United States

Human bodily functions, e.g., exhaled breath, perspiration, and physiological processes, exhibit several chemical and isotopic tracers that are potential disease signatures. Exhaled human breath analysis can be used for early disease detection and identify and discriminate disease biomarkers while being non-invasive. This project aims to develop rapid, real-time chemical and biological detection using mid-infrared laser systems. We used mid-infrared laser spectroscopy to detect the molecular absorption line transitions. In addition, we designed a long pathlength (30 m) Heriot Laser Optical Cavity to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio of experimental molecular absorption signals. This is a vital part of laser-based precision sensing. Furthermore, we also focused on a volatile organic compound and the detection of Nitrous Oxide (N2O). A rapid laser scan was performed at a frequency of 100 Hz with laser stabilized at a constant 27°C. This allowed us to estimate the current range, 50 mA to 72 mA, and the wavelength range of 4537 nm to 4540 nm of the mid-Infrared absorption from the molecular rotational-vibrational transitions. We also show that mid-infrared sensing is ideal for real-time precision detection of molecules. In addition, molecular density can be precisely estimated by the polynomial fitting of the absorption signal.

DSU Summer Research Symposium 2021

Laser-based precision sensing for biomedical applications

Welcome Seabirders!  

Welcome to Virtual World Seabird Conference 3 - vWSC3! Whether you are in your office or lab, at home, in a coffee shop or bar poaching some wifi, or at a remote field site or research vessel – we are very excited to welcome you to the third ever World Seabird Conference. 

We would like to thank ALL of you for being so patient as WSC3 was scheduled, postponed, rescheduled, revised to virtual, and scheduled again. Throughout all those iterations there was one message that remained perfectly clear – seabirders were eager to meet and share their science. If we could not meet in person then virtual it would have to be, but a 3rd WSC was something everyone wanted. That support and commitment helped the WSU Board of Directors and Member Societies sort through all of the challenges they faced to plan and hold this conference. 

The list of those that need to be thanked is long and, while we plan on recognizing many during the live closing plenary, it is important to do so here in writing as well. 

The Australasian Seabird Group was our Local Host for our plan to meet in Hobart, Tasmania. They invested substantial time and effort to find venues and plan events that we unfortunately were not able to visit. Nonetheless we appreciate their work on behalf of WSC3 and encourage all of you to thank them when you see their members in Gathertown or elsewhere during our virtual meeting. Their willingness to host created the initial excitement for WSC3 and without that our vWSC would not have been possible.

We also wish to thank the Science Program Committee, the Virtual Committee, and the Early Career Scientist Committee for their hard work planning the logistics, events, and schedule for vWSC3. These committees also had to deal with changing parameters and short timelines that made what is always a challenging task even more challenging. The Travel Awards Committee also invested time and effort in developing procedures for awarding travel funds that ultimately would not be implemented. 

Our ability to shift from an in-person to a virtual meeting, and to do so in a way that would be financially feasible, was due to the effective efforts of The International Fundraising Committee and to our financial sponsors. The IFC raised funds to support WSC3 and then, through the good relationships they built with sponsors, ensured we could re-envision how those funds could be used to support a virtual conference that would be affordable and high-quality.

We all owe the WSU Board of Directors and the Representatives of the Member Societies a great deal of thanks. They are the ones who manage the WSU and, for the past 18 months, have had to have a series of challenging meetings and conversations, have had to make a series of difficult choices, have had to do all of that while considering the short- and long-term health of WSU and the World Seabird Conferences, and did this while also managing their own challenges at their day jobs. We are grateful for their diligence, patience, foresight, and throughout all of the meetings, their collegiality. Also – a 6-year term is quite a commitment!

There would not be a WSC3 without a successful WSC1 and WSC2. Thanks go to the Pacific Seabird Group for their support of WSC1 in Victoria, Canada, and to the African Seabird Group for their support of WSC2 in Cape Town, South Africa. In each of these endeavors and for our current conference we were fortunate to work with a dependable and trustworthy partner in Podium Conferences. Michelle Smith and Marischal de Armond have become valued members of our team and have not only helped us plan conferences but have assisted and advised the WSU Chairs and Board on issues above and beyond conference planning. 

As we embark on our vWSC3 week we extend to all of you our thanks for showing up, for being patient, and most importantly for the work you do with seabirds. We are all part of a unique, global community that shares an interest, a fascination, and a passion for birds that make a living in our world’s oceans. We have advanced the science, conservation, and management of seabirds as well the ecosystems they inhabit. We are consistently impressed and motivated by the work you do. 

