take direction. punctuality and dependability. - honesty, dependability, willingness to learn new techniques

any general biology, anatomy, physiology, or the similar.

8, but we can be flexable




10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

protected against atherosclerosis and/or restenosis .If these

experiments are successful, then IL-19 could represent a new class of

naturally occurring therapy to combat multiple vascular diseases.

Michael J. Zdilla

[email protected]

Preparation and testing of solid electrolytes for battery applications

We are seeking undergraduates to aid in the synthesis of salt-organic hybrid electrolyte materials by co-crystalizaiton methods, and the assessment of their conductivity using electrochemical techniques.

TU Main Campus

Chemistry Sophomore, Junior or Senior

GPA, Intent to pursue Graduate education. Skills from General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry laboratory.

General Chemistry completed, Organic chemistry completed or in progress.

5 to 10

Nancy Pleshko

[email protected]

Development of spectroscopic methods for assessment of engineered tissues

A significant impediment to advances in generating replacement tissues for damaged cartilage is the inability to assess the structure of an engineered tissue during growth. Near-infrared spectroscopic assessment could offer the ability to monitor tissue growth in vitro, and thus permit appropriate interventions to be undertaken on an ongoing basis to modify the tissue towards desired structural and compositional endpoints. The research project will involve growing engineered cartilage constructs on scaffold

TU Main Campus

Bioengineering


Motivation, organization, and ability to work productively in a team environment

Introductory Biology and Chemistry

10-15 hours a week







10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

materials and developing spectroscopic methods to monitor tissue development.

Design of Novel Liposomes for Drug Delivery

The goal of this research is to design novel liposomes for targeted

drug delivery to treat cancers. We will use bipolar tetraether lipids (BTL) as the matrix lipids and

polyethylene glycol (PEG)-linked conventional lipids as the minor

component to make liposomes (100-200 nm in diameter) with

entrapped anticancer drugs .BTL will be isolated from the thermoacidophilic archaea

Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Physical properties of these BTL-based

liposomes will be characterized using a variety of biophysical techniques. Drug release and the

inhibitory effect of liposomal drug against breast cancer cells will be

monitored. These BTL-based liposomes are expected to show

remarkable stability against


Chemistry, Biology, and Physics


GPA, research interest -Basic chem. lab skills

10-15 hours per week


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Parkson Lee-Gau Chong

[email protected]

temperature, pH gradient, mechanical stress, pressure ,serum

proteins, bile salts, and enzymatic digestions; and, they can be

tailored for targeted delivery and controllable release of anticancer

drugs to solid tumors. This multidisciplinary research involves

microbe growth ,lipid purification, chemical modification and

characterization of archaeal lipids, fluorescence spectroscopy, microscopy, calorimetry, and the

usage of cell biology techniques. The obtained results may lead to

new designs of liposomal drugs to treat cancers with a higher efficacy.





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Pei Wang

[email protected]

Testing an intelligent reasoning system

NARS is an intelligent reasoning system that accepts knowledge and

problems in a formal language ,and uses some inference rules to derive new knowledge and to solve the

problems (see online publications and demo). This system will be

applied to various practical situations to test the expressive

power of the language and the inferential power of the rules. Also under study will be the possibility

of using this logic to reason on structured knowledge sources, such

as databases and the Semantic Web.

TU Main Campus

computer and information sciences, mathematics


Strong interest in science, especially in human and machine intelligence; solid background in mathematics and computer science. - knowledge of formal logic, probability theory, and computer programming

10

Prasun K. Datta

[email protected]

Cross-talk between HIV-1 and glucose metabolism.

1. Elucidate mechanism(s) by which HIV-1 protein Vpr modulates macrophage glucose metabolism. 2. Elucidate mechanism(s) by which HIV-1 protein Tat modulates microglia and astrocyte glucose metabolism.

Biology, Neuroscience, Biochemistry


Willingness to learn new techniques.

