2024 Three Minute Thesis Competitors

Dissolvable Microneedles Used to Vaccinate Through the Skin

A big vaccine deterrent is the pain associated with the needle. Delivering vaccines through a dissolvable skin patch removes any discomfort and can offer greater protection from the pathogen. These skin patches are called microneedles and are made of sugar, allowing them to penetrate and dissolve in the dermal layer of the skin. The vaccine then activates Langerhans cells, or the immune cells in residence in the dermal layer. Activation of these cells lead to systemic immunity, as well as mucosal immunity. This two-pronged immune response allows for protection from severe illness, which injectable vaccines provide, but additionally, vaccines delivered through dissolvable skin patches prevent pathogens from entering through our mucosal membranes. The overall goal of this research is to increase vaccination by removing the pain of needles and improving the immune protection gained from the vaccine.

Drastic Measures: Understanding Chemical Exposures in the Modern World

The pesticide glyphosate is the most heavily used agricultural chemical in the world, with over 800 thousand tons used annually. Glyphosate exposure has been linked to a variety of negative health effects in humans, including cancer and preterm birth, but the scientific evidence showing these links is new and controversial. Glyphosate is applied to a variety of crops, and can still be measured in those crops by the time they reach grocery stores. This means that every time we sit down for a meal, we are at risk of being exposed. For farmworkers and those living in agricultural communities, the risk of glyphosate exposure may be even higher than in the general population. To determine the health effects of glyphosate exposure, we must first be able to accurately measure how much glyphosate an individual has been exposed to. Researchers commonly attempt to characterize glyphosate exposure by measuring glyphosate concentrations in a single urine sample. Since glyphosate levels in the body fluctuate, single urine samples represent only very recent experiences and are likely to misclassify long-term exposure. This misclassification has the potential to endanger public health by systemically underestimating the strength of the relationship between glyphosate exposure and potential health effects. The primary goal of this thesis is to determine the minimum number of urine samples that are required to accurately characterize long-term glyphosate exposure, which is vital to inform future glyphosate research and protect public health.

Equipping Students to Be Heroes Against Bullying

School bullying is a significant problem in the United States, with one out of four students reporting being a target of bullying. Targets of bullying report a wide range of socio-emotional consequences, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depressive symptoms, poor mental and general health, non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. The majority of students (80%) report observing bullying as a bystander. A bystander is a student who witnesses a bullying situation but is not the target or the perpetrator. Researchers have also established mental health risks associated with witnessing bullying including anxiety and depressive symptoms. Researchers have utilized the Bystander Intervention Model to conceptualize bullying bystander behavior. The five-step model includes Notice the Event, Interpret the Event as an Emergency, Accept Responsibility, Know How to Act, and Decision to Intervene. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in the Bystander Intervention Model among middle school students (N = 79) trained in a bullying bystander intervention. We also assessed which of the steps were uniquely associated with defending behavior post-training. Results among bystanders indicated a significant increase in Know How to Act, Notice the Event, and Decision to Intervene, as well as a significant increase in defending behavior. Finally, Notice the Event and Decision to Intervene were uniquely associated with defending behavior post-training.

“Dyfficuhlteh Mhineous” — Poetry We “Don’t Get” Can Save Our Practice of Writing, Our Poets, & Our Population

Most of us are “poetry illiterate.” The way we engage with (or, more often, avoid engaging with) difficult poetry — poetry we just don’t understand or just “don’t get” — has far-reaching implications concerning the practice of writing, the people who write it, and the population at large.

Evaluating the Synergy of Geocell and Microbial-Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) in Enhancing Pavement Base Stability: A Field Study on US 95

The imperative to develop resilient and sustainable infrastructure is escalating, particularly as urban road networks are subjected to unprecedented stresses. Conventional pavement bases often entail the extensive utilization of quarry materials, which significantly exacerbates environmental degradation and amplifies the energy footprint of construction endeavors. The extraction, transportation, and processing of these quarry materials contribute to deforestation, habitat eradication, and greenhouse gas emissions. Given these environmental and operational hurdles, the quest for innovative, sustainable alternatives in pavement engineering is pressing. One solution is to use the native materials treated with microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) alongside geocell technology back in pavement construction to minimize the reliance on quarry materials. Past research at Boise State has shown in the laboratory that this is a viable alternative for a certain types of soils with moderate fines content (~30%). This needs to be verified in the field. Hence, the main aim of this research is to evaluate the performance of Geocell-enhanced-MICP-treated high-fines soil as a pavement base for flexible pavements. To achieve this goal ~100 ft of US 95 highway west of marsing was reconstructed using MICP treated high fines soil and a conventional base material. The control (eastbound) and treated (westbound) sections of the highway at Milepost 3.3 were instrumented with pressure plates at strategic locations. The procedures involved in treating about 100 tonnes of soil in the field with MICP and the construction and instrumentation of the test section and the monitoring data are discussed.