The WSU formed in 2010 because we saw the need for a global organization to address challenges at a global level. Over the past 11 years WSU has grown, adapted, and evolved to become the community that this week is making vWSC3 a reality. Enjoy the week, appreciate and support the friends and colleagues you have made in the community, and if you see us in a virtual hallway please stop and say hello! 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve all of you and the WSU over the past few years,

Nicholas Carlile, Interim Chair, WSU<br>
Patrick Jodice, 2nd Chair of the WSU<br><br>

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3rd World Seabird Conference

Join us for four days of science, networking and virtual engagement with delegates from around the world!

poster

Welcome to Delaware State University’s Annual Summer Research Symposium, and thank you for attending! Our symposium represents the culmination of students’ summer experiences in research at Delaware State University. This event showcases the work of college students working on faculty-led research projects, as well as middle and high school students experiencing research for the first time working in research groups. Whatever the case, this summer has been a unique experience for the students, and we hope a transformative one.  Even for students who are not planning a career in scientific research, their summer experience has given them skills they will draw on for years to come. 
<br><br>Please join us on the mainstage and in Gather for the live event, and visit the recorded poster presentations any time.
<br><br>The student participants and organizers of the various summer programs at DSU would like to thank all of the research mentors who guided our summer program participants. There were many DSU faculty, graduate students, and other research and program staff who gave their time and energy to help our students have a fun and educational summer experience. Without their generosity and patience these summer programs would not be possible.
<br><br>For the research participants, we hope that you will maintain contact with your research mentors and colleagues.  Science is a relatively small community made up of disciplinary “neighborhoods”. If you continue to work in a discipline, the other folks in that discipline will be like your neighbors that you run into regularly. Staying in contact with them will help you keep up with the news of the neighborhood, and open doors to educational and career opportunities. Whether you continue in science or take a different career path, for this summer you have been part of the world of research, and you will benefit from that perspective for the rest of your life.


Please register for the DSU Summer Research Symposium 2021 to be able to access the content.  
If you have already registered, please login with the same email you used to registered for the Conference.

Welcome to Delaware State University’s Annual Summer Research Symposium, and thank you for attending!

Examining Water Quality and Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) Gut Content in Blackbird Creek, Delaware State University Kayla McKinley, Jackie Maina, and and Gulnihal Ozbay, Ph.D. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dover, DE Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901 Blue crabs are an important part of the Delmarva local economy. They bring in revenues amounting to 4 to 6 million dollars annually. Blue crab habitat use is dependent on life cycle stage. Marsh habitats are especially essential for juvenile blue crabs as they provide shelter from predators. Marsh dynamics are influenced by nutrient input, affecting their ability to support crab populations. The objective of this study was to examine water quality conditions and investigate blue crab feeding behavior in Blackbird Creek, Delaware. Five sites were identified based on dominant vegetation. Site 1: Sporobolus alterniflora and Phragmites australis. Site 2: S. alterniflora and Sporobolus cynosuroides. Site 3:S. alterniflora, S. cynosuroides and P. australis. Site 4: S. alterniflora.Site 5: P. australis. As 51% of the land surrounding Blackbird creek is agricultural land, water quality monitoring targeting nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients was conducted in 2017 and 2020 to determine the creek’s suitability as a blue crab habitat. Fifty-two crabs in total were collected using crab traps. Percentage gut fullness and volume were determined. The preliminary results indicate that the highest mean nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and orthophosphates were from sites 5 (0.44 mg/L) site 2 (0.0136 mg/ L), site 5 (0.068 mg/ L) and site 1 (0.498 mg/ L) respectively. All the nutrients were within Delaware’s regulatory ranges for surface water quality. The crab gut content analysis indicates that the highest percentage fullness mean (75%), and the highest gut volume mean (4.57 mL) were from site 5. The water quality values are almost similar across sites, and they are unlikely to influence blue crab feeding habits in Blackbird Creek. The vegetation is therefore the most likely determinant of food availability in this habitat meaning that although P. australis is an invasive species, it provides a better feeding environment for the blue crabs. Keywords: Blue crab, Gut content, Blackbird Creek, Water quality, Marsh grass Acknowledgements: We acknowledge USDA NIFA Capacity Building Grant Awards# 2016-06642 and 2016-06476 for funding my internship and the project as part of the student experiential learning goal and the Project Director, Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay, and the Project Director, Dr. Shobha Sriharan, respectively for providing this internship opportunity.

