Although chromatography is a reliable purification method in protein downstream processing, it has several limitations such as loading capacity, scalability and operation costs. These are important drawbacks especially for proteins generated from cell cultures with a high yield. Protein crystallization, which does not suffer these limitations, is regarded as a promising alternative to chromatography for protein purification. However, since protein crystallization is a complex not-well-understood process, protein crystals are often produced at low yield and with poor reproducibility. Thus, its implementation in protein purification protocols remain challenging. In our lab, we designed a new strategy for enhancing protein crystallization from metastable protein-rich droplets generated by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). This strategy is based on the use of two additives; the first additive is needed to induce LLPS in protein aqueous solutions, while the second additive modulates the ability of protein-rich droplets to produce crystals. A protocol for determining yields of LLPS-mediated protein crystallization was also developed. This poster reports our experimental results on yield of lysozyme crystallization in the presence of NaCl (0.15 M) as an LLPS inducer and 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonate (HEPES) as a modulator. Our results show that addition of HEPES (0.10 M) significantly boosts lysozyme crystallization yield from ≈5% (no HEPES) to 92%. The effect of temperature and incubation time on the yield of protein crystallization yield was also investigated. Our results reveals the key role of LLPS in enhancing protein crystallization.

In the United States, instances of heat-related illnesses are increasing in urban areas. Trees help mitigate urban heat and reduce heat-related illnesses by providing cooling effects through evapotranspiration and shade. Research has found that trees cool areas by as much as 2°C. Urban development is a primary driver of urban forest loss. To preserve the urban forest, municipalities often enact tree ordinances. The city of Austin, Texas, adopted a tree preservation ordinance in 1984 to protect trees on private and public property. To remove a protected tree, property owners must apply for a tree removal permit. Austin city staff conduct a site visit and approve or deny the request. The amount of approved tree removals, however, has increased as Austin remains one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of tree removals on urban heat from 2013 to 2023. We created a geographic information system to analyze the impact of over 58,000 tree removals on land surface temperature (LST) across Austin’s city limits. Our results indicate that development-related removals significantly impact the cities changing LST. The impact of these removals on LST also varies by scale with neighborhood areas experiencing the greatest heat increases due to tree loss from development. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on urban forests and microclimates, providing information to support the conservation of urban trees and healthy environments for urban residents.

Urbanization disrupts local climates by replacing natural land cover with impervious surfaces. These surfaces such as concrete and asphalt retain more heat than vegetated cover, therefore, putting these areas at risk for the urban heat island effect. This is when urban areas become significantly hotter than outlying areas and exhibit high temperature anomalies, therefore, putting its residents at risk. Another contributing factor is anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases from industries and automobiles. The purpose of this research is to assess areas vulnerable to the urban heat island effect in Dallas County, Texas by looking at the heat severity index (The Trust for Public Lands) and land cover data (NLCD 2021). This study aims to provide insights for planning and policies that enhance resilience to urban heat island risks in Dallas County.

Environmental education is gaining popularity and recognition as a critical strategy to reduce environmental harm, biodiversity loss, and habitat degradation. Education has been identified as a top factor contributing to people’s willingness to engage in environmentally positive conservation behaviors. Non-formal learning institutions such as zoos and aquariums have the unique ability to create and engage learned in species specific education programming. Species-specific education programs can generate high public appeal and contribute to overall environmental conservation outcomes. Research on nonformal environmental education is limited, but most often reports that short-term or single experiences may not be successful in increasing knowledge or contributing to behavior changes. The purpose of this research is to assess the perceptions of educators at non-formal institutions about the success of their conservation education programs. To do this, we conducted a mixed-methods study with educators at marine conservation centers to report on their perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of education programming as well as on how they define and measure their program success. Our results revealed that educators believe their short-term education programs can be impactful and report on the factors that must be considered to maximize successful program outcomes.

Across the U.S. there are 1335 Superfund sites that range from abandoned mines to old military bases that pose serious risk to the public if not remediated properly. The Tar Creek Superfund site, located in Picher, OK, is one example which could contaminate downstream water supplies via contaminated water and sediment due to the heavy metals, such as Cd and Pb, left behind from the mining activities. This study seeks to determine if the ongoing remediation is effective at Tar Creek which is located within the Tar Creek Superfund site, and whether contaminated sediment is migrating downstream through the watershed.

Urbanization refers to the process of converting natural habitats into human-friendly areas, consisting of concrete structures like buildings and roads that are not typically conducive to wildlife. Despite this, many animals, including bats, are able to adapt to urban landscapes and even provide crucial ecosystem services. Bats, in particular, play a vital role in controlling pests in both agricultural and urban areas. Thus, it is imperative to understand the factors that affect their foraging activity. The aim of this project is to identify potential survey sites that can provide insight into the factors that influence prey availability and abundance.

