Session SIX

Jacob Lines. Characterizing CRISPR-induced mutations in Modified Genetic Constructs 

The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

The goal of this project is to use CRISPR to develop novel D. melanogaster stocks containing previously established Raeppli and GAL4 constructs with modified white gene loci. This project is designed to demonstrate the efficiency and precision of CRISPR-Cas9 technology as an alternative to traditional breeding methods for establishing novel model organism lines. After establishment, the novel stocks were tested to determine if proper functionality of the genetic constructs was maintained. PCR clones of the novel white alleles were sequenced to characterize the nature of the induced mutations. 

Fabiana P. Mayol López. Advancing Zinc-Ion Battery Technology Through the Synthesis of HEAs Using Nanodroplet-Mediated Electrodeposition

La Universidad Ana G. Méndez, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Lithium (Li)-ion batteries are present within most of our daily electronics. However, these batteries can be incredibly hazardous. One of the risks associated with these batteries is thermal runway, a state wherein the battery begins a chain reaction that produces energy and heat until it reaches a critical point and self-destruction. This study focuses on the development of a zinc-based battery system, a safer and more efficient alternative. The use of a zinc chloride (ZnCl2) electrolyte improves the safety of the battery by eliminating the risk of flammability and decreasing overheating which is commonly associated with organic electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries. We utilize zinc as the anode and graphite enhanced with high-entropy alloys (HEAs) as the cathode within an aqueous ZnCl2 electrolyte. We employ the nanodroplet-mediated electrodeposition method to deposit the HEAs onto the graphite cathode surface which allows for precise deposition, increased surface uniformity, stability, and cycling performance. By incorporating HEAs, side reactions such as hydrogen evolution (HER) and oxygen evolution (OER) are decreased which contributes to preventing dendrite formation. Our results indicate that lower scan rates increase internal reactions and dendrite formation compared to 100 mV/s as higher scan rates cycle so quickly, they don’t allow for dendrites or internal reactions to occur. However, HEAs improve stability and uniform deposition at slower scan rates such as 20mV/s, 5mV/s, and 1mV/s enabling better battery performance. We also observed that by modifying our cathode, the anode also experienced improvements in both stability and performance. 

Anushree Senthil. Shifting Research Focus in Parkinson’s Disease: Trends in Autophagy and Lysosomal Dysfunction from 2000 to 2024 

Co-authors:  Brittney Chang, Aayan Shabbir, Anushree Senthil, Andrew Lei, Cori Avent, Debra-Jul Akanmu, Sydney Apraku, Valeria Suarez Tabares, Angela Richards 

The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Background:

Over the past two decades, Parkinson’s Disease (PD) research has undergone a notable thematic shift. Early studies primarily focused on

genetic factors and synaptic dysfunction (Jankovic & Tan, 2020). However, recent research emphasizes cellular degradation mechanisms,

particularly autophagy and lysosomal dysfunction, and their role in neurodegeneration and immune response (Rocha & Sanders, 2018).

This transition reflects a broader understanding of PD pathology, highlighting protein aggregation and impaired cellular clearance as key

drivers of disease progression (Bonam & Muller, 2019).

Methods:

We conducted a bibliometric analysis of 100 articles related to autophagy and lysosomal dysfunction in PD, sourced from the Web of

Science database (2000–2024). Data extraction and analysis were performed using R Studio and Biblioshiny. We examined keyword

co-occurrence, thematic trends, and the evolution of research focus over time. Additionally, we analyzed senior author contributions,

journal impact, and institutional productivity to identify influential contributors and publication trends.

Results:

Our findings indicate a significant increase in publications focusing on autophagy, lysosomal pathways, and neuroinflammatory

processes post-2010, coinciding with a decline in studies emphasizing genetic and synaptic mechanisms. Keyword network analysis

revealed that autophagy, lysosome, alpha-synuclein, and mitophagy serve as central research hubs. Citation analysis highlighted

landmark years (2014–2016) with high-impact studies, while top journals such as Journal of Biological Chemistry, PNAS, and Nature

emerged as key platforms for influential publications.

Conclusion:

Parkinson’s Disease research has experienced a substantial thematic shift over the past two decades, with growing attention on cellular

degradation pathways and their therapeutic potential. This transition underscores the importance of exploring autophagy and lysosomal

mechanisms for developing disease-modifying treatments. Future research should continue to integrate these pathways into therapeutic

strategies, aiming to slow or halt disease progression (Jankovic & Tan, 2020; Rocha & Sanders, 2018; Bonam & Muller, 2019).