Examining Water Quality and Blue Crab Gut Content in Blackbird Creek

There is increasing interest in natural products that spans many applications due to their perceived safety over synthetic counterparts. Medicinal plants and herbs like Prunus africana (African cherry) and Syzygium aromaticum (cloves) have been traditionally used in herbal remedies. The phytochemicals in these materials have been reported to be bioactive and linked to various properties including antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of various extraction methods on the phytochemical composition and in vitro antibacterial activities of African cherry and cloves. Cloves and African cherry and were infused in olive oil for 15 or 17, respectively or extracted with methanol or water. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were measured spectrophotometrically, and antimicrobial activities were tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Aeromonas sobria using the agar diffusion assay. The TPC of African cherry and cloves extracts ranged between 0.02 and 262.81 mg GAE/g. Aqueous extracts of cloves had the highest TFC of 4.54 mg Rutin/g. A dose dependent radical scavenging activity was observed in the methanolic extracts of cloves and African cherry and aqueous extract of cloves. Both methanolic extracts were efficient, with low amounts of radicals remaining at the highest concentration tested. Methanolic extract of cloves exhibited antimicrobial activity against all microorganisms studied. The results suggest that both materials are strong antioxidants and magnitude is dependent on method of extraction and type of solvent used.

Bioactive Properties of Prunus africana and Syzygium aromaticum Macerates and Extracts

This project involves assessing the amount of Vibrio spp. in seawater at Slaughter Beach, Delaware. Vibrios are bacteria that thrive in warm seawater and are highly pathogenic to humans and oysters. The four species that we seek to identify are V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, V. coralliilyticus, and V. tubiashii. Monitoring the level of Vibrio and environmental parameters such as salinity, temperature, and turbidity help managers determine whether Slaughter Beach is an acceptable location for a future oyster hatchery. The objectives for this project are to investigate total V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, V. coralllilyticus, and V. tubiashi in seawater, and to determine the relationship between the water quality parameters and level of Vibrio spp. Water samples were collected bimonthly in June and July 2021. The YSI 556 multi probe was used to monitor salinity and temperature, and turbidity was monitored using the Global Water WQ770 turbidimeter at two sites (The Slaughter Beach Boat Ramp and Cedar Creek) during high and low tide. Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salts Sucrose (TCBS) is the agar used to monitor Vibrio growth and 100 μL of seawater were inoculated at 26 ℃ and 37 ℃. The turbidity level at the Boat Ramp was higher than at Cedar Creek during both tides from June to July. At both tides, salinity was low, but Cedar Creek had greater amounts of Vibrio spp., with more salinity and higher temperature than at the Boat Ramp. This suggests that Vibrio may grow more in seawater at low salinity, high turbidity, and temperature. Monitoring these Vibrio spp. and water quality parameters can aid in reducing human and oyster infections.

Analyzing the Total Level of Vibrio spp. in Seawater at Slaughter Beach, Delaware

Examining Differences in Water Quality and how it Affects Oyster Growth in Rehoboth Bay, Delaware Kevin Knight, Aaron Bland and and Gulnihal Ozbay, Ph.D. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Delaware State University, Dover, DE Rehoboth Bay, one of the three Delaware Inland Bays, is a site of recently implemented oyster aquaculture and oyster artificial reefs. Oyster aquaculture is the farming of oysters to eat and artificial reefs help restore the wild oyster population. Oysters, both wild and farmed, help filter nutrients in the water and provide habitat to fishes and invertebrates. Oysters in Rehoboth Bay may help manage the excessive nutrient pollution affecting the Bay. Water quality can affect oyster growth, but it is not clear whether water quality changes across the Bay. This information could help oyster farmers and conservation managers find the best areas for oysters to grow. The objectives of this project are to figure out if throughout the bay there are major differences in water quality and whether those differences may impact how oysters grow. To test the hypothesis that there would be significant differences in water quality across Rehoboth Bay, seven sites in Rehoboth Bay were visited approximately every two weeks, weather permitting, from July to November 2020. Sites were either an aquaculture site, artificial reef site or a control site without oysters. Water quality was determined using a YSI 556 multiprobe system, an AquaFluor Handheld Fluorometer, and a Global Water WQ770 Turbidimeter, taking three readings per site visit. Collected water samples were filtered through a pre-weighed filter to determine Total Suspended Solids (TSS). Temperature, TSS, chlorophyll, and dissolved oxygen were the main factors used to determine whether or not the hypothesis was correct. The data were averaged out for each site by each month. Four two-factor ANOVA tests were used to determine if there were significant differences in the parameters between the months and across sites. It was determined that, for each parameter, there was a significant difference by month and site. Differences between months were generally greater than those across sites. Based on literature values, it is unlikely that there would be significant differences in oyster growing suitability across the different sites. Keywords: Rehoboth Bay, Oysters, Aquaculture, Artificial Reefs, Water Quality Acknowledgements: We acknowledge USDA NIFA Capacity Building Grant Awards# 2016-06642 and 2016-06476 for funding my internship and the project as part of the student experiential learning goal and the Project Director, Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay for providing this internship opportunity.