TBD

Rachel Spigler

[email protected]

Evaluating effects of habitat fragmentation on plant-animal interactions and their consequences for floral trait evolution

Habitat fragmentation and degradation due to human activities continue to occur at alarming rates, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem health. One of the first lines of defense in habitat conservation is ensuring that the plant populations that build the foundation of that habitat remain intact and viable. Because plants are stationary and so many

TU Main Campus

Biology, Natural Sciences

Any enthusiastic, hard-working, reliable, attention to detail, interest in ecology and evolution

TBD











10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

rely on pollinators for successful reproduction presents them with particular challenges when habitats are fragmented and degraded, including reduced pollinator and mate availability. This past summer, we performed a series of studies in wild populations investigating how pollination conditions and floral traits vary across habitat fragments in order to understand how plants might rapidly adapt to face these new challenges. This Spring semester, will be continuing this project. Specific questions to be addressed by the URP project include: To what extent does reproductive success and offspring fitness vary across habitat fragments and in relation to population size and/or pollination conditions? The student will work in the lab and greenhouse. Opportunities to participate in fieldwork as well as molecular work (DNA extraction, PCR, genotyping) are available as well.


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Richard Waring

[email protected]

Mutational Analysis of DNA Meganucleases

Most DNA nucleases employed in molecular biology research cut DNA

at a specific recognition sequence that is usually 4 to 6 basepairs in

length (for example GAATTC on one strand of the DNA .)A

meganuclease is an enzyme that cuts DNA at a specific sequence

that is approximately 20 basepairs in length .The likelihood of this

sequence occurring by chance in the human genome is very small .

For various reasons there are situations where researchers would

like to be able to make a single cut in the DNA of a cell without cleaving any other regions and so

we would like to understand how these nucleases cut DNA and how

they can be modified so that they will cut novel sequences .We will

be creating mutant versions of a

meganuclease to understand its mode of catalysis based on the

known three dimensional structure .The activity of the

enzyme can be monitored in the bacteria E. coli using a phenotypic

assay we have developed .If sufficient progress is made, mutant

versions of the protein will be purified and tested using

biochemical assays.

TU Main Campus

Biology and Biochemistry Majors


Interest in independent research - Solid arithmetical skills Ability to keep good lab notebook Reasonable hand dexterity

1031 & 1032 General Chemistry 2112 Introduction to Biology preferred

10-12 hours a week


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Rob Kulathinal

[email protected]

Detecting selection and the underlying basis of speciation in Drosophila

Is speciation driven by genes involved in mating behavior? In this project, the student will 1) identify genes under selection using population genomic approaches and/or 2) knock-down those genes using ready-made RNAi lines via our high-throughput behavioral arenas. The student will be trained by an active team of undergraduate and doctoral students who are already applying these powerful approaches using Drosophila

TU Main Campus

Biology, Computer Science

Sophomore, Junior

Enthusiasm, motivation, determination, focus. Basic computational skills (e.g., programming, linux, etc.) or a sincere motivation to quickly learn these tools is a must.

TBD

Rob Kulathinal & Erik Cordes

[email protected]

Genomics of deep water corals: Understanding the effects of anthropogenic change using a bioinformatics approach

The Kulathinal and Cordes labs are collaborating on identifying genes affected by the following human-caused disturbances: 1) ocean acidification and 2) oil spills. The student will assembly genomes and transcriptomes from samples collected from the Cordes lab using ready-made scripts and pipelines developed in the Kulathinal lab to detect differential expression among affected and non-affected genes.

TU Main Campus

Biology or Computer Science


Basic computer skills, willingness to learn linux, programming

Biology 1111

10- plus





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Robert Sanders

[email protected]

Mixotrophy - algae feeding on bacteria

Phytoplankton are usually considered to be photosynthetic autotrophs, but many species are

mixotrophic - capable of ingesting bacteria or other algae in addition

to photosynthesizing. This project will investigate factors affecting

feeding of mixotrophs – primarily using cultures from polar marine

waters and from temperate freshwaters.

TU Main Campus, some field trips to lakes in Pocono Mountains, PA

Biology Sophomore or Junior

It is important that the student work well with other members of the lab. Interest in ecology/evolution. - Most skills can be acquired during the semester. Microscopy, micropipetting, data analysis with Microsoft Excel are all important skills.

