Seven Wilson College seniors presented the results of their research at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science (PAS), held March 17-19 at Gannon University, Erie, PA. 

The students began their projects in the spring of their junior year by writing a research proposal based on a specific question that they were interested in studying.  In the fall semester, they completed the lab work and collected data.  This semester they have been focused on data analysis, writing a thesis and preparing to communicate their results at PAS.  All students represented Wilson College with confidence, poise and professionalism. The biology, biochemistry, and chemistry faculty are proud of the students’ efforts in the laboratory/field and their dedication in preparing for the meeting.  They look forward to sharing their results on campus during Student Research Day. 

The Pennsylvania Academy of Science judged oral presentations and posters and provided a monetary award for the top three places and honorable mentions in each category.  Oral presentations were assessed in categories for scientific merit (ranging from experimental methodologies to analysis of results) and presentation qualities, including visual impact and fielding of questions. The overall score was reflective of all subcategories.

Two Wilson students received awards at PAS for their oral presentations.  Rose Runyon, senior biology major, received the 3rd place award for her presentation entitled “Development of a method for rapid boldness scoring of individual swift fox (Vulpes velox) during husbandry visits and assessment of its applications across varying populations”.  Rose’s research was funded in part by the John D. Rose Award in Environmental Science and the E. Grace White Summer Scholarship.  She conducted the research in collaboration with graduate student Kimberly Todd at the National Zoo Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI).  Rose was also awarded the Joan M. Thuebel ’52 Earthwatch Prize to go on the South African Penguins expedition to Robben Island in Cape Town, South Africa. The expedition focused on recovering the population of South African penguins, an endangered species, in this area.  She is currently employed as an intern at NZCBI.

Morgan Wineburg, senior biochemistry major, received an honorable mention her presentation on “Effects of the Beta Blocker Propranolol on Human Glioblastoma Migration and Cytotoxicity”.  Morgan’s project was partially funded by a Student Research Award 2022.  She is the 2023 Disert Scholar and plans to attend medical school. 

Five other seniors in biology also presented their research results at PAS.  Kelly Lepouski gave an oral presentation for the project titled “Effects of combination treatments of epigenetic inhibitors (Belinostat and 5-Azacytidine) on human glioblastoma cells”.  
The remaining four students participated in a poster session

•    Alexis Alleman  “A study of musculoskeletal symptoms experienced by Lyme disease patients”

•    Camryn Mountz  “Gypsy Moths (Lymantria dispar) Ovipatory in Michaux State Forest based on Tree Species and Age”

•    Kara Rosander  “Comparative Study of the Effects of Precipitation on Microplastics in the Conocoheague Creek”  recipient of the E. Grace White Summer Scholarship.

•    Ryder Wallace  “Multifactor Analysis of The Spread of Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis) Borne Diseases in Pennsylvania”  recipient of the John D. Rose Award in Environmental Science and the E. Grace White Summer Scholarship

The faculty and students wish to thank Wilson College for supporting this research, which is an integral component of the curriculum for biology, biochemistry, and chemistry majors.  The three semester research sequence prepares students to enter the job market or to pursue graduate or professional education.

Abstracts (in alphabetical order)

Alexis Alleman
A study of musculoskeletal symptoms experienced by Lyme disease patients
According to the CDC, Lyme disease is the number one tick-borne vector disease in the United States with approximately 20 to 30 thousand people diagnosed per year. Most cases of Lyme disease go undiagnosed for a period of time because the symptoms are associated with other conditions, such as general aging and arthritis. Early diagnosis is important because treatment is more effective in early stages of the disease; therefore, it is important to develop new tools that can help physicians identify the presence of Lyme disease sooner. The purpose of this study was to observe whether there is a relationship between musculoskeletal symptoms and the pain thresholds of patients diagnosed with Lyme disease. An IRB-approved anonymous survey was distributed by a physician who is known to specialize in treating Lyme disease. Survey results were analyzed to determine what musculoskeletal symptoms were experienced as well as the pain threshold severity. Using NCSS, it was determined that there is insufficient statistical significance to begin developing an evaluation tool for musculoskeletal symptoms and pain thresholds that could be used by physicians as an indicator to test for Lyme disease before ruling out other diagnoses. A much larger data set would need to be collected to determine the potential of an evaluation tool
Research Advisors:  Deborah Austin and Kathryn Sarachan

