Discovering Novel Genes that Allow Bacillus anthracis to Survive Host Defenses

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Lauren Callaghan Biology Taylor Kelly Biology
Advisor(s): Shauna McGillivray Biology

Bacillus anthracis is a bacterium that causes the deadly disease anthrax and has been used in bioterrorism. We are looking to investigate what genes within the chromosomal DNA contribute to the virulence of Bacillus anthracis. In this study, we screened a transposon library of B. anthracis ‘knock-out’ mutants for susceptibility to reactive oxygen species used by the immune system. A broad in vitro hydrogen peroxide screen was performed on 1,953 transposon mutants, and after several rounds of in vitro screening, 40 mutants were identified as consistently attenuated in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Four of these mutants were then tested in the invertebrate model, Galleria mellonella, to assess virulence in an animal model. Mutants with phenotypes that repeated in both assays were prioritized for characterization. The location of the transposon insertion in one of the mutants was successfully identified. Identifying these novel genes contributing to the bacterium’s virulence will provide a better understanding of B. anthracis pathogenesis and may provide potential targets for combatting anthrax.

The role of SigM and GlpF on cell wall active antibiotic susceptibility in Bacillus anthracis Sterne

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Graham Ellis Biology
Advisor(s): Shauna McGillivray Biology

The bacterium Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent for the disease anthrax, possesses two plasmids that contribute significantly to virulence. Besides plasmids, certain chromosomal genes also contribute. In previous studies, our lab discovered that the chromosomally encoded ClpX gene is essential for virulence in B. anthracis. ClpX is an ATPase that is part of the ClpXP proteasome found in many bacteria. Loss of ClpX in B. anthracis Sterne results in increased susceptibility to cell wall targeting antibiotics like penicillin and daptomycin. However, the mechanism behind ClpX’s role in antibiotic resistance is not understood as it is likely that multiple pathways are affected by the loss of this global protease. We recently conducted a microarray to find which genes are up or down regulated in ClpX compared to wild-type (WT) B. anthracis. 119 genes had disrupted regulation and several of these had been connected to cell-wall active antibiotics like penicillin. In this study, we focused on three of these genes: MsrA, GlpF, and SigM. We confirmed the microarray results and showed that MsrA, GlpF, and SigM gene expression in our ClpX strains significantly differs from the wild-type B. anthracis Sterne via QPCR. Insertional knockout mutants were made for GlpF and SigM to test whether these genes were necessary for antibiotic resistance. We are currently testing these mutants in penicillin and daptomycin to assess their phenotypes. We found that loss of SigM results in increased susceptibility to penicillin and are currently studying the effect of daptomycin on SigM and GlpF. We will test the virulence of both mutants in our invertebrate animal model G. mellonella. This will hopefully provide better understanding on the mechanism behind ClpX’s antibiotic resistance.

Investigating sex-based differences in pathogen resistance and immune responses in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Miranda Finch Biology Lynsey Malin Biology Leah Thornton Hampton Biology
Advisor(s): Marlo Jeffries Biology

Studies have shown that males and females differ with regard to their ability to survive pathogen infections. The fathead minnow is a newly developed model for immunotoxicity; however, few studies have compared male and female immune responses following pathogen exposure. The purpose of this study was to examine sex-based differences in pathogen resistance and immune responses following exposure to a pathogen in adult fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). To accomplish this, fish were bacterially infected with Yersinia ruckeri and the immune system’s ability to respond was monitored. Additionally, genes that are known to be expressed during the immune response initiation were measured quantitatively, providing insight into the molecular effect in minnows. At the whole organism level, male fish were less able to survive pathogen infection relative to female fish. At the tissue level, both male and female pathogen-injected fish had decreased hematocrit percentages compared to the fish injected with a saline solution, but did not differ from each other. At the molecular level, increased gene expression of interleukin 1β was seen in pathogen-injected males compared to pathogen-injected females and both sham-injected sexes, indicating that pathogen-injected males mounted a larger inflammatory response at the molecular level. Taken together, this evidence suggests that the increased mortality observed among males earlier in the exposure to the pathogen may be due to the upregulated inflammatory response rather than the effects of the pathogen itself.

