2024 SE&T Symposium

B01.  The Effects of Drought on Competitive Interactions Between Barley and Corn

Jeneva Tomaszewski

Faculty Advisors: Dr. Brian Maricle

It is crucial to recognize effects of drought on plant interactions in agricultural and ecological contexts due to recent increases in drought severity. Crowding is an important agricultural phenomenon; studies that pair crowding with  drought can help us better understand and project what may be needed in the future for the greatest crop success. In this study, chlorophyll and plant growth were measured in drought and well-watered treatments in a replacement series to assess inter- and intraspecific competition between corn and barley in a greenhouse experiment. Leaf chlorophyll concentration was not influenced by crowding or presence of the competitor but was affected by drought treatment. In the conditions of this study, height and biomass measures in barley were more influenced by competition and in corn were more influenced by drought. Drought reduced height in both species. In well-watered conditions, barley height appeared to be more sensitive to interspecific competition, whereas corn was not affected by the presence of barley. Under droughted conditions, barley height seemed to be more sensitive to intraspecific competition, whereas corn seemed to be more limited by drought than competition. Biomass data from the replacement series indicated limited competition in well-watered conditions. Under drought conditions, intraspecific competition had more of an effect on barley, whereas corn appeared to be more impacted by water availability than either inter or intraspecific competition. Understanding the ecological processes behind this could give insight into understanding plant production in increasingly dry soils.

 

B02.  Examining the Effects of Perinatal Phthalate Exposure on the Morphology and Behavior of the Long-Evans Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Joseph Metiva, Drew Martin^*, Sara Long^*, Kayleigh Bitterman, Gary M. Lange

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gary M. Lange

In classic work by William C. Young’s research laboratory, it was established that the organization of mammalian brain morphology is guided by gonadally expressed hormones in utero.  This means that while the genetic sex of an organism may typically drive phenotypic development of sexual morphology and the brain, the environment also exerts significant effect.   Phthalates are esters of the chemical phthalic acid and are used as plasticizing agents to increase the flexibility and transparency of plastics, especially polyvinyl chloride.  Due to their widespread prevalence in plastics associated with daily life, nearly all individuals tested display metabolites of phthalates in expressed urine.  A growing body of evidence suggests that phthalates disrupt hormone function and activity in the body of animals.  Impact has been identified in sexual behavior, anogenital distance, fertility, and some components of neurobehavioral development.  We theorize that perinatal exposure to phthalates may influence development by reshaping the organization of the mammalian central nervous system in ways to allow phenotypic expression of  morphology and behavior.  In this research examine the effects of perinatal phthalate exposure compared to control in populations of the Norway rat exposed to this compound in early perinatal life.

* denotes presenter

 

B03.  The Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Competition in Barley and Pea

Hannah M. Fazekas, Brian R. Maricle, Emma C. Wright^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brian Maricle

Human activity is responsible for an excess of nitrogen within many ecosystems.  This nitrogen can affect plants and animals, leading to different growing conditions in affected areas. In this study we investigated the effects of nitrogen pollution on common crops. We conducted a replacement series to measure competition between pea (Pisum sativum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants in a greenhouse experiment under low and high nitrogen concentrations. We measured height, chlorophyll concentration (SPAD), and biomass after 63 days of growth. Barley plants were more sensitive to nitrogen concentration than pea plants were. Based on biomass measures, barley was a stronger competitor in the low nitrogen treatment and a lesser competitor in high nitrogen, evidenced by biomass proportions between species. By contrast, pea biomass was not affected by either nitrogen treatment or competition. Plant height was not sensitive to competition in low nitrogen treatments. At high nitrogen, however, pea and barley plants at higher densities were shorter in height. Chlorophyll concentrations in barley decreased with density and increased with nitrogen. Pea chlorophyll was not affected by nitrogen treatment or density. These results indicate plants have different responses to increased nitrogen in soils, potentially influencing interactions with other species. It is important we understand these effects on different plants in impacted ecological systems and apply this knowledge to modern agricultural methods.

* denotes presenter

 

B04.  An optimized DNA extraction and purification method for minute insects

Samantha M. Igaz, Jorge R. Paredes-Montero

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jorge R. Paredes-Montero

Developing an optimized DNA extraction and purification method is the primary step in studying insect molecular biology, particularly for downstream procedures that necessitate high molecular weight genomic DNA such as next generation sequencing. Many commercially available extraction and purification kits, which are column-based, result in up to 60% DNA loss during the purification process. This is particularly problematic for minute insects with low DNA yields. To address this issue, we optimized a chloroform-based protocol commonly used for plant tissues to extract and purify DNA from single tiny insects measuring less than 1 mm in length, such as thrips and whiteflies. Briefly, single insects are transferred to a microcentrifuge tube containing 600 µL of CTAB lysis buffer. The minute insects are then ground using zirconium beads and a bead-beater homogenizer set at specific speed and time parameters. The resulting homogenate is transferred to a new tube and mixed with proteinase K, followed by an incubation period of at least 1 hour at 55°C. The nucleic acids are separated from cell debris by adding 500 µL of cold chloroform. The resulting supernatant is combined with cold isopropanol and glycogen to facilitate nucleic acid precipitation. After incubating the samples on ice for a minimum of 10 minutes, the nucleic acids are pelleted through centrifugation. The resulting DNA pellet undergoes a wash step with cold 70% ethanol, followed by resuspension in warm, nuclease-free water. Single whiteflies consistently yielded a DNA concentration ranging from 10 to 20 ng/µL, with satisfactory purity indicator ratios.

 

B05.  Comparative Study of Plant Growth in SVSU’s Micro-farm and Greenhouse

Myles Losey

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Holly Little

With continued rise in global crises, including food insecurity and climate change, a need for more sustainable agriculture practices is more important than ever. Soilless cultivation is one strategy that allows food to be grown locally, using less water, land, and synthetic fertilizers. Therefore, hydroponic or aquaponic systems offer alternatives to traditional farming methods. In the summer of 2023, Saginaw Valley State University and dining services provider, Aramark, purchased a Babylon Galleri Micro-Farm. The Galleri is a self-contained indoor hydroponic system that is used to grow produce, including microgreens, leafy greens, and herbs for use in the campus dining hall at SVSU year-round. Seed subscriptions, remote monitoring of conditions, and a “BabylonGuidedGrowing” app by Babylon is intended to provide stress-free optimized crop growth for sustainable food production. The remote monitoring controls the addition and cycling of nutrients from a reservoir to the plants based on the stage of development and specific variety needs, while also keeping track of parameters including pH, electroconductivity, and temperature and making appropriate adjustments. Also on campus, the SVSU greenhouse utilizes aquaponics for plant production. Aquaponics is a soilless cultivation strategy that combines hydroponics and aquaculture, using the waste products of fish a source of nutrients to support plant growth. The goal of this project was to compare plant growth and development between the Micro-Farm and aquaponic system. Trials included Babylon seed packs of Butter Lettuce mix (Lactuca sativa), Green and Purple Basil mix (Ocimum basilicum), and Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum). At the time of seedling transplant in the Micro-farm, several seedlings were transferred to the greenhouse aquaponic system for comparison of their continued growth. Data collected on plants grown in the two systems included yield parameters such as diameter of the lettuce or the height of basil plants. The results of these comparative trials will be presented.

