Comps, honors papers, and prize-winning works of the Biology Department are featured here. All works have been self-submitted by the student authors. Descriptive information about each work is available to search or browse. Access to the full text of the works is limited to current Carleton affiliates with faculty permission. Learn more about how to submit your work and how to request access to the full text of works.
In addition to this digital archive, physical copies of past Biology comps are available for browsing in the Biology office (Hulings Hall 214).
Submissions from 2018
Rory Ruoyu Li, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Neural Crest Cells: Development and Treatment of Treacher Collins Syndrome
Minda Liu, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Our gut reaction to antibiotics: The connection between antibiotic treatment and the inflammatory response
Mina Lor, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Eosinophils Play Significant Role in Airway Remodeling via Integrin Interactions with Airway Structural Cells
Andrew Mackin, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Evolution in Fragmented Habitat
Sarah Min, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Adult SVZ Niche Signals Drive NSC Maintenance and Neuronal Differentiation
Anna Nachbor, Biology (BIOL) 2018, The Diseased Environment of the Cystic Fibrosis Lung: The Interplay of Lung Health, the Microbiome, and Chronic Settlers
Heidi Neidhart, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Nuptial gift-giving induces sexual conflict in insects
Sarah Naomi Ohashi, Biology (BIOL) 2018, The Role of Neutrophil Elastase and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in the Progression of Cancer
Tyler J. O'Keefe, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Effects of Fe-P co-limitation of N2-fixation on Trichodesmium physiology in the oligotrophic ocean and the implications of global change phenomena on this biochemical balance
Kira Patterson, Biology (BIOL) 2018, The role of intersecting Yap and Beta-catenin pathways on the maturation of cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells
Miguel Rincon Cervantes, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Estrogen Levels of the Female Reproductive Tract are Positively Correlated with Stability of the Vaginal Microbiome and Lactobacillus Abundance
Tyler Joseph Rolland, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Patterning of the Developing Neural Tube Due to Interactions of Sonic Hedgehog and the Gli Family Zinc Finger
Preethiya Sekar, Biology (BIOL) 2018, A Time-Dependent Synergistic Mechanism of Id1+ Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Mobilization to the Premetastatic Niche
Alexandra Shin, Biology (BIOL) 2018, The Undercover Agents of Addiction: How Drugs of Abuse Alter Silent Synapses in the Nucleus Accumbens
Lucy Thorne Soule, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Neural Crest Migration: The Push and Pull Of Collective Movement
Lia Yili Spencer, Biology (BIOL) 2018, TGF-β’s Role in the Development of Endometriosis
Avery Angell Swearer, Biology (BIOL) 2018, The role of miR-133a and RARβ2 in salamander axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury and theurupeutic implications for mammalian recovery
Eric Cullen Taylor, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Intralocus Sexual Conflict and the Evolution of Sexual Dimorphism
Jepheny Paajyi Thao, Biology (BIOL) 2018, The Anti-inflammatory Roles of Neutrophils in Gout
Elaina Grace Thomas, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Effects of dispersal ability and spatial scale on niche and neutral processes
Madeline Topf, Biology (BIOL) 2018, A high-fiber diet-associated gut microbiota protects against obesity
Danielle Briana Vasiliev, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Neutrophil NETs: Crucial Mediators of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Andrew Liebenstein Wheeler, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Membrane Permeability and the Origin of Cellular Life
Solomon Blake Yanuck, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Exercise Induces Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation in a Platelet-Dependent Manner
Elizabeth Zheng, Biology (BIOL) 2018, Re-Poopulating the Gut: Why Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) is a more effective treatment of Clostridium difficile infections
Submissions from 2017
Moriah Rebecca Arnold, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Matrix metalloproteinase dysregulation during various stages of neuronal development leads to Autism Spectrum Disorder phenotypes via integrin α/β and BDNF signaling pathways
Lauren Azuma, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Examining the evolution of insecticide resistance in Bacillus thuringiensis crops and a recommendation for delaying resistance
Andrew Benjamin Bernstein, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Antioxidants are not the Cure: Glutathione-mediated Redox Homeostasis Promotes Cancer Initiation and Survival
Kharmen Bharucha, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Dendritic Cells: Crucial Mediators of Chemotherapy Response and Resistance
Alexandra Lee Braiedy, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Abiotic drivers of regime shifts in shallow benthic polar communities
Claire Anne Branigin, Biology (BIOL) 2017, The Consequences of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Use for the Invasibility of the Gut Microbiome
Samuel Hunter Brown, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Environmental Stress and a Model for Epigenetic Inheritance
Felicity Renate Baxter Carroll, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Is Specialization a Dead End? Effects of Specialization on Evolutionary Success
Cynthia Chang, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Role of p300/CBP Histoneacetyltransferase Activity in Long Term Memory Formation of the Hippocampus