Effects of Pollen Limitation on Seed Production in the Pale Pitcher Plant

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Karis Kang Biology John Horner Biology
Advisor(s): John Horner Biology

Pollen transfer among flowers contributes to genetic diversity and the maintenance of plant populations through the production of seeds. Decreased pollen receipt can result in fewer offspring. This is known as pollen limitation. We conducted field and laboratory experiments in a population of Sarracenia alata in Leon County, Texas in 2019 to examine 1) the effect of floral herbivory by the pitcher plant moth, Exyra semicrocea, on pollen availability and 2) the impact of pollen receipt on seed quantity and 3) seed quality. We found that floral herbivory significantly decreased the number and mass of anthers in flowers, and that a high pollen load significantly increased the number of seeds produced compared to low-pollen and control flowers. We found no differences in offspring quality among different pollen treatments based on germination traits. Pollen limitation occurs in S. alata and may pose a conservation risk when paired with other ecological disturbances.

Discovering Novel Genes Important for Survival Against Reactive Oxygen Species in Bacillus anthracis

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Taylor Kelly Biology
Advisor(s): Shauna McGillivray Biology

Bacillus anthracis is a gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium and the causative agent of the deadly disease anthrax. The B. anthracis genome consists of chromosomal genes and the pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids that strongly contribute to the bacteria’s deadly nature. While the virulence factors associated with the plasmids have been extensively studied, we believe there are still undiscovered chromosomal genes that may also have important virulence factors. To identify novel chromosomal genes associated with B. anthracis virulence, we screened a transposon mutant library of B. anthracis Sterne strain for increased sensitivity to reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide, have many functions in mammalian immune defenses and wild type B. anthracis is able to subvert this host defense. Sensitivity to reactive oxygen species was tested through in vitro hydrogen peroxide assays and after several rounds of screening, eight mutants were confirmed as susceptible. We next tested whether any of these mutants were attenuated in vivo using our invertebrate animal model, Galleria mellonella and found several mutants with decreased virulence. We are currently working on determining the location of the transposon insertion to find which chromosomal gene is disrupted. This could lead to the discovery of novel B. anthracis virulence genes and eventually possible treatment targets for future anthrax outbreaks and attacks.

Comparison of Swim Performance Assays for Evaluating the Cardiovascular Fitness of Larval Fathead Minnows

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Gabriella Lamanteer Biology
Advisor(s): Marlo Jeffries Biology

The swim performance assay is a behavioral assessment used to measure cardiovascular function in fish. Previously, the laminar flow assay (LFA) has been the standard method of assessing swim performance in adult fish to measure their cardiac output. The spinning task assay (STA) is a novel, accessible method of assessing swim performance; however, previous studies have not compared the two methods. Additionally, there is little documentation of swim performance in larval fish, a more sensitive study subject for toxicological research. Therefore, the aim of this research is to compare the swim performance of fish in the LFA to those in the STA to determine which method is better for assessing swim performance in larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). In this study, the percent of fish that fail to swim in the LFA is inversely proportional to the age of the fish, but in the STA, there is no correlation between percent failure and fish age. Results show that as fish increase in size, swim performance in the LFA improves, making it a more representative, predictable assay. Results from the STA indicate that swim performance in fish does not improve with size and performance in the STA is not correlated with performance in the LFA. Ucrit values from the LFA have less variation than those from the STA. The results of this study show that the LFA is a more suitable modality for assessing swim performance in larval fathead minnows.

