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... October 2014 Piedmont Virginia Community College everything to do with the where people lived and how they lived and why they lived. - Estela Knott Devan Kaufman, Staff Writer Clear blue skies, a soft breeze, and the leaves at different transient periods served the perfect backdrop for the Cville Sabroso Spanish Festival that took place September 20 at the Mcguffey Art Center. Immediately taking over my senses was the chanting, deep throb of beating drums, and the tantalizing smells of fresh corn tortillas and roasting meat. Walking closer, I found myself surrounded by a hodge podge of excitable kids, parents chasing those kids, and a man demanding, I dont care! As long as its corn and not flour! My immersion in this whirlwind of activity briefly distracted me from the elegance of the Mcguffey Art Center draped in flags of Hispanic countries with a makeshift stage on one of its steps. My appreciation of attention to detail slowly gave way to my stomachs demands. After approaching one of the food trucks and asking what a torta was (a Spanish sandwich), I settled with fresh corn tacos filled with tender carnita (pork) and sharp smelling cilantro. Noticing a man beside me being handed a coke dripping in iced cold goodness, I added that to the order as well. After all, this Coca Cola came from Mexico meaning there is real cane sugar on the ingredient list, not corn Courtesy of Cville Sabroso Festival Facebook Page on the ingredient list, not corn syrup. Adding my container of tacos and dripping Coca Cola to my burden of phone, keys, and notepad (why oh why hadnt I brought a purse?), I scouted out a shady spot to eat. Halfway in, a new set of dancers took to the stage in a flurry of brightly colored skirts. In a sudden movement of panic... See CVILLE SABROSO on page 4 In This Issue PVCC Events -pg.2 One Book -pg.3 Open Mic Night -pg.4 Ix Art Mix -pg.5 Hannah Graham -pg.6 Latin Ballet of Virginia -pg.7 Two Guys Tacos -pg.7 Classifieds -pg.8 Writer? Photographer? DATES TO REMEMBER Latin Ballet of Virginia, Fiesta Del Sol October 4th, 7:30pm, Dickinson Building Fall Break October 9th and 10th Free Movie Friday, Stop Making Sense October 17th, 7:30pm, Dickinson Building Comedy Writing Workshop October 24th, 1-4pm, Dickinson Building Fourth Fridays Improv October 24th, 6-8pm, Maxwell Theater Belly Dancing Master Class October 25th, 12-2pm, Dickinson Building Spring 2015 Registration Opens Current Students, October 27th-November 23rd One Book Essay Contest Deadline November 7th, 5pm Artist? Editor?... FREE MOVIE FRIDAYS Jessica M. Hackley, Staff Writer Thinking of seeing a movie? How would you like it if that movie were free? Movies have been becoming more and more expensive to see in theater; fortunately, PVCCs Student Art Club sponsors Free Movie Friday in the V. Earl Dickinson Building. Watch in comfort and on a big screen in the Main Stage Theatre. Stop Making Sense, an award winning concert film documenting The Talking Heads in their prime, will air this October 17th. BoyHood, a film unlike any other charting the epic tale of Masons childhood and filmed over 12 years with the same cast, will air November 21st. Spring 2015 will also bring with it new movie titles that will be announced on the PVCC Website prior to each movie night (January 16th, February 20th, March 20th, and April 17th). Friday nights. All movies will begin at 7:30pm. As the PVCC website states, free admission, no tickets are required. ...PVCCs is looking for YOU to join. EXPLORE. WRITE. GAIN EXPERIENCE. HAVE FUN. Recent PVCC Event, Nelson Illusions Smoke and Mystery Tour, September 5th, 2014, Courtesy of Audrey Waldrop Contact us at PVCCForum2014@gmail.com for more information Page 2 THE ONE BOOK PROJECT Annette Cashatt and Winston Garnett, Staff Writers Piedmont Virginia Community College is hosting a variety of events inspired by Liz Murrays memoir Breaking Night. If you have missed the buzz surrounding Murrays book, then here is a quick run-down: Breaking Night is the true story of a young woman from a broken home. Throughout the Picture from One Book Kick Off Event, story, Murray describes her Courtesy of Laura C. Skinner experiences with her drug addicted parents and mentally ill mother. The story culminates in Murray becoming a homeless teenager who eventually gains acceptance to Harvard University. The One Book Project is providing free copies of Breaking Night to students, faculty, and staff at PVCC. Copies are available from the library. Faculty and staff will be leading discussion sections about the book throughout October to go along with other events. As the One Book website states, The One Book Project at Piedmont Virginia Community College is an institution-wide initiative whose goal is to bring together students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to read the same book and take part in activities inspired by the text. The project seeks to create a learning community that will come together around the book to explore themes and values found in it, and as a result, it is hoped that One Book activities will increase engagement and interdisciplinary dialogue among the participants. PVCC also is hosting the One Book Essay contest that relates to the memoir. To enter, students must write a 750 word essay describing obstacles they have overcome in order to obtain an education. Entries are due by five oclock on November 7. First place receives a Kindle Fire; second place a $100 Amazon gift card; third place a $50 Amazon gift card; and three honorable mentions will receive $25 gift cards. More information is available online or at the PVCC Library. From October 13-17, PVCC will also be hosting a Service Week. During that period students and faculty are encouraged to volunteer at local homeless shelters, or volunteer themselves in any other way to benefit the community. For more details on future events, contact Librarian Laura Skinner at lskinner@pvcc.edu or visit the One Book website: www.pvcc.edu/onebook The Haven The Haven is the day intake shelter for the homeless that has all the comforts of home, including things like a hot shower, internet, and help with resume writing. eleis@thehaven.org or 434-973-1234 ext 118 Pachem Pachem organization and the Haven are located in the same building; the Pachem is an overnight shelter. 434-973-1234 ex. 121 SARA (Sexual Assault Resource Agency) SARA provides services to local residents who have been affected by sexual assault. 434-295-7273 www.saracville.org Region Ten Region Ten is an agency that offers an array of services to all persons needing help with all aspects of life. 434-972-1800 Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity is an organization for people who cant afford a home otherwise. info@cvillehabitat.org or 434-293-9066 Page 3 Graffiti Wall Photograph by Annette Cashatt CVILLE SABROSA Continued ...that I was missing a photo opportunity, my precariously balancing carnitas fell to the ground, the remains of which would later be discreetly eaten in the car. The food trucks, dancers, musicians, and array of people left a feeling of always being in motion. Although humble in size, the festival gave a powerful pint sized portrayal of Hispanic culture. I was afraid to blink in the fear of missing something. Taking a break from the flurry of activity near the stage, I strolled over to the vendors. At the end of my perusing, I was the proud owner of a woven palm leaf bracelet supporting the conservation of the rainforest. Sure it didnt exactly fit into my college kid budget, but I was getting a cool accessory and helping people and the environment out in the process. How could I not? Soon appearing on the cement steps of the stage was the person I most wanted to see. Estela Knott herself, the organizer of the entire event singing and playing a jarana alongside fellow musicians and friends. I had the pleasure of interviewing Knott about this festival and Luminaria which she is the director of. Her passion for music and the arts spurred her to travel all over Central and South America where she encountered casas de culturas translating into houses of culture where people performed, could take classes, everything to do with the where people lived and how they lived and why they lived. This among other events led to the creation of Luminaria a non for profit organization whose mission is to educate and bridge the culture gap through the arts and music. Her passion for Luminaria shines through Cville Sabroso, a festival that I look forward to attending next year. With that last thought, I meandered back to my car sipping the now warm dregs of my corn syrup free Coca Cola and my new bracelet safely in tow. All to the background of Knotts vibrant soulful voice floating on the breeze. Perfecto. SHARE THE MIC WITH FELLOW STUDENTS Quamia Dennis, Staff Writer On September 11, students gathered at the Dickinson building in the black box to share and express their feelings and expressions into a mic; wanting to be understood and felt, tasting and feeling their words and stories, they reached out to the few audience members who remained in the Dickinson building, ready and eager to come watch the performers. Open Mic Stand was offered for free to any and every PVCC student who has a passion for writing, poetry, and singing. Those who shared are upcoming spoken word artists, Open Mic Event, poets, and those who have a story to be told. The next Open Mic Photograph by Quamia Dennis Stand will occur on November 13 at 7 p.m. Page 4 Ix Art Mix Annette Cashatt, Staff Writer Every week is a new theme: What do you want to do, but society wont let you? Or, What is your most true/ absurd/amazing observation? Or perhaps, What is Happiness? Once the prompt is announced, partygoGary and Shamatiyah, ers write down an Photograph by Annette anonymous reply Cashatt and put their answers into a basket. Silence then falls as event organizer Brian Wimer gathers everyone into a circle. He pulls each response out of the basket and begins a booming theatrical reading of the answers. The responses he reads range from hilarious to profoundly philosophical. When the discussion slows down, the crowd disperses. Some walk to a table covered with a lavish amber tablecloth to have Kemper Thacker read their tarot. Others drift to the bar to chat as they clink their drinks together. Still others paint, or draw, or sit in the elaborate wooden canopy outside. These are just a sampling of the activities that happen at the MIX@IX. Each Wednesday at 6:00pm, the Ix Art Park hosts the MIX: IX@6 at Alhamraa restaurant. Anybody can come to the gathering, and admission is free. Admission to the Ix Art Park is also free, and the park is conveniently located directly beside Alhamraa. MIX@IX began as people became invested in creating the public IX art park. It came from a desire to make art accessible and influential to all of Charlottesville. The majority of the parks land was donated by an owner of the IX Building, Mr. Ludwig Kuttner. Many other patrons of the arts have also donated their time, energy, and money to create an art-friendly environment at the IX. The special event on the night I visited was a model who came in and posed for the artists. As soon as the organizers had arranged the lighting and gave the go-ahead, over a dozen artists circled around her. Among the artists was Joan Schatzan, a PVCC student. I had met Joan earlier in the night at Kemper Thackers tarot table where they graciously allowed me to take their photo. Joan is taking one of PVCCs Drawing classes this semester. Also among the partygoers were Gary and Shamatiyah. They were both part of a Reggie-fusion band called The Ulstafarians and played in Woodstock. Gary and Shamatiyah spent several minutes regaling me with tales of the good old days. We did not get through a third of the stories though as, according to Gary, It was a wild time. I cant tell you everything. And Shamatiyah explained the atmosphere in Woodstock, but added in that Sometimes you felt the stages were a postage stamp, they were so small. Further exploration of the party yielded many more tales of the adventurous lives of the guests. I simply do not have the space to justify the stories I was told by everyone I met. If anything, my night at MIX@IX showed me the diversity of the guests. And although each person was unique, they each exhibited a certain vibe of spirit and creativity. If you are interested, the event is hosted at Alhamraa, which is located at 929 2nd St. SE (approximately five minutes from PVCCs main campus). Its located within a section of businesses, including Al Dente restaurant, channel 19 Newsplex, and several retail shops Joan Schatzan and Kemper Thacker, Photograph by Annette Cashatt Page 5 THE ASSOCIATED FEAR OF BEING A YOUNG WOMAN IN CHARLOTTESVILLE Kelly Wilmer, Staff Writer The Hannah Graham case has really hit home since I am in Charlottesville practically everyday; I'm a student at PVCC and work at Urban Outfitters. It didn't really start to get to me until the surveillance videos of Hannah were released. It was disturbing to see a young girl stumbling and in a very vulnerable position, with a man following her. However, what is almost as disturbing, was seeing her walk past places, I walk past multiple times a week. Last Friday, I was scheduled to work until close that night; sometimes we don't get out of the store until 11. One of the disadvantages of working on the downtown mall is there is no free parking. I usually park about half of a mile from where I work in an area where parking is free. When I close the store, I walk alone at night through the downtown mall in the exact areas the security videos captured footage of Hannah. I was sick last Friday, so I had to call in and was not able to work. If I had not been ill Friday, I would have gone to work, parked a half mile away, and walked by myself at night just a couple of hours before Hannah did in the exact same area as she was walking. Seeing the footage of her Courtesy of nbcnews.com from that night made me stop and think, "Oh my God; that could've been me." Thats the thing about this case; it could be anyone. Yes, Hannah was more vulnerable because she was intoxicated, but Morgan Harrington wasnt, nor were the other three young women that have gone missing in this area. Charlottesville may be a small college town but it has become a dangerous place for women. I recently had to start carrying pepper spray on my key chain because of daily cat-calls and harassment I received from males here. One of the most vulgar things I have had someone say to me was here in town, almost a year ago. I was standing on a sidewalk downtown at around 9 or 10 at night, about to cross the street. A man in a car with a window rolled down passing by, shouted out the window at me saying "I wanna be yo nasty nigga." Even though I am not originally from Charlottesville, I consider this town my home. I should not have to fear for my life every day and I should not have to carry a weapon, like pepper spray, on me at all times just so I can feel safe in a town I call home. Neither should the other women in Charlottesville. So please everyone, I'm asking you as a community to come together to help make Charlottesville a safer place and bring Hannah Graham home. If any of you have ANY information on the disappearance of Hannah Graham, or of the other three women who have still not been found Dashad Smith, Samantha Clarke, Alexis Murphy (even though the man who murdered Alexis was put behind bars, her body has never been found) and/or have information of the rape and murder of Morgan Harrington, I urge you to contact Charlottesville police (434) 9779041 or Crime Stoppers (434) 9774000! Page 6 TWO GUYS, THREE TACOS Austin Ellis, Staff Writer A good, quick, and cheap meal seems to be in demand amongst college students in the Charlottesville area. You can never have too many good places to eat, says local secondyear University of Virginia student Matt Gosnell. Many college kids are continuously looking for cheap and fast restaurants to provide them with dinner for their busy nights. In January of 2012, a small carryout oriented restaurant named Two Guys Tacos opened up Photograph by Samantha Prentiss in the UVA region of Charlottesville. Located at 101 14th street, Two Guys Tacos stands on ground level with a designer shop overhead. No bigger than a couple of tables and a kitchen, Two Guys Tacos sells anything from nachos, burritos, quesadillas and, of course, even tacos. I sat down with Steven Martin, co-owner of the small restaurant, and we talked about how the business has been doing . All businesses start off slow, says Martin, but... eventually more and more people will hear about you and its the good food that makes them come back for more. Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising there is. Most small restaurants in the UVA area usually fail due to the business drought that is caused by students leaving. Currently, Two Guys Tacos only has seven employees; however, Martin explains, During the summer and long breaks, we usually cut back our hours and only have about 4 or 5 employees. Because of that, Two Guys Tacos has been able to stay open for two years and shows no sign of stopping. If you want three warm and delicious tacos for only six dollars, then Two Guys Tacos is the place to go. CADERAS Y CAPOEIRAS Jackie Morris, Staff Writer What a better way to spend a Saturday than kicking off your shoes and moving those caderas to Latin rhythms? In September, members of the community had an opportunity to spend two hours learning moves from two dancers who are a part of the Latin Ballet of Virginia. Latin Ballet of Virginia is a diverse dance company who charismatically intertwine history, language, storytelling, and dance into a single performance. LBV was founded in Richmond, Virginia around the 1950s and is a distinguished Hispanic- Latino dance company in central Virginia. PVCC has the unique opportunity of having LBV as a master class held in the Earl Dickinson building; the same place where Latin Ballet of Virginia will perform on October 4. Until the grand show, try to picture this. Students of different ages and different experiences all gathered on the main stage. Two instructors, Lawanda and Roberto, greet them with soft elongated arms, dramatic and poised legs, loose hips, and bare feet teaching the rhythms of Salsa, Mambo, and stepping into the music with a subtle and mild taste of Flamenco dancing. Not only were the bodies in motion, but the minds were at work as folklores were told of the origins of dances learned; the countries ranged from South Africa, to Colombia, and back to Spain. The dancers presented a demo of the show doing the Capoeira, a dance, originated in Brazil, which mixes martial arts and acrobatics, but with a break (a signal that ends the first rhythm and prompts the next one) in the beat, a fight scene can turn into a dance to cover up tracks. The performance was outstanding. A fellow community member said, That was amazing! You have to be part ballet dancer, part gymnast, part salsa dancer, and part actress. Page 7 Classifieds Contact Us PVCC The Forum 501 College Dr., Charlottesville, VA 22902 pvccforum2014@gmail.com PIEDMONT VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE The Forum offers classified space to the PVCC community free of charge. Please send announcements along with full name, email, and phone number to: pvccforum2014@gmail.ccom Do You Want to Make a Difference? The Forum Staff (Listed alphabetically) Piedmont Virginia Community College invites applications for full and part-time faculty and staff positions. Day and evening shifts are available at all locations. Detailed job descriptions, position requirements and application procedures are available at: http://www.pvcc.edu/human_resources/ employment/ Know of any Community Events, Announcements, or Advertisements youd like to list? Contribute and Submit to PVCCs Contact us at PVCCForum2014@gmail.com for more information Check us out on social media @PVCCForum Assistant Editors Annette Cashatt Jessica Hackley Photography Editor Samantha Prentiss Social Media Coordinator Winston Garnett Staff Writers/Copyeditors Zachary Carter Annette Cashatt Idette Charlie Quamia Dennis Austin Ellis Winston Garnett Jessica Hackley Fitz Irving Jr Devan Kaufman Michael McGrew Jackie Morris Faculty Advisor Dr. Tamara Whyte The Forum is a voice for all students. Accordingly, materials published in The Forum, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the VCCS, Piedmont Virginia Community College, or any stakeholder thereof. The paper welcomes letters to the editor, guest columns, questions, photography or any other ideas or submissions one may have for the upcoming publications. Please contact pvccforum2014@gmail.com with any questions. A special thanks to Jessica Hackley who created and redesigned The Forum logo and newspaper layout!  ...