Lisa Cheung, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Activation of SREBPs induce de novo lipogenesis to support tumorigenesis in cancer cells
Rachel Stephanie Cheung, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Expansion of the Outer Subventricular Zone in the Neocortex: aRG Differentiation & bRG Proliferation
Allison Lee Clark, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Understanding the mechanism of Myc-induced glutamine addiction in cancer cells
Laina Cross, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Evolutionarily Conserved Regulatory Programs Inform Treatments for Myocardial Infarction
Cyrus James Deloye, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Evolution within the urban environment: the two mechanisms of human driven genetic variation
Jinhong Dong, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Macrophage Activation and Extracellular Matrix Destruction in Tuberculosis
Kelly Elizabeth Fahrner-Scott, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Tumor-associated macrophages and vascular endothelial growth factor in the tumor microenvironment
Emily Huang, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Stress-Induced DNA Methylation and MicroRNA Regulation Lead to Stress Vulnerability and Resilience
Joyce Kim, Biology (BIOL) 2017, The STING pathway: molecular mechanisms and potential for innovative cancer immunotherapy
Saehee Lee, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a model for epigenetic modifications
Lalangi Shanika Marasinghe, Biology (BIOL) 2017, What in hydroxylation! Hypoxic tumor environments reduce the ability of lysyl hydroxylase 2 to induce collagen deposition
Patton Craig McClelland, Biology (BIOL) 2017, R-Smads mediate the dual nature of TGF-β1 signaling in inflammatory bowel disease
Kazia Mermel, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Sex gets hotter: Evolutionary responses of reptile sex determination to climate change
Jeanne G. Moua, Biology (BIOL) 2017, M2 Macrophage Polarization and Tumor Invasion: Regulating Anti-Inflammatory NF-kB
Kyle Martin Mou, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Autophagy-mediated aerobic glycolysis in the tumor stroma supports oxidative metabolism in cancer cells: metabolic coupling in the tumor microenvironment
Justin Ross Nathan, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Cardiac Fibroblasts as the Primary Drivers of Cardiac Fibrosis: A Study of Injury-Induced miRNA Dysregulation
Aidan Thomas Murphy Neher, Biology (BIOL) 2017, DNA methylation transformations essential to cocaine action
Amelia Julie Neilson, Biology (BIOL) 2017, The Flux Capacity: A mechanism for PCK-driven glutamine utilization and mTORC1 activation in cancer
Lauren Tolkemitt Pflughoeft, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Salmon migratory adaptation in the Anthropocene
Koehler Ray Powell, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Born This Way: Transgenerational Epigenetic Transmission of Preconception Stress
Maud Hudson Prineas, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Tumor Destruction Using Immunotherapy
Jackson Friedrich Raynor, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Crosstalk between signaling pathways: A holistic approach to understanding fibrosis
Georgia M. Schmitt, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Causes and cures for psychiatric illness: An examination of microRNA’s role in regulating behavior
Kaylee Shiao, Biology (BIOL) 2017, The Role of HOX Genes in Patterning and Development in the Fin-To-Limb Transition
Ryann Elizabeth Shor, Biology (BIOL) 2017, There Will Be Blood: Vascular Mimicry Perpetuates an Aggressive Cancer Phenotype
Katherine Prothero Sperry, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Ocean warming and receding sea ice drive the changing biogeography of kelps
Brett Eric Sterk, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Dynamic DNA Methylation as an Essential Epigenetic Regulator of Memory Consolidation
Geraldine Tellbuescher, Biology (BIOL) 2017, The Role of DNA Methylation and Histone Methylation in Addictive Behavior
Ka Thao, Biology (BIOL) 2017, Photodynamic Therapy Induces Immunogenic Cell Death in Cancer Cells
Maria Wetzel, Biology (BIOL) 2017, A BCL-2 Family Affair: Apoptotic proteins, metabolism, and chemosensitivity
Rebecca Wiersma, Biology (BIOL) 2017, The role of dynamic DNA methylation in long-term memory consolidation
Submissions from 2016
Besim Ademi, Biology (BIOL) 2016, The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Dani Mae Andrusko, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Coming of Age: Morphological maturation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm is dependent on extracellular DNA
Anais Elena Boyd, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Decoupling C and N cycles: Drought differentially affects plant and microbial activity in arid ecosystems
Amelia Marie Campbell, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Mechanisms of Centrally-Mediated Skeletal Muscle Fatigue: Small Fibers Have a Big Impact
Senya Rae Combs, Biology (BIOL) 2016, A mesoscopic model for force generation in Listeria monocytogenes
Kathryn Rae Crofton, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Mom Teaches Tolerance: Breast Milk, Gut Microbes, and the Induction of Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells
Jlor Mesa Dizon, Biology (BIOL) 2016, The directionality of neural crest migration relies on chemotactic signaling to counterbalance contact inhibition of locomotion
Patrick H. England, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Codon Usage Bias: A Not So Silent Mechanism in Regulating Gene Expression
Thomas Rickey Felton, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Junction-Mediated and Regulatory Protein Connects Cellular Adhesion and Protrusion Regulatory Pathways.