Kelly Lepouski
Effects of combination treatments of epigenetic inhibitors (Belinostat and 5-Azacytidine) on human glioblastoma cells
Many cancers, including glioblastoma (GB), are difficult to treat, have low survival rates and high recurrence rates, and develop resistance to conventional treatments. Genetic and epigenetic factors play a role in these undesired outcomes. Recent research has identified epigenetic factors, including DNA methylation, histone modification and small noncoding RNAs (miRNAs), that are altered in many cancers. Some of these changes in the cancer epigenome can be reversed with epigenetic inhibitors, such as histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) leading to new therapeutic approaches. The use of single inhibitors has shown limited clinical success; however, combination therapies have shown more positive results. This study tested the cytotoxicity of belinostat (an HDACi) and 5-azacytidine (a DNMTi) alone and in combination on human glioblastoma cells. Glioblastoma cells were plated in 96-well plates containing 10,000 cells per well, and the % cell viability was determined using an MTT assay. Dose response curves were generated (0 to 10 µM concentrations) using six different treatment conditions: no treatment, media, DMSO, HDACi alone, DNMTi alone, and HDACi and DNMTi combined. Belinostat and 5-azacitidine were both shown to be cytotoxic to GB cells in a dose-dependent manner. Belinostat was more effective than 5-azacitidine. A synergistic effect was also observed when the drugs were used in combination. Combination therapy using both belinostat and 5-azacytidine could represent a promising treatment for glioblastoma in the future.
Research Advisors: Brad Engle and Kathryn Sarachan

Camryn Mountz
Gypsy Moths (Lymantria dispar) Ovipatory in Michaux State Forest based on Tree Species and Age
Gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar) are an invasive species that defoliate forests across North America. The USDA estimated that industry, agriculture, and land management stakeholders spend $26 billion annually trying to control invasive species across the country. Gypsy moths complete holometabolous stages with an annual life cycle whose larvae feed on hardwood vegetation, and possess few North American predators or parasites to control their spread. Gypsy moths threaten many native trees along the east coast, causing mass defoliation which decreases tree species biodiversity. Approximately 150 different species of trees have been identified to be susceptible to gypsy moths, the main target being Oak species. This study seeks to observe the relationship between the presence and number of egg mass and tree maturity and species within Michaux State Forest, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Preliminary results indicate Gypsy moths prefer depositing egg masses on adult Chestnut Oaks.
Research Advisors: Jeffrey Bardwell and Sherri Buerdsell

Kara Rosander
Comparative Study of the Effects of Precipitation on Microplastics in the Conocoheague Creek
Water pollution is a significant global issue. It is estimated that 14,000 people die each day from water pollution worldwide. Pollutants can enter the air, soil, or water and change their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, which can cause harm to humans and aquatic life. Microplastics are plastic particles that are less than 0.5 mm and these can enter water sources, specifically the creek by surface water runoff after heavy rain, wastewater (treated and untreated), industrial effluent, degraded plastic waste, and atmospheric deposition. Microplastics pollute the environment and waterways because they take up to thousands of years to chemically degrade. In the environment, they can act as vectors for harmful containments like heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and bacteria. The small size of microplastics allows them to easily be ingested. The Conococheague Creek is the source of drinking water for Chambersburg. This study investigated whether the introduction of microplastics into the Conococheague Creek is correlated with precipitation. Two sites along the Conococheague Creek were selected-one upstream from Wilson College and one downstream. Although the results show no statistical significance between precipitation and microplastic concentration, a significant difference was identified between fibers and both films and fragments (p<0.025).
Research Advisors: Deborah Austin and Sherri Buerdsell