With species facing extinction due to human-induced disturbances, conservation efforts aim to protect wildlife and ecosystems. Urban areas, despite their modifications, can provide essential ecosystem services and support biodiversity. However, ensuring wildlife presence requires understanding resource availability and accessibility. Accessibility, defined by an individual's ability to locate and utilize resources, is influenced by landscape features such as permeability and connectivity, which can impede movement. Species-specific traits, including ecology and mode of locomotion, also play significant roles in resource access. For instance, volant species like birds and bats rely on flight to forage and drink, with their ability to maneuver affecting whether they can access a water source or not. Moreover, access may not only be dependent on the size of a water source but also by clutter (i.e., vegetation, exposed rocks and litter), which can reduce the amount of surface area that is actually available. Additionally, seasonal variations in precipitation and evapotranspiration rates can alter water levels, affecting both the size of the water source and the amount of clutter (i.e., exposing more rocks and enabling more aquatic vegetation to grow). Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of water surface area is crucial for effective resource management aimed at making urban environments more suitable for wildlife. Thus, we investigated the influence of variation in water surface area on bat drinking activity in an urban environment. Our study focused on six water sources in Tarrant County, Texas, using drone surveillance, thermal technology, and acoustic monitoring from March to September 2023. We hypothesized that as surface area decreased during summer, bat drinking activity would decline. By addressing one potential aspect of water resource availability and accessibility, our study contributes to to more accurate assessments of urban water resource availability and the development of sustainable conservation practices for wildlife.

Water is an essential resource for urban wildlife, but this water needs to be available and accessible. Fort Worth is an urban area that gets hot and dry during the summer months which can cause many water sources to dry up, making them unavailable for wildlife. However, some water sources in Fort Worth may be more susceptible to drying up than others. This may be affected by runoff which in turn can be a function of different variables such as soil type, impervious surface cover, vegetation cover, elevation, and more. Additionally, differences in location-specific weather may affect evaporation rates of bodies of water. This study aims: (1) to determine the variations in six different pond sites across Fort Worth, (2) to identify the factors that potentially affect runoff and evaporation, and correlate the variables with the rate of changes of the ponds to determine their significance, and (3) use this established relationship to evaluate the susceptibility of other ponds in the area to drying up during summers.

Pollinators are essential to the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Approximately 87.5% of flowering plants rely on animal pollination for reproduction (Ollerton, 2017) Due to this, pollinators are vital to the production of human consumed crops and the health of ecosystems. Urbanization drives decreases in pollinator biodiversity, species richness and abundance due to loss of habitat and fragmentation (Turo et al., 2021). Urban characteristics such as densification and impervious surfaces can cause pollinator declines and loss of pollinator services (Wenzel et al., 2020).

Tarrant County has a population of 2,110,640 and encompasses 865.2 square miles in of land north central Texas (United States Census Bureau, 2020). It is also the 15th-most populated county in the United States (United States Census Bureau, 2024). Tarrant County is also located in a major pollinator migratory pathway (National Park Service, 2019). Studies show that both population density and city size impact pollinator populations (Norton et al., 2016; Sivakoff et al., 2018). Such rapid population growth has the potential to impact pollinators and their habitats. Urban green spaces such as parks can be beneficial pollinator refuges (Serret et al., 2022). Connectivity of pollinator habitats is important for species richness and abundance (Graffigna et al., 2023). Due to the rapid population growth, land use change, and densification occurring within Tarrant County and the existence of major pollinator habitats within the area, Tarrant County parks are a compelling place to conduct landscape connectivity research on pollinators. The objective of this project is to assess the connectivity of pollinator habitats in the highly urbanized Tarrant County area. This project strives to understand how urban parks as pollinator habitats connect to one another at a range of distances for pollinator travel.

As opioid overdose deaths in the United States (US) continue to increase, there is an emergent need to treat those with opioid use disorder (OUD). Understanding geographic variations and their impact on different population groups in the US is now more essential than ever. Significant surges in the usage and misuse of street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, followed by a corresponding increase in opioid-related deaths, have heightened the urgency for this understanding.

Although characteristics of US counties with persistently high rates of opioid overdose mortality and low capacity to deliver OUD medications has been identified, the counties were aggregated into regions within the US and no one specific county has been targeted. Having comprehensive data on OUD prevalence rates across Tarrant County and/or Texas would be beneficial. Current research regarding spatial associations between place features, neighborhood-level social determinants of health measures, and drug overdose deaths is limited in the realm of drug use and opioid overdose fatalities. Recognizing high-risk areas and features (hot spots) could potentially enhance the quality of the emergency department response, harm reduction services, and the precision of treatment and prevention strategies.

Identifying hot spots of opioid-related emergency needs within Tarrant County may help [re]distribute existing resources efficiently, empower community and Emergency Department (ED) based physicians to advocate for their patients, and serve as a catalyst for partnerships between John Peter Smith Hospital System (JPS) and local community groups. More broadly, this analysis may demonstrate that EDs can use geospatial analysis to address the emergency and longer-term health needs of the communities they are designed to serve.

The goal of this project is to 1) identify spatial associations between place features, neighborhood-level social determinants of health measures, and opioid drug overdose deaths (i.e., high-risk/hot spot areas) and 2) compare them to access to treatment providers (i.e., emergency departments, emergency services, and harm reduction services) to identify geographic areas where the two are not well matched.