Predator-Prey Dynamics in an Urban Forest: Assessment Using Raptor Predation on Prey Mimics

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Amber Schenk Biology Amanda Hale Biology Tom Stevens Biology
Advisor(s): Amanda Hale Biology

Predator-prey dynamics play an integral role in shaping and regulating wildlife communities; however, recent studies have shown a decoupling of these relationships in urbanized areas. Trickle-down effects from the disruption of this trophic interaction have the potential to produce impacts that are far-reaching, altering other critical dynamics within the ecosystem. The purpose of my study was to characterize raptor activity and levels of predation in a large urban forest, the Great Trinity Forest in Dallas, TX. To quantify the extent of urbanization, I used ArcGIS Pro’s (version 2.2.0) image classification wizard with supervised, object-based classification on 50-cm pixel resolution, multi-band remote sensing imagery to estimate the percent of impervious surface. Then, from May to August 2019, I conducted weekly raptor surveys and deployed urethane foam prey mimics (snakes and mice) at 18 survey locations along an urban-to-rural gradient within this forest. In total, I detected 161 raptors representing 8 species throughout the season and found no relationship between raptor activity or diversity and degree of urbanization. Of the 732 prey models deployed, 61 showed signs of being depredated whereas 23 were missing and therefore had an unknown fate. Similar to the raptor results, overall predation on mice and snake models showed no relationship with degree of urbanization. Based on markings on the depredated models and photographs from field cameras, raptors appeared to target the snake mimics with no evidence of predation attempts on mice. And finally, I found no significant relationship between raptor activity and predation on snake models. Collectively, these results suggest either increasing levels of urbanization have no effect on raptor-prey dynamics within the Great Trinity Forest or there is low predatory response from raptors in regard to prey mimics.

Ectoparasite loads of Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) living in small towns

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Mary Tucker Biology Stephen Mirkin Biology
Advisor(s): Dean Williams Biology

Ectoparasites are a vital but often overlooked part of ecosystem dynamics, which have been shown to be negatively correlated with growth and decreased body condition in various vertebrate species. Texas horned lizards living in natural environments are known to harbor red mites (Acarina sp.), but the impact and density of these mites on lizards living in urban environments is not well known. Using weekly surveys during the summer of 2018, we examined the ectoparasite loads on Texas horned lizards (n = 87) from 11 different sites in Kenedy and Karnes City, Texas. We counted mites and recorded where they were found on the lizard’s body. We also determined the sex, age (juvenile versus adult), and body condition (body weight/SVL) of each captured lizard. We found significant differences in the number of mites between males and females, with males exhibiting heavier parasite loads, and also between different sites within the same town. We found no correlation between body condition and number of mites present. We present the first known research of ectoparasite loads of Texas horned lizards from an urban environment. Although the sample size is small, our data suggest that ectoparasite loads of Texas horned lizards from natural environments have lower mite loads than lizards found in an urban environment. These findings deserve further exploration to see if urban environments play a role in increased parasitism.

Fabrication and Characterization of Sub-Micron Plant-Derived Silicon Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Hailey Budensiek Chemistry & Biochemistry
Advisor(s): Jeffery Coffer Chemistry & Biochemistry

Porous silicon nanoparticles exhibit great potential as drug delivery vectors due to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio allowing for increased efficacy of surface functionalization and therapeutic loading capabilities. This data set demonstrates the fabrication of a class of plant-derived materials which are sub-micron in size and capable of functionalization with primary amine groups through the addition of APTES.
The production of porous silicon particles (pSi) is achieved through magnesiothermic reduction of silica containing Tabasheer powder isolated from the nodal joints of the Bambuseae plant. Efficacy of this reduction is evaluated using techniques including X-ray diffraction and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy which show successful reduction of silica starting material to porous silicon.
High energy ball milling followed by reduction is used to produce pSi particles of sub-micrometer size while also allowing for a significantly higher yield (~90%) of material than previous methods. Particle size is confirmed via electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS).
Following reduction, surface functionalization of silicon nanoparticles with primary amine groups was carried out using a 4% (v/v) solution of APTES in acetone. The evaluation of this functionalization was conducted using techniques including zeta potential and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Zeta potential values are found to be approximately -10 mV. This data demonstrates successful amino silanization.
The results achieved through these methods suggest successful fabrication of pSi nanoparticles and subsequent functionalization for future use as a drug delivery vector.