 

B06.  Effects of intraspecific competition on growth and production in potatoes

Tori E. Ott, Sarah C. Veale 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brian Maricle

There is tremendous agricultural benefit in understanding how crops are affected by crowding; improvements can be informed by work in stress physiology and evolutionary biology. A kin selection experiment was conducted to test whether potato plants that are genetic clones would exhibit less competition for space than unrelated plants. It was hypothesized that effects of crowding would be less severe if plants were grown with genetic relatives versus if plants were crowded with nonrelatives. Red and yellow varieties of potatoes were grown for 121 days in a greenhouse experiment. Four plants were grown per pot; red and yellow potato plants grew in similar numbers, no matter what plants were present in a pot. Red potato plants were larger vegetatively than yellow plants. Additionally, red potato plants produced more tubers than yellow plants, but yellow tubers were larger than red tubers. Consistent with kin selection, red potatoes were sensitive to the presence of yellow potatoes. When grown with only other red potatoes, per-plant biomass, number of tubers, and per-tuber biomass were larger than when red potatoes were grown with yellow potatoes. By contrast, yellow potatoes were less sensitive to the presence of red potatoes. Per-plant biomass and number of tubers of yellow potatoes increased when grown with red potatoes. Mass per yellow tuber did not change with the presence of red potatoes. These results potentially offer support for plant kin selection or could result from allelopathy; understanding either is potentially useful for plant production at high densities in agriculture.

 

B07.  Aquaponic Cultivation of Cucumis sativus

Colton Bragg, Jenna Glazier^*, Myles Losey, Paige Peterman 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Holly Little

Food insecurity is a crisis globally, with approximately 783 million people experiencing chronic hunger (WFP, 2024). This is a complex problem that is expected to persist as human population continues to increase while land available for food production decreases. Soilless agricultural methods offer sustainable alternatives to conventional farming. With a reduced need for water, synthetic fertilizers, and land, aquaponic systems offer an effective method of crop and protein (fish) production.
The SVSU greenhouse maintains aquaponic systems to conduct studies on soilless crop production. Plant growth is supported by the nutrient-rich waste of aquatic organisms, including goldfish, koi, turtles, and snails.  Recent trials have evaluated Cucumis sativus (cucumber) cultivation. In order to achieve this, several varieties of gynoecious parthenocarpic cultivars have been evaluated. Therefore, these strains produce female flowers which can set fruit without pollination. To better research the factors that affect soilless crop production, trials of growing and harvesting cucumbers were conducted. By comparing the production of cucumber fruits set on the mainstem of several varieties, including Diva, Katrina, and Picolino, striking differences in yields have been observed. Data from Fall and Winter trials will be presented. Preliminary evaluation suggests that in this environment, Diva variety produced few fruits, while the Katrina and Picolino varieties show much higher crop yields. Additional parameters such as stem length, nodes of fruit set, pH, and nutrient levels were also basis of comparison of varieties grown in the aquaponic systems.

* denotes presenter

 

B08.  Understanding the Mechanism of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) Induced Hemolysis of Whole Blood

Brendin Broeders, Ashwin Mudaliyar, Jordan Nowicki, Benjamin Rene, Nathan Siemen

Faculty Advisor: Dr. James McEvoy

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS, also known as endotoxin), found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, have been shown to induce septic shock when present in the bloodstream of animals including humans. The exact mechanism of this action is not known, although, in mouse models, evidence exists implicating the role of the complement system in inducing membrane attack complexes that result in cellular lysis (Griffiths, et. al.).  This study also indicates that LPS down-regulates the expression of various genes involved in immune responses. Other researchers suggest membrane interactions in LPS-induced hemolysis (Brauckmann, et. al.) The goal of this proposed research is to determine if LPS has a direct role in affecting membrane integrity in human blood cells. After 24 hours there was a significant reduction of human blood cells when induced and incubated with LPS. It was observed that the control group had a 3.45% reduction of cell structures after 24 hours of incubation at 37 degrees Celsius. The LPS induced experimental group was shown to have a cellular structure reduction of 31.50%.

 

B09.  Global Characterization of Endosymbiont Meta-Communities Associated with Whitefly Super-Bug species

Michael J. Carter, Olivia A. Konsdorf, Jorge R. Paredes-Montero, Ella M. Randolph

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jorge R. Paredes-Montero

Whitefly super-bugs pose a significant threat to food and fiber crops worldwide, causing damage through phloem feeding, honeydew secretion, and the transmission of plant viruses. The introduction of two distinct super-bug types belonging to the Bemisia tabaci sibling species group, "B" and "Q," to the US in the late 1980s and early 2000s resulted in substantial economic losses, estimated at 200 to 500 million dollars over a decade-long outbreak. While these exotic super-bugs typically outcompete endemic B. tabaci populations, leading to their near-extinction, instances of resilience in endemic B. tabaci populations have been observed in certain habitats. This resilience have been attributed to endosymbiotic bacteria residing within whitefly bodies, which may influence species fitness and adaptation capabilities. Our research aims to characterize the composition of endosymbiont meta-communities across B. tabaci variants in diverse micro-environmental habitats with the overarching goal of elucidating the mechanisms enabling endemic B. tabaci to withstand displacement pressures from exotic whitefly super-bugs. Here, we present the methodology employed in the SVSU super-bug research lab to study the microbiome of insect species. We developed an Illumina-based meta-community profiling approach to characterize endosymbiotic compositions across whitefly super-bug species. Our findings reveal a diverse microbial composition larger than previously reported, shedding light on the important role of endosymbiont in the biology of whitefly supervector species. This research sets the stage for the development of innovative strategies for mitigating the impact of exotic whitefly super-bugs on agriculture.

 

B10.  The Effect of Light on Directionality of Growth in Pothos Plants

Isabella Goulette^*, Brian Maricle

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brian Maricle

Sunlight not only provides energy for plants, but the direction and quantity of light offer signals regarding the environment around plants. Phototropism is a directional growth response in plants, seen as bending to maximize the amount of photosynthetic light they obtain. Many plants undergo this process, including pothos (Epipremnum aureum), a common vining house plant. A vining plant can grow horizontally or vertically, so it offers the opportunity to study phototropism as it relates to directional light. Therefore it was hypothesized that pothos plants would have more growth towards the direction that receives the most light. To test this, 53 pothos plants were grown beneath boxes that manipulated the directions of light. Box variations blocked light from the top, sides, or both simultaneously. Pothos plants demonstrated prominent directional growth as they manipulated their shoots and leaves in a way that would allow them to obtain the most light. Many plants grew towards their light source. Plants that were shaded from the top had the most horizontal growth, whereas plants that received overhead light tended to have the most vertical growth. Plants with the highest quantities of light were fuller, with more leaves and shorter internodes, than plants who received less light. Amount and direction of light offers environmental cues that influence plant growth, well illustrated in the present study. Within 3 weeks of exposure, pothos exhibited phototropic responses to direction of light, serving as a convenient model to understand plant responses to light in short-term studies.

 

B11.  Annotation of novel gene LH_GADPH in parasitoid wasp species Leptopilina heterotoma

Cassidy Bachman, Sara Macon, Nathan Siemen

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ken Luzynski (BIOL 442)

In this research, we annotate a novel gene, LH_GADPH of Leptopilina heterotoma a species of parasitoid wasp. We also look at factors that may affect the expression of LH_GADPH. We do this using a number of software tools and RT-qPCR.

 

B12.  Venom Heat Shock Protein Expression in Leptopilina heterotoma

Victoria Brandt, Diva Patel, Jessica Rissin

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ken Luzynski (BIOL 442)

In this research we annotate a novel gene vHSPA5 on the parasitoid wasp genome. We also look at factors that may affect expression of the vHSPA5 gene. We do this using a number of software tools and RT-qPCR. 

 

B13.  Variation of Cofilin Gene Expression in Leptopilina heterotoma

Chloe Stensrud, Kelsey Vittitow, Chase Wahl, 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ken Luzynski (BIOL 442)

In this research, we annotated a novel gene LH_CFL on the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina heterotoma genome. Additionally, we examined factors that may affect the expression of LH_CFL. We accomplished this by using several software tools and RT-qPCR.

