The Senior Program

The centerpiece of the Senior Program in biochemistry/molecular biology is the senior project. Under the guidance of a professor, students conduct independent laboratory research and experimentation. For most students, the project involves two semesters of lab work, with several periods dedicated to writing a thesis and preparing for an oral presentation to departmental faculty and student peers. The senior thesis is a culmination of each student’s undergraduate experience; it synthesizes coursework, research and discussion into a focused statement of intellectual growth and insight.

Recent projects in biochemistry/molecular biology include:

• Optimization of EAS Reactions Involving Halide-Substituted Pyridinium Salts
• A study of pathogen loads in two honey bee ecotypes (Apis mellifera) and proposing propolis as a viable treatment for Nosema ceranae infections
• Surveying Protists in the KTSA Pond
• Using the trnH-psbA region to determine the parentage of Peonies
• Calibrating Bacteria Killing Assays to Determine Scaling Coefficient of Innate Immune Function in Relation to Body Size in Terrestrial Mammals
• Colonization of Microplastics
• Database Analysis of Ciliate Macronucleus Shapes
• Establishing a Model for DSB Repair Mutations Using CHEK2 S457F Drosophila Oocytes
• Synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of tryptamine derivatives and 3-substituted-3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles
• Exploration of the Binding Kinetics of Zanamivir to WT Neuraminidase via Free Energy Analysis of Molecular Dynamics Simulations
• Exploration of N-(1-alkoxyvinyl)ammonium salts, an unusual class of N-quaternized ketene N,O-acetals
• Fluorophores and Their Impact on Cellular Uptake of Materials