... Read more at: Piedmontforum.com January 2014 Piedmont Virginia Community College Creating a Club is as easy as A name, Board requirements, and Cing Steve McNerney Jessica Hackley, Staff Writer Creating a club sounds like a great deal of work. Good thing this is one instance where one might think the process is harder than it really is. In a short, five-minute talk with Steve McNerney, I found out just how easy it is to start a club at PVCC. If you have some ideas for a club that you cannot seem to get out of your head, the first step would be for you to stop by Mr. McNerneys office yourself to pick up a club application. His office is in the middle room of the fitness center, M179/180. Just because this is easy to do, does not mean one should take it lightly; after the general questions, e.g. applicant name, PVCC email address, proposed club name, proposed advisor, and estimated budgetwhich can be zero, the most important question is How will this club benefit PVCC student life? Though this question seems simple, it can be the deciding factor on approval. I would Look inside for descriptions and contact information for PVCC clubs. recommend picking up a Policies and Procedures Manual for PVCC Clubs and Organizations from Mr. McNerney before deciding on your clubs benefit. The Requirements for Student Activities are posted in the manual and they are the major criteria that club establishment is based on. Some important excerpts from the manual are, The State Board encourages the development of a student See Creating a Club on page 2 In This Issue Photography by Jessica Hackley PVCC Events -pg. 2 Club Details Riddles -pg. 10 Interesting Facts -pg. 11 Comic -pg. 11 Classifieds pg.12 -pgs.3-10 DATES TO REMEMBER Last day to register/add full-semester classes January 16 Free Movie Friday, Gone Girl January 16, 7:30pm, Dickinson Building Club Day January 21, Main Building Gallery Exhibit Reception January 23, 5-7 pm, Dickinson Building Masquers Club Forth Fridays Improv January 23, 6-8 pm, Main Stage Theater, Dickinson Building Animals & Arsonists reading January 23,-24 7 pm, Dickinson Commons Revival January 23-25, 7:30pm, Maxwell Theater, Dickinson Building Contemporary Dance Master Class January 24, 10-11:30 am, Dickinson Building 2015-16 One Book Voting Ends January 25 Employer Networking Reception January 29, 6-8 pm, Bolick Student Center Creating a Club Continued activities program designed to promote educational and cultural experiences support the mission of the colleges and provide students avenues for personal growth and enrichmentdo not restrict membership based on race, color, gender, age, religion, disability, national origin, sexual orientation or other nonmerit factors. Private clubs, private associations, social fraternities, and social sororities shall not be recognized After completing the application, and returning it to Mr. McNerney, he can make a decision on behalf of the college in that same moment. If it seems as if there may be some issues to be discussed; such as, budget or similarity to already established clubs, Mr. McNerney will then take the proposal to the Student Services Committee for them to convene and make a decision. If the club is established, the advisor must download contact information onto the student life section of the college website. Bulletin board space will then be given to the club. Mr. McNerney says it best, Its easy to start a club as long as it abides by VCCS standards. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact Steve McNerney via email at SMcNerney@pvcc.edu. One Mic Stand February 12, 7 pm, Maxwell Theater, Dickinson Building Free Movie Friday, Bird Man February 20, 7:30pm, Dickinson Building The Odyssey of Soul February 21, 7:30pm, Dickinson Building ...PVCCs is looking for YOU to join. EXPLORE. WRITE. GAIN EXPERIENCE. HAVE FUN. Contact us at theforum@pvcc.edu for more information Page 2 All Living Creatures Idette Charlie, Staff Writer Black Student Alliance Jackie Morris, Staff Writer All Living Creatures is a club strives to improve the lives of wild and domestic animals through community outreach. The clubs mission is to bring a quality to student life. To sign up for this club, contact Eric Chapman, eec2480@email.vccs.edu, or Kayla Baker, ksb2201@email.vccs.edu. The Black Student Alliance is a club with a clear mission: To cultivate leadership, stimulate cultural and educational awareness and contribute service to the college community, the local African-American community and the larger multicultural community and society. For more information, contact Justin Wert at jwert@pvcc.edu. Anime Club Michael Mcgrew II, Staff Writer The Anime Club is for people with an interest in anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture media. The clubs goal is to make everyone feel welcomed, while sharing in common interests. They meet Fridays in M155 between 3-5 PM. For further details, contact Kayla Paschall at kdp2460@email.vccs.edu Art Club The mission of the Art Club is to support student artists by sponsoring fun, art-oriented events. They sponsor the annual Day of the Dead CandyThon (at Halloween), the Film Series, artists workshops, college visits and more. For more information, contact Beryl Solla, bsolla@pvcc.edu or Aubrey Tomlin atomlin8755@email.vccs.edu. Their website is http://pvccart.blogspot.com/ Chef Ralph Brown and his son Ralph Brown Jr, Lindsay Ohen and David Blackmon. Photograph by Samantha Prentiss Board Game Club Michael Mcgrew II, Staff Writer The Board Game Club lives up to its name. It is a club for people that love classic tabletop games and offers new games almost every week. The friendly competition and table talk are rated as some of the best attributes of the club. Photography from PVCC Facebook page The club is not just for the hardcore, they welcome anyone to come and learn a new game each meeting. The club meets on the 3rd floor of the Dickinson lounge on Tuesdays between 3 -7 p.m.. For further details contact Bruce Glassco at bglassco@pvcc.edu. Page 3 Book Club The Book Club provides a comfortable environment for students, faculty, and staff to discuss books throughout the year. For more information, contact Linda Cahill, lcahill@pvcc.edu. Brony Club Michael Mcgrew II, Staff Writer The Brony Club is a collection of people who enjoy the 4th generation of the show My Little Pony: Friendship is magic. In addition to meeting once a week for an episode showing, the group also does works of charity. They meet in room 159 on Mondays at 12 PM. For further information contact Ben Gump at btg209@email.vccs.edu. Business Club Scott Cast, Staff Marketer The Business Club was founded in order to aid in the progression of the lives of PVCC students. The clubs objectives are based on three main principles; the building of entrepreneurship skills, the advancement of students careers and leadership abilities, and the understanding of personal finance. To this end, we are gathering like-minded individuals interested in dedicating themselves to their own betterment. If interested in joining the club, please email Professor Pratt at wpratt@pvcc.edu. Chess Club Andre Thompson, Staff Writer Why not stay a few moves ahead with PVCCs chess club? The chess club of PVCC was established for students who want to learn the game of chess, play the game of chess, and also to provide help for people who want to develop the skills necessary to really excel at the game of chess. The co-president of this club can be reached at hbh215@email.vccs.edu and the president Abel Pors can be reached at aep22252@email.vccs.edu Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) Austin Ellis, Staff Writer The Christian Student Fellowship is for students who are interested in fellowship and biblical studies. The fellowship meets on Wednesdays at College Hour during the fall and spring semesters. For more information please contact Student President Corey Coogan at ccc21218@email.vccs.edu or Staff Advisor Andre Luck at aluck@pvcc.edu. Creative Writing Club The mission of the PVCC Creative Writing Club is to offer the PVCC community [students, faculty, staff, etc.,] an informal, supportive environment for learning about, experiencing, and practicing contemporary creative writingpoetry, fiction, and nonfiction. They host informal writing events for the college community. In the spring semester, they publish the literary magazine, The Fall Line, working with graphic design students at the college. For more information, contact club advisor Jenny Koster at jkoster@pvcc.edu. Photography by Samantha Prentiss Dance Club Jackie Morris, Staff Writer The dance club simply enjoys moving. Anyone can participate whether with experience or none at all. The club explores all kinds of dance, there are various opportunities including free dance technique classes, choreography and performance opportunities, and more. In the fall semester, they met on the 3rd Wednesday in each month in the Earl Dickinson building from 2-3:15 p.m. For more information, contact Anne Megibow at amegibow@pvcc.edu Page 4 Engineering Club Idette Charlie, Staff Writer The PVCC Engineering club is designed to gather PVCC engineering students for social and careeroriented purposes. If you want to sign up for this club, contact Ethel Baber, emb2896@email.vccs.edu. Film Making Club Andre Thompson, Staff Writer The filmmaking club was started by Kay Bethea, the current advisor is Tiffany Park who teaches the filmmaking course at PVCC. She started the Club for PVCC students who were involved in theatre but also interested in filmmaking. Mrs. Bethea says, with the ever- increasing interest in the developing the Virginia film industry, and with the terrific Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville each November (several films were screened in the Dickinson Building this year), it would be a great opportunity for PVCC students. For more information, contact Kay Bethea at kbethea@pvcc.edu. Film Series just had their last meeting on December 3. For further information, please contact Staff Advisor Beryl Solla at bsolla@pvcc.edu. The Forum Andre Thompson, Staff Writer The Forum is PVCCs student newspaper. It is also club made up of students who are responsible for submitting articles, copyediting, photography, and coming up with layout design. There is also an Introduction to Journalism course that contributes to The Forum. Students are encouraged to join the club and participate in any aspect of The Forum. Assistant Editor, Jessica Hackley says, I believe it would be good for interested students to become involved because it is a free experience with a good group of students and it can be fun if you like to write. The meeting times for this club are subject to change, but if you would like to get more information, contact Dr. Whyte at twhyte@pvcc.edu. French Culture Club Michael Mcgrew II, Staff Writer Photography by Austin Ellis The Film Series shows a variety of modern popular movies. The Film Series Austin Ellis, Staff Writer The Film Series is a club for students interested in viewing a variety of films including current and visually interesting films. The club meets at the end and beginning of each semester. The The French Culture Club has the purpose of spreading understanding of the French language and the greater French culture. In spring 2015, the club will be taking a trip to France for 8 days. For further information contact Tulio Vitale at tbv272@email.vccs.edu Game Development Club Michael Mcgrew II, Staff Writer The Game development club is for students interested in making video games as either hobby or professional interest. For more information, check their club page at http://www.pvcc.edu/ student-life/clubs/game-development-club. Page 5 Gender Equality Club Their mission is to promote gender equality by educating the PVCC community about gender inequality. They believe that everyone should have equal rights regardless of gender. Contact trq21@email.vccs.edu or Ph2782@email@vccs.edu for more information. German Club Austin Ellis, Staff Writer The German Club promotes knowledge of and interest in the German language, history, and culture. For more details, please contact Staff Advisor Patricia Jassmann at pjassman@pvcc.edu. PVCC Community Garden Photography by Jessica Hackley Graphics Club Michael Mcgrew II, Staff Writer Horticulture & Environmental Club Austin Ellis, Staff Writer For an artistic experience or simply to pursue a career in design, the Graphics club is the destination. They hold workshops, examine films, and host guest speakers in the field of design. Recently they created the concept for the Oratorio Society of Virginia's Christmas at the Paramount 2014 concert promotions. For more information contact Aubrey Tomlin at atomlin8755@email.vccs.edu. The Horticulture and Environmental Club is invested in encouraging sustainable practices both on campus and the colleges service region. The clubs current project is an organic garden for use as a learning platform for environmentally sound horticulture. The organic vegetable garden encourages more interest for students, faculty, staff, and the community to learn and out in practice environmentally healthy horticulture. For details, please contact Staff Advisors Dave Lerman at dlerman@pvcc.edu and Jennifer Scott at jscott@pvcc.edu or Student Contact Jonathon Dean at Jdean6302@email.vccs.edu. International Club Jackie Morris, Staff Writer The international club is a social club that invites students from all parts of the world to join together to do service and also have fun Members of the Graphics Club learning from one another. For more information, contact Jorge Grajales Diaz at Clockwise from upper left: Aubrey Tomlin, jgrajalesdiaz@pvcc.edu or Irnia Timchenko at Dominique Ross, Assistant Professor Aaron Miller, itimchenko@pvcc.edu. Tatiana Yavorska-Antrobious, Kathleen Tomlin and Susan Watts. Page 6 Investment Club Zachary Carter, Staff Writer The Investment Club is one of the oldest clubs on campus. It's mission is to educate and improve our members' knowledge of investing in the markets as well as provide a deeper understanding of business. They teach how global events in the news impact the business sector. For more information contact Brandon Zeman at blz220@email.vccs.edu Japanese Club Jackie Morris, Staff Writer The Japanese club invites students to learn about Japanese culture and language, and to enlighten students on other aspects of Japan. For more information, contact Noriko Donahue at ndonahue@pvcc.edu. Latter-Day Saints Jackie Morris, Staff Writer The Latter Day Saints club is for students who are interested in learning of the gospel of the Book of Mormon in a school environment, and learning about the teachings of the scriptures. For more information, contact Andrew Renshaw, renshaw@pvcc.edu, or Melissa Ann Kibbe, mak21690@email.vccs.edu. LGBTQA Club Jackie Morris, Staff Writer According to their web page, LGBTQA is a club to create a safe community and reach out to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning people as well as allies. The club is trying to establish a sense of community with PVCC students and surrounding communities. For more information, contact Eddie Edwards, eme2730@email.vccs.edu. LIFE (Life Is For Everyone) Club Zachary Carter, Staff Writer The LIFE club promotes the value of human life and is for those that share a pro-life view. The goal of the club is to promote alternatives to abortion and educate fetal development and its medical and social effects. The next club meeting will be during the Spring Semester. For more information visit the PVCC LIFE club page. For more information, please contact Nicole Winkler, nwinkler@pvcc.edu. Masquers Club (Theatre) Idette Charlie, Staff Writer The Masquers Club is for students interested in any aspect of theater, including film. Masquers fosters interest in live theatre through cosponsorship of major theatre productions and through production of smaller theatre offerings, encouraging participation of students both as audience members and performers\technicians. For more information, contact the staff advisor, Brad Stoller, bstoller@pvcc.edu. Mu Alpha Theta Idette Charlie, Staff Writer Photography by Samantha Prentiss PVCC's chapter of Mu Alpha theta is the mathematics honor society. Membership provides access to scholarships and mathematical conventions. Members in good standing are eligible to wear MAOs graduation honor cords. For more information, contact MAT@pvcc.edu. Page 7 Music Club Andre Thompson, Staff Writer Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Austin Ellis, Staff Writer The Music club is another club here at Piedmont that was started by Kay Bethea. The club of musicians meets in the black box theatre, room 202 in the Dickinson building on Mondays a 12pm. This club offers the opportunity to meet other musicians at the school. Mrs. Bethea has also provided members of the music club with the opportunity to play at the scholarship dinner. If you have any questions email Mike Baize at mbaize6274@email.vccs.edu. Phi Theta Kappa is an international honorary academic fraternity for two-year colleges. Academic standards must be met to be eligible for membership. If you wish to submit an application, it must be submitted by the last Friday in October for the fall semester or the last Friday in March for the spring semester. Please see their Facebook page for the latest news. For further information, feel free to contact Faculty Advisors Bruce Robinson at brobinson@pvcc.edu or Kit Decker at Kdecker@pvcc.edu. Also please contact fraternity president Brandon Zeman at blz220@email.vccs.edu. Outdoor Club Jackie Morris, Staff Writer The Outdoor club explores local natural areas to promote knowledge, as well as build teamwork skills with exploration, learning survival techniques, exercise, make new friends and have fun while enjoying nature. For more information, contact David Moyer at dmoyer@pvcc.edu or Erin Hughey-Commers at ehughey-commers@pvcc.edu . Political Club The Political Club provides a safe place for people to debate current international and national issues and to encourage students to get involved in College policy and disband political animosity. For more information, contact Connie Jorgenson, cjorgenson@pvcc.edu Pottery Club Andre Thompson, Staff Writer Photography courtesy of PEP Club People Empowering People (PEP) Club The PEP Club serves as a voice for all students in eliminating barriers of perceptions, ignorance, attitude and any other barrier which people with disabilities encounter. They do this by raising awareness and providing education about disabilities and disability issues. The club is for everyone and anyone. Contact Ta Nisha Kinney at tsk2438@email.vccs.edu or Shannifan@pvcc.edu for more information. Tom Clarkson started PVCCs pottery club. The pottery club is for students who are registered for ceramics and who would like to learn more about ceramics and the art of pottery. For anyone who would like to work with clay. All you have to do is sign up and register for the ceramics course, contact Tom Clarkson at tclarkson@pvcc.edu. The Pottery Club meets in the Dickinson building Tuesday evenings from 6-8. Radiography Club Idette Charlie, Staff Writer The club is for Radiography students to excel in the clinical and didactic curriculums as well as providing the utmost quality in patient care. The club is a network of Radiography students assisting each other to succeed in their future Page 8 careers. The clubs mission is to perform at the highest ethical and professional standards set forth by the American Society of Radiology Technologists (ASRT) code of ethics. The club increases awareness of the Radiography field to PVCC as well as the community at large. For more information, contact: Liz Lucchetti (President), elucchetti7298@email.vccs.edu, Zachary Chagnon (VP), zchagnon0001@email.vccs.edu, Alex Hineman (Secretary), alh2089@email.vccs.edu, or David Irby (Treasurer), dji292@email.vccs.edu. Science Club Zachary Carter, Staff Writer The PVCC Science Club aims to promote science by sharing how science applies to the real world, celebrating the creative nature of science, and making science more accessible and inclusive. The Science club tries to meet a couple of times a semester. This spring, the Science Club is hoping to collaborate with the Math Club--and possibly other clubs related to science--to celebrate Super Pi Day! Super Pi Day is this coming March 14. For more information contact Anne Allison at aallison@pvcc.edu Soccer Club The Soccer Club is for students who enjoy playing soccer. For more information, please contact Steve McNerney, smcnerney@pvcc.edu. Sonography Club Idette Charlie, Staff Writer The Sonography Club helps members in job seeking and resume tips. The club sponsors guest speakers that can be found on the PVCC calendar. The club is for Sonography students. Club members mentor fellow students and encourage professional development and ethics with the common goal of providing quality patient care and imaging. To sign up for this club, contact Lisa Burrington, lburrington@pvcc.edu or Abagayle Hanson, ach2314@vccs.edu. Spanish Club (Club De Espanol) Jackie Morris, Staff Writer The Spanish club meets on Mondays from 11:50- 12:50 in room D334 to talk in Spanish, share food and music, play games, hear presentations, make crafts, meet visitors from other countries and organize club events. All students are welcome. For more information, contact Kit Decker at kdecker@pvcc.edu. Student Government Association (SGA) Zachary Carter, Staff Writer Student Government Associations mission statement is "We represent the rights, interests, and concerns of the student body to the college officials while promoting the integration of success and excellence among the school-wide community." The SGA exists to listen to the voice of the student body and have various events to make lives of those students better on campus. The general meeting happens once every three weeks, and the body meets on Thursdays at 7:00 a.m. in the North Mall Meeting Room. There are two ways to obtain a membership in the SGA: 1) By becoming a club representative. 2) Through the application process. For more information, contact any member of the SGA or visit the Student Government Association Facebook page or PVCC club page. Student Veterans of America Michael Mcgrew II, Staff Writer Student Veterans of America is a club that provides resources, support, and advocacy for both veterans and active service members. They help veterans transition both to civilian and student life. For further information see their club page at http://www.pvcc.edu/student-life/clubs/ student-veterans-of-america. Tennis Club The Tennis Club meets to play and learn about tennis. For more information, contact John Thornten, mthorten@pvcc.edu. Page 9 Ultimate Frisbee Club Austin Ellis, Staff Writer Volunteer Club Austin Ellis, Staff Writer About nine years ago, the Ultimate Frisbee Club was started. Now run by President Calvin Biesecker, the Ultimate Frisbee Club offers a chance for students to play inner-squad scrimmages every week on Fridays. The club is good for all skill levels. Participants are encouraged to bring friends or recruit others that are interested to participate in practices and scrimmages. This year, a skills practice has been open every Wednesday for participants to focus on their fundamental skills. The 2013-2014 PVCC Ultimate Frisbee team coordinator Matt Calhan said, Joining the Ultimate Frisbee Club definitely sparked my interest more in Ultimate Frisbee. I liked it before, but after joining, I got a lot better and was able to play a lot more. One of the good things about the PVCC Ultimate Frisbee Club is that there is no attendance policy, making it easier for students to play at their own leisure. The only requirement for participants is a waiver that must be signed by each individual in order to participate. One of the coolest parts about the PVCC Ultimate Frisbee Club is that sometimes the team travels to local tournaments at UVA and other schools, said Calhan. You only have to practice twice a week and then you get to travel to play better skilled teams. Its very easy to see yourself progress in the sport. The club meets for practice and scrimmages on the PVCC Softball Field. To learn more go to their Facebook group PVCC Ultimate 2014-2015. The Volunteer Club strives to foster the spirit of volunteerism while connecting students with the PVCC community and beyond. In addition, the club promotes student engagement, leadership, and innovation. Students are also encouraged to record volunteer hours to include in any type of resume. However, the Volunteer Club will be taking a hiatus for the spring semester of 2015. For more details, please contact Staff Advisor Kim Hoosier at Khoosier@pvcc.edu. Virginia 21 Michael Mcgrew II, Staff Writer Virginia 21 is an advocacy club that focuses on engaging young voters. They provide nonpartisan information and support to voters. They focus on issues closely related to the student body such as affordable tuition, employment rates for graduates, and motivating a young voting bloc. For more information contact Xaiver Roberts at fxr28@email.vccs.edu. Riddles Brennan Tanner, staff writer What club plays this game: Black and white the armies stand, Won or lost, but by your hand. This next riddle refers to a plant that the horticulture & environmental club might grow: Fires heat, A living thing, Fruits of flame red and yellow, white and green. Together, these two riddles form the name of a popular anime: Goblin, pixie, woodland sprite, Banshee, nixie, barrow wight, All together, all the same, Called together by one name. Found on kites and cats and mice, And little fish beneath the ice, A book hold one within its pages, A story told throughout the ages. Page 10 Interesting Facts: PVCC Clubs Bridgette Lively, staff writer Clubs offer a chance for people with similar interest to participate in things together. There are many things to learn and fun to have. Here are some interesting things I found about the clubs here at PVCC. Investment Club They are sending three members to participate in the Georgetown Pitch Competition. They will be the first community college to attend. Horticulture & Environmental Club They donate extra food that they grow to people locally that are in need. Brony Club They collected supplies and donated them to the Haven Homeless Shelter Comic by Andie Meddaugh Page 11 Classifieds Dont forget to pick up your free copy of Breaking Night at the library. Contact Us PVCC The Forum 501 College Dr. Charlottesville, VA 22902 theforum@pvcc.edu www.piedmontforum.com The Forum offers classified space to the PVCC community free of charge. Please send announcements along with full name, email, and phone number to: theforum@pvcc.edu The Forum Staff (Listed alphabetically) Assistant Editors Annette Cashatt Jessica Hackley And take a minute to vote on the 2015-2016 One Book. Just scan and vote! Know of any Community Events, Announcements, or Advertisements youd like to list? Contribute and Submit to PVCCs Contact us at theforum@pvcc.edu Check us out on social media @PVCCForum The Forum is a voice for all students. Accordingly, materials published in The Forum, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the VCCS, Piedmont Virginia Community College, or any stakeholder thereof. The paper welcomes letters to the editor, guest columns, questions, photography or any other ideas or submissions one may have for the upcoming publications. Please contact pvccforum2014@gmail.com with any questions. Photography Editors Jessica Hackley Samantha Prentiss Marketing Scott Cast Staff Writers/Copyeditors Zachary Carter Annette Cashatt Idette Charlie Quamia Dennis Austin Ellis Winston Garnett Jessica Hackley Fitz Irving Jr Devan Kaufman Michael McGrew Jackie Morris Brennan Tanner Andre Thompson Audrey Waldrop Alexis Williams Comic Artist Andie Meddaugh Faculty Advisor Dr. Tamara Whyte  ...