Jeremy Adams Fisher, Biology (BIOL) 2016, A Specialist in a Strange Land: The Role of Multi-Species Interactions and Non-Adaptive Mechanisms in Lepidoptera Specialization
Samuel Evan Greaves, Biology (BIOL) 2016, The Silent Treatment: The Consequences of Synonymous Codon Selection In Exonic Binding Sites
Sara Elizabeth Hastings, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Storm runoff pulses and their effects on phytoplankton community composition and primary productivity in estuaries
Jody He, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Need for Speed: The Role of Translational Efficiency in Codon Usage Bias
Ellis Sweet Johnston, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Sequestration of Plant Metabolites and its Varied Usage by Generalist and Specialist Herbivores
Prasidda Khadka, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Reprogramming of the immune cells by gut microbiota plays an important role in anti-tumor immunity
Megan Marie King, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Microbial Metabolites as Messengers: Bifidobacterium uses metabolites to modulate dendritic cell maturation, differentiation, and function with implications to Celiac Disease
Julia Krumholz, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Lyme Disease Host Frequencies Change in Response to Acorn Masts, Altering Prevalence of Borrelia Burgodorferi in Northeast American Environments
Alexander Richard Kulacki, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Generalists and Specialists in Response to Ecological Disturbance
Abhimanyu Lele, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Causes of Individual Foraging Specialization
de Macedi Khuaten Maaneb, Biology (BIOL) 2016, The role of carbohydrate subtypes in T cell population modification, intestinal epithelial cell tight junction integrity, and autoimmune disease
Matthew Allen Mensinger, Biology (BIOL) 2016, The Ecological Influences of Semelparous Salmon and Anthropogenic Nutrient Subsidies in Riparian Systems
Darcy Mishkind, Biology (BIOL) 2016, A Codon of Silence: The effects of synonymous codon optimization and de-optimization on translation
Anya Moradian, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Commissural axons require additional cues that modulate the Netrin pathway and ensure proper guidance
Christopher William Nootenboom, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Whale Falls and the Species-Energy Theory: Dual Resource Pulses that Promote Global Diversity as Evolutionary Stepping Stones
Jordan Marie Pruszenski, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Examining migratory ungulates as a resource pulse and their effects on the species in their migratory range
Shraddha Raghavan, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Extracellular matrix components play a critical role in the segmental migration of trunk neural crest cells
Andy Rodgers, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Understanding host shifts in phytophagous insects and their role in diversification
Brittany Salazar, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Effect of gut microbiome on TH17 cell activation and Toll-like receptor signaling in rheumatoid arthritis development
Roberto Stephen Sande, Biology (BIOL) 2016, The Netrin-1/DCC/ERK Pathway and its Effects on Axonal Branching
Grace Marie Sassana, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Feeding Our Immune Systems: Microbiota-Derived Short Chain Fatty Acids Regulate Colonic Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cell Generation
Cameron Meyer Shorb, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Factors regulating invasive plant responses to resource pulses
Bing Shui, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Gastric Cancer Metastasis: Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Promoted By Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
Ximou Song, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Synonymous Codon Bias in Translational Elongation and Protein Folding
Christopher Ely Sundquist, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Commensal Communication: An Examination of the Bacteroides fragilis Polysaccharide A Dependent Immunosuppressive Pathway
Gail J. Waltz, Biology (BIOL) 2016, Synonymous Codon Use: Effects on Ribosome Speed, Protein Folding, and Protein Function