Creating Biocompatible Polymers Loaded With Porous Silicon Potentially For Drug Delivery

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Lexi Goehring Chemistry & Biochemistry
Advisor(s): Jeff Coffer Chemistry & Biochemistry

Drug delivery is the process by which medications are administered to the body. This is complex due to the difficulty of determining compounds that have the proper biocompatibility and permissibility to our human cells. Many medications are taken orally; however, there are advantages to administering medication subcutaneously or by inserting it in the inner corner of the eye. Porous films made out of biocompatible polymers provide a good platform for drug delivery as they have the ability to be loaded with plant derived porous Silicon. Functionalizing the porous silicon using (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde can be done in an attempt to covalently attach particles to the film which is important for embedding them into the pores of the film. Porous silicon has biocompatible properties and can be loaded with drugs then modified to alter the release of those drugs in the body. This method has the potential to be a useful drug delivery method due to the biocompatible and biodegradable properties of the material and the ability to manipulate the material in order to maximize drug release.

POROUS SILICON NANOTUBES AS POTENTIAL VECTORS FOR SMALL INTERFERING RNA DELIVERY

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Nguyen Le Chemistry & Biochemistry
Advisor(s): Jeffery Coffer Chemistry & Biochemistry Giridhar Akkaraju Biology

In cancer therapy, nucleic acid-based therapeutic strategies have been extensively investigated to suppress mutated gene expression, thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth. Among the approaches, small interfering (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing has been envisaged as a promising therapeutic approach to silence specific gene expression by targeting mRNA of the unwanted gene for degradation, thereby readily controlling cellular functions. However, delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been known to encounter multiple challenging barriers, such as blood circulation and cellular internalization, thus limiting the potential merits of this therapeutic strategy. While non-viral vectors have been preferred owing in part to better immune system compatibilities, porous silicon (pSi) with various geometric shapes (e.g. platelet and discoid) have recently been demonstrated as exceptional delivery carriers of siRNA in various disease models. Here our initial in vitro studies show that silicon in a unique one-dimensional porous nanotube structure (pSiNTs) can serve as a promising vector for delivery of siRNA to limit target gene expression, thereby expanding the library of possible nanostructures of Si in delivery of siRNA.
In this work, we demonstrate that pSiNTs after being functionalized with 3-(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) can deliver enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP)-targeting-siRNA via electrostatic conjugation and suppress EGFP expression in HeLa cervical cancer cells by up to 50%. Cytocompatibility and biodegradation of the functionalized pSiNT matrix upon siRNA delivery are characterized by ATP quantification assays (CellTiter Glo) and Transmission Electron Microscopy imaging (TEM) respectively. These results encourage further development of pSiNTs in therapeutic applications.

Synthesizing a vaccine for the treatment of addiction to the fentanyl opioid

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Carolina Segura Biology
Advisor(s): Jean-Luc Montchamp Chemistry & Biochemistry

The objective of this project is to make a vaccine that will negate the effects of the powerful opioid fentanyl in the long term. Fentanyl is a strong synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. According to the CDC, there were over 70,000 deaths due to street drug overdoses, which has increased in the last ten years. 40 % of these deaths are related to fentanyl overdoses, therefore it is imperative that approaches are developed to combat this alarming increase in deaths. The vaccine against fentanyl will be synthesized out of molecules that will take advantage of fentanyl’s amide functional group to be hydrolyzed into safe byproducts. Any patient that is administered with the vaccine, will not feel the effects of the opioid because the immune system will hydrolyze the drug as soon as it enters. This project will exploit the properties of both catalytic antibodies (CAbs) and transition state analogs. The Cabs will trigger an immune response to attract phagocytic cells, such as macrophages to phagocytose pathogens and eliminate them from the system. However, if the molecule resembles the transition-state of fentanyl hydrolysis, then the antibodies can cleave the fentanyl in a fast and efficient manner due to their catalytic properties. Therefore, after immunization, a person who is addicted to fentanyl would no longer feel the effects of the opioid because it will be degraded as an immune response is triggered, creating a long-term possible solution to one factor of the “opioid crisis.”