10 to 12

Sara Jane Ward

[email protected]

Treatment for CNS injuries/disorders using cannabinoid-based pharmacotherapies

Projects in the laboratory focus on studying the role of inflammation in

rodent models of CNS diseases, ranging from spinal cord injury and stroke, to pain and substance

abuse. Research projects will include a range of surgical,

immunological, and behavioral testing and center on the testing of cannabinoid based

pharmacotherapies for the treatment of inflammation and

associated behavioral and physiological changes .


Psychology, neuroscience

Junior or Senior

TBD

Scott McNeill Sieburth

[email protected]

Simple chemistry - Exotic molecules

Make ethers, expose to light, separate products, take NMR spectra of the products, characterize them if they are new, publish the results.

TU Main Campus

Chemistry, Biology, and Physics

Sophomore, Junior

Hard worker - Intellectually involved

Ideally honors organic lab

TBD












10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Seonhee Kim

[email protected]

The role of cell signaling and polarity in neural development

My laboratory’s research focuses is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling brain development to study the basis of neurodevelopmental disorders. To gain in-depth knowledge of neural development and neuronal disorders, we utilize multidisciplinary approaches such as molecular and neuroanatomical techniques including gene cloning, progenitor or neuronal culture, cortical electroporation and time-lapse imaging of cortical explants. Students will involve the characterization of animal models exhibiting abnormal cortical or cerebellar development and gene cloning projects to clone the genes that are critical for regulation of proliferation and differentiation during neurogenesis.


Biology Junior or Senior

10 to 15

Stefania Gallucci

[email protected]

Regulation of Type I Interferons in innate immunity

We aims to discover the component of the signaling pathway downstream of Type I IFN Receptor that is affected by TH2 cytokines and induces a block in the response of dendritic cells to Type I IFNs. These studies include techniques of cellular immunology and molecular biology of signal transduction of cytokines and will investigate processes occurring in immune cells from healthy mice and from mice genetically predisposed to the autoimmune


biology, pre-med


Quick Learner quick learner

TBD








10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

disease Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Stephanie Wunder

[email protected]

Lithium Batteries & Fuel Cells: Materials preparation & Characterization

In order to improve the performance of lithium ion batteries and fuel cells, it is critical to make advances in many aspects of the materials used in the electrodes, electrolytes and separators. This project involves preparing and characterizing novel nanomaterials to be employed as separators for NaBH4 fuel cells and lithium ion batteries. In particular we have functionalized what are called polyoctahedral silsesquioxanes (POSS), which are nano silica (SiO1.5) cubes with eight groups at the corners that contain dissociable Li+, OH- ions or polyethylene glycol. The project(s) involve incorporation of these POSS materials with polymers, and the characterization of the nanocomposites by calorimetric and electrochemical methods.

TU Main Campus

Chemistry, Biochem

Junior or Senior

Willingness to work hard, understanding of experimental techniques and the importance of obtaining reproducible data - wet chemistry techniques

organic chemistry I, analytical chemistry

TBD





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Stephanie Wunder

[email protected]

Nanopartile/Lipid Project

Nanoparticles have high surface/volume ratios so that characterization of the material on the surface is very important in applications such as drug/DNA delivery and nanocomposites. The phase transitions, conformations and adsorption isotherms of lipids and polymers (both natural- proteins, DNA, RNA and synthetic-polymers) on silica nanoparticles of different sizes (from 5-500nm) will be investigated by a variety of analytical techniques such as HPLC, FTIR, Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies, and thermal analysis.

TU Main Campus

Chemistry, Biochem

Junior or Senior

Willingness to work hard, understanding of experimental techniques and the importance of obtaining reproducible data - wet chemistry techniques

organic chemistry I, analytical chemistry

TBD

Steven Houser

[email protected]

Enhancing cardiac function by inhibition of myocyte death signaling and improving contractility

Description: We are studying mechanisms to improve cardiac function after a myocardial infarction using gnetically modified mouse models and a swine MI model. We are testing gene therapy approaches and the role of TRPC ion channels in post MI dysfucntion



Junior or Senior

General lab skills TBD








10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Steven Houser

[email protected]