 

B14.  Annotation and Gene Expression of LH_NEP-D in L. heterotoma

Erica Behnfeldt, Keegan Hook, Kendra Salo

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ken Luzynski (BIOL 442)

In this research, we annotated a novel gene LH_NEP-D on the parasitoid wasp, Leptopilina heterotoma, genome. We also looked into factors that may affect expression of the LH_NEP-D gene. Such factors included sex, age, and host larvae exposure. This was done through various methods, including RT-qPCR, and accompanying software tools.

 

B15.  The Role of Cofilin Expression in G. hookeri Parasitoid Wasps

Abby Box, Cameron Campbell, Payton James

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ken Luzynski (BIOL 442)

Cofilin protein expression plays a crucial role in actin dynamics. Specifically, cofilin promotes the disassembly of actin filaments, allowing the cell to maintain its fluidity. Actin filament disassembly can impact cancer progression or regression depending on the environment.  In this research, we annotate a novel gene G1_CFL on the Ganapsis hookeri (parasitoid wasp) genome. This gene codes for a cofilin-like domain protein (CFL). We look at factors (sex, age, and ovipositing behavior) that may affect expression of Gene G1_CFL. We do this using a number of software tools (UCSC Genome Browser, NCBI, and SPSS) and reverse transcriptase qPCR. By uncovering the function of this gene product, we progress our understanding of the purpose and potential use of G. hookeri venom in clinical and non-clinical settings. The goal of this research is to understand how CFL expression can be influenced by age, sex, and behavior of G. hookeri.

 

B16.  The Effects of Sex, Behavior and Age on the parasitoid wasp of the genus Ganapsis

Hannah Condron, Kayla Hendrickson, Owen Wallace

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ken Luzynski (BIOL 442)

In this research we annotate a novel gene G1_NEP-D on the parasite wasp genome. We also look at the factors that may affect expression of G1_NEP-D. We do this by using a number of tools and RT-qPCR.

 

B17.  The effects of sex, behavior, and age on an annotated novel gene G1-vHSPA5-B of Parasitoid wasps

Katherine Muron, Jordan Nowicki, Rhossa Umutoniwase, 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ken Luzynski (BIOL 442)

In this research, we annotate a novel gene G1_vHSPA5-B on the parasitosoid wasp genome. We also look at the factors that may affect expression of gene G1_vHSPA5-B. We do this using a number of software tools and RT-qPCR. 

 

B18.  Genome annotation of G1_GAPDH expression in Ganaspis hookeri

Hannah Hauser, Benjamin Rene, Maddie Vernon

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ken Luzynski (BIOL 442)

In this research, we annotate a novel gene G1_GAPDH on a parasitoid wasp genome. We also look at factors that may affect gene expression of G1_GAPDH. We do this using a number of tools and RT-qPCR

B19.  Heat Conductance of Different Clothing Materials

Lexie Gehrman

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brian Maricle (BIOL 480)

The reason why someone may feel warmer in a heavy coat versus a t-shirt is primarily due to the material that constitutes the clothing. Why some materials "feel" warmer than others is because of the heat conductance of these materials. For example, wool "feels" warmer than cotton because wool has a lower conductance to heat transfer. Therefore, it was hypothesized that a trend of lower to higher heat conductance would be measured in a range of "warmer" to "cooler" clothes. To test this, several clothing materials were wrapped around a heated block and decreases in block temperature were measured. Conductance to heat was calculated for each clothing material following 3 minutes of being exposed to wind. Conductances to heat were higher in materials such as cotton or polyester than in nylon or wool, indicating the latter are better insulators and will help retain heat by the wearer. For example, the heat conductance for a cotton t-shirt was over three times that of a nylon coat. Conductance to heat in a polyester/acrylic sweater was nearly two times more than that of a coat that was polyester. This gives further evidence as to why someone may feel warmer in certain clothing articles than others.

 

B20.  Comparing water potentials in plants and soil across SVSU campus locations

Anthony F. Oswald

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brian Maricle (BIOL 480)

Measuring water potential in plants is crucial to understanding their ability to uptake water from the soil. This study explored differences in water potential among 3 plant species (spindle, Euonymus  fortunei; yew, Taxus baccata; and spruce, Picea abies) in the President's Courtyard and a small courtyard near Starbucks on the SVSU campus. Water potential of all species was measured, along with soil water potential and soil water content at both sites. Water potential of E. fortunei was significantly lower than P. abies, but water potential was not different between the other species. There was also a significant difference in plant water potential between sites, with the plants at the President’s Courtyard having higher water potential than at the Starbucks courtyard. Due to its lower water potential, E. fortunei would be better adapted to handle a decrease in soil water potential than would P. abies. A potential explanation for this is that P. abies would have longer roots, allowing the individual to access soil water at deeper points. When comparing the sites, the Starbucks courtyard had lower soil water potential than the President’s Courtyard. A potential explanation for this could be the Starbucks courtyard having a harder soil with more rocks when compared to the President's Courtyard with a softer soil that has some sandy portions.  Knowing the differing water potentials between species could further our understanding of what effect their surrounding environment has on their ability to uptake water.

 

B21.  The impact of proximity to water on the water potential of Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) leaves

Ean M. Gauthier

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brian Maricle (BIOL 480)

As plants absorb water through their roots and transport it to the leaves via the xylem, this water follows a water potential (Ψ) gradient from soil to leaves. A similar process occurs in the soil (soil Ψ) as water moves down a Ψ gradient. In this project, measures of soil water content and soil Ψ were paired with leaf Ψ from Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) to understand the impact of surface water on water potential in vegetation. Wet and dry sites both contained 3 Pinus nigra individuals; the wet site subjects were within 10 meters of surface water, and the dry site subjects were at least 300 meters from surface water. Plants from the dry site had a higher leaf Ψ (by 230 kPa) than plants in the wet sites. Soil Ψ, however, was higher in the wet site (by 200 kPa). This difference makes sense when comparing the soil water content across sites, with the dry sites having 8.35% more soil water content than the wet sites. Therefore, surface water impacts leaf Ψ more than soil Ψ. Results of the leaf Ψ comparisons were expected, but the soil Ψ were not. These results were consistent across wet and dry sampling days. Unexpected results are most likely the product of recent precipitation events, saturating the soil with water and leaving only leaf Ψ measurements with a predictable difference.

 

B22.  Characterization of Microbial Communities Within Sediment and Water Samples from the Saginaw Bay Watershed

Hannah Fazekas, David Karpovich, Avie Krauss*, James McEvoy

Faculty Advisors: Dr. David Karpovich, Dr. James McEvoy (BIOL 499)

Microbial communities were characterized in sediment and water samples collected at eleven different tributary sites within the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Using Biolog Eco PlatesTM, seasonal changes were found in metabolic profiles of bacteria throughout the fall and winter months. Furthermore, metabolic profiles differed between samples collected from each site. These microbial communities included the potentially harmful Escherichia coli. This bacterium was found in 63% of the sediment samples and 55% of the water samples analyzed by using 3M coliform/E. coli PetrifilmTM count plates. E. coli numbers differed from site to site, and over time at individual sites. These findings suggest that the microbial communities, including E. coli, are spatially and temporally dynamic within the Saginaw Bay Watershed.

* denotes presenter

 

 

C01.  Synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical analysis of synthetic biomolecule models containing ruthenium with hydroxamate and/or nitrosyl ligands

Kent Brown^*, Alexis Glumm^*, Emily Jaremba

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Adam Warhausen

Previous studies have examined the interactions between biological models and nitric oxide (NO), though there is still research to be done on molecules capable of generating NO within biological systems, such as the heme unit. NO can be donated by hydroxamic acids, a molecule often used by the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, this research has worked to synthesis model heme units using d8-metal base, attaching a known NO-donating compound, hydroxamic acid, and studying interactions. Using electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques, the redox behavior of the compound interactions will be analyzed. It is hypothesized that the synthetic heme-hydroxamate model will be redox active. Cyclic voltammetry will provide more data for the redox behavior, allowing an understanding of the ability of hydroximate to donate NO. If these compounds bind a d8 metal, and are being used in pharmaceuticals, it is important to determine if they will also react with iron containing proteins and/or donate NO in a redox environment. This research therein provides insight to the potential side effects to pharmaceutical drugs containing NO-donors which may be currently unknown.