Sir Stan's Well Rounded Adventure

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Brooke Smith Computer Science Nick Bonavia Computer Science Sellars Levy Computer Science Shane Mitchell Computer Science David Rasberry Computer Science Westen Riley Computer Science
Advisor(s): Michael Scherger Computer Science

Sir Stanley’s Well Rounded Adventure is a mobile game that is meant to help educate children ages 7-11 about living a healthy lifestyle. Childhood obesity is on the rise, and while we cannot control the lifestyle choices others make, we can help bring education to the younger masses through a medium that they can enjoy: video games. Sir Stanley’s Well Rounded Adventure will help children learn valuable lessons about nutrition and physical activity through a series of unique mini-games, in-game tutorials, and in-game achievements. Our goal is to make this information that has been provided to us by TCU’s nutrition department both accessible and easy to understand for the younger generation.

Improving habitats for bats: What makes a bat-friendly residential swimming pool?

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Elizabeth Agpalo Environmental Sciences
Advisor(s): Victoria Bennett Environmental Sciences

For urban environments to support bat communities, resources need to be readily available, such as water. For example, bats typically use urban water sources, such as drainage ditches, lakes, and ponds. However, in areas where temperatures are consistently high and rainfall limited, these sources tend to be ephemeral. During these periods, bats utilized residential swimming pools. If pools were more attractive to bats, we may be able to improve urban habitats for bats both in terms of abundance and species diversity. We, therefore, set out to determine whether size, shape (round of square), lighting, and treatment type (chlorine, salt, or mineral) encouraged bats to drink at pools. Thus, we conducted behavioral surveys at 14 pools using thermal cameras and acoustic detectors to record bat foraging and drinking activity. Our results demonstrated that while shape did not influence pool use, treatment type, lighting, and size did. With this information, we can better advise interested residents in urban neighborhoods how better to make their backyards more bat-friendly.

The potential of cost-effective UAV technology to replace costly technologies in Precision Agriculture

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Benite Ishimwe Environmental Sciences
Advisor(s): Esayas Gebremichael Geological Sciences

The potential of cost-effective UAV technology to replace costly technologies in Precision Agriculture

Abstract

The use of satellite and aerial remote sensing for agricultural applications has exponentially expanded since the past decades. One such agricultural application that is highly dependent on the use of advanced hyperspectral and multispectral remote sensing and GPS technology to boost crop harvests and viability, while reducing the number and amount of inputs, like water, fertilizer, land, and others required to grow crops, is Precision Agriculture (PA). Although PA has been credited for the increased crop yield and productivity in the United States and worldwide, its dependence on costly technologies has been a major hurdle for it to be used by small-scale farmers locally and globally. This project aims to reduce the dependence of PA on costly and complex remote sensing technologies through the use of alternate and cheaper options such as low/medium-priced Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAV), popularly known as drones, equipped with only high-resolution cameras capable of, to a certain extent, mimicking the functionalities that are offered by costly technologies. Such low-cost technology is anticipated to enhance the efficiency and profitability of the agriculture sector through the provision of easier technologies to small-scale farmers. The research project is currently being implemented on a wheat farm owned by Davis farms (Grandview, Texas). Multi-temporal (at different growing stages) UAV imageries using DJI Mavic air 3D are being acquired with the purpose of producing 3D maps for qualitative and quantitative analysis. This includes crop-health assessment through the generation of crop-health indicator indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). A similar analysis from high-resolution multispectral imagery of the area, acquired from commercial satellite operators, will be undertaken and the accuracy, validity, and reliability of the UAV-based PA application will be assessed.