Jean Rodríguez García. LAT1 Inhibition Impairs Metabolism and Proliferation in Colorectal Cancer

Florida International University, Miami, Florida

There is a critical unmet need to provide novel therapies for Colorectal Cancer (CRC) patients resistant to current treatment options. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is a novel modality for CRC treatment; however, most CRC patients (85%) have microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC, which makes them ineligible for current ICI treatments. Our lab has demonstrated that large amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1; SLC7A5) expression is enriched in CRC tumors compared to matched adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, JPH203, a LAT1 inhibitor, was determined to reduce amino acid uptake, suppress cellular proliferation, slow tumor growth, and promote immunogenic tumor microenvironment formation in syngeneic in vivo tumor models. We wanted to functionally validate these observations by conducting knockdowns of LAT1 expression using a lentiviral vector to assess the role of LAT1 in CRC. Using LAT1 knockdown cell lines (shLAT1), we performed experiments to determine cellular proliferation, amino acid uptake, and metabolic energy phenotype in comparison to scramble control and wild-type cells. We found that shLAT1 significantly decreased cellular proliferation, reduced glycolytic energy potential, and reduced cellular amino acid uptake compared to scramble control and wild type CRC cells. Future studies will assess how shLAT1 influences immune cell infiltrates in orthotopic in vivo animal models. 

Paola N. Llera López. Síntesis mediada por nanogotas de catalizadores de aleación de CoNiPt para la oxidación electroquímica de urea en el reciclaje de residuos espaciales

La Universidad Ana G. Méndez, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Las misiones espaciales de larga duración requieren sistemas eficientes de gestión y reciclaje de residuos. En este contexto, la urea, un componente importante de la orina humana, plantea un desafío importante. Esta investigación aborda este problema mediante el desarrollo de catalizadores metálicos (Pt, Ni, Co) sintetizados mediante reducción química en un sistema de emulsión inversa utilizando NaBH₄ como agente reductor, lo que permite la descomposición electroquímica de la urea para facilitar la reutilización de sus subproductos. Se sintetizó una aleación de Co, Ni y Pt mediante un proceso de emulsión, donde la fase acuosa contenía los microrreactores y la fase orgánica consistía en 1,2-dicloroetano. Posteriormente, se emplearon técnicas electroquímicas, específicamente voltametría cíclica y lineal, para determinar los

potenciales de oxidación. Se utilizó un electrodo de trabajo de carbono vítreo modificado y se realizó voltametría cíclica dentro de un rango de potencial de -1.5 V a 1.5 V a una velocidad de barrido de 50 mV/ s. El potencial de oxidación se observó a 1.03 V vs Ag/AgCl con el electrodo de trabajo modificado por partículas depositadas. Por el contrario, no se detectó ningún pico de oxidación cuando la superficie del electrodo carecía de las partículas depositadas. Este estudio destaca el potencial de la síntesis controlada de catalizadores en la optimización de la electrooxidación de la urea para aplicaciones espaciales. La oxidación de la urea representa una alternativa prometedora para la producción de hidrógeno con menor consumo de energía en comparación con la electrólisis del agua, que podría aplicarse tanto en el espacio como en la Tierra para el desarrollo de fuentes de energía limpias.

Natalia Hendrickson. Riesgo temprano, impacto duradero: Experiencias adversas en la infancia y funciones ejecutivas en adultos mayores hispanos/latinos frente a adultos mayores blancos no hispanos

The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Las experiencias adversas en la infancia (ACEs) se asocian con efectos cognitivos en la vejez. Las funciones ejecutivas, que incluyen planificación e inhibición, pueden ser vulnerables al estrés temprano. Este estudio analiza si las ACEs predicen el desempeño ejecutivo en 60 adultos de 50–79 años (30 hispanos/latinos y 30 blancos no hispanos) mediante pruebas cognitivas y cuestionarios. Los hallazgos aportarán evidencia sobre el impacto de experiencias tempranas en el envejecimiento cognitivo. 

Krysthal L. Díaz del Valle. Infraestructuras verdes transitables como espacios de manejo sostenible del agua y conexión sensorial

La Universidad Ana G. Méndez, San Juan, Puerto Rico

El trabajo explora la viabilidad de diseñar infraestructuras verdes transitables como estrategias de manejo sostenible del agua de inundaciones causadas por fenómenos naturales y como espacio sensorial para las personas. Las infraestructuras verdes han sido ampliamente utilizadas para promover la infiltración y mejorar la calidad del agua; su potencial como espacios interactivos y caminables sigue representando una oportunidad de desarrollo en el contexto local. 