Improving the success of cardiac stem cell transplants through enhanced electrical coupling

Description: We are studying the effects of electrical coupling on the

ability of transplanted cardiac stem cells to engraft in the infarcted

myocardium. We have generated novel connexin43 constructs in lentivirus that display enhanced or

inhibited engraftment in the face of ischemia. We will transplant stem

cells transduced with these lentiviral constructs into mouse and

swine models of myocardial infarction in order to show the effects of these novel genetic

modifications on the ability of stem cells to improve cardiac function

and mediate regeneration at the cellular level. Sharmeen will be

assisting with the histology portion of this study, which is essential for

identification of engrafted stem cells. After myocardial infarction

and stem cell injection, animals are monitored with echocardiography

and invasive hemodynamics to detect changes in cardiac

functions. At sacrifice ,injected hearts are fixed and paraffin embedded, and samples are stained

so that stem cells can be identified



Junior or Senior

General lab skills TBD

Tanya S. Ferguson

[email protected]

The Role of Glutamate in Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive movement disorder that affects 2-4 per 1000 live births annually. In addition, approximately 60% of those with cerebral palsy also have mental retardation, as well as


Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology

sophomore, junior

A general knowledge of laboratory workings and equipment (from class work or previous work

General Biology, Chemistry. Helpful if also have completed

Minimum of 10 hours a week up to 20 hours, if







10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

seizures and vision and hearing loss. The exact cause of cerebral palsy is unknown for the majority of the cases seen today. Children with cerebral palsy have classic patterns of brain damage involving the motor cortex, as well as the white matter around the ventricles of the brain. My lab is working in collaboration with Shriners in Sacramento to further understand what causes cerebral palsy. Specifically, I am examining what role the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate plays in causing cerebral palsy. Excess glutamate in the adult brain is known to cause brain damage and seizures. I will examine the role of excess glutamate in the neonatal brain using a newly developed mouse model of cerebral palsy. Some techniques will include: molecular biology techniques such as DNA gel electrophoresis, cloning and mutation production using PCR and DNA analysis; sterile techniques such as tissue cultures; biochemical techniques, such as Western blot analysis; histological techniques such as preparing tissue samples and staining; animal work such as small animal surgery and fly husbandry.

experience), DNA to protein synthesis, basic enzymology, some knowledge of neuroanatomy is helpful.MUST have blocks of time available, 4 hour blocks preferred. Also must be able to follow directions, desire to learn new things and get along well with others.

Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and/or Neuroscience classes or any classes in cellular biology.

desired.


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Tracy Fischer-Smith

[email protected]

Role of systemic immune alterations in the development of CNS disease

While the brain is often considered to be "protected" from the body (periphery), in reality, there is continued communication between the CNS and periphery. Under healthy conditions, this can aid the CNS, however, it may have deleterious effects to the CNS in some disease states, as well as aging. We are exploring the role of altered systemic immunity in the promotion of CNS injury in HIV infection. Our previous work suggests that in HIV infection, immune polarization in the peripheral blood and the brain is associated with, and likely contributes to, AIDS progression and cognitive impairment. Our current studies focus on an expanded monocyte subset in HIV infection and explores the mechanisms for the observed expansion, as well as how this subset may contribute to disease progression and CNS decline. We anticipate this work will reveal important insights into immune polarization and disease pathogenesis, as well as help identify targets for potential therapeutic intervention.




Mature, serious-minded, responsible, reliable

TBD






10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

William Wuest

[email protected]

The Synthesis of c-di-GMP Analogs

c-di-GMP plays an important role in bacterial lifestyles as a second messenger molecule. The

compound controls many important life processes including

biofilm formation ,virulence, and cell-cell communication .The goal

of this project is twofold - (1) to synthesize analogs of the molecule

to act as chemical probes for the identification of c-di-GMP targets

and (2) construct non-hydrolyzable analogs to lengthen the chemical

lifespan in vivo. The student will utilize techniques from organic

synthesis and characterize compounds

TU Main Campus

Chemistry, Biochemistry


Grades - Completed Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory

CHEM 2201, 2202, 2203, and/or 2204

TBD

William Wuest

[email protected]

The Synthesis and Evaluation of cCF10 analogs

cCF10 plays an important role in antibiotic resistance transfer in the

pathogenic bacteria E. faecalis .The goal of this project is to design

compounds that can perturb the interaction of cCF10 with its

receptor protein, PrgW. The student will utilize techniques from

both organic chemistry and biochemistry to better understand the interaction.