Rose Runyan
Development of a method for rapid boldness scoring of individual swift fox (Vulpes velox) during husbandry visits and assessment of its applications across varying populations
The swift fox (Vulpes velox) is a canid species that inhabits the northern Great Plains region of the United States and Canada and faces continuous threats to population expansion and growth. Subsequently, the Fort Belknap Department of Fish and Wildlife and Smithsonian Institution launched a five-year reintroduction plan in 2020 to translocate individuals from established populations in Colorado and Wyoming to the Fort Belknap Reservation in northern Montana. The aim is to create a self-sustaining population that will expand and connect with fragmented northern and contiguous southern populations across the species’ range. During this time, research is being conducted to understand how bold personality affects individual fitness with implications for population-level dynamics. This study aims to create a method for evaluating individual swift fox boldness levels prior to release in the form of a survey that may be completed by technicians in the field. The survey was created based on behavioral observations of videographic data collected during the 2021 translocation, provided by the Smithsonian, and utilizes Likert scale and multiple-choice style questions for easy scoring. However, because the videographic data processed focused solely on a Wyoming release cohort, concern arose for the applicability of this survey across source populations. Therefore, the second part of this study utilizes videographic data from both Colorado- and Wyoming- sourced foxes to compare activity budgets between source populations. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, data analysis has revealed significant differences in the activity budgets between these two populations, which may have implications to their fitness post-release. This study will provide a broad-based methodological tool to assist ongoing research in swift fox recovery.
Research Advisors: Sherri Buerdsell and Deborah Austin
Research done in collaboration with National Zoo Conservation Biology Institute, Kimberly R. Todd, Nucharin Songsasen, and Hila Shamon

Ryder Wallace
Multifactor Analysis of The Spread of Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis) Borne Diseases in Pennsylvania
Deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis, Class Arachnida) are ectoparasites found throughout the eastern and midwestern regions of the United States and responsible for 95% of vector-borne diseases in the country. I. scapularis prefer feeding on the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) but sometimes parasitize humans. I. scapularis carry an array of diseases such as Lyme Disease, Babesiosis, and Anaplasmosis. This study uses Lyme Disease data to generate historical and future linear regression models, which can then be used to identify future trends for Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis in Pennsylvania. Unlike Lyme Disease, these two diseases are both prevalent in New England and currently spreading south. Using countylevel data, this study aims to understand the conditions that could lead to the spread of Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis across three Pennsylvania counties: Northumberland, Snyder, and Union. Independent variables include I. scapularis populations, human populations, temperature levels, precipitation levels, and currently reported locations for all three diseases in Pennsylvania. The dependent variable is normalized disease presence (frequency of collected potential disease vectored ticks / county population). Using R library packages dplyr, magrittr, stats, and tidyr, a linear regression model shows statistical significance for population (t-statistic: 2.348, p-value = 0.0312) and intercept (t-statistic: - 2.347, p-value = 0.0313) for Union County. This predictive model can be used to create a county-level choropleth map to document twenty-year historic trends of Lyme Disease and forecast future prevalence of Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis in Northumberland, Snyder, and Union counties. This model creation can be used by other researchers; civilians; and people at risk of Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, or Babesiosis to warn about potential locations susceptible to the spread of these diseases.
Research Advisors: Jeffrey Bardwell and Brad Engle

Morgan Wineburg
Effects of the Beta Blocker Propranolol on Human Glioblastoma Migration and Cytotoxicity
Approximately 250,000 people in the world are diagnosed with glioblastoma annually and 200,000 die from the disease. It is the deadliest form of brain cancer, with the average age of incidence peaking at 75-84 years. One important factor in the clinical outcomes of cancer is migration. Glioblastoma has a high rate of migration causing the cancer to become metastatic quickly. Studies have shown that beta blockers, specifically propranolol, can attenuate the migration of various pancreatic and cervical cancer cells. This study will assess the ability of propranolol to arrest migration in glioblastoma cell cultures. The experimental groups were treated with 150, 200, and 250 µM propranolol, respectively. Cell cultures were incubated at 37 °C for three hours to allow for cell adhesion to the inserts then treated with propranolol for 24 hours. Each treatment was replicated twelve times. A cell migration assay was used to quantify the degree to which treated and untreated glioblastoma cells penetrate the 8.0µm barrier. Propranolol significantly (p=0.00445) inhibited the migration of glioblastoma cells irrespective of treatment groups. In addition, an MTT assay was done to assess propranolol-induced cytotoxicity at concentrations of 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 µM. Propranolol significantly (p=0.00626) reduced cell viability in all treatment groups. Cytotoxicity increased among the groups as propranolol concentration increased (p=0.0004).
Research Advisors: Kathryn Sarachan and Brad Engle