Guillermina Beron. CubeSat Propulsion System for Orbit Change

Co-autor: Pabrlo Mentelli

La Universidad Nacional de la Plata, La Plata, Argentina

The present work focuses on the design, fabrication, and experimental validation of a cold-gas propulsion system, intended to perform an inclination maneuver and designed for integration into 6U CubeSat platforms. The project emphasizes the use of low-cost, commercially available components that do not require aerospace certification. 

Jessica Lynn Erickson. Code Red: The Biology Behind Everyone’s Least Favorite Time of the Month

The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Endometriosis is a widespread disease that affects women globally at reproductive maturity. Endometriosis-like cells are found outside the uterus and behave like endometrial cells, resulting in painful symptoms. Decidualization, the preparation step for embryo implantation in the reproductive cycle, involves dynamic regulation of the endometrium by the proteins p53 and FOXO1. The goal of this research is to understand how FOXO1 and p53 gene regulation affects decidualization and analyze hormonal responses between endometriosis-like cells and normal HESCs. 

Brandon T. Jackson. Cell Assembly Membership in the Hippocampus

Co-authors: Gaokhia Yang MS, Zach Saccamano PhD, Praveen Paudel MS, Dan English PhD, Sam McKenzie PhD 

The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Memory is believed to be encoded by changes in the synaptic strength between neurons. Within the hippocampus, changes in the synapse are needed for long-term memory consolidation, however, it is not known how neural activity during learning affects subsequent changes in synaptic strength. This project consisted of two experimental parts: inducing plasticity by using optogenetics and inhibiting lasting plasticity by using drugs to prevent CAP-dependent protein translation. The plasticity induction section of the experiment tested the plasticity rules governing the excitatory synaptic strength with inhibitory neurons. It is well known that coincident activity of pre- and postsynaptic neurons is needed for plasticity inductions. Therefore, we prepared mice in which the neural activity of two connected cell populations could be independently controlled. To induce plasticity, excitatory and inhibitory cells expressed opsins that were sensitive to different wavelengths of light. Pulsing both wavelengths simultaneously increased cell assembly membership which means that inhibitory cells are important for cellular assembly recruitment. To disrupt normal plasticity we utilized PKR mice in which consolidation of synaptic plasticity is disrupted by reducing protein translation. Using this chemogenetic approach, we found that both excitatory and inhibitory cells had an increased firing rate while in a novel context for a second time. A higher firing rate is a biomarker for novelty. Together these experiments show the importance of the inhibitory neuron in cell assembly membership recruitment and the importance of synaptic-related proteins in memory consolidation. 

Isabella Martínez. Evaluating Advancements in Particle Therapy Technology for Giant Sacral Chordoma Treatment

Florida International University, Miama, Florida

Chordomas are rare malignant bone tumors that arise from remnants of the embryonic notochord and occur along the axial skeleton. Giant sacral chordomas represent one of the most challenging subsets because of their large size, anatomical complexity, and proximity to critical neural and pelvic structures. Surgical resection has long been considered the conventional standard of care; however, complete removal is often not possible, leading to positive margins and a high risk of recurrence. Conventional photon-based radiotherapy (RT) has demonstrated limited local control rates of approximately 40–50% at 5 years, with a significant incidence of late toxicities such as neuropathy and soft tissue necrosis. In contrast, carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) and proton therapy have shown superior results, with local control rates exceeding 80–90% and 5-year overall survival rates approaching 70–80% in multiple clinical studies. Furthermore, patients treated with CIRT experience markedly fewer severe side effects, with rates of grade ≥3 toxicities reduced by nearly 50% compared to photon RT, largely due to the higher dose conformity and reduced exit dose characteristic of particle therapy. Additional findings highlight significant tumor shrinkage with intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) combined with hyperthermia, as well as dramatic responses to high-dose fractionated protocols. These results suggest that CIRT and proton therapy not only provide durable disease control and meaningful survival benefits but also minimize treatment-related morbidity and preserve organ function. By overcoming the limitations of surgery and traditional radiotherapy, particle therapy represents a major step toward establishing a new standard of care for patients with giant sacral chordomas.