From Misfolds to Fluorescence: Enhancing RNA Sensors for Biotechnological Breakthroughs

RNA, known for its complex 3D structure, serves as the basis for artificially developed sensors that emit fluorescence upon activation. My research delves into the challenges of misfolding in RNA sensors, particularly during self-assembly. By integrating principles from nucleic acid circuits and natural RNA switch design, the study aims to mitigate misfolding issues, ultimately enhancing the sensitivity and versatility of these sensors. The improved RNA sensors have implications for biotechnology and medicine, offering a promising avenue for cost- effective and rapid diagnostics.

Animal Biographies: Measuring the Efficacy of Empathy Adjacent Language

Zoo Boise acts as a center for education, conservation, and entertainment for the community of Boise, Idaho. They are also a center for multiple forms of science communication, aiding in educating the community on species from across the world and the environmental problems they face. To encourage empathy for the individual animals housed at Zoo Boise and motivate visitors to care for their species, Zoo Boise has begun to introduce new signage to certain zoo exhibits. While the typical exhibit signage contains general facts about entire species, the empathy-based signage showcases the life history, individual factoids (e.g. favorite foods, etc.), and names of individual animals. To test whether the new signage encourages empathy, we propose a comparative test between two dyads of Zoo Boise exhibits, using a short survey to compare visitor responses to exhibits with empathy signage and those without. The differences in empathetic engagement between the two signage types can then be measured, informing Zoo Boise of the efficacy of their new signage in motivating empathetic engagement in visitors. This may act as another important step in evaluating Zoo Boise’s approach to science communication and visitor education. The results of this study can then potentially be utilized by other AZA accredited zoos who may also benefit from empathy-based signage.

Using Computers to Investigate Materials that can Generate Power Sustainably and Inexpensively

To ease the effects of global warming on the planet, it is important that we increase the amount of power generated from clean energy sources, such as the sun. To harvest the energy from the sun we rely on solar panels, however the silicon-based solar panels on the market today are expensive to produce and have seen minimal increase in efficiency over the last decade. To make solar panels more appealing to consumers we need to increase how efficient they are in converting sunlight to power, while also decreasing the cost of production. Plastic based solar panels have promised to meet these demands. Increasing the efficiency of solar panels depends on understanding how the structure of the device’s molecular components influences the amount of energy it can produce from sunlight. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are a computational method of studying how molecules will interact over time, while reaching equilibrium. We can use this method to determine which chemistries self-assemble into morphologies with the most promising ability to convert sunlight into electricity. In prior research, there were barriers to simulating new molecules, as well as simulating lots of molecules with ease. We have developed a workflow that uses computational power to lessen these barriers, allowing us to simulate materials that have never been simulated before. Using this workflow, we can determine what likelihood these new materials have of producing better, more inexpensive solar panels.

Enhancing Nuclear Power Safety, Economic Viability, and Advancing Innovation through the Understanding of Fracture Behavior in Nuclear Fuels