Examining Differences in Water Quality and How it Affects Oyster Growth in Rehoboth Bay, DE

Artificial Oyster Reefs and Oyster Farms Impact on Recruitment, Species Diversity, and Water Quality in Rehoboth Bay, Delaware

Artificial Oyster Reefs and Oyster Farms Impacts on Water Quality, Species Diversity, and Recruitment in Rehoboth Bay

Investigating Environmental Parameters, Total Bacteria and Vibrio spp. in Slaughter Beach, Delaware Devotha Tumushimiyimana1, Rosemary Ebirim2, Michael Watson3, Gary Richards3, Ph.D., Wilbert Long1, Ph.D, and Gulnihal Ozbay1,2, Ph.D. 1Food Science and Biotechnology Graduate Program, Human Ecology Department, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 2Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 3USDA-ARS, Center of Excellence, Delaware State University, Dover, DE Vibrio are members of the Vibrionaceae family are Gram- negative rod -shaped heterotrophic bacteria that are present in diverse array of aquatic environments including oligohaline, and polyhaline water. Vibrio species present in the aquatic environment common to human pathogens are V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. cholera, and cause wound infections, and gastro- intestinal disease. Other vibrio such as V. coralliilyticus, and V. tubiashii have been known as shellfish pathogens. This research is seeking to know if there are potential risks such as Vibrio spp. for juvenile oysters to grow in Slaughter Beach, if water from Slaughter Beach is suitable to establish an oyster production hatchery, and if Slaughter Beach has potential risks for human pathogenic Vibrio. The four species that are being studied include V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, V. coralliilyticus, and V. tubiashii. The objectives of this study are to evaluate total Vibrio vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, V. coralllilyticus, and V. tubiashi in seawater and oysters collected from Slaughter Beach, Delaware, and to determine relationship between water quality and Vibrio spp. level in seawater, and oysters collected from Slaughter Beach, Delaware. Water samples are collected from two different sites (Cedar Creek and Boat ramp) from June to July 2021 at high and low tides in Slaughter Beach, Delaware. The samples were collected bimonthly. A YSI-556 multiprobe system is used to monitor physical water parameters (Temperature (°C) Salinity (g/L) Conductivity (S/m), pH, Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L), Dissolved Oxygen (%) while chemical water quality parameters are monitored using YSI 9500 Photometer. Turbidity and Total Chlorophyll-a are monitored using a Global Water WQ770 turbidimeter and Turner Design AquaFlor Fluorometer, respectively. Vibrio are monitored by Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salts Sucrose (TCBS) and Luria Broth (LB). The 100 microliters of seawater are inoculated at 26°C and 37°C, and isolated colonies are re-inoculated on LB agar, and stored for later 16Sr RNA Sequencing. Cedar Creek demonstrated high amounts of Vibrio spp. with high levels of salinity and temperature to both tides from June to July compared to the Boat ramp site. The Boat ramp site demonstrated high turbidity at high and low tides from June to July. This project is currently ongoing and further research is being conducted on seawater and oysters collected on Slaughter Beach, Delaware to have better understanding of the areas for potential oyster culture. Keywords: Vibrio, water quality, Eastern oyster, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio coralliilyticus, Vibrio tubiashii Acknowledgements: I acknowledge USDA NIFA Capacity Building Grant Award# 2016-06642 for funding my project as part of the student professional growth and my research, Faculty advisor Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay for providing this opportunity to learn from her.