TU Main Campus

Chemistry, Biochemistry


Grades - Completed Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory

CHEM 2201, 2202, 2203, and/or 2204

TBD








10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Won H. Suh

[email protected]

Live-cell imaging analysis of stem cells interfaced to synthetic nanomaterials and peptides inside 3D hydrogels

Synthetic nanomaterials and chemicals will be created via chemistry techniques. Bioactivities will be controlled via incorporated synthetic peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and polysaccharides. Human neural stem cells will be interfaced to multiple synthetic bioactive nanostructures and chemicals and their proliferation, activities, transformations, and differentiation processes will be analyzed utilizing live-cell imaging and common biotechnology techniques.

TU Main Campus

Chemistry and Biology


Having taken chemistry and biology courses (with lab) as a pair (at least) will help the student (but it is not a pre-requisite)

One or more basic (general) chemistry course or one or more basic biology course

6 hours a week min

Xiao-feng Yang

[email protected]

Repulatron of Basculary Inflammation


Cardiovascular Research Center

TBD







10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Xiaojiang Du

[email protected]

Cloud Computing Gartner Report has ranked Cloud Computing as a top two technology

in 2009. A Cloud is a virtual network of physical or virtual machines – a

web-scale distributed computing system built with private and public

computers over the Internet. Cloud resources are dynamically

provisioned and de-provisioned with low reconfiguration overhead.

Cloud is client/mission-oriented, formed by service-level agreements

(SLA) between provider and paid clients. Cloud is huge and web-

scale, easy to access, intelligent and personalized, and programmable .

Several major companies (such as Google, IBM, Microsoft, and

Amazon) have started providing Cloud Computing to middle/small

businesses and individuals .The new concept of Cloud Computing offers dynamically scalable resources

provisioned as a service over the Internet and therefore promises a

lot of economic benefits to be distributed among its adopters.

On the other hand, along with these benefits, Cloud Computing

also raises severe concerns especially regarding the security

and reliability provided by such a concept. Completely relying the own data and execution tasks to an

external company, eventually

TU Main Campus

CS IST ECE


Good programming skills High GPA Sound math background

10 or more




10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

residing in another country with a different regulatory environment,

may cause companies not to consider Cloud Computing but to

stick to the conventional local data center approach .In this project,

the undergraduate student will work with Dr. Du and his Ph.D. students on Security and Privacy

Issues in Cloud Computing, which are critical to the success of Cloud Computing.


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Xiaojiang Du

[email protected]

Internet Security Security is a major concern for today's Internet. Today Internet

was not designed with security in mind. Every year, billions of dollars are lost due to security attacks

launched over the Internet. In this project, undergraduate students

will work with Dr. Du and his Ph.D. students on Internet Security. The

topics include (but not limited to :)

ü Malicious Software (Malwares) - worms, virus, Trojan horses,

spyware ,dishonest adware, crime ware, and root kits,

ü Botnet, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botnet

ü Intrusion Detection / Prevention

TU Main Campus

CS IST ECE


Good programming skills GPA Sound math background

10 or more

Xiaojiang Du

[email protected]

Security and Privacy Issues of Android Phones/Tablets

In this project, the undergraduate student will work with Dr. Du and his Ph.D. students on Security and Privacy Issues of Android Phones/Tablets. First we will identify possible attacks on Android Phones security and privacy. Second, we will design effective security schemes to defend these attacks. Third, we will implement the security schemes in real Android Phones. Fourth, we will perform real experiments on Android Phones to evaluate the effectiveness of the designed security schemes. If the experimental results are good, we will write research papers based on

TU Main Campus

CS Sophomore, Junior or Senior

Good programming skills - Good communication skills Team working skills High GPA Sound math background

10 or more






10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

the design and experiments, and submit to ACM/IEEE conferences.

