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:

• Identification of potential outer kinetochore proteins Spc24, Spc25, and Nuf2 in Zea mays
• Enzymology of PaaA and PaaB in the Biosynthesis of Pantocin A
• Microscopy Assessment of Kinesin-Driven Acentromeric Plasmid Inheritance in Budding Yeast
• Studies towards the cyclization of cardioactive peptides
• Uncovering the Novel Function of the TBhR Protein
• Investigating the Segregation Mechanism of Zea mays Ab10 Kinesin Proteins: Kindr and Trkin
• Role and Function of SwsB in bacterial peptidoglycan modification during the sporulation process
• Characterization of the Microbial Community and Biochemical Processes in the Hanging Garden Biofilms of Fayetteville Green Lake
• Novel Radical Allylation Reactions using Biologically Active Compounds
• Investigation of phytic acid concentration in pearl millet
• Biochemical Characterization of CwlJ, a Germination-specific lytic transglycosylases
• Relative contributions of chromatin state in cis-regulatory element activity
• Nucleotide Metabolism in T. thermophila: Identifying Transport Mechanism and Location