... Science 299 Independent Research Projects @ PVCC Spring 2021 Abstracts Science 299 is the required capstone course for students earning an AS in Science at PVCC. Students usually take this course in the fall or spring of their second year. The course involves regular group meetings and instruction on scientific writing and communication; statistical planning and analysis; and application of the scientific process. Students design, conduct, analyze, and interpret their own research projects. From the initial proposal to the final presentation, students experience an authentic research cycle. Students receive individual guidance from a Science faculty mentor, instruction from the course coordinator, and support from lab managers The divisions of Health and Life Sciences and Business, Math & Technologies provide administrative support Some funding comes from the Virginia-North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1712724. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation Sarah Fadhil The Affect of Mycorrhizal Fungi on Brassica rapa Growth As drought can stunt the growth of crops, resulting in a decline in the size and quality of produce, consumers may expect to see higher prices for local food as farmers cope with lower yields and higher expenses. Research shows that mycorrhizal fungi help plants become more drought-tolerant due to effects on soil structure and improved plant nutrition. Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships between fungi and plants. The fungi colonize the root system of a host plant, providing increased water and nutrient absorption capabilities while the plant provides the fungus with carbohydrates formed from photosynthesis. The hyphae of the fungi allow access to soil pores of very small diameter that retain both water and nutrients as the soil dries. I hypothesize that plants grown with mycorrhizal fungi will sprout sooner, grow taller, flower sooner, and set more seeds. For this study, I used a fast plant (Brassica rapa) to test this hypothesis. Three groups were used to set the experiment: the control contained no mycorrhizal fungi, the high experiment contained 2 tb mycorrhizal mixed with 1 gallon of soil (2 tb is the recommended amount), and the low experiment contained 1 tb mycorrhizal mixed with 1 gallon of soil (half amount recommended). Each group contained 18 growth cells and was supplied with continuous water and in a 12h dark and 12h light cycle. The results showed a significant difference between the control and high experiment group in measure number of seeds p= 0.003, (df=2, t-value=1.22) and a significant difference between high and low experiment groups p=0.03, (df=2, t-value=0.88). However, the results between the control and low experiment were not significantly different, p=0.5. The results support the hypothesis that plants with mycorrhizal fungi grew faster, taller, and provided more flowers and seeds compared to plants without mycorrhizal fungi. For future experiments, I would expand sample size, continue experiment longer to evaluate seed production, and maybe add in additional concentrations of fungal solution. Jacob Hollis Documenting features in Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks in central Virginias Blue Ridge geologic province has led us to correlate significant portions of the sequence between the Mechums River Formation (central Blue Ridge) as well as the Lynchburg Group (eastern Blue Ridge). Both packages are in the same stratigraphic position, sitting unconformably atop Grenvillian granites and gneisses of the Blue ridge basement complex, but they are not physically connected across the mapped region. This has led to uncertainty about their relationship to one another in time and space. In the eastern and western Blue Ridge province the Lynchburg Group strata are overlain by the mafic lava flows of the Catoctin Formation. In the Mechums River belt, the Catoctin Formation is missing, probably the result of erosion over time. We compared the Mechums River Formation to the Lynchburg Group through field work at five sites. At Sharp Top mountain and at Batesville, the Mechums River Formation contained many large clasts of basement rock, interpreted as diamictites and dropstones associated with the Snowball Earth glaciations. Near Owensville along the Mechums River itself, the formation contained primary sedimentary structures such as graded beds, mudchip rip-up clasts, and cross-bedding, all consistent with submarine turbidity currents as the main agent of deposition. This was similar to the middle Lynchburg Group as exposed at Observatory Hill in Charlottesville. However, the Biscuit Run Formation in the upper Lynchburg Group was finergrained and featured very thin laminations, evidence of low-energy deposition. In addition, large garnet porphyroblasts in the Biscuit Run Formation (but absent elsewhere) suggest either a different metamorphic grade or a more clay-rich composition of the protolith. We favor the latter interpretation. Dating these clastic strata is difficult: detrital zircons would yield the age of the sediments source outcrops, not the age of deposition, and these strata are too old for index fossils. The Lynchburg Group must be younger than 710 Ma, because it unconformably overlies the Robertson River Igneous Suite, which has been isotopically dated at 710 Ma. However, it must also be older than 565 Ma, the age of the overlying Catoctin Formation and a series of mafic intrusions that cut across stratification (probably Catoctin feeder dikes). No such age constraints can be directly observed for the Mechums River Formation. From field work alone, we can only say those strata must be younger than the 1.1 Ga gneisses and 1.0 Ga granites below the nonconformable base of the Mechums River Formation. Based on establishing sedimentary similarities, we correlate the middle Mechums River Formation the central Blue Ridge province and lower Lynchburg Group as it crops out in the eastern Blue Ridge province. Thus, the age constraints from the Charlottesville strata can also be tentatively applied to the Mechums River strata to the west. The lower Mechums River Formations very coarse sedimentology distinguishes itself from this correlation, either because it is older or because it was more proximal to the sedimentary source region. Likewise, the upper Lynchburg Groups Biscuit Run Formation has no correlative unit in the Mechums River Formation, perhaps because it is a younger portion of a homogenous sequence, or because it was synchronously deposited offshore in deeper, calmer waters. Madeline Hutchins The Effect of Microwave Excitation on Vitamin C Concentrations in Fruits and Vegetables Vitamin C (C6H8O6) is essential for growth, development, and the repair of body tissues. It is soluble in water and sensitive to heat produced in certain cooking techniques such as microwave excitation. The hypothesis is that microwave excitation breaks down and destroys vitamin C in produce. Finding vitamin C concentrations in produce is dependent on the reaction of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) with iodine. One molecule of ascorbic acid converts one molecule of iodine into three iodide ions. When the ascorbic acid is oxidized, iodine appears as a purple/black color (otherwise known as the iodine/starch complex). Therefore, by measuring the volume of iodine added to the solutions, the loss of vitamin C can be determined. For both apples and broccoli, the iodine volume was recorded 3 times for four tested time intervals. The Gala apples followed the time intervals of zero, two, four, and five minutes after microwave excitation, and broccoli was tested for the time intervals of zero, two, three, and four minutes. With the Gala apples, the average difference between the control group and the experimental groups was 0.5-0.75 mL. For the broccoli, the average difference between the control group and the experimental groups was 2.3-2.6 mL. Vitamin C is retained in produce after microwave excitation because of reduced exposure to heat and water. Broccoli showed the most difference whereas apples showed the least, indicating that Gala apples do not contain as much vitamin C as broccoli. An increase in vitamin C was measured using the method above, therefore future studies using more precise analytical methodologies such as spectroscopy are needed to explain the results. Hailee Kidd Using Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling to Analyze The Effect of Wastewater Nutrient Pollution Nutrient pollution from the effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) can be a leading point-source pollutant in receiving waterways with insufficient treatment or monitoring. Bottom-dwelling organisms called benthic macroinvertebrates are among the organisms affected and are often used to determine stream health due to their contributions to the nutrient cycle and decomposition. Stream health can be measured by analyzing biodiversity according to species tolerant and intolerant to pollution. Physical-chemical analyses are also used to investigate pollution, but alone often fail to adequately monitor water quality and detect past pollution, while benthic tolerance to pollution is reflective of changes in the water quality over time. Three locations were sampled according to their proximity from Charlottesville's WWTP at Moores Creek. Upstream located at Darden Towe Memorial Park, near the WWTP at Moores creek near Woolen Mills, and downstream at Milton landing. It was hypothesized stream health and water quality will be poorer, and the subsequent presence of intolerant species to be lower closest to the WWTP at Moores Creek. The Virginia Save Our Streams modified method was used for benthic sampling to determine ecological conditions. A Water Quality Index (WQI) test measuring dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, temperature, and turbidity, was used to determine water quality. Results indicated ecological conditions at Darden Towe were undeterminable at the time of sampling, while the WQI rating was good. As expected, the ecological conditions at Moores Creek were unacceptable, due to the lack of benthos, particularly intolerant species, with a WQI rating of medium. Milton's ecological conditions were determined unacceptable, due to the lack of biodiversity of intolerant benthos, despite a WQI rating of good. Darden Towe and Milton had marginal differences in water quality results and scored within the same percentage range for intolerant species. In conclusion, stream health and water quality were impacted on the direct receiving stream, Moores Creek, but did not have a significant effect downstream at Milton. However, these results illustrate how the overall health of the Rivanna is impaired from Darden Towe to Milton. Diverse, long-term use of the Rivanna river has impacted its health through both point and non-point source pollution. Valary Nyangwono The Spice Concentration Effect of Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Cumin (Cuminum cyminum), and Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) on Escherichia coli. Spices have long been used for the sole purpose of adding flavour to food, but other than that what other uses do they possess? This question was poised with the aim of this research being to test the effects of low and high concentration levels of household spices on Escherichia coli. Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Cumin (Cuminum cyminum), and Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) were the spices used to determine their effects on Escherichia coli. Previous studies have measured the antimicrobial effects of these spices against Escherichia coli. However, I wanted to know the effects of different concentration levels of these spices on the growth of Escherichia coli. I hypothesized that Escherichia coli would grow much rapidly at low concentration than high concentration because of its tendency to grow best at a near neutral than acidic pH. In this experiment, spice and water solution combined with filtration was used to obtain the extracts from the spices. To acquire the concentrations, 20% spice/water solution was used as the high concentration. A 1:5 parts dilution was then used to come up with the low concentration. Using a paper disk diffusion method, the extracted compounds were then applied to the bacteria. After incubation, the results gathered showed Ginger to be the most active against Escherichia coli having a zone of inhibition of 7.5 mm for the low concentration and 8 mm for the high concentration. Clove was found highly effective with an inhibition zone of 6.7 mm for the low concentration and 7.3 mm for the high concentration. Cumin measured a zone of 6.7 mm for low concentration and 7 mm for high concentration. Overall, all the three spices showed an increase in the inhibition of growth at higher concentration than low which in turn supports my hypothesis. Future studies could focus on experimenting with other spices and seeing how they would respond to a similar experiment. Annais Pena Santiago Our everyday diets play a critical role in our lifelong physiological development. A study by Stuhr and Curran found that different bacterial foods play a role in the physiology and gene expression of the model organism C. elegans after raising 30 generations. If physiological differences can be observed through generations after eating certain bacteria, can preference for those particular foods also be observed in C. elegans behavior? This study involved raising six generations of C. elegans on two different food types: E. coli OP50 as the control and plain Chobani yogurt with freshly mashed strawberries as the test group. After the fourth and sixth generation, a chemotaxis assay was performed where the worms were offered both food choices and observed at 2 hours, then at 24 hours. Three replicates of 6cm Nematode growth agar (NGM) plates were prepared for each food type. A chunking method was used to transfer the worms from old to new seeded plates every 3-4 days, with each chunking/plate transfer representing a new generation. A chemotaxis index was calculated for each food group, and gen 4 and gen 6 results were averaged, respectively. It was predicted that the worms would show initial preference towards the food they were raised on. Instead, worms across all plates were initially attracted to strawberry yogurt but changed to the E. coli sides of the plates by the following day. Although a t-test did not show statistical significance, some slight differences are worth mentioning when comparing the gen 4 to gen 6 index values. At 2-hour observations, we see a 29% increase for yogurt-raised worms preferring strawberry yogurt and a 4% decrease for E. coli-raised worms in preferring the strawberry yogurt. When the worms migrated to E. coli after 24 hours, a 10% increase in E. coli preference for both groups was seen from gen 4 to the gen 6 assay. However, data still showed E. coli-raised worms preferring E. coli bacteria more so than yogurt-raised worms liked E. coli. With more generations raised on these foods, additional data might be able to support a stronger food preference for their family food, suggesting that our past family members may have a say in what our tastebuds crave. These results also tell us that although worms may prefer the better smelling and tasting food at first, they enjoy simpler foods and will change their minds when it is available. Olivia Richards This study was conducted to explore the concentration of spike proteins in differing structural variant models. Coronaviruses use the tips of their crown-like spikes to bind and gain access into the host cells, consequently becoming a main focus of research for vaccine development. As the global pandemic continues to evolve, ongoing studies are accumulating evidence that the density of spike proteins present on the viral membrane surface are influenced by the geometric open or closed construct of the spike protein, which could be a contributing factor in virulence of SARS-CoV-2 variants. I hypothesize that SARS-CoV-2 variants that have spike proteins in an open position will have a greater surface density per viral particle than variants with spike proteins in the closed position. Using an open source online database to collect data on two SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variants (D614/closed, and D614G/open), digital models were three-dimensionally printed in the engineering laboratory. My viral particle models demonstrated that the pinwheel-shaped open spike protein can pack more tightly and in higher numbers on the surface of a sphere than the closed triangular-shaped spike protein. This is consistent with emerging reports that show an increase in virulence for viral variants with spike proteins in the open formation. Sara Samadi The Effect of ethanol and ionized water on the antimicrobial properties of Cumin and Oregano Throughout history, spices have been used to enrich the taste of food. But are there other benefits to spices? Could spices be antibacterial? Two of the most widely tested spices are cumin and oregano. Cuminum cyminum, also known as cumin, contains cuminaldehyde, an essential organic compound that holds antibacterial properties. Origanum vulgare, commonly referred to as oregano, contains antioxidants known as thymol and carvacrol that support against fungal infections. In this experiment, the effectiveness of varying concentrations of cumin and oregano against Escherichia coli (E. coli) is examined using the Disk Diffusion method. In trial 1, cumin and oregano were diluted in ionized water using a 2g/9mL ratio, and in trial 2, ethanol. After each trial, the zones of inhibition were measured. While no zones were present in trial 1, trial 2 resulted in perceivable zones. This established that the ethanol extractions were the most effective agent against E. coli. This test result is not statistically significant, so more experiments with stronger dilutions are needed. Gracie Shifflett The Ability of Chimaphila maculata and Tipularia discolor plant extracts to inhibit the growth of E.coli As the resistance to antibiotics rapidly increases, more studies are evaluating the antimicrobial effects of plant extracts. This study was conducted to test the extracts of two plants native to Central Virginia, spotted wintergreens (Chimaphila maculata) and cranefly orchids (Tipularia discolor), for any antimicrobial properties against the bacteria E.coli. Spotted wintergreens have been used in the past as an antimicrobial to treat skin diseases, urinary tract infections, and kidney stones. On the other hand, cranefly orchids have not been used as any type of medicine before, however, other orchids, that are close relatives to the cranefly orchid, have been found to contain antibacterial activity. Therefore, I hypothesized that spotted wintergreens would show the largest average zone of inhibition when tested against cranefly orchids and a control of either deionized water or 70% ethanol. To test this hypothesis, a disk diffusion experiment was conducted where paper disks were soaked in the two plant extracts along with the corresponding control and placed in the center of its section of nutrient agar. The plates (n=11 in each condition) were incubated for 24 hours and then their zones of inhibition were measured in millimeters. The plates using water in the plant extracts showed no zones of inhibition against E.coli for either the spotted wintergreen or the cranefly orchid. The plates using 70% ethanol in the plant extracts, however, showed that spotted wintergreens were able to significantly inhibit the growth of E.coli with the largest average zone diameter of 2.8 mm (t=4.8288, df=20, p=0.0001). The cranefly orchid ethanol extract had no significant effect against E.coli with the smallest average zone diameter of 1.1 mm (t=0.6786, df=20, p=0.5052). These results support the original hypothesis; however, more trials need to be performed before concluding that spotted wintergreens consistently contain antimicrobial properties that are able to stop the growth of E.coli.  ...

... Amy Blackburn Dr. Vondrasek Abstract Bio 299 Fruit type preferences of Piedmont Virginia fruit flies: Oviposition vs Feeding Differences Knowing more about what kinds of fruits different species of fruit flies from the Drosophilidae like to lay their eggs on is beneficial to orchard management and can help prevent crop damage. There are so many kinds of fruit flies located around the world and different species prefer different types of fruits. In previous studies, it has been found that some species prefer less citric fruits and fruits with higher sugar contents, and thinner peel fruits such as apples and peaches compared to citrus rinds. My hypothesis is that there will be a different set of species found on apples vs peaches, possibly related to different sugar content. A sample of fruit flies was collected from Carter Mountain Orchard in Albemarle County, Virginia, from both peaches and apples. I also collected one jar of rotting apples and one jar of rotting peaches and kept them in the lab. From these jars (after 14 days), I collected the flies that had hatched from the peaches and apples. Comparisons were made between field-collected apple and peach flies, and between lab-hatched apple and peach flies, and between field-collected and lab-hatched apple flies, and between field-collected and lab-hatched peach flies. I identified the flies using a dissecting microscope and separated them by species and where they were collected. The species composition from field-collected flies was significantly different between apples and peaches. There was also a significant difference in species composition between the lab-hatched flies from the apples and peaches. There was a greater diversity of species in the lab-hatched flies. The most common species, Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans, were found in every group. Drosophila melanogaster were found in the lab-hatched flies, with more from the peaches than apples. Some species were found only found in one setting such as Drosophila immigrans, were only identified in the lab-collected peach flies, while Z. indianus were only identified in the labhatched apple flies. The findings somewhat supported my hypothesis: not all species found were found on both fruits and the more common species were found more often on the peaches. Future research should include samples taken at multiple time points and with larger numbers of flies. Chloe Bruno Faculty Advisor: Dr. Frances Rees This study was designed to replicate the oceans acidification through absorption of carbon dioxide in areas of varying salinity. The aim of this study was to prove that areas with higher levels of salinity will not change as rapidly as those with lower levels of salinity. The salt water was replicated through a process of adding ocean salt to fresh water until it achieved the salinity desired. The two levels of salinity used were: 33 parts and 38 parts. The pH had to be raised by adding a base, sodium bicarbonate, to reach the needed pH of 8.1, which is the average pH of the ocean. A total of 848 grams of dry ice were introduced to the environment to allow for a slow release of carbon dioxide into the controlled environment of the tank. The pH change of the water with 33 parts salt decreased by .2 and the water with 38 parts salt changed by .1. The data collected confirmed that the water with higher level of salinity was not as susceptible to a change in pH as the water with a lower level. The salt acted as a buffer and blocked some of the carbon dioxide from being absorbed and as such the one with the higher amount of salt absorbed less carbon dioxide. Daniel Consolvo Faculty Advisor: Dr. Frances Rees Investigating the Phytoremediative Capacity of Elodea canadensis as a Copper Hyperaccumulator Large scale resource extraction and industrial processes have introduced an unprecedented level of heavy metals into our environment. These metals, categorized so for their toxicity at low concentrations and ease with which they accumulate in organisms, challenge scientists tasked with their removal. Phytoremediation (using plants to address soil and groundwater contamination) with hyperaccumulators (a special group of plants known for their unusually high absorbance and tolerance of heavy metals) has proven itself a viable solution. Compared to alternatives, phytoremediation is inexpensive and less destructive to the environment. Of the uniquely capable hyperaccumulator group, the common aquatic plant Elodea canadensis was chosen for this experiment. It was hypothesized that E. canadensis would reduce copper concentrations without suffering phytotoxicity in concentrations 0.1 ppm. Samples in concentrations 1 ppm were predicted to suffer copper induced phytotoxicity. Dechlorinated tap water was diluted to various concentrations within a range of 0.05 to 100 ppm copper. This range placed a strain of 9 to 12,000 mg Cu2+ kg-1 biomass on E. canadensis. Three control samples accounted for evaporation, chelation, and plant health. Observations and numerical data taken over the course of one month support the prediction that the limit of E. canadensiss accumulatory abilities falls within the 0.1 to 1 ppm range. Samples housed in concentrations 0.2 ppm showed no appreciable signs of damage from copper toxicity, while plants placed in a 1 ppm solution either began to rot or died completely. Samples in solutions 10 ppm lost color and assumed a faded and ghostly chemically preserved appearancedecomposition largely ceased. All copper concentrations within the detectable range of the spectrophotometer and copper test kit were reduced by E. canadensis, though a significant margin of error introduced by evaporation, chelation, and precipitation in solution made reliable quantitative data inaccessible. Conclusions drawn are chiefly dependent on daily observations of phytotoxicity symptoms. Though lacking in quantitative rigor, these results support the idea that hyperaccumulators such as E. canadensis can help address environmental degradation caused by heavy metal pollution. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Joanna Vondrasek Apple Type Preference in Common Drosophilids of Central Virginia This project tested if different species of fruit flies were more attracted to certain apple types. This study evaluated species composition differences between preference between Golden Delicious and Jonagold apples. Fruit flies are an exceptionally common pest in orchards, and they are even frequently found in houses. My hypothesis was that there would be no difference in the species present on the two different apple types. Flies were collected at Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville, VA, and the samples were labeled Golden Delicious and Jonagold respectively. Flies were frozen at -20C and then examined under a dissecting microscope and sorted by species into separate containers and counted. The most prevalent species I found on either apple type were D. melanogaster + simulans. There was no significant difference in the variety of species present on the two apple varieties (x2 = 4.42,p=0.35). Finally, the flies were preserved in ethanol and sent to the University of Virginia for further analysis and use in their study. These findings did support my original hypothesis. This research could be used to help with orchard management as fruit flies can have a negative or neutral effect on orchards. This research is also important as it looks at different ecological niches between the common species of fruit fly. More testing would be required using different types of apples to determine if preference exists between other types of apples. Kieu Dang -- Biology 299 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Anne Allison Comparing escape behavior among local poikilotherms: How fruit fly species at Carter Mountain Orchard avoid capture Insects are poikilotherms, meaning their temperature varies considerably because they lack homeostatic control of their body temperature and tend to occupy environments that fluctuate in temperature. This research study asks if fruit flies demonstrate different escape behaviors depending on the method of capture and temperature. In cooler temperatures, flies move more slowly and thus may be more prone to capture with a targeted method such as aspiration. By contrast, using nets to capture flies in cooler weather may be less effective as there are fewer flies moving around. Therefore, in colder temperatures they tend to move more slowly in order to maintain their body heat. In warmer temperatures, they move more quickly. I hypothesize that fruit flies will exhibit different escape behaviors based on capture methods and temperature at time of capture. I captured fruit flies at Carter Mountain Orchard once in September and once in October. Regardless of temperature at time of capture, or method of capture (net versus aspirator), approximately 50% of the flies captured were Z. indianus. While the species distribution of other flies captured varied significantly, Z. indianus remained remarkably constant. There were a number of factors that are difficult to control in this type of field work, including that species distribution among fruit fly communities may change from one month to the next. Nevertheless, Z. indianus routinely comprised about half of the flies captured while the other species did not show such a constant proportion of the community from one month/temperature to the next. This suggests that Z. indianus may behave fundamentally differently when it comes to escape behavior, perhaps due to a difference in how they regulate their body temperature. Nader Elsarrag Anne Allison, PhD BIO 299 November 19th, 2020 Abstract Antibiotic resistance is a significant clinical threat causing more than 35,000 deaths annually in the US. Resistant bacterial infections are often caused by the methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is resilient to -lactam antibiotics (the standard treatment option against gram-positive pathogens such as Staphylococcus). Additionally, the gene which is responsible for MRSAs resistance (mecA) is horizontally transferred on a mobile genetic element called SCCmec, which allows MRSA the ability to spread its resistance to other Staphylococcus bacteria quickly. Many researchers are interested in further understanding where and when the SCCmec element originated and how it has evolved since the discovery of the first MRSA strain in 1962. The objective of this experiment is to determine if the evolutionary relationships indicated by a phylogenetic tree of Staphylococcus correlates with the homology indicated via BLAST searching. BLAST is an algorithm which assesses the similarity of amino acid or nucleotide sequences in the NCBI database in comparison to a reference sequence. Based on the phylogenetic tree of Staphylococcus, it was hypothesized that S. capitis capitis, S. capitis urealyticus, S. caprae, and S. saccharolyticus will be most similar to a reference S. aureus PBP2A nucleotide sequence. While the homology of the wild-type PBP2 protein correlated with the hypothesis, this was not the case for the mutant type. The homology indicated by BLAST was not conclusive for the mutant type, likely because of the ability of the mutatedtype PBP2A to horizontally transfer, as well as complications in the nomenclature for different Staphylococcus bacteria. Further research is needed to elucidate where SCCmec came from and how different Staphylococcus bacteria are classified. John Funk Chemistry 299 An at home investigation of manufactured High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) for use in recycling. The research intent of this project is to identify which high-density polyethylene (HDPE) products are available and best suited for those who want to recycle on their own. HDPE, or Grade 2 plastics, are the leading cause of backup in our landfills. These plastics are also the only ones being used by commercial recycling companies due to their high resistance to the suns harmful Ultra-Violet rays. When developing a process at home without the ability of injection molding, the plastic milk jugs proved to be the most malleable when it came to prepping time. The molds were cast into two styles, one being that of a miniature dog-bone and of a lollipop and heated to 410F for one hour and thirty minutes, checking in equal intervals for proper filling. Using a weathering method derived from literature on related tests done to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the molds were subjected to 12-hour cycles of testing. They first spent eight hours under UV light exposure from a UV-L fluorescent lamp with a wavelength of 366 nm and then four hours of acid rain condensation moisture attack simulation while in a pressure cooker at one standard atmospheric pressure (1 atm). Impact depth testing was accomplished with an impact hammer of .45 kg and an impact velocity of an estimated 9.8 m/s^2. Tensile strength was tested by attaching a string and weight system to the cross-sectional area at the connection between the lollipop head and handle. All processes were derived from literature and the steps were manufactured as needed. This research can be used as the scaffolding for related topics or to help design a more efficient method with the proper lab equipment and proper ISO standard for test mold design. Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees  ...