Xiaojiang Du

[email protected]

Mobile cloud computing.

Mobile cloud computing is one of today's hottest new technology markets. In mobile cloud

computing ,users lease computing/storage services from

cloud service providers, and access the cloud from their mobile devices (smart phones, tablets). Gartner

(1122 )predicts that mobile cloud computing will reach a market

value of US$9.5 billion by 2014. Mobile cloud computing shares

with cloud computing the notion that some level of service is provided by a cloud but accessed by

mobile platforms. Typical mobile cloud computing platforms include

smart phones and tablets. The most-used mobile operating

systems are UNIX variations such as Google Android and Apple iOS.

Tablets are larger than a smart phone but interact with the user in a similar way, using a touch screen

as the primary input device. As of October 2011, the top-selling

tablets are the Apple iPad and Android tablets made by Samsung, Motorola, and Acer.

Companies are being driven to the

TU Main Campus

CS/IST/Math-CS majors


Good programming skills - High GPA -Solid math background - Good communication skills - Team working skills

10 or more hours per week




10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

mobile cloud by demand. Customers are demanding smart

phone and tablet applications so they can access key business

applications. Employees are demanding access to companies’

computers from their mobile devices. For example, BlackBerry

capitalized on this need with its popular cloud-based mobile e-mail program. In June 1122, Apple’s

CEO ,Steve Jobs introduced iCloud, which includes a set of free new

cloud services that work seamlessly with applications on a user’s

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch ,Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store user content in cloud and

automatically and wirelessly push it to all of user’s devices. IBM predicts

that by 2015, there will be 1 trillion cloud-ready devices.

In this project, the undergraduate

student will work with Dr. Du and his Ph.D. students on Security and

Performance Issues of mobile cloud computing. First we will identify

possible attacks on iPhone/iPad security and privacy mobile cloud

computing. Second ,we will design effective security schemes to

defend these attacks. Third, we will implement the security schemes in


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

real smartphones and tablets. Fourth ,we will perform real

experiments by using the smartphones and tablets to

evaluate the effectiveness of the designed security schemes. If the

experimental results are good, we will publish research papers based

on the work .


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Yang Hu [email protected]

ER Stress in CNS Axon Regeneration and Neuroprotection*

Injuries of central nervous system (CNS) axons often result in permanent loss of vital functions

due to retrograde neuronal degeneration and poor axon

regeneration .Preventing neuronal cell death and promoting axon

regeneration are therefore critical for minimizing the consequences of CNS injuries and achieving

functional recovery, which have been long-standing challenges. We

recently showed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the

unfolded protein responses (UPR) play a critical role in neuronal

degeneration. We have used an optic nerve (ON) crush model, which leads to massive retrograde

death of retinal gangli cells (RGCs), to demonstrate that axon injury

induces ER stress and activates the UPR in RGCs. We further

demonstrated that manipulating two key downstream molecules of ER stress, by inhibiting

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) or by

activating X-box binding protein 1 (XBP-1), exerted striking RGC-

protection effects .Thus targeting ER stress could have therapeutic

neuroprotective potential in CNS injury. In complementary experiments, we have identified a

critical role for the mammalian


Biology Sophomore, Junior or Senior

PCR Molecular Biology

6 to 10 hours





10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and protein synthesis in

RGC axon regeneration. We reasoned that ER stress is another

major regulator of protein synthesis through phosphorylation of

eukaryotic translation initiation factor 1α (eIF1α), which may contribute to the down-regulation

of protein synthesis after axon injury and the failure of axon

regeneration .Thus we propose to determine whether combining

these two approaches, i.e ,.*

increasing RGC survival with ER stress inhibition and increasing

regenerative response with mTOR activation* will have a synergistic effect on overall axon

regeneration *.


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Yanhua Li

[email protected]

What is risk factors for C-section?