The effects of increased population growth on Rwanda’s forest ecosystem

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Benite Ishimwe Environmental Sciences
Advisor(s): Esayas Gebremichael Geological Sciences

The effects of increased population growth on Rwanda’s forest ecosystem.
Rwanda is a country in Central-East Africa and one of the smallest countries on the African continental, being only 10,169 mi²/ 26340 sq. Km. Rwanda is a landlocked country bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The current population of Rwanda is 12,830,205 as of 2020, based on the latest United Nations data with a population density of 525 per Km2 which equates to about 1,360 people per mi2 with 17.6 % of the population living in urban centers.
Rwanda forests have historically played a very significant role in the economy and livelihoods of its population through tourism, energy, and other industrial purposes. They provide around 86% of the primary energy source mainly as domestic cooking energy. Rwanda experienced 50.9% total forest loss since 1990, in order to address this deforestation and imbalance in wood supply/demand, Rwanda has over the years taken a consistent stance on increasing the forest cover by 30% by 2020. With growing population, this case study is going to analyze how population growth in Rwanda has affected forest cover and biodiversity. The study will integrate available geospatial datasets such as census, infrastructure, and satellite imagery to assess the impact of population growth on deforestation.

Evaluating the Properties of Coffee Derived Carbon-Based Materials for the Removal of Lead from Contaminated Water

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Amy Lam Environmental Sciences
Advisor(s): Omar Harvey Geological Sciences

Americans generate about 12.6 million kilograms of spent coffee grounds every day. 90% of that will end up in a landfill. However, this waste stream is a potential starting material that can be used for engineering purposes and to address issues like climate change and water pollution. For example, initial research has shown that charring (burning) the grounds at 350℃ improved its lead removal abilities. My research will convert spent coffee grounds to carbon-based materials by charring (burning) them at 350oC, 450oC, and 650oC to investigate how fast they can remove the lead. My research will also explore how activating the charred coffee grounds with nitric acid (HNO3) will enhance its capacity for lead removal and how the rate at which the materials can remove it.

Illinois agriculture: An examination of the relationship between annual corn crop yield and the application of Atrazine.

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Dalton Allen Biology
Advisor(s): Esayas Gebremichael Geological Sciences

Herbicides are chemicals frequently used in agriculture to manage or remove unwanted vegetation (i.e., weeds) that may negatively impact crops through resource competition. Through the elimination of these competitors, losses in crop yield may be reduced thus increasing cropland productivity. Atrazine is an herbicide that is widely used in the United States for the control of weeds that is predominately applied in the agriculture of corn, sorghum, and sugarcane. This is of interest to Illinois agriculture, as according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Illinois is a major agricultural producer of corn and soybeans with corn accounting for 11 million of Illinois’ 27 million acres of cropland. Further, Illinois possesses an agricultural industry that produces more than $19 billion annually of which corn accounts for more than 50 percent. It is due to the economic importance of corn crops to the state of Illinois and the widespread use of Atrazine in the agriculture of corn, that this project seeks to examine the relationship between Illinois annual corn crop yields and Atrazine application. This relationship will be assessed through analysis of spatial data acquired from the USDA for Illinois Atrazine application and corn crop yield.

Analysis of Deforestation in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Navya Kolli Geological Sciences
Advisor(s): Esayas Gebremichael Geological Sciences

Analysis of Deforestation in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
This research will focus on Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, a mountainous region located in the Western Ghats of southern India that encompasses several major national parks. Recent developments have caused mass deforestation in the region for lumber and area for plantations. In addition, more roads are being developed connecting urban centers to Nilgiri, which is only worsening the deforestation issue. In this research, Landsat satellite images will be used to track change over time with regards to deforestation and the development of road networks to see how that impacts wildlife. Geospatial data geoprocessing tools will be used to categorize change in land use over time (the change in some land areas from forest/untouched reserve to agricultural or road). False and true color composites in addition to Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) assessments will be undertaken to track the deforestation and differentiate between land types, since vegetation will be in a bright red, soil will be brown, and urban areas will be cyan blue to determine how much live green vegetation there is in the reserve as well.