* denotes presenter

C02.  Evaluating the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Transcribed Chemistry and Geography Videos

Megan Schwartz

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Chaytor

College classes are offered in a variety of online options such as flipped classroom styles, hybrid courses, or entirely online. When classes have an online component, instructors often upload lecture videos to various programs, like EchoVideo (formerly Echo360) or YouTube. These programs often have their own software like Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) that can transcribe the lecture. These transcripts are often offered to students as an accessibility accommodation, but it has been suggested that many students can benefit from using them outside of this accommodation. However, the un-edited computer-generated transcripts often possess many errors that can make it difficult for students to effectively use. In a class like chemistry that is jargon heavy it is thought that more errors may be present than in a geography class where more terms are incorporated into everyday language. In this project the error rates of transcribed EchoVideo organic chemistry videos were compared with the error rates found in geography videos. Additionally, surveys of both organic chemistry students and geography students were completed to assess the student opinions of EchoVideo and transcripts. This project assesses the value of transcripts to student learning as well as comparing the accuracy of transcription software between two subjects.

 

C03.  Analysis of Tetracycline Removal in pH-controlled Environments with Varying Forms of Biochar

Zach Adelberg, Warren Jacobs

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Adam Warhausen

With the rise in the use of conventional antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections in agricultural purposes, the prevalence of antibiotic pollution in streams and waterways has become an issue of great importance. If left untreated, antibiotic pollution in water systems may help to accelerate the rate at which virulent bacteria develop natural resistance to antibiotics. While prior research has demonstrated the ability of biochar to remove antibiotics from aqueous solution, there has not been significant investigation of the ability of differing forms of biochar on the removal of antibiotics.  In this project, the efficacy of biochar, an organic compound produced from the pyrolysis of biological matter, in the removal of tetracycline at varying concentrations will be determined to better understand and quantify the affinity of biochar for this common potential target pollutant. Furthermore, the efficacy of commercial and lab generated biochar which have been magnetized with iron was compared to unmagnetized commercial and lab-synthesized biochar. In general, it was observed that commercial biochar samples were more effective at removing tetracycline from the solution, with further observations and statistical comparisons between differing forms of biochar being discussed.  Looking ahead, this project will seek to test biochar’s ability to effectively function when introduced to a simulated environment of contaminated water passing through soil.

 

C04.  Synthesis of Glycosides as Carbohydrate Gelators

Cooper Zale

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Chaytor

One common source of pollution is the presence of phosphates in groundwater and viable water sources. Fertilizer runoff from farmland and faulty water sanitation or septic systems are the main sources of this pollution, which can cause various problems for both humans and the ecosystems that rely on these water sources. To combat this cost-efficiently and effectively, carbohydrates and various primary alcohols can be used to synthesize carbohydrate gelators containing different lengths of hydrocarbon chains. This project revolves around the reaction of the common carbohydrates glucose and galactose (stereoisomers at carbon 4) coupled with primary alcohols hexanol and heptanol. Examining the differences in structure, stereochemistry, gelation properties, and the possible phosphate-adsorbing characteristics between compounds with either differing chain lengths or base carbohydrate allows for the optimization of carbohydrate-alcohol pairing for this application. This presentation will focus on the initial functionalization and purification of the base carbohydrate with one of two primary alcohols, the 1H NMR analysis of the intermediate products,  their gelation and physical properties and possible phosphate-adsorption abilities.

 

C05.  Modification of a Commercially Available Antibiotic to Avoid Ring Cleavage and Enhance Activity

Stephanie Brouet^*, Cameron Campbell^*, Michael Coote, Raegan Pitlanish^*, Tami Sivy

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Brouet

Antibiotics are an important synthetic target, due to increasing bacterial resistance and a lack of candidates in the pipeline of pharmaceutical companies to offer new solutions to the growing problem. Modification of existing antibiotics can be a viable route to identifying new compounds, but it is challenging as sensitive moieties are often present. In working towards the synthesis of antibiotic derivatives, inadvertently, the b-lactam ring of a commercially available antibiotic was cleaved while attempting to modify remote portions of the molecule. This describes attempts to modify the synthesis to avoid cleavage, including a variety of reaction conditions and protecting group strategies. Additionally, several spectroscopic techniques are used to identify the derivatives, as well as testing activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.

* denotes presenter

 

C06.  SARS-CoV2 variants analyzed by ddPCR and sequencing from sewage samples collected in mid-Michigan from 2020-2023

Cassidy Cleary*, Natasha Dagrella, Tami Sivy, Ashlyn Smith*, Jannifer Tyrrell

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy, Dr. Jannifer Tyrrell

Since SARS-CoV-2 became prevalent throughout the world in 2020, the virus has undergone multiple genetic mutations that alter the way it acts as a viral antigen. As the number of variants and subvariants continues to grow, the way in which scientists have been able to identify and analyze them has become increasing complex. The use of digital drop Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) targeting the specific mutations in each of these variants has been a cheaper and quicker alternative to genetic sequencing. However, there are limitations in its ability to identify novel variants, and with each of these, more target primers and probes needed to be included in ddPCR assays. Genetic sequencing was conducted in conjunction with ddPCR variant assay kits on sewage samples from 2020 through 2023 that were grouped around increases in gene copies for the N1N2 targets to elucidate the mutations present at these given times. This not only tests the validity of the assay variant kit data, but also adds to an extensive data set, as longitudinal tracking provides a powerful means to follow the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

* denotes presenter

 

C07.  An update on the Saginaw Bay Monitoring Consortium: Tributary monitoring by SVSU’s undergraduate student team

Emma Abedrabo^*, Avie Krauss, Alex Robins^*, Jeneva Tomaszewski, Lindsey Willett^*, Rebecca Bowen, David Karpovich

Faculty Advisor: Rebecca Bowen, Dr. David Karpovich

The Saginaw Bay Monitoring Consortium (SBMC) has established a tributary and open water monitoring framework for the Saginaw Bay Watershed.  This coordinated, comprehensive, multi-year monitoring effort is unprecedented in the Saginaw Bay Watershed, and it will provide access to significant data for use by resource managers, scientists, and decision-makers to assist in evaluating and restoring this very important ecosystem.  Weekly monitoring for nutrient and sediment transport began in the summer of 2023 at 18 tributary sites by an undergraduate student team at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU).  Tributary monitoring locations were selected to represent coastal sub-watersheds of Saginaw Bay and major sub-watersheds of the Saginaw River, and each is co-located with a USGS gaging station.  Complementary data are also being collected at 10 open water sites on Saginaw Bay by NOAA GLERL. This poster will provide an update on tributary monitoring activities, report highlights from first-year results, and describe how the SVSU undergraduate student team is coordinating the sampling schedule and meeting data quality requirements for this important initiative.

* denotes presenter

 

C08.  Antimicrobial Properties of Variant Cacti Species

Carson Hersch, Jaden McLaury

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy (CHEM 420)

Worldwide it is known that microbes continue to evolve and resist antibiotics causing infections that kill millions each year given it is the top global public health threat. Antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective due to superbugs and other resistant bacteria and viruses. Given this, within the biomedical field there is always a race against time to find new antibiotics to kill deadly bacteria and fungi. The initiative of the experiment is to find antimicrobial properties among various species of domesticated cacti. Along with this, it is hypothesized that the cacti species will have lower measurements of toxicology to mammals. Extractions of each three cacti species collected and varying concentrations were created via a dilution process. Agar well diffusion assay was the primary source of antimicrobial testing. Multiple trials were initiated with each containing different concentrations of the cacti species. In continuation, multiple microbes were used including two bacterial species, E. coli, M. luteus, and two fungi species, C. albicans, S. cerevisiae. Further testing for toxicology via minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was also explored. Findings of antimicrobial susceptibility within each cacti species is ideal with measurements of toxicology of each species. Overall, it is with anticipation that the hypothesis is proven due to the growing need of antibiotics worldwide.