Collect data from patient charts and follow-up the new patients including complications, past

medical history and related laboratory data, as well as blood

usage during the surgery .Then analyze the data using multiple

variable analysis to identify the factors which associated with

massive bleeding and to develop a transfusion guideline for C-section

patients


Biology or statistics


is interesting in medicine or medical science. - data collection and data analysis

4-6 hours

Yanhua Li MD

[email protected]

Study of Feedback on Blood Use in Hip Arthroplasty Patients

Current recommendation for blood transfusion on surgical patients is hemoglobin less than 8 g/dl (or

symptomatic anemia). In this study, we will educate surgeons about the

recommended guidelines for blood transfusion and collect data from

patients ’medical records .We will review medical record of hip

arthroplasy patients and collect the transfusion information and other

clinical information including pre-transfusion hemoglobin, other

factors which possibly associated with bleeding .

Then we will analyze the data to compare blood usage before and

after the education to see if education can improve transfusion

practice. We will also analyze the data to identify the risk factors for

bleeding during hip arthroplasty. Based on our results, we will revise

our criteria for ordering blood




Flexible








10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

before the surgery and to decrease unnecessary requests for blood

before surgery .

The students will collect patient data from patients’ medical record

to construct a database and participate the data analysis. The

students will also perform a literature search and assist in the

scientific research. They will be supervised by Dr. Yanhua Li, Director of Transfusion Medicine.

This project will benefit these students because it will introduce

them to study design, clinical research, data collection/analysis

and interpretation of the results. Additionally, the students will

benefit from learning some basics of Transfusion Medicine and orthopedic procedures.

The above study will be conducted in close collaboration with Dr.

Easwarian Balasubramanian, associate professor, department of orthopedic surgery


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Yanhua Li MD

[email protected]

What is cost-effective critiria, cut-off concentration of gamma globulin fraction for reflex immunofixation electrophoresis

Monoclonal immunoglobulins (Igs) are identified as M-spikes on serum

protein electrophoresis (SPE) in the majority of patients with

monoclonal gammopathies .

However in some patients, monoclonal Igs can only be detected by immunofixation

electrophoresis (IFE) since their SPE displays an apparently normal

pattern without abnormal bands or obvious M-spike .In these cases,

SPE may show subtle abnormalities such as decreased globulins.

Currently, many hospitals, including our institution, reflex all specimens

with decreased g globulins for IFE .

Our experience is that most cases with low g globulins but close to

the normal limit have negative IFE .

To improve the efficiency of reflex IFE, we need to have a more cost-

effective and more defined concentration level of g globulins

for reflex IFE .We plan to review all SPEs (total ~1111 )and IFEs (~800)

cases from January 1st 2010 to December 31st 2011 to investigate

g globulin concentration in the 3 groups: 1. M-spike negative SPE

with decreased g globulins and negative IFE; 2. M-spike negative

SPE with decreased g globulins but positive IFE; 3. M-spike positive

SPE.We will determine a more accurate and cost effective g


Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology,


Interested in Medicine and Biomchemistry, immunology, data collection and data analysis

4-6 hours





10/23/14

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Class Year


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fraction cut-off to trigger reflex IFE. This study will be conducted in

close collaboration with Dr. Adil Khan, Director of Clinical Chemistry .


10/23/14

Professor Name



Class Year


HoursPerWeek

Yury Grabovsky

[email protected]

Links between effective elastic tensors of pairs of fiber-reinforced composites with the same microstructure

Elastic properties of composite materials depend both on the microstructure and properties of constituent materials. This project aims to investigate latter dependence by characterizing those transformations of elastic properties of constituent materials that are preserved at the level of the effective properties of composites. In combination with results of prior work of URP students these transformations, called links, can provide a wealth of information about composite materials. Existing theory has provided a largely automated way to compute all links for the fiber-reinforced composites. The final step in this process|casting the results in a mathematically beautiful form communicable to the world, can be done only by a human being, since we do not know how to describe "beautiful" to a computer. The computational procedure is neither too easy nor too difficult, providing an ideal problem, where an undergraduate student can learn a lot of new mathematics, while contributing to the research in theoretical materials science and applied mathematics.

Main Sophomore, Junior, Senior

Linear Algebra. Linear Algebra, Theoretical Linear Algebra.




10/23/14

spring 2015 urp research projects - temple university projects... · spring 2015 urp research...

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