My Project’s goal is to design mutants of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E, with the purpose of getting a mutant that will not bind to viruses that contain a PTE-like cap-independent translation element within their positive RNA.
Soil textural and organic matter analysis is a key component for assessing soil quality and sustainability of agricultural-management practices (Kettler et al. 2001). Particulate organic matter (POM) is defined as all soil organic matter particles in size of 53 to 2000 μm and is dominated by undecomposed plant residues that retain recognizable cell structures.
The objective of this study was to obtain reliable data of particulate organic matter (POM) and soil particle size distribution. Issues in high-clay and high-organic-matter soils in preliminary experiments was solved after the completing the comparison of bottles for dispersion. More samples will be measured using the updated method.
In this Experiment, we took different ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana and how they respond to cold stress. We batch process hundreds of different Arabidopsis rosette images to be used in Top M and FIJI to generate phenotyping data, and this data will be used for conducting GWAS for further analysis.
My semester project was a continuation of what I had been researching last spring. It involved assisting my graduate student mentor, Xinyu, with her investigation of three acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) that are found within energy producing organelles in plant cells, called the mitochondria.
This project used single-visit pollen deposition to investigate whether the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus is an effective pollinator of goldenrod (Solidago sp.).
It has long been known that certain species of bacteria naturally produce compounds like butane and propane, which are important fuel chemicals. This knowledge has prompted scientific endeavors to control the lipid-making machinery of bacterial cells to create specific lipids in mass amounts.
Containerized herbs are a sector of greenhouse crop production that is increasing in popularity. One of the challenges growers face with these crops is the lack of chemical growth control available to aid in meeting retailer specifications put forth for plant size and visual appearance.
Rumen acidosis is a prevalent metabolic disorder in the dairy industry that can cause inflammation of the rumen (rumenitis). The source of the contagious inflammation is still uncharacterized.
This project focused on collecting data on recovery community centers/organizations throughout the nation that focused on peer-based support for those who are struggling or who have struggled with substance abuse. We are working with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) to implement these facilities here in Iowa.
The IPIC Communications Intern focuses on outreach and education, assisting with newsletters, writing a news release and assisting with other materials. The main purpose of this project is to focus on working on PorkBridge and SowBridge, to further educate pork producers on management practices on efficiency and producing quality pork.
The Iowa Pork Industry Center Communications intern works alongside Communications Specialist, Sherry Hoyer. The internship focuses on outreach and education led by IPIC, assisting with the IPIC newsletter, writing a news release and assisting with other IPIC materials.
A hydrophobic cuticle covers most plant surfaces and provides the first layer of defense from both abiotic and biotic environmental stresses. Cuticular lipids that accumulate on maize silks consist of mostly hydrocarbons and minor amounts of fatty acids (16 to 33 carbons in length), which are products and precursors of the hydrocarbon biosynthetic pathway, respectively.
This project completed a cultivar trial of 27 different radish cultivars for growth in a sub-irrigated hydroponic system. This project is still ongoing but the list of radish cultivars has been narrowed down to include the best and most vigorous growers for this system.
During transportation, cattle are often restricted from access to feed and water. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of 18-hour feed and water restriction or transit on cattle behavior.
Heat stress refers to an increase in an animal’s core body temperature in response to elevated environmental temperature. This can have detrimental effects on an animal’s productivity and survival. Heat-related mortality and production loss costs the American swine industry roughly a billion dollars every year.
Cover crops are well-known for their ability to reduce soil erosion, improve soil health, and suppress weeds. Despite weed suppression being a potential benefit of cover-cropping, the long term effects of this system have not been quantified regarding weed seedbanks.
The purpose of this project was to determine whether this research showed a clear correlation between mating and quiescence in the life cycle of a wasp. This was done by observing a series of videos that involved three males and one female wasp in a glass container. For this part of the project, we conducted three treatments which included wasps that were non-exposed to males, females who were exposed but no mating occurred and the ones that mated.