 

C09.  Antimicrobial Effects of Redox Active Metals

Katie Bauer, Brian Derrisaw

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy (CHEM 420)

Copper and silver have been established to be effective at killing bacteria, yet the mechanism for how this occurs is not entirely understood. One major criteria a metal must meet to be effective against bacteria is to have a positive reduction potential. Herein, we tested the antimicrobial effects of metals: copper, silver, and bismuth which all have a positive reduction potential, on E. coli cultures. These metals were tested to verify the ability of their ions to bind to the E. coli cellular membrane/and or its peptidoglycan wall and disrupt the stability and function of them, leading to cell death. The E. coli cells were plated onto the metals for up to an hour, and then stained with a membrane dye. The intensity of the dye was measured with a fluorescence spectrometer, and any noticeable difference when compared to an untreated cell culture would indicate the successful binding of the metal ions. The cells were also stained with the LIVE/DEAD viability kit to determine the lethality of the metals. We are expecting copper and silver to be able to bind and disrupt the membrane/cell wall and show signs of lethality. We expect bismuth to have a similar effect on E. coli due to its similar redox active behavior.

 

C10.  Enzyme Assay of the Production of ß-lactamase in E. coli and S. aureus in the Presence of Ampicillin at Varying Temperatures

Henry Baxter, Raegan Pitlandish

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy (CHEM 420)

Antibiotic resistant bacteria contain certain mechanisms that protect them from effects of antibiotics. One mechanism is through the production of the enzyme, ß-lactamase. ß-lactamase is an enzyme that works to cleave the ß-lactam ring within ß-lactam antibiotics, rendering the antibiotic ineffective. Ampicillin is a ß-lactam antibiotic, being an extended spectrum penicillin. It is used to treat bacterial infections, being developed to overcome bacterial resistance to penicillin. However, the gram-negative bacteria, E. coli, and the gram-positive bacteria, S. aureus (along with many others) have shown resistance to ampicillin through the production of ß-lactamase. Nitrocefin is a chromogenic cephalosporin used in the detection of ß-lactamases. It is a ß-lactam molecule in which gets hydrolyzed by the ß-lactamases, ultimately altering its color from yellow to shades of red. In this experiment, an enzyme assay of ß-lactamase is completed. The production of ß-lactamase in resistant E. coli and S. aureus strains while incubated at a variety of temperatures in the presence of ampicillin is analyzed through nitrocefin spectrophotometry methods. Nitrocefin is used as an indicator of ß-lactamase presence, as well as a resource to quantify the amount of ß-lactamase being produced. The color change of nitrocefin that occurs is monitored using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The absorbance can then be used to determine the concentrations of ß-lactamase present. We hypothesize that growth at 37 °C, human body temperature, will produce the highest concentration of ß-lactamase.

 

C11.  Measuring the Gluten Content in Flour Produced in Different Countries

Leia Butzin, Leah Denome

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy (CHEM 420)

Gluten is a protein that makes up wheat, rye, and barley. Overtime, wheat can tear the inside of the small intestine, causing a person to become allergic to gluten. This is known as celiac disease. It is said that American produced flour contains a higher gluten content than European produced flour. Because of this, most people with celiac disease are able to consume products from Europe without having to deal with the repercussions. This study aimed to test this claim using two different techniques: dry gluten calculation and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). It is hypothesized that the American produced flour contains a higher amount of the protein gluten than the European. In order to obtain dry gluten, a dough was made with each flour, washed to remove the starch, and dried in a hot air over for two hours to be used in a gluten percent equation. From the calculation of dry gluten, the results showed that the all-purpose American flour had 9.83%, while the product of Italy flour contained 14.69% of gluten. In order to use FT-IR, a calibration curve was made from different percent containing KBr and pure gluten pellets to yield a slope-intercept equation. The values from each flour were then substituted into the equation to get the amount of gluten contained in each unknown sample. The expected result is to validate that American produced flour contains a higher amount of gluten than European produced flour.

 

C12.  Dier Dyes

Larissa Barnett, Jiseung Choi, Alexis Glumm

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy (CHEM 420)

Usage of synthetic dyes is widely popular in the American diet, but more regulated in the EU. Previous studies have linked the increase in dyes in daily diets to ill effects such as colon cancer. E. coli, a component of the flora of the gut, interacting with dyes as both whole cells and directly between DNA. The dyes will assist in showing the possible damaging effects of Red 40 and Yellow 5 on DNA. The percent daily limit of the dyes were taken into account and cultures of E. coli grown within the recommended percent daily limit for people as well as separate cultures in double and half of the daily limit. These cultures were plated to monitor the growth of the E. coli cells. Additional cells of E. coli WR2 with liver extract were grown with colonies exposed to the percent daily limit and 10 times the limit to complete an Ames test. To further examine the DNA damage directly, PCR testing of the extracted DNA from cultures grown in dye and DNA extracted from a control and exposed to dye was done. Based on previous literature, the Yellow 5 is expected to affect the DNA directly. Furthermore, fears surrounding Red 40 encourage a result with high concentration tests. This will add to the body of research on the effects of commonly used dyes, providing deeper insight as a stepping stone to understanding the possible adverse effects of these dyes.

 

CS01.  Exploring the Use of Large Language Models for Topic Modeling: A Case Study on World Cup 2022 Tweets

Aos Mulahuwaish, Basheer Qolomany, Maxwell Yaw^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Aos Mulahuwaish

Topic modeling is an unsupervised machine learning method that discovers latent topics in a large corpora of text. This study investigates the potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) to enhance the labeling process in topic modeling. The motivation for this study lies in the advanced text analysis skills of LLMs and the aim to automate the labeling process in topic modeling, which is often prone to error or human bias. We utilize a dataset derived from the #WorldCup2022 hashtag on Twitter, encompassing a wide range of topics related to the World Cup as well as various other subjects. We employ the BERTopic algorithm for topic modeling and then use three Large Language Models (LLMs) – GPT-4, Gemini-Pro, and Mistral-7B-Instruct-v0.2 – to perform the labeling process. We then compare the labeling performance of these LLMs against that of human evaluators. Our results demonstrate a consistent preference for LLM-generated labels, highlighting their capability to generate specific and relevant labels efficiently. This study also reveals the speed advantage of LLMs in label generation, offering an efficient approach for topic modeling in extensive text analysis. The lessons from this study show how powerful LLMs can be in finding topics from a set of keywords. We conclude that LLMs hold promise for improving the accuracy and utility of topic labeling, suggesting future research avenues in exploring different LLM models and their applications in diverse datasets and contexts.

* denotes presenter

 

CS02.  Collaborative Cyber Team Formation Framework

Jacques Bou Abdo, Tristan Calay^*, Aos Mulahuwaish, Basheer Qolomany, Max Yaw

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Aos Mulahuwaish

CCTF-Framework is a NetLogo simulation designed to examine the efficiency of cyber attack and defense on a model network, with the capability to simulate packet traffic. Version 1.3 introduces agent learning, where blue team agents can learn which nodes are the most important ones to maintain and defend.