Increased fire frequency in the sagebrush steppe has altered plant-soil feedbacks, which complicates restoration efforts. Altered plant-soil feedbacks are the result of increased soil nitrate (NO3–) concentrations following fire, which catalyzes growth of invasive species. Further, fire-induced loss of soil carbon and organic matter reduces soil water retention. Finally, fire disrupts soil symbiont-plant interactions that are essential to sagebrush establishment. Biochar, created from pyrolyzed plant biomass, is a soil amendment that may be used to reduce soil NO3–, improve soil water retention, and increase colonization with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) an essential soil symbiont for sagebrush.  However, its impact on restoration in the sagebrush steppe is uncertain. With this study I ask: (1) How does the application of biochar affect soil biogeochemical properties and sagebrush seedling survival? (2) How does the physicochemical composition of biochar impact soil properties and sagebrush establishment? (3) How does post-fire recovery mediate the impact of biochar on soil properties and sagebrush establishment? To address these questions, I installed a manipulative field experiment in an area that burned in 1983 located in the sagebrush steppe approximately 17 miles south of Boise. I established the following treatments: three biochar types that vary in particle size and chemical composition and a control (i.e. no biochar added). All treatments were established across two post-fire recovery zones. I will analyze sagebrush seedling survival, seedling Net primary productivity, drought stress, soil organic matter, soil C, soil NO3-, soil microbial community composition, and AMF root colonization. This study will increase our understanding of biochar as a restoration technique and improve post-fire restoration in the sagebrush steppe.

A Process Map for Promoting Successful Industry Academic Partnerships for Curriculum Development: Integration of Multiple Streams Framework and Stakeholder Theory

There is a widening gap between traditional higher education and the needs of the industry workforce. Higher education has lately been criticized for having too few voices playing a role in most curricula development, with the voices being used consisting largely of career academics (Nature Editorial, 2023). Both industry and academia have found a disconnect between academic training and preparedness to enter the labor market (Jackson et al., 2016). Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) and Stakeholder Theory (ST) have been offered as potential frameworks for guiding elements of policy or strategy development and implementation in this context. In my research I present and analyze, through autoethnographic account, how effective integration of MSF and ST can provide a policy process map for developing academic programs that leads to successfully addressing the gap between industry needs and curriculum development. This analysis proposes four themes that emerged to maximize success for this process. The findings of this dissertation suggest that for industry-partnered higher education program design, integration of Stakeholder Theory with the Multiple Streams Framework presents a comprehensive, practical, and interdisciplinary process map for ensuring success.

Using a Salmonella Protein to Reduce Foodborne Illness

In the U.S., non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a major cause of foodborne illness, hospitalization, and death. NTS infects both humans and animals and largely causes gastroenteritis or inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Despite increased efforts to control Salmonella infection through government-backed programs, including the development of vaccines for specific animals, NTS incidence rates have not significantly declined. Part of this is due to the high virulence and antibiotic resistance of some NTS strains. Therefore, there is a major need to create a broadly cross-protective vaccine for NTS. Our lab has recently purified a Salmonella AB5 protein, called ‘ArtAB’, and tested it on epithelial cells, which serve as a barrier function in your body. We observed similar characteristics and activity of ArtAB to other well-researched AB5 proteins. The family of AB5 proteins are promising vaccine components that are secreted by gram-negative bacteria. These proteins are characterized by an enzymatically active A-subunit and a pentameric binding B-subunit. In a typical infection, the B-subunit will undergo binding to specific receptors on host cells, allowing for the A-subunit to alter cell signaling and ultimately trigger cell death. AB5 proteins have well-described adjuvant activity or ability to stimulate the immune system. Due to the toxicity of the A-subunit, B5 subunits are of great interest. We hypothesize that ArtB, the B-subunit of ArtAB, can act as an immune-stimulatory agent in future vaccines to combat NTS. We plan to use a variety of experimental techniques to see how ArtAB (contains both subunits) and ArtB (B-subunit alone), will comparatively stimulate the immune system.

Revolutionizing Education Through the Integration of Artificial Intelligence In Demographically Challenged Classrooms

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has the potential to revolutionize the learning experiences of students in demographically challenged classrooms -a learning space that has limited access to academic resources.

This research explores how Artificial Intelligence can be refined to address the unique challenges faced by students in regions that are underrepresented in socioeconomic and financial disparities. To complete this project, a content analysis of institutional statements on AI and extensive literature reviews on educational policies regarding artificial intelligence will be conducted. The primary goals of the study are to provide more comprehensive support to classrooms in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and to develop practical recommendations and strategies for educators and academic leaders in the region on how to incorporate Artificial intelligence into their curricula to enhance the learning experiences by making educational materials more accessible, rigorous and modern.

This research contributes to informing stakeholders on how to incorporate AI in classroom instruction in a way that supports students and their unique challenges to learning. It is imperative that these students also benefit from the advancement in educational growth that is
facilitated by the implementation of artificial intelligence as a pivotal tool in their learning journey.