Investigating Environmental Parameters, Total Bacteria and Vibrio spp. in Slaughter Beach, Delaware

Evaluating the Reflective Spectral Profiles of Lipid Membranes in Relation to the Concentration of Cholesterol Minares Ehsani1 and Qi Lu1,2 1Division of Physics, Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 2Optical Science Center for Applied Research, Delaware State University, Dover, DE Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) are excellent model systems for studying physical aspects of biological membranes where the interaction between lipids and proteins takes place. The key advantage of GUVs is that they can be observed directly under the light microscope due to large sizes comparable to mammalian cells. Numerous studies that have shown the effects of cholesterol on the phases and structures of the lipid-cholesterol membranes. The lipid “structures” inside the membrane ocean are known as lipid rafts. Cholesterol (CHOL) increases the rigidity of lipid vesicles by forming raft-like structures. Hence, lipid quantifications are the most important point and serve a key role in lipidomic development. In this project, we focused on the lipid reflective spectral profiles obtained from the hyperspectral dark-field microscopy and we studied their correlations to different concentrations of cholesterol (10, 20, 30, and 40 mol%). Reflective spectral profiles of GUVs with 20 mol% CHOL were found to be distinctly different from the other concentrations in both peak wavelength and FWHM (full width at half maximum). This finding was consistent with other studies, suggesting that the hyperspectral analysis technique can be used to characterize the phase and integrity of lipid membranes.

Evaluating the Reflective Spectral Profiles of Lipid Membranes in Relation to the Concentration of Cholesterol

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a central nervous system disorder which causes motor control issues. Current medications help improve the quality of life of those with Parkinson’s by relieving some symptoms, but do not prevent the progression of the disease. A key sign of PD is the formation of Lewy bodies in the striatum and substantia nigra. Lewy bodies are a result of protein aggregation in the brain and a major component of these Lewy bodies is the protein α-synuclein, which is known to undergo many post-translational modifications, one of which being SUMOylation. Small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMO) can post-translationally modify proteins affecting their function and stability in a process known as SUMOylation(1). SUMO specific proteases (SENPs) are enzymes which play a role in the de-conjugation of SUMO proteins, making the process of SUMOylation a reversible one(2). In this study, we test the possibility of applying the inhibition of SENPs as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease. We tested a natural SENP1 inhibitor, Momordin Ic and a chemical inhibitor, S2A, in PFF treated cells. We have found that both SENP inhibitors are efficacious in reducing cytotoxicity and increasing cell viability after PFF-induced stress. Our results strongly suggest the potential use of the SENP1 inhibitors, S2A and Momordin, as a therapeutic application for Parkinson’s disease.

SUMO Protease1 (SENP1) Inhibitor as a Potential Therapeutic for Parkinson’s Disease

Neurons and Astrocytes are two key components to our brain’s way of relaying information. When several neurons fire action potential at the same time it is called neuronal synchronizing. This is implicated in many neuronal functions that occur during development- synaptic plasticity, establishment of functional neural networks, as well as pathological conditions such as epileptic seizures. Preliminary data gathered by my lab showed that astrocyte-neuron interactions are important for development of neuronal synchronous activity in developing vertebrate brains. We focused primarily on the astrocytic model of G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCR)-mediate calcium induced calcium release (CICR). Our model proposes that CICR in astrocytes is controlled by mGluR1, a metabotropic glutamate receptor that leads to the release of glutamate. To demonstrate this we cultured primary astrocytes from optic tectum dissection as well as Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) Cells . The HEK cells were transfected with melanopsin and GCaMP

An Optogenetic Approach To Understand Molecular Mechanisms of Astrocyte-​Neuron Interactions in the Development of Neuronal Synchrony

The Biopac Student Lab (BSL) is a proprietary educational system, integrating hardware and software for the acquisition of physiological electrical signals from human bodies. In a prior study, we recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) or brainwaves from a group of volunteers to study how 432 and 440 Hz music tuning may affect responses in human brains. However, the analysis was conducted using the rudimentary built-in functions on BSL with very limited options for EEG analysis and the patterns were not definitive. In this project, our goal is to export data from BSL to a more advanced system AcqKnowledge, which provides specialized EEG analysis capabilities such as approximate entropy, delta power analysis, alpha RMS, etc. We were able to export raw data from BSL to AcqKnowledge of combined EEG signals as well as four channels including alpha, beta, delta, and theta waves using delimited text file with matching sample rate. We will further look into the literature and explore the EEG analysis capabilities on AcqKnowledge in search for an effective strategy to analyze the existing and new data. We anticipate that more advanced analysis of EEG data will shed light on the impacts of music on human brains.

Laser-based precision sensing for biomedical applications

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