Projects

Understanding the Social Implications of Gene Edited Foods

This past semester, I have worked closely with Dr. Carmen Bain who is a professor at Iowa State University in the Sociology Department. I had the pleasure of continuing to work with Dr. Bain on her gene edited foods project. The overall goal of the project is to analyze the perceived inducements and impediments of public trust in gene edited foods.

Unveiling microbial differences in hens reared in aviaries vs. conventional cages

The purpose of this project was to compare the effects of housing type on the gut health of commercial laying hens. We were mainly looking at the microbes found in the gut and comparing them between the housing types: conventional cage, and aviary (cage-free).

Web Analysis of Organizations' Positions Regarding Gene Edited Foods

The purpose of this project was to do an assessment of organization’s online positions pertaining to gene edited foods and/or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Organizations that were included in the review were consumer, environmental, activist, or alternative agriculture groups. The content analyzed were articles, press releases, and public statements. The importance of this project was to add valuable perspectives to understanding the key inducements and impediments to public trust in gene edited foods.

Varying Organic Fertilizer Concentrations Effect on Basil Plugs

This project focused on observing basil plugs growth in a 128-cell tray while giving them 6 different organic fertilizer concentrations for 4 weeks with a hope to gain insight for greenhouse growers on ideal fertilizer concentrations by measuring shoot heights and dry weight masses of both roots and shoots.

Survival of Superworms on Different Diets

My project looked at the mortality rate of superworms on different diets consisting of oatmeal, cornmeal, and wheat bran and comparing it to a diet of chicken manure. If chicken manure is a viable food source for superworms this has great reaching applications, such as a use for the buildup of waste from poultry farms and a sustainable way to farm protein-rich insects.

The association between rooster weight and feather loss in broiler breeder hens

A chicken that is meant for meat production is called a broiler. The broilers that are used in the production of meat come from places called broiler breeders. This is when there are both broiler hens and roosters.

The Effect of Branched-Chained Amino Acids on GLUT1 protein in the Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells in the Presence and Absence of Glucose.

This semester I got opportunity to continue my work with Dr. Ranga Appuhamy on a different but related to the old one project. Last semester my task was to see if branched-chain amino acids impact the abundance of the glucose transporter protein 1(the most common protein transporter that also drives the milk volume in cattle) in the mammary epithelial cell of the cow (these cells are responsible for milk production in the cow).