* denotes presenter

 

CS03.  Development of a cash-tracking and loss prevention application

CIS 424 students

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Scott James (CIS 424)

This year's CIS capstone retail client has a need for a simplified cash-tracking system that will allow the tracking of currency denominations in point-of-sale systems and safes to be easily counted and transferred.  Funds also need to be tracked as they leave the retail locations and are deposited in financial institutions.  Likewise, funds that come from financial institutions for the purpose of making change must also be tracked.  This web-based C# solution leverages the .NET framework, a custom web API and database solution to allow accurate entry of bills and coins as well as custom reporting to help support and address potential loss prevention needs.  Since the application is web based, multiple retail locations can be supported by the application and the viewing of reports and data are available anywhere.

 

CS04.  The development of a web-based mentoring system

CS 471 students

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Scott James (CS 471)

The Computer Science & Information System Department's Industrial Advisory Board, consisting of computing professionals from many different industries, are interested in starting a mentorship program between industry professionals and undergraduate students.  The goal is to better prepare students for their transition from academic studies to industry.  This has facilitated the need to design and deploy a system in which mentors and mentees can sign up, be paired up and make various notes related to the mentoring process.  As a response, this year's senior CS capstone students have created a Python Django based web-solution that utilizes a Postgres database backend to house the necessary system information.  Additional issues such as federated logins, customized reporting and permissions assignments within mentoring organizations had to be addressed.

 

EE01.  Circuit design and programming for Hall effect sensor for tactile and non-tactile applications

James A Grigg, Flora Mia Szklenar

Faculty Advisor: Dr. M. Ashraf Khan

Electronic circuitry is extensively used for tactile applications; computer touch screen is one example. However, a hybrid application, both tactile and non-tactile, of circuits can extend its usage. Hall effect sensor can be utilized for this purpose. The sensor operates under the application of directional magnetic and electric fields. The interaction of the fields creates a voltage following Lorentz force; the developed voltage is dependent on the fields applied. A particular Hall effect sensors have been mapped for a given magnet with spatial variations; the horizontal movement of the magnet is of prime focus. The maximum variation of the developed potential has been identified for the spatial variation. A microcontroller has also been programmed to detect one out of four different ports. A coupling between the network of the four sensors and the program under progress can detect proximity of the small magnet. The method can potentially result in hybrid applications of the circuit developed.

 

G01.  Utilizing GIS Methods to Map Spatial Distribution and Trends of Fecal Contamination in Bay County, MI

Cassidy Cleary

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rhett Mohler (GEOG 499), Dr. Tami Sivy

Microbial Source Tracking (MST) was performed, and results were used to determine the origin of fecal contamination in samples collected from ditches, drains, rivers, and streams in Bay County, MI. MST analysis relies on digital drop Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR), with duplexed targets for Gull/Human, Ruminant/Bovine, and G2/ND2. Method C, quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) results were used to show total Escherichia coli concentrations among each of the samples and were cross-verified using results from a different method known as Colilert. Site coordinates, as well as compiled MST and Method-C results, were converted to a working shapefile in ArcGIS Pro to pinpoint sampling locations. Lidar data retrieved from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) site was used to create a flow accumulation raster, allowing for the digitization of small-scale drainage basins. In addition, 12-digit hydrologic unit codes (HUCs) were extracted and used to represent larger drainage basins. Imagery retrieved from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) was used to classify land cover associated with each site’s respective catchment.  These methods were performed in an effort to display sample sites spatially, along with their compiled data, and identify potential trends in both concentration and sources of fecal contamination based on surrounding land cover.

 

M01.  A Topological Pipeline for Musical Analysis

Adam Uremek

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Joshua Mike

We employ a series of data analysis methods to build a pipeline geared specifically toward understanding motifs in a musical piece. Here we are focused on the analysis of jazz music due to its notoriety for more diversity. Our pipeline starts with snapshot embedding, a continuous variant of delay embedding, to transform time series data into a curve which captures underlying dynamics (i.e., does the signal repeat or contain any other notable pattern). Using a method from topology, which studies how an object is connected together, we delve deeper. Specifically, we utilize a topological method known as persistent homology to represent dynamical features from the transformed data as discrete topological generators such as components, loops, and other types of cycles; we will showcase that these features – both dynamical and topological – correspond to specific musical motifs. Finally, statistical methods can be used to agglomerate topological/musical features into clusters to better understand the musical piece from which they arise.

 

SD-EE01.  Electric Vehicle Accumulator for CFR

Cameron Guettler, Robert Hutchinson, Sean McClary, Ethan Jones

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

Collaborator: Cardinal Formula Racing

Sponsored by: SVSU College of Science, Engineering & Technology

The objective of this senior design project is to engineer an automotive grade, high-voltage, battery-based charge accumulator for Cardinal Formula Racing (CFR), the Formula SAE (FSAE) team at Saginaw Valley State University. The completion of such an accumulator will mark a pivotal transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) in accordance with demands from SAE International and the broader automotive industry. This endeavor aims to place CFR at the forefront of the electric vehicle series by adopting and enhancing high-performance and high-efficiency EV systems. Collaborating with both senior electrical and mechanical engineering students, the project focuses on the design and fabrication of a charge accumulator capable of delivering a nominal power output of 80kW at 550 volts.  This initiative encompasses a comprehensive design strategy that includes battery cell selection and testing, enclosure design, the integration of safety systems, thermal and power output monitoring, battery cell management, and custom bus bar design. By engaging in this project, students will not only contribute to the advancement of electric vehicle technology but also acquire valuable, market-relevant skills in a rapidly evolving automotive landscape.

 

SD-EE02.  Electric Bike Utilizing Dynamic Braking

Lucas Smith, Eric Cassiday, Brycen Halfmann, Mitch McDowell

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

Sponsored by: Student-led Mini Grant, Undergraduate Research Program

Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are quickly becoming a new and favored mode of transportation, due to the demand to reduce 𝐶𝑂 emissions. This student-conducted project dives 2 into the implementation and control of a Permanent Magnet Direct Current (PMDC) motor; specifically tailored for dynamic braking in the context of an e-bike application. Dynamic braking is a form of regenerative braking; which is the concept of converting mechanical energy to electrical energy when the object is decelerating. This form of technology can be used in the e-bike application due to its low-speed nature and complexity. Throughout the research process, students have studied the strengths and weaknesses of dynamic braking in the e-bike application. This has led to several design changes such as: the removal of the current sensor, the switch from P-Channel to N-Channel MOSFET’s, as well as the addition of gate drivers. In the duration of research and testing, students developed a prototype of an e-bike; utilizing the PMDC motor, along with the implementation of the dynamic braking process.

 

SD-EE03.  Empowering Food Security using Sensor-based Pantry Inventory Management

Nicholas Armstrong, Dedrick Lewis, Marek Belgiorno, Roy Sweet, Zachary Franzel

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

Collaborator: The Salvation Army, Bay City

Sponsored by: Foundation Community Engagement Grants

The sensor-based food pantry inventory management project aims to optimize the redistribution of surplus food from donors to food pantries, shelters, and community organizations, thereby reducing food waste and addressing food insecurity in the Great Lakes Bay Region (GLBR) while supporting and educating the community on food security. The pantry will be able to expand food donation center’s ability to receive items by being a stand-alone, affordable solution, with low system complexity and easy transport/installation to allow for placement at remote locations for food donation programs., The pantry will be operable 24/7, scalable and require minimal maintenance using the Internet-of-Things (IoT) fundamentals and hands-on engineering skills while giving back to the community.

 

 

SD-ME01.  CFSpan Dock-in-a-Box

JoDavid Garascia, Seth Hollingshead, Kyle Kulin, Daniel Logan

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

CFSpan, the company sponsoring this project, was looking for a gateway into the marine market to provide structural solutions with carbon fiber. The Dock in a Box is a product that will be available for general consumers. It will be a redesign of docks made of aluminum or wood to increase strength and reduce overall weight. The density of the carbon fiber provided by CFSpan is less than both wood and aluminum, but provides a greater yield strength which means greater strength can be achieved with less material. The design of the dock will allow for versatile placement for consumers due to its ability to sit on sea walls on one end and be supported by poles at the other end. The docks dimensions will be 4 ft in width and 8 ft in length assembled by two 4 ft by 4ft sections. Only the framing and the poles of the dock will be created out of carbon fiber as the corners and other connection points will be fabricated with a carbon reinforced plastic provided by CFSpan. The flooring, a polypropylene grated sheet, will be purchased separately, therefore it will be left out of the fabrication process.