Assessing Land Use Impact on Urban Heat Island Formation in Fort Worth

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Navya Kolli Geological Sciences
Advisor(s): Esayas Gebremichael Geological Sciences

Assessing Land Use Impact on Urban Heat Island Formation in Fort Worth

This research project will focus on assessing the impacts of human activity on the environment in Fort Worth as urbanization has increasingly taken hold over the years. Specifically, the project focuses on analyzing the change in land use in the city over a span of roughly three decades and its contributions to urban heat island formation. Landsat band data products will be used to estimate variations in land surface temperature (LST). LST calculations will highlight the factors contributing to urban heat island formation in Fort Worth.

Fungal alterations of Plant Biomass and Impacts on Sorption organic cations: Model study of Coffee grounds and Gentian violet.

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Jesse Mugisha Geological Sciences
Advisor(s): Harvey Omar Geological Sciences

Plant biomass represents an important component within the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and contaminants. Transformation of this plant biomass in the environment to organic residuals is dictated primarily by interactions with micro-organisms specifically fungi. My research investigates the effects of fungal colonization of spent coffee grounds as a model for plant biomass to organic matter transformation and how this transformation impacts environmental stability and its ability to bind to contaminants. This presentation will cover; 1) physical and chemical changes in the spent coffee grounds after molding for 0,3,4,5 and 7 months, 2) how these physical changes impact the environmental degradability, and 3) how these physical and chemical changes impact the capacity to bind Gentian violet dye (as a model for organic cations).

U-PB DETRITAL ZIRCONS OF SYNOROGENIC CARBONIFEROUS DEEP-WATER CLASTIC DEPOSITS IN THE OUACHITA MOUNTAINS, ARKANSAS, UNITED STATES

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Shaun Prines Geological Sciences Walter Manger Geological Sciences Xiangyang Xie Geological Sciences
Advisor(s): Xiangyang Xie Geological Sciences

The southern margin of the North American continent transformed from a passive margin to an
active margin during the Ouachita orogeny. Thick and near–continuous Paleozoic successions in
the Ouachita Mountains provide a unique opportunity to document changes in both
sedimentation and tectonics. In contrast to well-documented Taconic, Acadian, and Alleghenian
orogenic events, limited detrital zircon studies of the Ouachita orogeny and associated
successions have been published, and sediment sources of these deep-water, synorogenic clastics
remain less constrained.
In this study, a total of six outcrop samples (n=617) from the Mississippian Stanley Group and
Lower-Middle Pennsylvanian Jackfork and Johns Valley Groups were collected and processed
for U-Pb detrital zircon geochronologic analyses to depict sediment sources and dispersal
patterns during the Ouachita orogeny. Results show that the age distributions of the
Carboniferous deep-water clastic deposits in the Ouachita Mountains are characterized by major
peaks of the Paleozoic (~350-500 Ma), Grenville (~900-1350 Ma), and Midcontinental GraniteRhyolite (~1350-1500 Ma), minor peaks of Yavapai-Mazatzal (~1600-1800 Ma) and Superior (>
~2500 Ma) provinces. These deep water clastics share great similarities with the Appalachian
sources and are likely derived from similar sources. From the Mississippian Stanley Group to the
Pennsylvanian Jackfork and Johns Valley Groups, the Yavapai-Mazatzal population shows
marked enrichment (up to ~12%), suggesting Precambrian basement uplifts, possibly related to
the Ancestral Rockies to the northwest, might be another potential source. Compilation and
comparison show the Neoproterozoic age population (~550-800 Ma), most likely associated with
the peri-Gondwana terrane to the south, ranges from 3% to 35% within the Mississippian Stanley
Group. The variation indicates that the Stanley Group may have strong but short-lived local
contribution from the Gondwana terrane in addition to the regional Appalachian sources.
Overall, despite its proximal location, these Carboniferous deep-water clastic deposits in the
Ouachita Mountains received limited contribution from the Ouachita orogenic belt itself.