... Spring 2020 Science 299 Abstracts (for students who completed a research project prior to the COVID19 shutdown) Tabarek Al Samaraee BIO 299 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Marlena Yost There is an increasing number of bacterial strains that have become resistant to the antibiotic drugs efficacy in inhibiting the growth of bacteria. Therefore some people are turning towards natural alternatives in which herbs and spices possess antimicrobial properties that could aid in reducing and inhibiting bacterial growth. One gram of clove and cumin was soaked in 10 milliliters of distilled water for 24 hours at 37 degrees Celsius. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria were used to lawn the plates, the lawned plates with solution were incubated for 24 hours at 37 degrees Celsius. For each bacteria and solution, 3 plates were used (cumin vs.E.coli, S.aureus and clove vs. E.coli, S.aureus). 2 plates of sterile saline against bacteria as negative control and for positive control 2 plates were used for each bacteria and the drug used is ciproflaxin. The null hypothesis is that the solution will have little to no effect on the bacterial growth while, the alternative hypothesis suggest that the solution will significantly inhibit the growth of bacteria. The result turned out to be unexpected because cumin did not show any trace of antimicrobial properties. Instead it aided in the forming of bacterial colonies around the soaked disc with cumin solution. The clove solution showed inhibition of bacteria by producing a clear circle around the discs known as zone of inhibition. It showed a significant effect against S.aureus when compared to E.coli growth. Clove solution supported the alternative hypothesis while the cumin solution supported the null hypothesis. Stephen Barker GOL 299 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Larry Tiezzi The results of this research contradict the conclusions made by Ann Witt (ref) where she said the landslides occurred in the Lovingston biotite gneiss rather than Charnockite because the Lovingston formation was more susceptible to landslides. She did leave open the possibility that it was the amount of rain in the various areas. My work would support the idea of more rain in the Lovingston areas. To test this, two types of soil were chosen and collected from areas of different geologic composition in Nelson county. These two soils were weathered Charnockite and Lovingston, and each was tested to find which one had the lowest sheer strength. This was done by constructing an incline plane set with an inclinometer and placing the soil samples on top of it and tilting the platform until the soil gave out. The weight of each sample was approximately 20 lbs. The moisture of the soil was also checked to ensure that it was consistent, and each sample had about 13% moisture. The samples were tested 20 times each, and at the end of the testing, the average critical angle of repose for the Lovingston was 34.9, while the average critical angle of repose for the Charnockite was 32.7. After doing a t-test, the P-value was determined to be .00442, meaning that there was a statistically significant difference between the two means. As such, it seems that areas composed of Charnockite could potentially be more susceptible to landslides, since soil composed of that base rock gives out at lower angles. Taylor Barr CHM 299 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Barbara Heyl Utilizing various water testing methods to monitor the water chemistry of an established aquarium after a dense amount of plant life has been added. It was hypothesized that raised nitrates in the aquarium would encourage the reedfish bichir pair present to spawn, a species that is unknown to spawn in captivity. The parameters measured were nitrates, phosphates, pH, and dissolved solids. Water conductivity and temperature were also tested. The results could have been dampened by the evidence that one of the largest aquatic plants added was grown emersed. The large body of the plant melted back and left only the younger leaves and runner stems. The nitrates were shown to have decreased throughout the experiment with inconsistent collection. The nitrates collection was switched to an inaccurate liquid APi test it which gave minimal observed results in ppm. The collected results of the six weeks retrieved show no significant difference in water quality, however the ropefish pair in question displayed courtship within the fourth week. There was no clear indication of change in water chemistry except for a gradual increase in phosphates. Kris Bland Bio 299 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Donna Hoefner Fertility through Workout Supplements Today, many athletes workout taking pre-workout such as caffeinated supplements and nitric oxide supplements. Do these supplements affect the ability to have offspring? The purpose of this experiment is to determine if nitric oxide and caffeine affect fertility. The control of this experiment is water. Three petri dishes contain a solution of nitric oxide, caffeine, and water with 20 bean beetles each (10 males and 10 females). The tests conducted were the number of eggs in each dish, motility of a beetle introduced to the solution, and the mortality after eight days. In a motility test consisting of 30 seconds, the nitric oxide specimen moved the farthest, then the caffeine specimen, and finally the control. The mortality ranks the control with the most living, followed by the nitric oxide, and caffeine with a sole survivor. Fertility ranked in the same order as mortality. With this experiment, it can be determined that pre-workout supplementation may actually affect fertility. Mike Conrad BIO 299 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Anne Allison Multicellular Colony Organization in Single-Celled Algae due to the Presence of Predators Multicellularity in organisms has baffled scientists for year. Though we understand the concept and the origin, it is still difficult to pinpoint the main underlying factor that caused single-celled organisms to evolve. Researchers such as Nichole King are developing new procedures and methods to further understand the concept. Colony organization is a key contributing factor in survival of singlecelled organisms as it can lead into multicellular evolution. In my research, I aimed to discover the factor that induced the beforementioned survival of a type of algae, Eudorina elegns, when exposed to predatory water fleas. In my experiment, I made samples of 5mL spring water and 5mL of the algae culture. I then added three Daphnia magna, the predatory water flea, to the new samples and incubated them under UV light at room temperature for 24 hours. I then made slides to observe under a microscope. In my findings, I discovered that there were several algae colonies that formed, indicating a form of cellular communication that allowed for colony formation for better survival. Sebastian Selena CHEM 299 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Barbara Heyl Testing for Bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic water bottles Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound used to make plastics and resins. It can be found in food storage containers, bottled water, medical devices and breast milk. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed hundreds of experiments claiming that BPA is carcinogenic, disrupts progesterone receptors and more. After review, the FDA claimed that such dangers would not affect us and that the current levels of ingestion of BPA were safe. However, due to public pressure and the suggestion from the American Chemistry Council, the FDA banned the use of BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups, and infant formula packaging. To test for BPA in water bottles claiming to be BPA-Free and bottles with no labels, a standard of BPA with Methanol was made to make sure the column in the High-performance liquid chromatographer (HPLC) could identify BPA. This was followed by a standard of BPA with water. A total of 8 different water bottles were put in pairs in an oven at 71 degrees Celsius for 2 hours and then cooled to room temperature. Then a sample of each water bottle was put in the HPLC. The retention times found in the BPA standards of water are very similar to the retention times found from every sample of water from every water bottle tested. The retention times of standards for BPA in water ranged 2.396min-2.420min. The retention times from the samples of water bottles ranged 2.295min2.435min. From the results, it is the assumption that these retention times represent BPA, but it could be the leaching of other plastics that these water bottles were made of. It can be concluded that there is no guarantee that your plastic water bottle is BPA-Free, and if it is, theres no guarantee that these other plastics are safe either. However, there are alternatives, such as stainless-steel and glass bottles. William Tornel BIO 299 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Joanna Vondrasek Honey is an organic substance, rich with antioxidants, that has been used as a homeopathic remedy to treat conditions such as diabetic ulcers, eczema, and throat infections. Manuka honey, derived from the nectar of Leptospermum scoparium flowers, is especially regarded for its healing properties when compared to other kinds of honey. This study focuses on the effects that Manuka honey has on the growth of the bacterium Escherichia coli. A combination of honey and lime was tested to see if this traditional home remedy has any impact on the inhibition of growth for the bacterial culture. It was predicted that Manuka honey would inhibit microbial growth more than the corn syrup control, and the honey and lime mixture would inhibit more than the honey alone. Bacterial cultures of E. coli were grown in nutrient agar plates and exposed to different experimental groups via paper disk diffusion. The results showed that the average zone of inhibition for the Manuka honey was larger than that of the control group (t=4.848, df=12, p=.0004). Additionally, the zones of inhibition for the lime mixtures were found to be smaller in size (3.5cm and 2.9cm) compared to the average zone of the controls (4.2cm and 3.55cm, respectively). In conclusion, Manuka honey does contain some intrinsic antimicrobial properties but adding lime did not amplify these qualities. Mariana Villate CHM 299 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Frances Rees The objective of this experiment was to measure the caffeine content in different types of coffee beans. Caffeine was measured from light, medium, and dark roast coffee beans obtained from a regular supermarket. The brands used were India for light roast coffee, Peru for medium roast coffee, and MN Mud for dark roast coffee. This process was performed by adding MgO to ground and sieved coffee bean powder and heating the mixture for 20 min at 90 C. These solutions were analyzed using reverse-phase HPLC. The results from HPLC analysis found no significant difference between the caffeine content of dark, medium, or light roast beans. Report of compared mass % caffeine between HPLC and UV analysis found no significant difference in caffeine concentrations, and therefore the null hypothesis could not be rejected. The obtained results may be due to different types of errors that could be made during the experiment.  ...

... 2019 Fall Science Presentations Science 299 Independent Research Projects Science 299 projects are semester-long independent research projects that students pursuing an A.S. in Science are required to complete prior to graduation. Students carry out their research under the guidance of a PVCC science faculty member as mentor. The Abstracts of projects completed in Fall 2019 are included in this booklet. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1202181. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. 1 Special thanks to the laboratory staff for facilitating or assisting with student projects: Laboratory Managers Jess Amos (Chemistry) Rosalyn Koontz (Biology) Campbell Thornton - Chemistry 299 Dr. Frances Rees, Faculty Advisor Photodegradation of Riboflavin in Beer in the Presence of Long Wave UV Light The objective of this research was to examine the photodegradation of riboflavin in beer when subject to UV light. When radicalized by UV light, riboflavin in beer catalyzes the breakdown of isohumulone compounds, derived from the hops in beer, to yield 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol which has a skunky aroma. This research tested both the naturally occurring riboflavin in beer and that of lab made riboflavin solutions. Two variables were tested to analyze reduction in riboflavin breakdown, ascorbic acid was used a preservative, and amber glass was used for mechanical blocking of UV light. A spectrophotometer was used to measure the change in absorbance over time and the collected data were plotted to analyze the kinetics of this photodegradation. Only one trial yielded a degradation curve. This trial tested 1mg/L and 3mg/L of riboflavin in distilled water. Most of the trials produced flat curves or inverse results. This is likely because the source of UV light used for this research did not produce UV light at a high enough intensity. 2 Caleb Herndon - Chemistry 299 Dr. Frances Rees, Faculty Advisor The Effect of Temperature on Internal Resistance Lithium Ion batteries are quickly becoming a major area of research and for good reason. These batteries power everything from cell phones to medical devices and methods designed to increase performance are continuously being explored. To create a better battery, you must understand the internal resistance and how to optimize it. In this experiment I tested the effect of external temperature on the internal resistance of Li-Ion batteries. To do this, I stored the batteries at four common temperature points over one-hour increments, and calculated their internal resistance using Ohms Law and Kirchhoffs Law. This was done over five testing periods, and the conclusion was reached that temperature does affect the internal resistance. The colder temperatures resulted in higher resistance values, while the warmer environment resulted in lower values. These findings support my hypothesis, however, with further research and development, I suspect a room temperature environment will be the best storage temperature. Lauren Clark - Biology 299 Dr. Virginia York, Faculty Advisor The Effect of Caffeine on Bean Beetle Movement Callosobruchus maculatus, or the bean beetle is a pest ranked as the principle post-harvest pest of legumes. Loss of legumes has led to heavy use of chemical pesticides for crops invaded with bean beetles. Caffeine serves as a natural insecticide by suppressing certain enzymes in the central nervous system of insects such as the bean beetle. This has caused an increase of 3 cancers in farmworkers who use these pesticides, creating the need for safer natural alternatives. This led to the question, what effect, if any, does caffeine have on bean beetle movement? It was hypothesised that caffeine would increase movement of the beetles based on the compounds effect on humans. To test this, male bean beetles were subjected to 0%, 1.07%, and 2.14% caffeine solutions for 24 hours before measuring activity over two trials. Each beetle was removed from its Petri dish and placed into a glass pipet. The movement of the beetles was measured using a ruler and recorded in centimeters at 30 second intervals for 5 minutes. The movement of dead Weevils was recorded as 0 cm. The results suggest that bean beetle movement was affected by the caffeine solution, but was dependent on the concentration of the solution. The lower concentration showed to have a statistically significant reduction in movement compared to the no or higher concentration caffeine solution. These results support the use of caffeine as a natural pesticide. Jonathan Rodriguez - Biology 299 Dr. Joanna Vondrasek, Faculty Advisor The Effects of Honeys Natural Antimicrobial Agents Against Escherichia coli As antibiotic resistance continues to be a threat to public health, scientists are in search for new antimicrobials and are looking back on ancient remedies and plant-based medicine that have potential, such as honey. This study was conducted to understand the antimicrobial agents naturally present in honey. By using the Kirby Bauer Disk Diffusion method, three different types of honey (commercial, local, and Manuka) were tested to see which one performed best against Escherichia coli. Twelve plates were tested with three types of honey to determine 4 baseline inhibition against E.coli. It was determined that Manuka honey performed the best, with an average zone diameter of 3.5 cm, but there was no significant difference among the honey types. To evaluate whether E.coli might evolve resistance to Manuka honey, a second generation of E. coli was cultivated by selecting bacteria around the largest zone. This E.coli sample was then tested against Manuka honey. This method was repeated to cultivate a third generation of E. coli. There was a statistically smaller zone of inhibition between the first and second generations, a decrease of 2.4 cm and a p-value of 0.0001, suggesting that the E. coli did build some resistance to the honey. More trials and replicates would be needed for more robust results. James McIvor - Physics 299 Dr. Yanina Goddard, Faculty Advisor Investigation of Magnetically Controllable Light Scattering Through a Thin Layer of Colloidal, Magnetic Nanoparticles (Ferrofluid) The aim of this project was to create visible light scattering effects by applying magnetic force to a sample of suspended iron particles, known as ferrofluid. I became interested in this subject by observing the bending of light by gravity and wondering if similar effects could be achieved using magnetic fields. A company, Ferrocell USA, has developed a magnetic field display unit, a Ferrocell, which consists of light directed through a thin layer of ferrofluid contained between two pieces of glass; when a magnet is positioned near the glass, the iron aligns with the field and the light is scattered across the aligned structures. In awe of the observed patterns, I was inspired to recreate and study them. A ferrocell was created by sealing ferrofluid between two 5 pieces of plexiglass, light was directed through the cell and a magnetic field was applied using a solenoid; no change in the light pattern was observed. Light was directed through the ferrocell and a magnetic field was applied using a neodymium magnet (four times stronger than the solenoid), a visible change in the light pattern was observed. Twelve diluted ferrofluid solutions were prepared within cuvettes, the cuvettes were placed inside a solenoid and light was directed through the sample; none of the twelve samples produced visible results but one sample produced a small change, measurable by a light sensor. This project has shown that visible and intriguing light patterns can be produced by manipulating the lights median of travel (in this case ferrofluid) with magnetism. Future work might include or incorporate: using a stronger solenoid to produce results similar to the neodymium magnets, an investigation as to why only one sample from the twelve produced measurable results, or investigate more thoroughly the various patterns producible by placing different magnets (or magnet arrangements) near the ferrocell. Tyler Wagner Biology 299 Dr. Marlena Yost, Faculty Advisor The Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment In this experiment, the number of potential antibiotic resistant bacteria living in soil in three different locations were determined at two different dates to observe any potential correlation between temperature and number of resistant bacteria. Additionally, temperature change was measured to see if it would affect the amount of growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Three different locations of soil samples were collected: Keelona Farm (off of Scottsville road) which 6 contained cows and zebras, a farm off of Secretarys Sand road in which only cattle was present, and a farm in Keswick, where no livestock was present. The soil samples for this experiment were collected twice, once in the middle of October, and once in the middle of November. For the trials, diluted soil samples were plated onto three different types of MacConkey agar plates. One set of five plates was MacConkey agar with no antibiotic present, one set of three plates contained a low concentration of tetracycline (Tet 3) and one set of three plates contained a high concentration of tetracycline (Tet 30). Soil samples were obtained, diluted, plated on corresponding agar and placed in the incubator at 28oF for 72 hours. Bacterial counts were collected after the incubation process along with data entry. The results indicated that the field with cows displayed the highest percentage in growth; this may be due to the high amount of cattle that were present on this particular field (30+). Next, the cow and zebra field still showed high amounts of growth but this number may be lower due to only having two zebras and 3 cows on the field. In these findings, the trend showed a decrease in growth between the month of October and November. The results support the question of if there was more growth in warmer weather with livestock then there will be less growth as the temperature becomes colder. These findings are important because it provides us with a better understanding of how the presence of antibiotics in soil can develop and potentially lead to the spread of disease or infection within humans. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria are at the phase where they no longer respond to a drug or antibiotic it was originally sensitive to. This means that the treatment for the microorganism will no longer work, making the infection harder to control. 7  ...