 

SD-ME02.  General Motors Bay City Induction Coil Cleaning Tool

Dane DeLong, Merick Goulet, Owen Kowatch, Michael Rudnick, Owen Kowatch

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

General Motors Corporation (GM) is a leading automotive innovator and manufacturer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. GM has been in Bay City, Michigan since 1918 at the Bay City Global Propulsion Systems Plant (Bay City GPS). Currently, this plant builds engine components such as connecting rods and camshafts used in Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles. GM makes use of induction coils for the hardening of lobes on the camshafts they produce. It is common for these coils to become dirty due to metal shavings, coolant, and other debris. Regular cleaning of the coils is required to ensure product quality, efficiency of the coil, and process consistency. The problem with the current process for induction coil cleaning is that it is a fully manual process. This process currently involves the stoppage of production and lockout of the robot cell where the induction coils are located. An operator must then enter the cell with a brush attached to a drill to manually clean the coil, producing a safety hazard. This process takes approximately 15 minutes from start to completion but must be completed 6 times per day. The goal of this project is to design and implement a new component into a current process. This component must be capable of cleaning an induction coil via a fully automated process that eliminates the need for human intervention and slowing production.

 

SD-ME03.  Nexteer Automotive Worm Gear De-gating Cell Redesign

Nathaniel Briggs, Katherine Jones, Kyler Jones, Dalton Manning, Justin Osmond

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

This senior project is concerned with a steering system for Polaris products manufactured by Nexteer Automotive. Steering in this product is transferred via a worm gear. The current automated manufacturing process of these worm gears is faulted with longer-than-needed handling times. Due to increased business, this process needs to handle a higher capacity. This senior design team was tasked with redesigning cell SD800188 in Plant 6 at the Saginaw, Michigan site, so that it accommodates a hole saw cutting operation and includes appropriate gate and chip removal. This redesign will introduce economic savings due to the reduction of standard work hours, improve throughput and flexibility/changeover, decrease cycle time, and help aid in Nexteer’s long-term process innovation goals. The worm gear produced is used in Electronic Power Systems (E.P.S.), and is introduced as a steel hub that is injection modeled with nylon around it which forms a diaphragm gate on one side. Shortly after molding, the bulk of the gate is removed using an end mill. The function of removing the gate is to remove residual stress, prevent shrinkage, and to provide access to the ID for a consistent datum. Post mill operation the parts are annealed then proceed to a trimming operation. The project redesign will focus on using a hole saw to remove the gate entirely, this change can reduce the lathe effectively.

 

SD-ME04.  UGRP Baseball Hand Guards

Julia Martin, Matthew Montroy, Brett Nelson, Tyler Thoma-Bishop

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Thomas Mahank

Dr. Hillary Mellema, an Associate Professor of Marketing at Saginaw Valley State University, demonstrates her commitment to her students' success by going above and beyond her classroom responsibilities. This dedication to enhancing student growth and innovation is evident by her frequent advising of student-led research. Her recent initiative focusing on safety upgrades for SVSU’s men's baseball team entails designing an improved sliding mitt for safety. The need for an improved sliding mitt stems from a critical flaw with the current designs on the market. Traditional sliding mitts are effective in providing protection while approaching a base, however players who get an extra base hit or attempt to advance to another base from an error in the field are often left vulnerable to injury from the lack of time necessary to apply the sliding mitt before sliding into the base. This gap in protection exposes athletes to impact and hyperextension injuries in their fingers and wrists during high-intensity gameplay. The proposed sliding mitt serves to maximize player protection by providing continuous hand safety throughout all phases of the game. The sliding glove is an external attachment to the player’s hands and is to be worn while batting and running the bases; the attachment must allow the player to grip the bat while simultaneously restricting the hyperextension movement of the finger joints to a maximum of 5 degrees of rotation, and the wrist from no more than 80 degrees of rotation. The design shall not weigh more than 0.3 lbf.

 

SD-ME05.  Duro-Last Roofing Automated Twin Barrel Extruder Cleaning Process

Noah Drummond, Katlin Escamilla, Blain Wood

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

The goal of the project is to create and automate a cleaning system for local roofing company Duro-Last. On the production line at Duro-Last a double barrel extruder is used to extrude PVC plastic. After many cycles of use PVC residue builds up on the interior surface of the barrels and takes up to 24 hours to clean. The project has automated a machine to clean both barrels simultaneously successfully reducing production downtime while decreasing ergonomic strain on the operators.

 

SD-ME06.  Oscoda Plastics RapidWeld Gun

Blake Kartanys, Josh Mueller

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

Oscoda Plastics has a need for a battery powered epoxy gun to dispense RapidWeld during installation of their flooring products. The COVID-19 pandemic made their current epoxy gun unavailable. OP supplies epoxy guns to their installation subcontractors. OP needs a conversion of the DeWalt epoxy gun. The impacts of this epoxy gun are economic, environmental, and ethical. The economic impact is saving money by using recycled vinyl, without the RapidWeld gun OP can’t use recycled material. Using recycled vinyl material is the environmental impact. The ethical impact is deciding to use recycled vinyl over new material.

 

SD-ME07.  SVSU Cardinal Formula Racing Formula SAE EV Racecar Accumulator

ME: Ethan Jones

EE: Sean McClary, Cameron Guettler, Robert Hutchinson, Sean McClary

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

The goal of this project was to create a foundation for SVSU Cardinal Formula Racing to transition into electric vehicle racing. To do this, a Formula SAE (FSAE) accumulator was to be designed mechanically sound to allow the race car to use 550 Volts and 80 kW and meet all competition rules. The accumulator design was assisted by attending a Tesla FSAE workshop that provided knowledge to create a vehicle as a whole. Thermally the batteries must also stay under 60C. To do this, thermal tests of single batteries were performed, and cooling concepts generated. The outcome of this project was that an accumulator concept was defined, refined, and selected.

 

Biology

Presentations are 30 minutes each in Pioneer 242.

 

1:00 PM	Bean Beatle Transgenesis: A Pathway to Advance Research and Education in Biology	Pioneer 242
	Gauge R. Eiser
	Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jorge R. Paredes-Montero
	Insect transgenesis is the process of introducing foreign genetic material into the genome of a target species to investigate gene function and achieve gene knockdown through the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. The bean beetle stands out as an optimal model for the study of insect transgenesis due to its brief life cycle in laboratory settings, which enables efficient phenotype screening. However, despite its utility in research and educational laboratories, insect transgenesis remains unexplored in this non-model species. Here we outline a pipeline for RNAi-mediated knockdown via bean beetle transgenesis. Initially, candidate genes for silencing were identified through literature and retrieved from Bruchidius siliquastri, a related beetle species with a fully assembled genome. The homologous genes in the bean beetle were then amplified, sequenced, and characterized, enabling the design of a dsRNA region to silence the target gene. Our progress includes the development of the pBacUAS-NAT/3xP3EGFP donor plasmid, essential for ensuring the heritability of the candidate dsRNA. Furthermore, we discuss our upcoming plans for microinjection experiments in the bean beetle. This research initiative aims to unlock the potential of bean beetle transgenesis, thereby broadening research horizons and creating novel teaching opportunities in the biological sciences.

 

Mathematical Sciences

Presentations are 30 minutes each in Pioneer 242.

