Justine is a Senior with a dual major in Biology and Anthropology. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Joe Thornton. Justine is working on characterizing the steroid hormone receptors in the organism Amphioxus. Since Amphioxus is the only non-vertebrate chordate with steroid hormone receptors, the information their steroid hormone receptors provide can help make inferences about the overrall evolution of the steroid hormone receptor gene family.
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Chris is a Junior majoring in Physics, working with Dr. Mark Lonergan and the Lonergan Group. The Lonergan Group is working on the development of more efficient, cost-effective solar cells, which are essential to reducing global energy concerns. The possibility exists that novel organic semiconductors developed in the Lonergan Group could be used to create solar cells. However, a self-rectified photocurrent has not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, Chris's research goal is to develop, or at least determine the feasibility of developing, a photovoltaic ionomer-based pn-junction.
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Cristen is a Senior majoring in Family and Human Services, with a minor in Psychology. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Jennifer Freyd. Cristen is studying childhood sexual abuse and its relationship to sexual decision making and sexual risk factors. She will be analyzing a data set originally collected in 1998 that examines specific operating principles in a person's Consensual Sex Decision Mechanisms called Consensual Sex Decision Rules (CSDRs). CSDRs can be formulated as a set of IF...THEN statements. After exploratory analysis of the existing data set, Cristen will complete a follow-up study elaborating on an aspect of the original study that needs further investigation.
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Anthony is a Junior with a dual major in Biochemistry and Applied Mathematics. His faculty mentor is Dr. Eric Selker. Anthony is studying DNA methylation, a process which is essential for mammalian development. Aberrant methylation is a source of many medical issues, and understanding how the process of DNA methylation works is essential for solving these problems. Neurospora crassa has DNA methylation, but it is not essential for the growth and health of this filamentous fungus. Anthony's project is to assist in the isolation of novel mutants that are defective in DNA methylation. He will also participate in the identification and cloning of any novel genes that are discovered.
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