... Special thanks to the laboratory staff for facilitating or assisting with student projects: Laboratory Managers Jess Amos (Chemistry) Rosalyn Koontz (Biology) Jennifer Scott (Biology) Arelya Alvarez Biology 299 Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance on the Piedmont Virginia Community College Campus This study investigated the potential antibiotic resistant bacteria living in the soil and if temperature change of the soil would affect the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The three locations chosen to take soil samples from Piedmont Virginia Community College campus were near the pond, the field behind the Keats Building and the community garden. Soil samples were collected twice, once in October and again in November. One set of MacConkey agar plates with antifungal did not have antibiotic, the other set of plates had a low concentration of tetracycline and the last set of plates had a high concentration of tetracycline. The soil samples were diluted, plated then incubated. The results showed that the highest percent of relative frequency of antibiotic resistance was found in the field. This could be because the soil was very moist when the sample was taken compared to the other locations. The pond had the next highest percent of relative frequency, while the pond had the smallest percent of relative frequency. Although the amount of antibiotic resistant bacteria decreased, the trend stayed consistent in both trials indicating that the 2degree difference of the soil temperature had little to no effect in the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Faculty Advisor: Marlena Yost Abigail Bitler Biology 299 The Effects of Predatory Pressure on Multicellularity in Green Algae Knowing the origins of multicellularity gives insight into many different cell functions and helps advance our understanding of all life. Nicole Kings lab at University California Berkeley studies multicellularity in choanoflagellates, protists that are closely related to animals. Her lab has described how a bacterial sulfonolipid causes single cells to form colonies. By comparing single cells with colonies, they have been able to elucidate molecular mechanisms of multicelluarity. My research also explores the transition to multicellularity using green algae, a different group of protists that are closely related to plants. I hypothesized that I could induce colony formation in two green algae species, Eudorina elegans and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, using a predation model. In these experiments, single-celled green algae were exposed to predatory pressure from water fleas (Daphnia magna). After exposure to Daphnia magna for 24 hours, colonies were observed in Eudorina but not in Chlamydomonas. These results indicate that predatory pressure can induce colony formation in green algae. This finding provides a new research model that can be used at PVCC for future studies about the origins of multicellularity. Faculty Advisor: Anne Allison Ryan Butler - Biology 299 Escherichia coli Resistance to Chlorhexidine using Vitamin C Plates This experiment was performed to analyze the antioxidant Vitamin C and its potential to counteract the oxidizing effects of chlorhexidine on the bacteria Escherichia coli. To perform this experiment, plates were separated into nutrient agar and nutrient agar containing 1mg/1mL Vitamin C. The paper discs soaked into chlorhexidine at 0.12% and were then placed on to each of the plates and left to incubate. The bacteria found on the inner zone of inhibition were then harvested and re-plated, continuing the process for eight generations. The hypothesis predicted Vitamin C plates would see smaller zones of inhibition. Throughout the experiment, the inhibition zones only seemed to get larger, with Vitamin C agar showing larger zones than the standard agar, although no significant difference (df=14, p=0.3643) could be found, nor was there a significant change in Vitamin C plates over generational time (df=7 p=0.2127) or standard agar (df=7, p=0.2504). The results were inconclusive, but it could be inferred that Vitamin C has kept most of its properties and should be evaluated as an antimicrobial agent on its own. Faculty Advisor: Joanna Vondrasek Samuel Coates Chemistry 299 The Synthesis of the Parkinsons Drug R Rasagiline The goal of this experiment was to synthesize the anti-Parkinson drug, R Rasagiline. Rasagiline is a drug that increases amounts of dopamine in the brain to combat the effects of the Parkinsons disease. The first step was to synthesize the propargyl tosylate from propargyl alcohol to use to mix with indanamine HCL to synthesize the R/S Rasagiline racemic mixture. The product was then purified using various lab techniques to create the R/S Rasagiline oil including; acid-base extraction and column chromatography. IR, TLC, H-NMR, and C-NMR was taken on the purified R/S Rasagiline oil to determine the purity. This data was consistent with literature values, concluding that the R/S Rasagiline oil was produced with some residual dialkylated by-product. When conducting the resolution, the residual dialkylated product possibly interfered with the salt forming step resulting in the solid not precipitating out of the mixture. The R Rasagiline solid was not synthesized; however, the R/S Rasagiline oil was successfully synthesized. If more time was allotted for a second run, then the mixture would have been given more time to evaporate off any by-product that could have interfered with the resolution step of the experiment. Faculty Advisor: Barbara Heyl Heather Fitzgerald Chemistry 299 Sources of Drinking Water that Offer the Least Fluoride Concentration Fluoride does occur naturally in different places around the world. Ingested in high quantities fluoride can have detrimental effects on humans. Too much fluoride can cause discolored or malformed teeth, bone diseases, neurological effects, and other serious health problems. An experiment was designed to investigate and discover the best source of bottled drinking water that offered the least amount of fluoride concentration. Applying Beers Law, a standard concentration colorimetric assay determined a calibration curve. SPANDS-[parasulfophenylazo]-1, 8dihydroxy-3, 6-naphthalene disulfonate) is a colorimetric F- sensor that is to fluoride only. Deionized water was mixed with SPANDS reagent and each water sample. The absorbance intensity of the sample was measured in a spectrophotometer set at a wavelength of 580nm. Absorbance levels provided data to calculate concentration given by the calibration curve equation. Six weekly series of samples were tested and averaged. The data indicated, as expected, Charlottesville City water contained the most fluoride concentration. Surprisingly, Essentia overachieving water indicated nearly as much fluoride as Charlottesville City water, while claiming to be fluoride free. Bottled water company samples offered only trace amounts of fluoride, nearly equal to concentration amounts found in local rain and wells. Of the samples tested, La Bleu, an American water bottling company, who claims the ultimate purification process, offered the least amount of fluoride concentration. Future tests could include other bottled water brands or to repeat and compare data samples of brands that already have been tested. Faculty Advisor: Barbara Heyl Riley Loyd - Biology 299 Lipid Production for Biofuels in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Based on Nutrient Availability This study explored the effects of carbon abundance on lipid production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii algae environments containing sufficient nitrogen. This type of algae is being explored as a source for lipids that can be converted into usable biofuel. They have been shown to overproduce these lipids in nitrogen deprived conditions, leading to the hypothesis that carbon is channeled into lipid production when nitrogen is not available to make proteins. The algae were grown in TAP media in conditions with both standard and doubled concentrations of acetate in the media, and lipid production was analyzed by counting individual intracellular lipid droplets using fluorescence microscopy. It was found that no significant differences were detected in the numbers of intracellular lipid droplets between samples of cultures grown with standard and doubled amounts of acetate. High variation in the data indicates that more data of this type would need to be produced in order to identify a trend, and for now, a null hypothesis is the only supportable conclusion. The lack of a significant difference between conditions could indicate that Chlamydomonas reinhardtii have a peak metabolic rate, at which point increasing resource availability will not increase production. James Mahoney Physics 299 Faculty Advisor: Melinda Clark Exploratory examination of Electromagnetic Accelerators This study was an exploratory research-based examination of the efficacy of electromagnetic accelerators and their application for transportation technology. The project entailed constructing, wiring, and testing a system of 4 Helmholtz coils (electromagnets) operated first by a central micro-controller and then by 4 individual power supplies. The construction successfully demonstrated its ability to impart force in a given direction on a magnetizable object and to transport said object from one location to another. Further testing and experimentation with this valuable and exotic technology may provide incredible innovations in transportation. Faculty Advisor: Yana Goddard Aleesha Myrie Biology 299 The Resistance of Escherichia coli Against the Antimicrobial Functions of Garlic This project investigated the antimicrobial functions of garlic against Escherichia coli, and if, over an allotted four bacterial generations, E. coli evolved any resistance to the extract of the spice. To do this experiment, E.coli was grown on six plates. Garlic extract was introduced to the bacterial plates through the disk diffusion method and left to incubate for 24 hours. The inhibition zones were then measured and the E. coli that surrounded the outer edge of the previous inhibition zone were suspended and placed on a new six plates. In the three trials that were done, two showed no significant difference between the alcohol control, and the garlic extract detected across trials at the p=0.05 level; however, in trial two the bacteria showed a significant decrease in inhibition zones over three generations, (p=0.025, slope=0.53). In trial three there were no significant differences between control and garlic plates at each generation, but in general did show decreasing in sizes as the generations passed (p= 0.079, slope=0.16). This suggests that the bacteria were possibly evolving resistance to the alcohol solvent used as a control and to suspend the garlic extract. Trial one, became contaminated, likely with Bacillus subtilis, and interestingly, B. subtilis showed susceptibility to the garlic extract, with significantly larger zones of inhibition compared to control (Generation 4: p= 0.005, t=3.64, df=10). In conclusion, E. coli does not seem to be susceptible to garlic as an antimicrobial but might be able to evolve resistance to alcohol. Other bacteria, however, such as B. subtilis, might remain susceptible to garlic as an antimicrobial. Faculty Advisor: Ginger York Laura Pittaluga Chemistry 299 Hydrogen Ion Concentration and the Effects of Acid Erosion on Calcium Carbonate Dental enamel is known to demineralize when exposed to hydrogen ions. For this reason, the consumption of acidic beverages increases the risk of tooth decay. In the research presented here, the effects acidic beverages on dental enamel is investigated through the study of eggshells placed in various popular drinks such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Mountain Dew. Eggshells, composed of calcium carbonate, and dental enamel, composed of calcium phosphate, are thought to react similarly. To test the effects of different beverages on dental enamel, eggshells were soaked in various drinks over a period of three weeks. The resulting solutions were then tested for calcium content. Beverages with the highest hydrogen ion content (lowest pH), gained the most calcium from the eroding eggshells. Sugar also plays a role in tooth decay. In future experiments this could be analyzed as well. Reagan Schaeffer Chemistry 299 Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees Mercury in the South River, Waynesboro, Virginia In 1928, a division of DuPont manufacturing moved to Waynesboro, Virginia. Up until 1958, DuPont was manufacturing acetate rayon fibers, which require mercury for production. Mercury is a subsequent waste product of the industrial process. DuPont disposed of this waste by dumping it into the South River, which is adjacent to the Waynesboro DuPont property. This problem now stretches over 125 miles all the way from Waynesboro to Front Royal. There is no way to cook the mercury out of the fish caught in the river, and once ingested, the damage cannot be reversed. Soil from the riverbanks both below and above DuPont were tested for mercury concentration. My hypothesis was that there would be a greater mercury concentration below DuPonts property. The soil was tested by mixing it with water and creating a slurry. Mercury testing strips were used to identify any mercury present. There was no trace of mercury above DuPont, but there was 0.003-0.05ppm of mercury beneath DuPont. This supports my hypothesis and shows that DuPont did indeed dump their mercury waste into the river and have not remedied the issue. Ansley Steel Geology 299 Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees The Effects of Fertilizer on Marine Dinoflagellate Growth The purpose of this experiment was to determine if manmade nutrients in the water enhance marine dinoflagellate growth. Every year, the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem is damaged by harmful algal blooms. These harmful algal blooms grow only when there is an overabundance of nutrients. Many of these nutrients occur in the environment naturally, however, due to commercial farming and lawn care, many manmade nutrients, like fertilizers, are swept into the rivers and bay area. The presence of extra nutrients aide the dinoflagellates growth to well. When the dinoflagellates become to numerous, they deplete an area of nutrients, they prevent oxygen from dissolving into the water, and, depending on the species, they can release harmful toxins into the water. This is a serious problem for all organisms who live in or around the bay. For this experiment, the marine dinoflagellates Gymnodinium, Prorocentrum and Amphidinium were placed into beakers containing saltwater media with differing concentrations of fertilizer to see if they would grow more numerous in an environment with manmade nutrients. Two sets of tests were conducted. Both sets had a control group, a 0.625% concentration group, a 0.3125% group, a 0.25% group, a 0.125% group, and a 0.0625% group. Three samples of each group were taken, counted and then averaged to see how each group was growing. After two weeks, all data was collected, and it was determined that the dinoflagellates grew better in the controls then in the fertilizer rich environments. Faculty Advisor: Larry Tiezzi Chad Swisher Chemistry 299 The Correlation of Glyphosate and Bee Colonies My experiment analyzes deceased bee colonies from the Piedmont Virginia Community College as well as Rockbridge, and Albemarle County, Virginia for the presence of Glyphosate, which is a popularly used herbicide chemical. I extracted chemicals off bee colonies then analyzed HPLC Chromatographs of the colonies to look for a peak with a retention time similar to that of an established Glyphosate standard with a retention time of 6.5 minutes by Charles Sullivan, a former Piedmont Virginia Community College student. All 3 of the graphs produced peaks with various retention times, but they all failed to replicate retention time of the established standard. The data produced from the graphs indicated that my colony samples contained no traces of Glyphosate, for there were no peaks with a retention time similar to that of Glyphosate. Faculty Advisor: Barbara Heyl Mayra Vasquez Chemistry 299 The Effects of Stress Factors on Generic and Brand-Name Aspirin Tablets Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, is often used for the effective treatment of fever, pain, and inflammation. In pharmacies, there are many aspirin brands available from brand-name to generic tablets. The purpose of this experiment was to compare the quality of generic to brand-name aspirin. The quality will be tested by determining the purity of the various brands of aspirin tablets. Titration of the aspirin tablets was conducted in order to determine the content of the active ingredient, acetylsalicylic acid. Aspirin samples were also subjected to accelerated stress tests. The first stress test will involve observation of the accelerated hydrolysis of aspirin tablets in a buffered solution at 50 C using UV/VIS spectroscopy. The second stress test will involve an evaluation of the stability in differing relative humidity environments by observing their weight percentage change over the course of a month. The titration results revealed the following purity percentages: CVS health tablet: 96.36%, Equate tablet: 93.99%, Bayer: 93.26%, and Ecotrin aspirin tablets: 90.64%. The accelerated hydrolysis of the Ecotrin aspirin revealed that it was the most thermally stable tablet at 50C, with a rate constant of 0.0029 s -1 and an estimated shelf life of approximately 36 minutes under these conditions. In contrast, the Bayer tablet had a rate constant of 0.0042 s-1 and an estimated shelf life of 22.0 minutes. The CVS tablet had a rate constant of 0.0047 s-1 and an estimated shelf life of 22.0 minutes. The Equate tablet had a rate constant of 0.0035 s-1 and a shelf life of 30.0 minutes. Finally, the weight percentage changes due to humidity in each of the tablets did not yield information to suggest a certain tablet was more stable than the others. Overall, the data did not provide significant data to challenge the quality of generic aspirin compared to the brand-name aspirin. Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees  ...

... 1 This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1712724. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Special thanks to the laboratory staff for facilitating or assisting with student projects: Laboratory Managers Jess Amos (Chemistry) Rosalyn Koontz (Biology) Jennifer Scott (Biology) Ryan Chandler Alving Biology 299 Development of Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus epidermidis The question I attempted to address with this project was how long it takes for a bacterium to become resistant to an antimicrobial cleanser. This research would give us a timeline for how long we can use our antibacterials before they become ineffective or simply less effective. NeutralQ was used in this experiment because it is used in the biology labs here and is therefore readily available, and because it is marketed to hospitals as a surface disinfectant and a likely candidate for bacteria to develop resistance in a natural setting. Staphylococcus epidermidis was chosen because it is common in the normal flora of humans and animals, and so is a likely candidate for developing resistance to antimicrobials. I used three Kirby-Bauer tests using NeutralQ to establish the initial ZOI. Then the edge of each ZOI was sampled and transferred to a new plate. The Kirby-Bauer test was then repeated. This process was repeated for ten generations (ten sets of Kirby-Bauer tests). The concentration of NeutralQ remained constant, and the plates were incubated for about 24 hours. After data collection, I performed a t-test comparing the ZOIs from generation one to those of generation 10, which showed no statistically significant change; however, a following linear regression F test showed a significant trend towards smaller ZOIs. The two statistical analyses provided contradictory results which in part is due to the limited sample size as well as the limited number of generations tested. There was an apparent trend towards smaller ZOIs on average, but the starting and ending points were not significantly different enough to say conclusively that this was due to my experimental method. Further research would include a larger number of replicates (to provide more accurate averages), and a longer experimental run time (to see if the change would become statistically significant given more time). On a final note, I would hypothesize that given a longer run time for the experiment a t-test would show a significant change using this method. Faculty Advisor: Melinda Clark 2 Isabel Boyce Biology 299 Water Quality in Charlottesville, VA based on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Richness Benthic macroinvertebrates are visible animals without a backbone (mostly insect larvae) that can be found at the bottom of streams. These organisms serve as water quality indicators for freshwater streams. I have been working with the Rivanna Conservation Alliance (RCA) to generate the 2017-2018 stream quality report for our local watershed. Along with RCA scientists, I collected benthic macroinvertebrate data at three streams in 2018. Each sample contained approximately 200 organisms and produced a score on a 100-point scale called an Adapted Stream Condition Index (ASCI). These ASCI scores are determined by the benthic macroinvertebrate quantity, pollution sensitivity and diversity. Individual ASCI scores are then averaged with the prior three years for each stream. The three-year ASCI average is what determines if a stream is rated poor, fair, good, or very good. My hypothesis states that the ASCI scores for the three streams I sampled will be the same, if not better, in the 2016-2108 Stream Health Report then the scores for those three streams in the 2014-2016 report. Whether the data will support this hypothesis cannot be fully determined until the data is fully collected, quality assured and published in summer of this year. My observations of the three streams I visited include a rich abundance and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates as well as warm weather with little rainfall that would be consistent with long term stability of water quality at these stream locations. Faculty Advisor: Anne Allison Rachael Breving Chemistry 299 The Impact of Different Fertilizers on the Growth of Ocimum Basilicum Plants. The problem being addressed in this experiment is the reliability of companies to list all of the ingredients in their commercial fertilizers. When using fertilizers, it is important to know what their impact will be on the produce, the individuals eating the produce, and the environment. A commercial fertilizer will list the large components, such as the nitrogen to phosphorus to sulfate concentration, and a few micronutrients, but they will not release the total ingredient list. This then becomes concerning for the gardener and the consumer, due to the possibility that unlisted chemicals could harm the environment or consumer. In order to provide an alternative, this experiment compares a homemade fertilizer, made from three publicly available chemical salts, and a commercial fertilizer on the growth rates of Ocimum Basilicum (basil) plants. The homemade fertilizer was made with a 3-1-2 concentration of sodium nitrate, potassium phosphate, and potassium sulfate. Eighteen basil plants, grown from seed in the lab, were used in this experiment, with six plants each designated to three sections of growth monitoring. Six plants were given three mL of commercial fertilizer once a week for three weeks, six plants were given the same concentration of homemade fertilizer for the same time period, and six plants were given only water. The plants were all grown in the same conditions, from the same seed, and under the same light source. After three weeks, the plants were weighed in categories of leaf weight, root weight, and total weight. The growth rates of the plants were also monitored closely over four weeks. The results showed that the plants given commercial fertilizer grew the fastest and largest, while the plants given homemade fertilizer grew slightly slower and not quite as large. In comparison to the control plants (given only water), the plants given homemade fertilizer 3 quadrupled in height, weight, and growth rate. In conclusion, if one trusts a commercial fertilizer company to list all of their ingredients correctly, their plants will grow fruitfully. However, if one desires to know exactly what is being put onto their plants, into their environment, and into their body, using a homemade mixed fertilizer will also provide adequate plant growth. Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees Robert Owen Coleman Chemistry 299 Testing for Toxins in E-liquids The Electronic Cigarette was invented in 2003 by Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik. Since then they have grown in popularity exponentially and are often seen in everyday life. One of the most prominent reasons people use e cigarettes or vape pens is that it is seen to be healthier for you than smoking a normal tobacco cigarette, and although that may be the case, we still dont know how healthy it is for you. In my research I focused on the flavor additives that are put into the refill solutions for vape pens called e-liquids. These flavor additives are used to emulate the taste of different fruits or candies, but have not been tested to see if they are safe to breathe in. In my tests I was looking for the presence of benzaldehyde which has been seen to cause complications in mouse lungs. To do this I took several different flavors of e-liquid and ran them through an IR as both a liquid and a vapor. This ended up giving me inconclusive results due to the overabundance of compounds that make up the e-liquid itself. Next I did a distillation of just the cherry flavor in order to save time using the boiling points of some of the known compounds, like propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. I then tried running that sample through a GC but was unable to obtain results. I then used a "Tollens" test which tests for the presence of an aldehyde or oxidative alcohol. The positive result confirmed the presence of one of those compounds. From these results I cannot prove benzaldehyde was present in the e-liquid, but I can conclude that the e-liquid is not as safe as they are thought to be. Most aldehydes and almost all oxidative alcohols are harmful to your lungs and can cause long term damage. That being said, additional tests would be needed and more data collected in order to give a definitive stance on the toxicity of e-liquids. Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees Camden Cornelius Geology 299 Sauropod Fossil Excavation My project was to identify a dinosaur fossil bone from a dig site located in Wyoming. The bones were excavated from the Jurassic Morrison Formation by the Virginia Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Museum. We cracked open the plaster jacket with a reciprocating saw, and then the fun part began. The mudstone that surrounds the fossil is a relatively weak rock, so the Air Scribe and dental tools were enough to get to work on removing the rock layers. I kept excavating the areas that I thought had the most likelihood of having bone beneath them, until I found the fossil. Then it was just a matter of following where that bone led me. Eventually the bone was mostly excavated, and I could identify what it was. The shape of the bone pointed toward 4 being three separate vertebrae. The size of the vertebrae led me to believe that they were from the tail of the animal. The fossil was actually three vertebrae from the tail. After taking those two things into consideration, along with the location they were found in, I identified the vertebrae to have come from is a Diplodocus which is a large Sauropod weighing 10 to 14 tons and having a large tail. This fit my hypothesis of the fossil being from a Sauropod. This result also fits with the expectations of fossils found in the Morrison Formation, because Diplodocus fossils are some of the most common found in that formation. Faculty Advisor : Larry Tiezzi Kristen Crewe Biology 299 Heritability of Number of Cotyledons in Brassica rapa When a plant starts to grow, the first leaves that emerge are called cotyledons. Brassica rapa normally has only two cotyledons; however a mutation was noticed where the plants were polycot, having three, four, and sometimes five cotyledons. This is a relatively new and unstudied mutation, and the causes and effects of it are unknown. I selected for the two-cotyledon plants to see if the percentage of polycot plants could be reduced in a second generation, which would suggest a strong genetic component to this trait. To do this, seeds were planted and allowed to germinate and grow until they were above ground with their cotyledons. Before the true leaves started to appear, the plants with more than two cotyledons were cut at the ground, leaving only the two-cotyledon plants to continue to grow and to be able to reproduce. In the first generation of plants, 31% of the plants that germinated were two-cotyledon plants 56% of the plants had three cotyledons, and 13% had four cotyledons. In the second generation, 60% of the plants that germinated were two-cotyledon plants, while 30% of the plants had three cotyledons. 10% of the plants that germinated had the leaves die and fall off before they could be counted. In the future, an experiment could be conducted to see whether the polycot mutation alters survival and whether polycot plants have altered reproductive rates. If this was the case, it would explain why the mutation appeared in these plants and at such a high rate. Faculty Advisor: Joanna Vondrasek Caden Haney Biology 299 Bean Beetle Reproduction and Hatch Rate with Various Hydration Sources Bean beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus, have the unique ability to live and reproduce without the requirement of food or water for the duration of their short adult life span (7-10 days). The main focus of this research was to determine if different sources of hydration that provided two primary electrolytes, sodium and potassium that would increase hatch rate and reproduction within isolated bean beetle populations. Sodium and potassium are crucial to maintaining fluid balance in cells and extracellular fluids, thus improving semen quality and fertility which in turn can positively impact reproduction rates. This was performed by using 4 various conditions and 5 sources of liquids in isolated environments for two generations of bean beetles. Results were calculated to estimate the number of eggs laid per bean beetle through obtaining the average of each generations eggs laid per hatched bean beetles. Hatch rate was determined by taking the average number of bean beetles in each petri-dish of two samples with identical conditions. The experiment concluded no significant advantages or disadvantages in each of the 4 conditions. Faculty Advisor: Marlena Yost Sadie Kelly Biology 299 The Origins of Multicellularity In Green Algae Cells after Exposure to Algoriphagus machipongonensis Studying the origins of multicellularity offers insights into fundamental cell and molecular processes that advance out understanding of life with potential for far reaching implications. Knowing where modern day living things came from and how they became the way they are gives humanity insights into just how they evolved and what that means for all life. Previous research into the origins of multicellularity has been explored by Nicole King and her lab, which inspired this further research into the topic. In particular, they found that the bacteroidetes species Algoriphagus machipongonensis induces colony formation in the choanoflagellate species S. rosetta due to a complex biochemical reaction between the sulfonolipid secreted by A. machipongonensis and the internal processes of the protist cells. My study takes this research into a different direction along the Eukaryotic tree, exploring Green Algae protists, a study that has remained explored in the world of science until now. I hypothesized that A. machipongonensis would successfully induce colony formation in at least one of five varieties of Green Algae protist species including Volvox, Eudorina sp, Endorina elegans, Eudorina Californicas and Chlamydomonas moewusii. The results depict colony formation in Eudorina sp and unusual cell behavior in every other species of protist tested. These results suggest that due to the different nature of these Green Algae protists from the choanoflagellates tested in Nicole Kings lab, the sulfonolipid was not conducive to concrete colony formation in enough varieties of Green Algae to claim a place as a major contributor to the evolution of plants. These results, however, leave much room for further experimentation, perhaps repetition with these specific protists or alternate protist species to help understand similarities and differences in colony formation among Eukaryotes. Faculty Advisor: Anne Allison Zadiyah Kissai Biology 299 The Effects of Blackberry Juice on Water Flea (Daphnia magna) Lifespan Purple foods, such as purple sweet potatoes, blueberries, and blackberries contain antioxidants like anthocyanins that have been known to increase the lifespan of certain organisms like fruit flies (Drosophila)(Smith, 2011). Both water fleas, Daphnia magna, and fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, are arthropods, which means that they have similar responses to certain stimuli, like ecdysteroids, that regulate their development, maturation and reproduction (Hannas, 2009). Given the underlying genetic similarity of arthropods, for this particular experiment, I 6 hypothesized that a population of water fleas, Daphnia magna, that are grown in water containing blackberry juice will experience a longer lifespan than a population of Daphnia magna grown only in spring water. First, an acute toxicity test was performed, for 48 hours, to determine the appropriate concentration of blackberry juice to give to one population, which turned out to be 0.0625%. After selecting this concentration, a control population of 20 Daphnia organisms were exposed to a solution containing spring water and dry algae while an equally sized experimental population was exposed to a solution containing spring water, dry algae, and blackberry juice. After using both populations to perform a chronic toxicity test that lasted 24 days, I discovered that there were significantly more Daphnia from the experimental population that survived during the whole duration of this experiment, compared to the control population (p-value= 0.004, df=1, chi-squared= 8.33). I also discovered that the experimental population had a higher rate of asexual reproduction (p-value=1.9 E-22, df=1, chi-squared= 1488.7). These results suggest that living in water containing blackberry juice, not only increases Daphnias lifespan, but also increases its reproductive rate. Whether these results are due to the presence of anthocyanins or decreased dissolved oxygen content is unclear. Faculty Mentor: Joanna Vondrasek Kevin Lambert Physics 299 Additive Manufacturing (AM) vs. Traditional Manufacturing (TM) Case Study: Efficiency and Productivity of AM vs. TM Water Pumps This experiment examined the differences in performance of two water pumps. One pump was designed to be manufactured by way of traditional manufacturing methods. The second was specifically designed such that it could NOT be realistically constructed from TM methods; it could be produced by way of AM processes. Both pumps were designed using Autodesk Inventor 2017, within the same design constraints. For simplicity and consistency, both parts were to be 3D printed out of ABS using a Stratasys Dimension Elite using dissolvable support structure. The first design was verified by an engineer as realistically producible through TM methods. Post build surface smoothing was applied to both designs. Both were powered with a 12V, 1250A power supply. The efficiency and maximum head of both pumps were to be measured and compared. The efficiency was simply the ratio of power input to power output, and the maximum head was the cut off head, or the height to which water could no longer be collected through pumping. Based on a previous experiment, it was hypothesized that the AM only design would be more efficient. Further testing is required to verify this hypothesis, as the Stratasys Dimension Elite broke down, making it impossible to construct and thoroughly test the parts prior to the publication deadline. This paper outlines the difficulties encountered in the design process and the limitations and strengths of both design processes. Faculty Advisor: Yanina Goddard 7 Nicholas Warren Littlehales-Staton Biology 299 Will E. coli shed an antibiotic resistance plasmid when exposed to environmental stress? A huge difficulty in modern medicine is that bacteria are so adaptable that they will actually procure a resistance to many of the antimicrobials that are used to treat them. This in turn makes some very common diseases difficult to treat. One mechanism of combating this is to remove specific drugs from use for a set period of time as it is believed microbes will lose their resistance mechanisms if that pressure is no longer present. This experiment explored the possibility of reducing the occurrence of a resistance in a culture when it is exposed to environment-like stresses, while removing any antimicrobial pressure. These stresses include less available nutrients, longer periods of stationary growth phase, and lower temperatures. The experiment was conducted with E. coli, transformed with the pGLO plasmid, which codes for a green fluorescent protein as well as a resistance gene to the antimicrobial ampicillin. The cultures were grown in tubes comprised of M9 reduced nutrient broth, and transferred every 1-2 days, depending on the cultures conditions. The occurrence of the plasmid was tested by T-streaking plates of LB agar containing ampicillin. From the first period of testing, 14 days, only one culture showed strong evidence of shedding the plasmid, the culture incubated at 37C and transferred every 24 hours. One week later, all three cultures showed very little growth on the ampicillin plates, showing a reduced occurrence of the plasmid. After this point, the reduction of the plasmid plateaued. It would be nearly impossible to completely rid the population of the plasmid, due to the enormous bacterial count as well as the very short generation time. While the plasmid may never be completely removed, the reduction of the plasmid in the cultures tested was significant. This experiment suggests that removing an antimicrobial completely from the market for a time will reduce the occurrence of the resistance in environmental bacteria. It may be possible to phase out antimicrobials in cycles, in order to always keep the lowest occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria possible. Faculty Advisor: Melinda Clark Rosemarie Mullen Biology 299 Reproduction Rate of Bean Beetle After Exposure to Red Bull The purpose of this experiment was to observe the effects of Red Bull on Callosobruchus maculatus, or bean beetle, reproduction rate. The experiment compared the egg production and hatchling rate between three different environments. The three environments were exposure to Red Bull, water, and a dry condition. After being exposed to Red Bull, it is expected that the reproduction rate and number of eggs laid per female will be higher than the water environment and dry environment, due to the caffeine in the Red Bull. Although the Red Bull condition had more eggs compared to the wet and dry conditions, its hatch rate was lower than both the water environment and the dry environment. After doing an ANOVA test on both the total number of eggs and the average number of eggs laid per female the calculated p-values for both tests were greater than .05 making the data not significant. The calculated p-value for the total number was 0.24 and 0.29 for the average number of eggs laid per female beetle. One reason why the experiment rejected the hypothesis could have been due to competition over the beans. Each 8 replicate only had 50 beans total, which is not a sufficient amount for the total number of eggs to hatch successfully. Another reason could have been the amount of Red Bull exposure, perhaps a higher dosage would have changed the results of the experiment and not rejected the hypothesis. Faculty Advisor : John Walsh Galen Reed Chemistry 299 Testing for Differences Between Raw and Pasteurized Milk in Yogurt The sale or marketing of raw milk is prohibited in Virginia and 19 other states. Commercially available milk has been pasteurized, a process created by a French scientist named Louis Pasteur. He discovered that heating beer, milk, or wine killed the harmful microorganisms commonly found in these products. Since then, all dairy products found in stores have been pasteurized to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present. In this study, I am trying to see if there are any significant differences in yogurt made from raw milk and yogurt made from pasteurized milk. To test this, raw milk was collected from a local dairy farm and made into yogurt by adding a bacteria culture and heating it to 37C in an incubator. The bacteria culture contained Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Streptococcus thermophilus, which are common yogurt starters available in organic food stores. To pasteurize a sample of the milk, it was put into a beaker and heated with a hot plate at 85C for 30 minutes while being stirred. The third sample that was turned into yogurt was whole milk from a commercial grocery store. The pH of both the milk and the yogurt was tested and the glucose levels of the yogurt determined. A oneway anova test was done on both the pH of the yogurt created and the glucose of the other samples. The results of the test show there were no significant differences between the samples. A gramstain test was run on all three yogurt samples to identify the bacteria present. The gram-stain test showed that none of the yogurt samples contained gram-negative bacteria, only the gram-positive bacteria from the culture used to make the yogurt was present. This means that there were not any harmful or dangerous bacteria in the yogurt which is usually found in raw milk. Overall, I was able to find that there arent any significant differences in yogurt made from raw milk and pasteurized milk. Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees Jesse Isaac Rodriguez Biology 299 Authentication of Cinnamon Verum in Commercial Cinnamon Supplements Using PCR and Gel Electrophoresis Today the market seems to be flooded with brand after brand of natural plant supplements that have certain health benefits. A common supplement that has many benefits including the prevention of heart disease is Cinnamon. However, since there are little regulations currently in place for plant supplements; how can the consumer be sure that a supplement claiming to be composed purely of one plant and a cellulose capsule is truly composed of only that plant, or if the purity and authenticity of the plant in the supplement is affected by the price at which it is sold? To answer these questions two Cinnamon verum supplements were purchased at two different 9 price points; DNA was extracted and put through a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and then run through a Gel Electrophoresis to compare the band sizes of both supplements to that of pure/natural Cinnamon verum. After the Gel Electrophoresis, trial 1 was a successful run. Trial 2 however was inconclusive because of the presence of a band in the negative control meaning this trial had contamination. Trial 1, however, exhibited an interesting result; bands were observed in all supplement wells and natural comparison plant wells with no contamination present. Ground cinnamon had a considerably stronger band coinciding in size with the positive control (about 297bp), meaning it had more of the chloroplast gene to match the positive control. From the bands on trial 1 it can be concluded that both supplements were authenticated as plants. However, it seems that the higher dollar supplement is genetically the same as natural bark cinnamon. The lower dollar supplement was in between both ground and bark meaning that there is a greater possibility for the purity of the lower dollar supplement to be lower than that of the higher dollar choice. Although further research is required to definitively say that the higher the dollar amount the purer a natural supplement is; with the research that has already been conducted there is just enough evidence to assume that the more a consumer pays for a natural supplement (in this case cinnamon) the better quality they will receive and later ingest. Future research should include the use of a Cinnamon verum specific primer mix in order to truly weed out the non-pure substances and perform a true authentication. Faculty Advisor : Marlena Yost Chris Routson Biology 299 The Effects of Caffeine, Cane Sugar, and Vitamin B2 on the Growth Rate of Planaria Planaria are a species of flatworm that are often utilized in scientific research because of their regenerative abilities. Planaria can be cut into multiple minute pieces that will regenerate into a new worm. In my experiment, I tested the effects of different substances, Vitamin B2 also known as Riboflavin, pure cane sugar, caffeine, and control group in aged tap water on the regenerative growth rate of Planaria. My hypothesis was that Vitamin B2 would have the most substantial effect on the Planarias growth rate out of the three substances tested, since Vitamin B2 is important for growth and bodily repair. I also split each substance into 50% concentration, 10% concentration, and 1% concentration to evaluate if a higher concentration of a substance would have an effect on the regenerative rate. After being cut and put into the varying solutions the Planaria were checked approximately every few days for changes in growth. Out of the three solutions tested, Vitamin B2, at a lowest concentration stimulated the fastest growth rate. The data showed that solutions at higher concentrations did worse than solutions at lower concentrations, which may have been due to multiple reasons, with some consideration of how evaporation of the water may have caused the Planaria to become dehydrated. Knowledge gained from this experiment can help show how certain substances may have an effect on the growth of Planaria, which in turn may correlate with the growth of humans and other organisms. Faculty Advisor: John Walsh 10 Robert Stanhope Chemistry 299 The Isolation of Stigmasterol from Beefsteak Tomatoes The purpose of this experiment was to isolate stigmasterol, a phytosterol, from beefsteaks tomatoes. Stigmasterol is an excellent precursor for the synthesis of various steroids that can be used for pharmaceutical purposes and beefsteak tomatoes are easily accessible and low cost. The extract from the tomatoes was tested with the Lieberman-Burchard test for steroids to prove that phytosterols were present. The tomato extract was run through a infrared spectrum in conjunction with a stigmasterol standard again to confirm phytosterol presence. Thin layer chromatography was utilized to test for phytosterols in conjunction with cholesterol and stigmasterol as controls. TLC for the extracted material produced 3 spits with the following average retention factors, 0.19, 0.59, and 0.93. Stigmasterol had an average retention factor of 0.23 and cholesterol of 0.23. The lowest similar RF to stigmasterol and cholesterol indicates that it is phytosterol. All three test that were conducted indicate that phytosterols were extracted from tomatoes, but further isolation of stigmasterol was not achieved. The high degree of structural similarity between phytosterols makes conventional means of separation difficult. Column chromatography was able to isolate the bulk of phytosterols, but it was not possible to isolate the individual phytosterols. Faculty Advisor: Barbara Heyl Alyssa Sweigart Chemistry 299 Optimization of Industrial Melatonin Synthesis for Micro Scale Melatonin, also known as N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine, was first isolated by A.B.Lerner in 1958 and is a hormone secreted by the pineal glands that regulates sleep patterns. Naturally, it is only produced in the body in small quantities, but since it has become generally accepted as a useful sleep-aid with other benefits, an industrial sized synthesis was devised for mass production. In this experiment, an attempt was made to perform the same industrial synthesis, but on a microscale, scaling the reactants down 1000X, from kilograms to grams. The desire was to see how the different scale would affect the procedure and the outcomes. It was reported that the synthesis would take 5 steps, and, on a microscale, the product made it to step 4 before breaking down. Steps 1, 2, and 3 all required many trials, as the base line synthesis for the industrial model did not respond the same on the micro scale. Attempts were made to optimize the process for the microscale by increasing the purification efforts and evaporating off solvents when the product did not precipitate out as reported. Melt temperatures were taken for each intermediate product as well as IR spectra. These tests were able to prove the existence of the intermediate products and thus the success of steps 1-3. However, step 4, the Japp-klingemann into Fischer Indole reaction proved too complex for the small amount of remaining product, as with each step the yield was reduced due to the increased purification procedures. Steps 1-3 averaged 75%, 45%, and 85% respectfully. Step 4 resulted in a tar substance that had an IR similar to step 3s product, indicating the reaction had not taken place. The positive results from the beginning steps proves the scaling of a simplistic synthesis is possible, while more complicated reactions may need larger quantities of reagent to engage the reaction. Faculty Advisor: Barbara Heyl 11 Ronald Nathaniel Thacker Physics 299 Using Water to Move Water: An Analysis of the Hydraulic Ramp Pump and its Efficiency The hydraulic ram pump is a device used to pump water without any input from outside energy sources such as electricity. The pump operates by using the flow of water moving through the pump as the source of energy for pushing a very small percentage of that water to a higher altitude. The purpose of this experiment was to examine and modify the design of a hydraulic ram pump to find if the efficiency could be improved through changing certain parts of the pump. In this experiment, seven different ram pump designs were tested against a control. Two different tests were carried out on each design. The first test measured the maximum delivery height that each pump design could achieve. The second test measured the flow rate of each pump design at a height of twenty feet. The maximum delivery height test was conducted three times for each pump design, the flow rate test only twice. After experimentation, two designs exemplified a definite improvement of more than 26% in delivery height achieved when compared to the control. The designs included the addition of a check valve at the beginning of the delivery pipe which resulted in a height increase of seven and a half feet. A reduction in the size of the pipe supplying water to the pump resulted in a height increase of twelve feet. Also, the flow rate of the control was improved by more than 36% with the reduced drive pipe design, as well as both designs which incorporated a pool noodle into the pressure tank. These modifications enabled the pump to push a larger volume of water per unit of time when compared to the control. Although the uncertainty in the height and flow rate measurements was higher than anticipated, there is clear evidence that the control hydraulic ram pump design can be improved, thereby increasing its usefulness as an eco-friendly water pump. Faculty Advisor: Yanina Goddard 12  ...