 

1:30 PM	On Local Members of Matrices	Pioneer 242
	Gavin Stevens
	Faculty Advisor: Dr. Patrick Pan
	Let Rm X n be the set of all m X n matrices and W be a nontrivial subspace of Rm X n. Fix a matrix W in W and let S be the set of all m X n matrices whose projection in W with respect to the Frobenius inner product is W. We show that S is algebraically reflexive if and only if W has a basis consisting of entirely rank-one matrices; in particular, if W is a one-dimensional subspace, then S is algebraically reflexive if and only if W is generated by a rank-one matrix. In this talk, I will use examples with 2 X 2 matrices to illustrate the nature of our research project and the main ideas behind the proofs.

 

Mechanical Engineering Senior Design I

Presentations are 30 minutes each in Pioneer 245.

 

1:00 PM	CFSpan Dock-in-a-Box	Pioneer 245
	David Garascia, Seth Hollingshead, Kyle Kulin, Daniel Logan
	Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam
	CFSpan, the company sponsoring this project, was looking for a gateway into the marine market to provide structural solutions with carbon fiber. The Dock in a Box is a product that will be available for general consumers. It will be a redesign of docks made of aluminum or wood to increase strength and reduce overall weight. The density of the carbon fiber provided by CFSpan is less than both wood and aluminum, but provides a greater yield strength which means greater strength can be achieved with less material. The design of the dock will allow for versatile placement for consumers due to its ability to sit on sea walls on one end and be supported by poles at the other end. The docks dimensions will be 4 ft in width and 8 ft in length assembled by two 4 ft by 4ft sections. Only the framing and the poles of the dock will be created out of carbon fiber as the corners and other connection points will be fabricated with a carbon reinforced plastic provided by CFSpan. The flooring, a polypropylene grated sheet, will be purchased separately, therefore it will be left out of the fabrication process.
1:30 PM	General Motors Bay City Induction Coil Cleaning Tool	Pioneer 245
	Dane DeLong, Merick Goulet, Owen Kowatch, Michael Rudnick, Owen Kowatch
	Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam
	General Motors Corporation (GM) is a leading automotive innovator and manufacturer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. GM has been in Bay City, Michigan since 1918 at the Bay City Global Propulsion Systems Plant (Bay City GPS). Currently, this plant builds engine components such as connecting rods and camshafts used in Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles. GM makes use of induction coils for the hardening of lobes on the camshafts they produce. It is common for these coils to become dirty due to metal shavings, coolant, and other debris. Regular cleaning of the coils is required to ensure product quality, efficiency of the coil, and process consistency. The problem with the current process for induction coil cleaning is that it is a fully manual process. This process currently involves the stoppage of production and lockout of the robot cell where the induction coils are located. An operator must then enter the cell with a brush attached to a drill to manually clean the coil, producing a safety hazard. This process takes approximately 15 minutes from start to completion but must be completed 6 times per day. The goal of this project is to design and implement a new component into a current process. This component must be capable of cleaning an induction coil via a fully automated process that eliminates the need for human intervention and slowing production.
2:00 PM	Nexteer Automotive Worm Gear De-gating Cell Redesign	Pioneer 245
	Nathaniel Briggs, Katherine Jones, Kyler Jones, Dalton Manning, Justin Osmond
	Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam
	This senior project is concerned with a steering system for Polaris products manufactured by Nexteer Automotive. Steering in this product is transferred via a worm gear. The current automated manufacturing process of these worm gears is faulted with longer-than-needed handling times. Due to increased business, this process needs to handle a higher capacity. This senior design team was tasked with redesigning cell SD800188 in Plant 6 at the Saginaw, Michigan site, so that it accommodates a hole saw cutting operation and includes appropriate gate and chip removal. This redesign will introduce economic savings due to the reduction of standard work hours, improve throughput and flexibility/changeover, decrease cycle time, and help aid in Nexteer’s long-term process innovation goals. The worm gear produced is used in Electronic Power Systems (E.P.S.), and is introduced as a steel hub that is injection modeled with nylon around it which forms a diaphragm gate on one side. Shortly after molding, the bulk of the gate is removed using an end mill. The function of removing the gate is to remove residual stress, prevent shrinkage, and to provide access to the ID for a consistent datum. Post mill operation the parts are annealed then proceed to a trimming operation. The project redesign will focus on using a hole saw to remove the gate entirely, this change can reduce the lathe effectively.
2:30 PM	UGRP Baseball Hand Guards	Pioneer 245
	Julia Martin, Matthew Montroy, Brett Nelson, Tyler Thoma-Bishop
	Faculty Advisor: Dr. Thomas Mahank
	Dr. Hillary Mellema, an Associate Professor of Marketing at Saginaw Valley State University, demonstrates her commitment to her students' success by going above and beyond her classroom responsibilities. This dedication to enhancing student growth and innovation is evident by her frequent advising of student-led research. Her recent initiative focusing on safety upgrades for SVSU’s men's baseball team entails designing an improved sliding mitt for safety. The need for an improved sliding mitt stems from a critical flaw with the current designs on the market. Traditional sliding mitts are effective in providing protection while approaching a base, however players who get an extra base hit or attempt to advance to another base from an error in the field are often left vulnerable to injury from the lack of time necessary to apply the sliding mitt before sliding into the base. This gap in protection exposes athletes to impact and hyperextension injuries in their fingers and wrists during high-intensity gameplay. The proposed sliding mitt serves to maximize player protection by providing continuous hand safety throughout all phases of the game. The sliding glove is an external attachment to the player’s hands and is to be worn while batting and running the bases; the attachment must allow the player to grip the bat while simultaneously restricting the hyperextension movement of the finger joints to a maximum of 5 degrees of rotation, and the wrist from no more than 80 degrees of rotation. The design shall not weigh more than 0.3 lbf.

 

Mechanical Engineering Senior Design II

Presentations are 30 minutes each in Pioneer 247.

 

1:00 PM	Duro-Last Roofing Automated Twin Barrel Extruder Cleaning Process	Pioneer 247
	Noah Drummond, Katlin Escamilla, Blain Wood
	Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam
	The goal of the project is to create and automate a cleaning system for local roofing company Duro-Last. On the production line at Duro-Last a double barrel extruder is used to extrude PVC plastic. After many cycles of use PVC residue builds up on the interior surface of the barrels and takes up to 24 hours to clean. The project has automated a machine to clean both barrels simultaneously successfully reducing production downtime while decreasing ergonomic strain on the operators.
1:30 PM	Oscoda Plastics RapidWeld Gun	Pioneer 247
	Blake Kartanys, Josh Mueller
	Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam
	Oscoda Plastics has a need for a battery powered epoxy gun to dispense RapidWeld during installation of their flooring products. The COVID-19 pandemic made their current epoxy gun unavailable. OP supplies epoxy guns to their installation subcontractors. OP needs a conversion of the DeWalt epoxy gun. The impacts of this epoxy gun are economic, environmental, and ethical. The economic impact is saving money by using recycled vinyl, without the RapidWeld gun OP can’t use recycled material. Using recycled vinyl material is the environmental impact. The ethical impact is deciding to use recycled vinyl over new material.
2:00 PM	SVSU Cardinal Formula Racing Formula SAE EV Racecar Accumulator	Pioneer 247
	Ethan Jones
	Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam
	The goal of this project was to create a foundation for SVSU Cardinal Formula Racing to transition into electric vehicle racing. To do this, a Formula SAE (FSAE) accumulator was to be designed mechanically sound to allow the race car to use 550 Volts and 80 kW and meet all competition rules. The accumulator design was assisted by attending a Tesla FSAE workshop that provided knowledge to create a vehicle as a whole. Thermally the batteries must also stay under 60C. To do this, thermal tests of single batteries were performed, and cooling concepts generated. The outcome of this project was that an accumulator concept was defined, refined, and selected.