Trail Network Analysis of the TCU Tropical Biology Station

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Mary Tucker Geological Sciences
Advisor(s): Esayas Gebremichael Geological Sciences Dean Williams Biology

The new world tropics represent an area of unparalleled biodiversity. Unfortunately, it also represents an area of increasing habitat loss and consequently is in dire need of protection and conservation. The TCU San Ramon Tropical Biology Station located on the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica protects 100 hectares of primary and secondary forest and is a unique and ideal location for studying tropical biology. In the summer of 2018, we mapped an updated trail network at the station using a Bad elf sub-meter GNSS receiver in conjunction with Arc Collector. For this project we analyzed the distance each trail traveled through the 3 habitat types found at the station (primary forest, secondary forest, and pasture land), which will be used to aid the sampling efforts of my Master’s thesis project examining how mixed-species foraging flocks utilize the habitat protected by the station.

Quantifying the Hydrological Setting of Upper Flow Regime Channels of the Triassic Dockum Group of West Texas

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Samuel Walker Geological Sciences John Holbrook Geological Sciences
Advisor(s): John Holbrook Geological Sciences

The Triassic Dockum Group of the western Texas High Plains is studied in depth paleontologically, but until recently lacked a detailed sedimentological evaluation. Recent research of the Dockum Group in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, provides new interpretations of the complex fluvial lacustrine strata of the comprising formations based on analysis of individual lithofacies. Identified within the lithofacies assemblages are numerous channel belts composed of upper flow regime bedforms. Observed upper flow regime bedforms in outcrop range from upper plane bed, antidunes, breaking antidunes, chutes and pools, and cyclic steps with increasing flow velocity respectively. These channel belts record extreme flow events from repeating massive storms that perpetuated throughout the Texas region of Triassic Pangea. These unique reservoir-quality channels are interpreted to be resultant of a megamonsoonal climate producing massive pulses of rapid flow allowing for the preservation of upper flow regime bedforms. While these channels are identified in outcrop they have not been quantified in distribution, variability in fill, connectivity and formative discharge.
This study aims to test the megamonsoonal hypothesis by quantifying the discharge of these channels and testing if the distribution density and paleodischarge of these channels is consistent with local dominance of megamonsoonal conditions. Upper flow regime structures are rarely preserved in the rock record and extremely difficult to observe directly during natural formation in modern rivers. Most of the equations used to quantify flow conditions for these structures are derived from flume tank experiments. These are applied to the upper flow regime bedforms found in outcrops of the Dockum Group to reconstruct paleohydrology. Current flume tank research reinforces Kennedy’s equations defining relationships between the wavelengths of stable antidune apexes (λ), mean flow depth (hm) and mean flow velocity (U). These equations are modified to account for different upper flow regime structures formed under increasing velocity and discharge identified in outcrop. Bedform distribution, size, and type are variables determined from outcrop measurement. Paleoflow velocities, Froude numbers and relative water depths are determined with an observed margin of error. Scaling relationships and field measurements provide constraints on channel cross sectional area and channel-belt density. This data along with grain size distribution provides tangible numbers for calculating formative discharge. Preliminary results align with data from flume tank experiments and are consistent with major floods produced by substantial storm events verifying the megamonsoonal hypothesis.

Campanian-Maastrichtian Ankylosaurs of West Texas

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Bryanna West Geological Sciences
Advisor(s): Arthur Busbey Geological Sciences