... 2017 Fall Science Presentations Science 299 Independent Research Projects Science 299 projects are semester-long independent research projects that students pursuing an A.S. in Science are required to complete prior to graduation. Students carry out their research under the guidance of a PVCC science faculty member as mentor. Below are the abstracts of the projects completed in Fall 2017. Special thanks to the laboratory staff for facilitating or assisting with student projects: Laboratory Managers Jess Amos (Chemistry) Rosalyn Koontz (Biology) Jennifer Scott (Biology) Support from Virginia / North Carolina Alliance grant - NSF 11-543 Barfoot, Tom Biology 299 A Demonstration of How Promoter Sequences Control Gene Expression The expression of a gene required for proper cellular function begins at the DNA promoter. Canonical promoter sequences lead to successful gene expression. However, if a promoters sequence is changed by just one or two nucleotides, transcription and thereby translation may diminish or stop altogether. To demonstrate how promoter sequences control gene expression, my promoter replacement experiment uses an E. coli plasmid capable of expressing two different fluorescent proteins (either green or pink). To switch the promoters that control the expression of these proteins, I use a novel technique called Golden Gate Assembly (GGA). Briefly, GGA involves using a common thermal cycler to switch the promoters via a series of repeated DNA restriction enzyme cuts and DNA ligation reactions. The original promoter in the pClone plasmid leads to the expression of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). When replaced with the P5 promoter, Red Fluorescent Protein (RFP) is expressed. When replaced with the P533A promoter, which is a nonfunctional promoter because of its altered nucleotide sequence, no fluorescent proteins are expressed. I had hypothesized that the plasmids with the P5 promoters would produce many more pink-glowing E. coli colonies than the plasmids with the P5-33A promoters. I found that 1% of the P5 colonies fluoresced pink, which indicated expression of RFP. By comparison, there were no pink colonies for the nonfunctional P5-33A promoter, indicating no expression of RFP, which was expected. Both negative and positive controls behaved as expected, and for all conditions, the amount of protein expression was quantified using imageJ software. While the replacement efficiency for the P5 promoter was lower than anticipated, the result supports the original hypothesis and demonstrates how promoter sequences regulate gene expression. Faculty Advisor: Anne Allison Danneman, Mark Biology 299 Plasmid Retention in E. coli in Environments of Varying Selectivity Evolution through natural selection requires that organisms allocate their limited resources to investing in and passing on genes that provide a fitness advantage. To demonstrate this genetic selectivity, Escherichia coli was transformed with a pGLO plasmid that included a gene for ampicillin resistance and a green-fluorescent protein (GFP). They were incubated in varying media for 1,008-1,344 generations (assuming a 15-20 minute generation time over a period of 14 days). The transformed bacteria were then exposed to ampicillin and arabinose to see if the plasmids for ampicillin resistance and GFP remained. Line #1 grew in media of Luria Broth (LB), ampicillin, and arabinose sugar, line #2 grew in LB and ampicillin, and line #3 grew in LB only, without either the ampicillin selective factor or the arabinose trigger for GFP. It was hypothesized that line #1, continuously needing the genes for ampicillin resistance and expressing GFP, would retain both genes, line #2, needing only the gene for ampicillin resistance, would retain the resistance gene but lose the GFP gene, and line #3 would stop expressing both genes. The final populations from all three generation lines grew in the presence of ampicillin and expressed the GFP gene in the presence of arabinose, rejecting the initial hypothesis, suggesting that the length of the study and/or the lack of selective pressure failed to cause the populations to remove the unused genes. Faculty Advisor: Joanna Vondrasek Dove, John Biology 299 Bacteria Succumb to Cayenne Pepper More Readily than Animals Capsaicin, the compound that gives peppers their heat, is known to have antimicrobial characteristics. Unfortunately, pure capsaicin is both expensive and extremely dangerous to handle. It follows that research studies use a wide range of sources of capsaicin where the amount of capsaicin is not known. This makes it difficult to compare one study to another. Furthermore, published studies tend to focus on a single organism making it difficult to compare the effects of capsaicin across different species and the bulk of the existing literature lacks important details, such as the concentration used. Here, I use ground cayenne pepper as a source of capsaicin to compare its effects on two different organisms: the bacterium, E. coli, and a small invertebrate animal, the water flea, Daphnia magna. I hypothesized there would be a minimal concentration that would kill bacteria without killing the majority of the more complex, multicellular, eukaryotic water flea. I conducted a toxicity assay on Daphnia and a Kirby Bauer zone of inhibition on E. coli. The toxicity assay revealed that 50% of daphnia were dead after 48 hours in 0.1% cayenne pepper solution. A Kirby Bauer assay, using the same 0.1% solution, revealed an observable area where bacterial growth was completely inhibited. This finding suggests that relatively low concentrations of cayenne pepper, most likely due to its active ingredient capsaicin, can be used as an effective antimicrobial substance to which larger organisms are less susceptible. Given the other compounds present in the cayenne pepper, it cant be concluded that it was solely capsaicin that had this affect, it is however the most likely cause of the results. Faculty Advisor: Anne Allison Ford, Micah Chemistry 299 The Best Bang for your Buck? Determining value between coffee brands in regards to caffeine content The purpose of this experiment was to determine if there is a significant difference in caffeine content in different coffee brands. My hypothesis is that the amount of caffeine concentration found in store brand coffee is within 5% of higher priced coffee such as the Starbucks brand. Four different brands were used in this experiment: Great Value Original Roast, Maxwell House Original Roast, Folgers Original Roast, and Starbucks House Blend. The original roast for each brand was used, a medium roast coffee, to obtain a constant among the brands. All coffee was brewed using a drip machine to ensure the same brewing method as a constant in the experiment as well. A liquid-liquid extraction method was utilized to extract the caffeine from the brewed coffee. Dichloromethane was used as the organic solvent. Three separate trials were performed for each brand. Great Value Original Roast, the cheapest store brand, produced an average 34.83 milligrams of caffeine per gram of coffee brewed in comparison to the more expensive Starbucks House Blend at an average of 24.05 milligrams of caffeine per gram of coffee brewed. Within the context of this experiment, high caffeine content did not correlate with the more expensive coffee brand. Thus, my original hypothesis was rejected. The Great Value store brand was above 5% and the Maxwell House was below 5%, not within, of the caffeine content in the higher priced Starbucks brand. Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees Harr, Kaitlyn Biology 299 The Ability of Bifidobacterium lactis ssp animalis to Inhibit Escherichia coli Bifidobacterium lactis ssp animalis (BB-12) is a well-documented probiotic sub-strain that is classified as a Gram-Positive, non-endospore forming, and fastidious anaerobic bacteria which colonizes the large intestine (Jarocki, et al., 2016). It is thought that roughly 25% of the known intestinal bacteria falls into genus of Bifidobacterium under the phylum Actinobacteria. Differences in geographic location, culture, and diet can affect the diversity of the intestinal tract flora (Krogius-Kurikka, et al., 2009). This study tested the ability of BB-12 to antagonize Escherichia coli, inhibiting its growth. E.coli. is a Gramnegative, facultative anaerobic bacteria that colonizes the human intestine (Saggini, et al., 2011). These characteristics along with its ability to grow quickly, made it an ideal starting bacteria to test the effects of a probiotic supplement on. Colonies of BB-12 were grown on MRS agar plates using 96 hour anaerobic incubation methods at 37C. A 1 cm test tube was used to create discs from the MRS agar plates with BB-12 colonies as well as MRS agar plates without colonies. The MRS agar plates without BB-12 were used as a negative control. The discs were then placed on the middle of nutrient agar plates. Six plates total, one disc per plate contained a BB-12 disc. Three plates contained only MRS agar discs without colonies, one disc per plate. E.coli. was lawned around the discs on all nine plates. The plates were incubated at 37C for 24 hours in anaerobic conditions. Inhibition of E.coli. was observed on all six plates containing the BB-12 probiotic colonies. The average zone of inhibition observed measured at 1.6 cm. Control plates showed no inhibition of E.coli. growth. Future experiments could include analysis of metabolic mechanisms assist BB-12 with inhibition as well as testing its ability to inhibit other enteric bacteria. Faculty Advisor: Melinda Clark Jones, Janessa Biology 299 Will Different Light Conditions Effect Egg Productivity in Callosobruchus maculatus? Callosobruchus maculatus, also known as the Bean Beetle, is a pest species native to Europe and Africa, and is known for its high reproductivity and short life span. I examined the effects of using various light conditions (24 Hour Dark, 12-Hour Dark/12-Hour Light, and 24 Hour Light) on egg production in bean beetles. I hypothesized that beetles exposed to the 24 Hour Light condition, would produce a higher yield of egg production. Five male and five female beetles were put into 15 petri dishes containing 200 mung beans and placed under different light sources; 24- Hour Dark, 12-Hour Dark/12-Hour Light, and 24-Hour Light. After seven days, the eggs were counted and beetles in the 24-Hour Dark group produced an average of 8 eggs, beetles in the 12-Hour Dark/12-Hour Light produced an average of 32.4 eggs, and beetles in the 24 Hour Light produced an average of 10.2 eggs. A week later, I counted the eggs again, and beetles in the 24 Hour Dark group produced an average of 15.4 eggs, 12-Hour Dark/12-Hour Light group produced an average of 38.8 eggs, and the 24-Hour Light group produced an average of 20 eggs. During both counts, the 12-Hour Dark/12-Hour Light group had a higher yield of eggs compared the other groups. The 24-Hour Dark group produced the lowest egg yield in both counts. As a result, I rejected the hypothesis that bean beetles exposed to 12-Hour Dark/12-Hour Light conditions would have the highest egg production. Future experiments could control temperature more carefully and use virgin beetles in all samples. However, farmers could use light exposure as a possible control to limit the amount of pests from invading their beans. Faculty Advisor: John Walsh Lane, Annika Biology 299 Rates of Fungal Growth on Organic Home-made French Fries Compared to McDonalds French Fries with Chemical Preservatives Many commercial food companies add preservatives to their food to enhance freshness and increase the shelf-life of their products. The ingredient list of McDonald's french fries is so intensive, complex, and contains additives that many cannot even pronounce. By comparing organically grown home-made french fries with McDonald's fries containing preservatives, this study will determine whether McDonalds or homemade french-fries grow more fungus in room and slightly above room temperatures. Two types of french fries were obtained, one from McDonalds, the other a home-cooked organic potato fried in canola oil. The mass of both kinds of fries were recorded. Half of the total sample was placed in room temperature conditions and half were placed in an incubator at 27 degrees Celsius. The fungal growth process was recorded three times over the span of ten days. Final measurements of fungal area around the french-fries in room temperature conditions suggests that there is no difference between homemade fries and McDonalds fries (43.2 cm2, 29.6 cm2) respectively. These values were found not to be statistically significant (p = 0.716). Final measurements in the 27 degree Celsius incubator also found that there was no statistical difference between homemade and McDonalds fries (37.3 cm2, 23.0 cm2) respectively. These values were also found to not be statistically significant (p = 0.1). Although not statistically significant, results suggest that McDonalds fries might inhibit growth in a warmer temperature setting. If repeated, this experiment should have a larger control group for greater accuracy. Additional studies could examine other weather conditions to see if certain temperatures influence fungal growth. Knowledge gained from this experimentation can further educate individuals on fungal growth trends based on temperature and exposure to foods with or without preservatives. Faculty Advisor: Joanna Vondrasek Amy Stewart Biology 299 Analysis of the efficacy of point of use enzymatic cleaners in removing organic material from surgical instrumentation Surgical procedures are becoming more complex, leading to longer periods of time before instruments can be properly cleaned. When organic materials are left to dry on instruments for extended periods of time, it can pose increased difficulty in removing these materials and cause a build up of biofilm on the instruments. Biofilm is a group of any microorganisms that stick to each other or a surface, and become adherent and very difficult to remove. By using a point of use enzymatic cleaner to initiate the cleaning process of instruments, these organic materials are kept moist until decontamination has begun and help prevent biofilm build up. To test the efficacy of three different enzymatic cleaners, Pre-Kelnz by Steris, PrepZyme by Ruhof, and EmPower Foaming Enzymatic Spray by Metrex, an initial weight of the surgical instruments was obtained and they were contaminated with defibrinated sheeps blood. During every trial the sheeps blood was allowed to sit for thirty minutes prior to an enzymatic cleaner being applied. Each cleaner was tested with a one-hour and a twenty-four hour dry time. After rinsing and allowing the instruments to dry, a final weight was taken, and an average of gross containment left behind was calculated. The results showed that the best overall performer was EmPower Foaming Spray. Pre-Klenz and PrepZyme performed the best during a one hour drying time, but performed significantly worse with a twenty-four hour drying time. Not only did this study show that EmPower performed the best overall, it also demonstrated that shorter periods of dry time are key in the removal of organic materials. Faculty Advisor: Marlena Yost  ...

... 2017 Spring Science Presentations Science 299 Independent Research Projects Science 299 projects are semester-long independent research projects that students pursuing an A.S. in Science are required to complete prior to graduation. Students carry out their research under the guidance of a PVCC science faculty member as mentor. Below are the abstracts of the projects completed in Spring 2017. Special thanks to the laboratory staff for facilitating or assisting with student projects: Laboratory Managers Ed Funck (Chemistry) Rosalyn Koontz (Biology) Jennifer Scott (Biology) Support from Virginia / North Carolina Alliance grant - NSF 11-543 Akauola, Tangi - Chemistry 299 Nitrates and Nitrites in Processed Meats Sodium Nitrite is commonly used as an additive in processed meats such as bacon, sausages, canned poultry etc. Its main purpose is to preserve meats, allowing them to remain in non-frozen temperatures without spoilage. However, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, there is convincing evidence that links diets high in nitrite and colorectal cancer. Studies provided by the World Health Organization found that the consumption of large amounts of nitrite results in the formation of nitrosamine, a known carcinogen to animals. The purpose of this experiment was to measure the nitrite content in a variety of the nations most popular meat products, thus determining which processed meats contained the highest amounts of nitrate preservatives. It was hypothesized that hotdogs would yield the highest amount of nitrite due to the extensive refining process that the meat undergoes. Samples were taken from a variety of processed meat products, all of which belonged to the leading brands in terms of the highest annual sales. The products tested included: beef jerky, bacon, spam, pepperoni, bologna and hotdogs. The sodium nitrite was effectively extracted from the meat samples using ho water. The extracted nitrite was then reacted with two reagents, sulfanilamide (Sulfa) and naphthyl ethylenediamine (NEDA) in order to produce a vibrant purple dye. Because the intensity of the dyes color corresponds to the concentration of nitrite ions present in the solution, Beers law and spectrophotometry was used to estimate the relative nitrite content in the meat products. Results indicated that Beef Jerky contained the highest nitrite content with 0.0185%. Hotdogs and Spam both had similar amounts of nitrite. Hotdogs had a nitrite content of 0.0106% and Spam 0.0101%. Bacon was measured at 0.00825%, pepperoni at 0.00454% and the lowest was bologna, with a nitrite content of 0.00221%. The results indicate a strong correlation between meat products designed to remain spoil-free at warmer temperatures and having higher amounts of nitrogen based preservatives, hence why beef jerky contains a higher amount of nitrite compared to bologna. Results provided by this research encourages people to reduce the intake of processed meats, particularly the products treated to remain spoil-free in a warmer open environment. Faculty Advisor- Barbara Heyl Al Mulhim, Wadah - Biology 299 The Difference of Fungal Growth on Organic and Conventionally-Grown Apples and the Effect of Sanitation on the Amount of Growth The agricultural methods used to grow fruit and vegetables are changing rapidly to keep up with the markets demand. This includes the addition of new fungicides and pesticides to protect these crops from rotting and molding. In the past, the apple market has struggled to conserve the apples and extend shelflife. Rotting and molding caused major loss in profit for both farmers and corporations. To study the effects of fungicide/pesticide application and its effectiveness to preserve the apples, I compared the fungus growth on organic and conventionally-grown apples. I also studied the significance of sanitation by categorizing the apples into washed and unwashed groups. The samples were separated into four study groups; organic washed, organic unwashed, conventionally-grown washed, and conventionally-grown unwashed. The plates were left in the laboratory for two weeks under room temperature of 25oC. After the fourteen-day period, the fungal growth was significantly larger on the organic apple skins than the conventionally-grown samples with a p-value of 0.0001 between both unwashed and washed samples. The results match my hypothesis that organic apples, washed and unwashed, will have a larger area of fungal growth on its skin than the conventionally-grown apples. Washing did not make a difference in the fungal growth of the organic apples (p = 0.4210). However, washing did significantly reduce the fungal growth in the conventional apples (p= 0. 000407). The difference between organic and conventional samples were not exclusively limited to the fungal growth, but other observations were reordered during the laboratory work. Conventionally-grown apples required additional effort to cut the samples. In contrast, organic samples were easier to cut. Also, the organic samples changed color from yellow to brown faster than conventionally-grown apples. It is reasonable to conclude that organic apples contain less pesticides and thus it is less likely to shield itself from fungal growth than the conventional apples. The use of pesticide and fungicide to conserve the apples and extend the shelf-life has both positives and negatives, including the positives of extended shelf life, but also potential negative effects of pesticides/fungicides on human health. Due to limited resources and time restriction, I could not test which option is healthier, but additional experiments can be helpful to test this hypothesis. Faculty Advisor: Joanna Vondrasek Butts, Sarah Biology 299 Enrichment of fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli mutants under conditions similar to the subsurface environment. Antibiotic resistance has existed since the very discovery of antibiotics. It has become more of a problem lately however, due to its frequent misuse. In the agricultural setting, antibiotics are used very effectively to prevent diseases. However, a study done in by the department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology at the Uppsala University in Sweden, showed that low doses of antibiotics as found in soil, could select for resistance. They used three groups of antibiotics that are relevant to both human and veterinary use, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides. The antibiotic used in this experiment is of the fluoroquinolone family and is commonly used in the agricultural setting. Runoff from unmetabolized or wasted antibiotics can enter the soil and will be present there in low doses, allowing for resident microbial populations to be exposed and potentially develop resistance mechanisms. Based on this, an experiment was generated to test if a lab strain of Escherichia coli could evolve resistance to low doses of danofloxacin under conditions similar to the subsurface environment. Equal amounts of autoclaved soil samples were placed into tubes that were inoculated with a standard laboratory strain of Escherichia coli. Two minimum inhibitory concentration tests were performed at the end of a four-day and seven-day trial. The first MIC was done on the fifth day with nine different danofloxacin dilutions. The results showed that the bacteria grew at a level it was originally susceptible to which was 0.01g/ml. The procedure was continued for another three days upon which another MIC was performed. The results showed the same data as the previous test. According to these data the bacteria exposed to lower concentrations than their original minimal inhibitory dose, grew resistant to a slightly higher dose. This data is significant as it shows that even a strain of bacteria that is commonly used in the laboratory, can potentially evolve resistance in a short amount of time. Resistance is known to evolve at high doses and/or inconsistent doses, it is however less common, to understand that low doses can maintain and enrich resistance in bacteria. Faculty Advisor: Melinda Clark Conner, Caleb Chemistry 299 Determining Concentration and Purity of Lactate Dehydrogenase Extracted From Caprine Heart Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is an enzyme that is found in the cytosol of most living cells including animal, plant, and prokaryote cells. LDH has a responsibility of catalyzing the last step of anaerobic glycolysis, which creates pyruvate into lactate and the other way, lactate into pyruvate. During anaerobic glycolysis, lactic acid fermentation serves as a back-up to allow glycolysis to continue producing ATP when the electron transport chain is shut down during aerobic glycolysis. Another important use of LDH is its relevance in medicine. LDH can be located in body tissues, like heat muscle and blood cells. Due to its release in tissue damage, an LDH test can show the levels of LDH in heart failure, hypothyroidism, anemia, meningitis, HIV, and cancers. For further understanding, research was conducted to perform an extraction of LDH enzyme using ammonium sulfate precipitation, purification by desalting procedure and using an affinity column; an LDH assay and Bradford Protein Assay was used to determine LDH activity and its concentration. In the crude homogenate, 40% ammonium sulfate supernatant, 65% ammonium sulfate pellet, and Cibacron blue column chromatography samples, the protein concentration (mg/mL) was found to be 11.1, 6.3, 7.5, 0.8, respectively. Although the concentration of protein declined, an increase of fold purification happened each step of the purification process; 1, 1.7, 8.1, 15.4. Fold purification a measure of how much purer the protein is after the purification step in comparison to the crude sample. Electrophoresis will be used to show to purity of the end sample by showing how farther the sample traveled compared to a standard solution. Size of the protein will also be determined. Lactate dehydrogenase is an ideal enzyme to study because of the abundant information about this enzyme. It can be found in a variety of sources and purification procedures have been replicated many times. This allowed for a vast amount of learning and comprehension of enzyme purification and biochemistry procedures. Faculty Advisor: Barbara Heyl Davis, Skyler Biology 299 Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Agents Against E. coli Bacterial resistance to antimicrobials is an increasing problem in our society due to the overexposure of bacteria to medications and disinfectants. Researchers are now evaluating essential oils (EOs oils extracted from plants) in the hopes of identifying new antimicrobial compounds. Aromatic EOs have been shown to have antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, and some researchers speculate that the oils might not select for resistance in bacteria due to their complex chemical makeup. In this study, I evaluated the antibacterial effects of four EOs (tea tree, lavender, oregano, and red thyme) against Escherichia coli. My hypothesis was that all four would inhibit bacterial growth. This hypothesis was supported, with oregano and red thyme having the largest zones of inhibition of average diameter 4.54 cm and 3.80 cm, respectively. To evaluate the claims that EOs do not create resistant bacteria, I chose and grew colonies from the edges of the initial tests on the red thyme and oregano plates. The expectation was that the EOs would produce smaller zones of inhibition when grown with colonies of these selected E. coli. This expectation was not supported, however, as the new average diameters were not significantly different for red thyme and oregano (5.80 cm, p= 0.0639, t=2.0829, df=10, and 4.88 cm, p=0.1733, t= 1.4790, df=9) respectively. To determine if plant oils in general have an antimicrobial effect, a separate test was done using red thyme and oregano EOs diluted with corn oil ( and dilutions). The results showed that the oregano and red thyme EOs specifically inhibited growth, and not just plant oils in general (p=0.0002 t=5.7637 df=10 and p= 0.0001 t=6.2811 df=10). All four essential oils were effective at inhibiting the growth of E. coli, and their effectiveness was ultimately concentration dependent. There was some suggestion that a few small colonies developed resistance to the EO they were previously exposed to, but more tests would need to be done in order to make any solid conclusions. Faculty Advisor: Joanna Vondrasek Duckworth, Cameron Chemistry 299 Water Quality Index Test on the Rockfish River Currently, Dominion Transmission, Inc. and Atlantic coast Pipeline, LLC are proposing the construction of a 600-mile natural gas pipeline connecting West Virginia and North Carolina. The pipeline is expected to provide approximately 1.44 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to electric generation, distribution, and end-use markets in the Mid-Atlantic region (FERC). However, the projected route crosses the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains and jeopardizes the health of important ecological systems, such as the Rockfish River Valley in Nelson County, Virginia. In 1970, the National Sanitation Foundation devised a standard index for measuring water quality on a scale from 0-100, known as the Water Quality Index (WQI). The objective of this experiment is to rate the quality of the Rockfish River at the Rockfish River Trail site by conducting a WQI test. The purpose of this research is to provide an initial condition of this water source prior to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline construction to serve as a reference study for comparison with post-construction water quality data. Temperature, pH, turbidity, total solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, ortho-phosphates, nitrates, and fecal coliform were all tested using Vernier equipment and scored using the WQI rating system. My research indicates that even after a heavy rain the water quality of the South Fork Rockfish River is within the excellent range, however, nitrates and fecal coliform levels were significantly higher near agricultural areas. Accordingly, my research illustrates that the South Fork Rockfish River is a clean water source safe enough to drink from and is at risk of pollution from installation of the ACP. Faculty advisor: Barbara Heyl Graham, Kyle Chemistry 299 Caffeine Levels in Coffee: Are Brewing Methods Significant? The purpose of this experiment was to determine if there is a significant difference in caffeine levels in coffee through different brewing methods. Three different brewing methods were used in this experiment: a French press, cold brew, and a drip machine. A particular brand of coffee known as Death Wish Coffee was used due to its higher caffeine content. This was done to ensure a measurable yield could be extracted. The extraction of the caffeine involved dichloromethane as a solvent. The extraction was done in a separatory funnel. Once isolated, the dichloromethane was distilled, leaving only caffeine behind. Seven different trials for each brewing method were conducted to obtain an adequate sample size. An ANOVA (analysis of variance) test was then used to determine if there was a significant difference in caffeine levels. The ANOVA test produced a p-value of 5.014 x 10-5 and the null hypothesis was then rejected. The average caffeine content was much higher in the French press than any other brewing method. Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees Homan, Sarah Chemistry 299 Molecular Weight Determination of Isolation of Casein Using Electrophoresis Casein is a well-known slow digestive protein used in the production of dairy products and is often found in various types of milk. The goal of this experiment was to test five different types of milk including organic whole, fat free, 2%, raw cow and goats milk for the five different strands of casein using an isolation process. The molecular weights of the five strands of casein include Alpha s1 between 22-23 kDa, Alpha s2 at 25 kDa, Beta at 24 kDa, Kappa at 19 kDa, and Gamma between 75-100 kDa. The weights of each strand were then compared to the isolation results of the milk samples to determine casein concentration. For the isolation process, each milk was first heated to 40 C, then acetic acid was added and run through a cheese cloth to collect the precipitate which was then washed with ethanol and run through vacuum filtration to collect the casein. The amount isolated from fat free milk was 0.269 g, organic whole milk was 1.426 g, raw milk was 1.751 g, 2% was 0.507 g and raw goats milk at 2.106 g. Once the isolation process was complete, the samples were tested using a process called electrophoresis to ensure that the casein was isolated effectively. Electrophoresis is the movement of charged particles in a fluid or gel under the influence of an electric field. Once run to completion, bands appear which can then be compared to the standards and calculated for the unknown molecular weights. In my study, it was hypothesized that the raw milk would produce the most casein due to the fact that it is uncultured and the proteins havent been denatured in the pasteurization process. Through electrophoresis, the bands allowed for identification as to what types of casein were present in each sample and just how heavily. Faculty Advisor: Barbara Heyl Johnson, Miranda - Biology - 299 Analysis and Manipulation of pGLO Plasmid This research study was conducted to analyze and manipulate a commonly used plasmid called pGlo. Plasmids are small circular pieces of DNA that can be introduced into bacteria for a range of bioengineering purposes. pGlo is a plasmid approximately 5,400 bases around that contains an inducible gene that codes for GFP, a protein that luminesces under ultraviolet light. Several PVCC lab courses use this plasmid, but the supplier, BioRad, has not previously made the plasmid DNA sequence available. This lack of information reduced our ability to interpret experiments, limiting its use in the lab. BioRad recently made the pGlo plasmid sequence available in early 2017, allowing me to compare their sequence to another pGlo sequence that was publicly available in the NCBI nucleotide sequence database. I used a free sequence analysis tool by GenomeCompiler to generate a multiple sequence alignment. This alignment revealed a single nucleotide difference located in a non-coding region of the plasmid. Restriction digests were used to confirm the plasmid sequence. An attempt to engineer an alternate version of the plasmid lacking a functional GFP gene failed, likely at the ligation step. Future studies could include different ligation methods. This work confirms the identity of the pGlo plasmid sequence and will allow us to move forward with related studies. Faculty Advisor: Anne Allison Kilmer, Julia Biology 299 Disinfectants versus Klebsiella pneumoniae The purpose of this experiment was to test the effects of certain disinfectants against bacteria in a planktonic (individual cells in liquid) state as well as in a biofilm. A biofilm is a film of bacteria that adhere to a surface by forming a thick and slimy polysaccharide complex. The bacteria that make up a biofilm are able to change their phenotype in order to adhere to surfaces and each other. This change in phenotype makes it harder to treat because the cells are slightly different from the planktonic cells. The biofilm can also be very hard to treat with disinfectants and antibiotics because of the thickness and adherence. The thicker the biofilm, the hard it is to kill. Disinfectants and antibiotics may only be able to penetrate the biofilm to a certain point before the treatment becomes ineffective. The cells on the bottom will reproduce and grown another biofilm if the treatment does not penetrate the bottom layer. Biofilm formation in places such as hospitals and ambulances can prevent proper disinfection and sterilization of surfaces, which leaves the patients more susceptible to nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections. Lysol and Virex were chosen to test against Klebsiella pneumoniea in a biofilm and planktonic state for their recommended ten minutes of treatment. Disinfectant effectiveness is directly dependent to the state of bacterial growth. Planktonic growth and biofilm growth are the two different states I wanted to test. Klebsiella pneumoniea was chosen because it is commonly found as the source of hospital-acquired pneumonia. The effectiveness was tested by submerging the bacteria cells in the disinfectants. This project was designed to analyze how the disinfectants worked against K. pneumoniae in the different growth states. These disinfectants work against the bacteria by dehydration of the cell and also disrupting its membrane which ultimately kills the cell. In a biofilm, there are cells that are able to use pumps that take the drugs and such out making them useless. They are also hard to kill because the biofilm contains cells that may be able to lay dormant while treatment is present and reactivate when treatment stops to produce more cells to regrow the biofilm. A control group was used to assure the procedure did not kill the cells. The viability was tested using a protein assay and colony forming units on nutrient agar plates. The results provided data similar to what was expected. The control groups used produced the highest numbers because they were not treated with disinfectants, only sterile saline. This was important in proving the effectiveness of the disinfectants in different bacterial growth states. Faculty Advisor: Melinda Clark Little, Fulton Biology 299 The Effectiveness of Antimicrobials in Toothpaste and Mouthwash against S. mutans and S. aureus The research that has been conducted has tested the resistance of two bacteria, Streptococcus mutants and Staphylococcus aureus against four antimicrobial agents. The antimicrobials are found in dental care products as the aim of this research is to see which agents is best suited to fight bacteria in a clinical and home setting. The four agents are; sodium fluoride found in Colgate toothpaste, sodium monofluorophosphate found in Toms of Maine toothpaste, cetylpyridinium found in Colgate mouthwash, and benzoic acid found in Toms of Maine mouthwash. To test the effectiveness of these antimicrobials, the Kirby-Bauer test was used where paper disk containing the antimicrobial were placed on an inoculated agar plate and left to diffuse into the agar. Zones of inhibition were then measured after incubation to see the effectiveness of each. The results indicate that sodium fluoride was the most effective against both strains of bacteria. Based on the gathered results sodium fluoride is the most effective at fighting S. mutans, a common bacteria in the mouth and leading cause of dental carries. Against S. aureus, a bacteria found in the nasal pathway and sometimes the mouth, it was the most effective as well. But with the resistance shown by the one culture, it is possible that over time the S. aureus bacteria inside the host could become completely resistant. Further research could test the sodium fluoride antimicrobial to see if resistance is acquired. This could be viable research because during testing, one plate of S. aureus showed growth within the zone of inhibition. Faculty Advisor: Marlena Yost Maynard, Jamy Biology 299 Horizontal Gene Transfer between Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus mediated through biofilm creation Bacteria can evolve at a much faster rate than most organisms. They are constantly mutating or acquiring genes that allow for additional functions, including antimicrobial resistance. Exchange of genes can occur easily within a biofilm which is a thicker, protective state the bacteria take on. When bacteria grow into a biofilm they become harder to treat due to a typically thick polysaccharide that surrounds the microbes. Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Escherichia coli are the two leading causes of urinary tract infections, which occur due to biofilm formation on devices such as catheters. The close proximity of the cells in a biofilm allows for the transfer of genes to occur easily. I attempted to prove this by growing S. saprophyticus and E. coli, which contains a plasmid encoding for ampicillin resistance, in a biofilm together. A small amount of the antibiotic was added to the nutrient broth the biofilm was grown in to provide pressure for horizontal gene transfer to take place. Biofilm biomass was collected, plated, and Gram stained to differentiate between E. coli and S. saprophyticus. The presence of S. saprophyticus growing on this plate indicates that the E. coli shared its resistant gene with the S. saprophyticus. Faculty Advisor: Melinda Clark McCracken, Jared Biology 299 Difference in Zooplankton Species Population Densities and Organism Size during Seasonal Temperature Changes in a Freshwater Pond Ecosystem Freshwater zooplankton are small free floating crustaceans that are found in wetland areas such as ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. Along with all plankton communities, zooplankton are vital to the freshwater food web complex. Other studies have shown that the fluctuations of zooplankton population have an effect on the food web efficiency. Many factors can affect the populations of these organisms but temperature from seasonal changes was the main issue that was observed and tested in this experiment. The hypothesis for this experiment is that as the temperature increases from winter to spring, the population densities and the organism size of the zooplankton species will increase. Only two species of zooplankton were able to be identified accurately. A rotifer species; Keratella cochlearis, and a copepod species; Nauplius larva, which is the basic larva stage all copepods go through. The hypothesis was supported throughout the entirety of the experiment. The samples that were collected from the freshwater pond were taken over a span of a few months. The three sampling dates were February 6th, March 8th, and March 29th. On each date, a higher water temperature was recorded each time. This temperature increase correlated to the ongoing increase of population density and organism size of these two distinct zooplankton species. All plankton thrive under a certain water temperature range. I was unable to find the point where the populations would begin to decrease due to warmer water temperatures. More testing would have to be performed with more samples in order to calculate the precise range of temperature. Faculty Advisor: John Walsh McQueen, Lucas Biology 299 The Effect of Seasonal Temperature Change on Invertebrate Biomass in Leaf Litter The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role sun exposure and the increasing temperature of the season change from winter to spring plays on the presence of macroinvertebrates in leaf litter. Findings to this end would allow for a greater understanding of a world that, though macroscopic in nature, is rarely seen. The initial hypothesis was that locations with higher sun exposure would yield a greater number of macroinvertebrates, especially as the temperature increased with the coming of spring. Thirty collections of leaf litter placed into a Berlese funnel under light exposure for a period of four hours were conducted to assess this relationship, with a Forest Densiometer used to calculate relative sun exposure percentage. Collected invertebrates were evaluated not just on total number, but also on dried biomass. With only twelve of the thirty collections returning any samples, the initial hypothesis is rejected, and there is no way to make a definitive statement regarding the role sun exposure and temperature change play in the seasonal activity of leaf litter macroinvertebrates in the context of this experiment. The sun exposure also remained constant throughout the collection period between twenty-five and thirty percent and therefore was not considered in the final results. Experimental refinement and future research could potentially yield more substantial results and give rise to a statistically-significant statement. This lack of consistency regarding invertebrate presence through the seasonal change could potentially be explained by a somewhat unusual March that was a degree colder than February on average and included several days above fifteen degrees Celsius and some approaching zero degrees Celsius. This could explain the finding of sixteen organisms in a warm February compared to twelve in a very inconsistent March. This unusual short-term weather could relate to larger-scale climate change concerns, but further research is needed to make such a statement. Faculty Advisor: John Walsh Nelson, Audun Chemistry 299 Optical Purity of Advil vs Generic Ibuprofen When ibuprofen is synthesized, two substances are formed; both are ibuprofen. They look the same, have identical physical properties, and react at the same speed with the same reagents. Ibuprofen is what is called a chiral compound, meaning it has a chiral center. A chiral center is a quirk of geometry found in atoms with four bonds to four different substituents. This allows for multiple arrangements of the substituents around the central atom. Different arrangements are called enantiomers, and in most respects, they are identical. Ibuprofen is special because only one of its enantiomers acts as an antiinflammatory. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the difference in enantiomeric excess (the ratio of enantiomers) between brand name ibuprofen (Advil) and two types of generic ibuprofen. To achieve this, prescription (pure active enantiomer), brand, and generic ibuprofen was separated from solid tablets by crushing the medication, dissolving it in hot hexane, filtering, and air drying to recover pure product. The product was tested for purity by melting point then tested for enantiomeric excess with polarimetry. The Advil was found to have an excess of 7.7 %, the CVS Dye Free was 13 %, and Food Lion was 8.8 %. The data would suggest no difference in purity between the three varieties, but although the measurements were fairly consistent, they were all within the 0.3 margin of error specified by the polarimeter. In other words, all three types of ibuprofen appeared to be racemic mixtures (equal quantities of two enantiomers), but the accuracy of the polarimeter makes a solid conclusion impossible. Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees Pandagade, Catherine Biology 299 The Symbiotic Association of Mycorrhizae and Plants in Relation to Plant Growth and Reproduction Plants and mycorrhizae have a symbiotic relationship where the fungi colonize the root system of the host plant, providing increased water and nutrient absorption. In turn, the plant provides the fungi with carbohydrates formed from photosynthesis. Mycorrhizae also provide the plants with increased protection from pathogens. My project investigates whether the presence of mycorrhizae influences growth and reproductive rates of the Wisconsin Fast Plant, Brassica rapa. I hypothesize the presence of mycorrhizae will increase plant growth and reproduction. My experimental set-up included three groups: 1) regular soil, which could contain a variety of microbial life, 2) sterilized soil that should be free of all microbes, and 3) soil with added mycorrhizae. Plants grown in regular soil had a lower average biomass and a higher average seed mass. These findings indicate that poor growth correlates with more seed production. One possibility is that Fast Plants undergo more seed production as a survival strategy for when growing conditions are poor. Faculty Advisor: Anne Allison Perch, Miah Biology 299 Detecting a Cell Surface Molecule Important for Multicellularity in a Colonial Group of Protists Closely Related to Land Plant forms of Green Algae Understanding the cell and molecular processes that give rise to more complex life helps us better understand ourselves and the world around us. Organisms one would recognize as multicellular include plants, animals and fungi. These groups, along with a fourth group called protists, comprise the eukaryotic domain of life. Interestingly, there are many separate origins of multicellularity in eukaryotes. By looking at these separate instances, biologists find certain themes such as proteins that help bind one cell to another. Lectins are a family of proteins located on the surface of cells, and they perform diverse functions such as mediating cell adhesion. Lectins bind carbohydrates, including the commonly used laboratory reagent wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). Previous studies have used a fluorescently tagged version of WGA to detect lectin-like proteins on single-celled protists closely related to animals. Nicole Kings laboratory at UC Berkeley demonstrated that such lectin-like proteins are only seen at the surface of choanoflagellates when they are in a group formation called a colony. I hypothesized that protists in the green algae, a group closely related to land plants, will bind WGA when in colonial but not free swimming form. I used three green algae: Eudorina elegans, Volvox carteri, and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. I observed WGA binding only among colonial Eudorina. This finding suggests Eudorina express a lectin-like protein at the cell surface only when the cells are part of a multi celled unit. This matches similar findings carried out in relatives of animals, and this is the first time this has been shown in relatives of the land plants. These findings add to our understanding of the origins of multicellularity among eukarya. Faculty Advisor: Anne Allison Perkins, Cody Chemistry 299 Fluoride Concentrations of Drinking Water The fluoridation of drinking water has been a growing topic of controversy. The water quality report in 2016 for Charlottesville Virginia stated that the Rivana Water and Sewer Authority operate two water treatment plants in which chemical and physical treatment are applied to the water before distribution. Details describing water treatment read: Fluoride is added at all treatment plants to promote dental health. This sparks concern due to the numerous health hazards overexposure to fluoride can cause. Examples of reported health issues linked with fluoride overexposure are: increased cancer rate, diabetes, endocrine disruption, male infertility, and thyroid disease. In addition, the most prevalent and concerning health issue related to this topic is that of skeletal fluorosis. This disease is known to cause pain and damage to bones and joints within the body, and is believed to be the reason why millions of people in China and India suffer from crippling bone diseases. The purpose of this experiment was to find the source of drinking water with the lowest fluoride concentration in order to determine which source would be the best option to avoid fluoride exposure via water. This was completed by reacting drinking water samples with the SPADNS-2 reagent dye that detects fluoride in water from a range of 0.02 mg/L-2.00 mg/L, and then testing the absorbance with light absorption spectroscopy at 580nm to find relative fluoride concentrations using Beers law. The water samples being tested were tap water provided by the City of Charlottesville, well water from Greene County Virginia, and name brand water bottling companies (Aquafina, Fiji, and Culligan). The calculated fluoride concentrations in each sample were as follows: city water- 0.740 mg/L, well water- 0.142 mg/L, Aquafina- 0.064 mg/L, Fiji- 0.268 mg/L, Culligan- 0.054 mg/L. In conclusion, the fluoride concentration in city water significantly was the highest, while the bottled waters, with the exception of Fiji water, had miniscule amounts; making the m the best choice of drinking water if one desires to avoid fluoride exposure via water consumption. Faculty Advisor: Frances Rees Tisdelle, Matthew- Biology 299 Testing the SODIS Method Water is the most essential compound for human survival, however many developing countries do not have access to clean and potable water sources. In 2015 the World Health Organization estimated some 1.8 billion people worldwide lacked access to properly treated water sources (World Health Organization, 2016). The main concern with these improperly sanitized sources lies in the pathogenic organisms, such as Salmonella typhi, Vibrio cholera, and Escherichia coli, that thrive in those conditionsall of which are associated to serious health complications (World Health Organization, 2016). According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the three most effective methods to eliminate pathogenic organisms from water sources are to boil the water, treat the water chemically, or to implement a passive disinfectant system (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2017). Given the economic constraints imposed upon these developing nations, and the expenses associated to the boiling and chemical treatment of water, the need for an inexpensive, effective, and easy to perform disinfectant system becomes evident. This experiment was implemented to determine the bactericidal effectiveness of such a system; the solar disinfection system (SODIS). 250 mL clear polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles containing 2.5 mL of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively and 247.5 mL of sterile H2O, were sequestered into three experimental environments: a dark box to act as a control, an ultraviolet light box to test the UVA component, and outside to test the SODIS method directly. 4, 6, 24, and 48 hour increments were implemented to track the bacterial reproductive rate in each environment using spectrophotometry, as well as a series of serial dilutions to obtain a bacterial colony count and evaluate bacterial viability. Preliminary results suggest ultraviolet light alone will not reduce bacterial reproductive rates and will not inhibit bacterial viability. However, exposure to four or more hours of direct sunlight will inhibit the bacterial growth, and viability of all tested bacterial species, with a correlation value of 99.94%. Further testing would be necessary to determine whether ultraviolet or infrared light plays a larger role in the bactericidal effectiveness of the SODIS system, however within these experimental parameters this method definitively eradicates the bacterial species E. coli and P. aeruginosa completely. Faculty Advisor: Marlena Yost Willis, Brian Biology 299 Survey of Amphibian Species Diversity at Piedmont Virginia Community College As part of one of the most diverse regions for amphibian life on the continent, Albemarle County suffers from a lack of ecological data regarding frogs, toads, and salamanders. Maintaining updated species lists in this area will allow for the monitoring of the ecological health of the region and provide background knowledge for deeper investigation. This study was a survey of the amphibian biodiversity present at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC). A 2016 survey of Ragged Mountain Natural Area (RMNA) was used to directly compare PVCC to a nearby protected wildland. My hypothesis was that there would be fewer species found at PVCC than RMNA. A total of five species, three salamanders and two frogs, were found and verified at the survey site (Notophthalmus viridescens, Desmognathus fuscus, Plethodon cinerus, Acris crepitans, and Pseudacris crucifer); three more frog species were suspected to be present. The 2016 RMNA survey catalogued thirteen species including eight frogs, two toads, and three salamanders. Of note are two salamander species that are present at PVCC (Notophthalmus viridescens and Plethodon cinerus) which were not found at RMNA. The data appears to support my hypothesis of lower species diversity though because of the short period of the survey at PVCC there are likely to be species left unidentified. More surveys are needed at other times of the year to truly assess the full amphibian biodiversity here on campus. Faculty Advisor: Joanna Vondrasek Yates, Jennifer Geology 299 Sauropod Fossil Excavation and Identification The Morrison Formation is a sequence of Jurassic (155-148 MYA) sedimentary rock in the western United States composed of mudstone, sandstone, siltstone, and limestone. It is the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. According to the rock record, the environment around the area was dry and arid, lacking of grasses, flowering plants, and trees. The most common dinosaurs found in the formation are the Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Allosaurus. The saurischian or lizard-hipped dinosaurs are quadrupedal (four-legged) with a simple body plan. They differ throughout the group, however, some similarities are very long necks and tails, nostrils located up high on the skull, and limbs resembling that of elephants. They are nicknamed lizard-hipped because the pubis points downward and forward at an angle to ischium (the pelvis is composed of the pubis, ischium, and pubis). Sauropods are found on every continent except Antarctica and are one of the most long-lived groups of dinosaurs existing from the lower Jurassic to the upper Cretaceous. The process of extracting a fossil from rock is very tedious work. The air scribe, basically a micro-jack, was used most the time to take rock off layer by layer. The saw was used to cut down the plaster jacket that is placed around the fossil in the field. The Chicago Pneumatic is also a micro jack with a little more power behind it than the air scribe. I used this in Martinsville towards the end of my project. I also used the Air Abrader there which uses air and sodium bicarbonate to remove the matrix (rock present on the fossil). As the fossil began to appear little by little, I noticed how intact the middle of the bone was. I was not able to finish prepping the fossil due to only being able to go to Lynchburg once a week, however, with the prep work that has been done so far I have been able to identify the fossil. The fossil is 21 centimeters long, 5.5 centimeters wide in the center, 8 centimeters wide on the smaller end, and an estimated 10 centimeters on the larger end. The larger end was damaged somewhere in the history of the fossil and appears to have lost a significant amount of bone. That end also appears to be extremely concave, which was odd to the professors and me. I have also been able to tell that the actual thickness of the bone is quite the oppositeit is surprisingly thin. This also helped me to deduce that it is in fact, a hand bone. I believe that the fossil is a metacarpal from a Diplodocus. I came to this conclusion because the Diplodocus is one of the smaller Sauropods and the fossil panned out to be smaller than most Sauropod metacarpals. Faculty Advisor: Larry Tiezzi  ...