2022 SE&T Symposium

B01.  Microplastics and Phagocytosis in a Model Unicellular Ciliate, Tetrahymena pyriformis

Erica Behnfeldt

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sylvia Fromherz

Over the past decade, microplastics (plastic particles <5mm) have been a rising concern due to their presence in ecosystems as pollutants. One concern is their entry into the food web through uptake by unicellular ciliates, which could then transfer microplastics up the food web. A better understanding of how ciliates are impacted by microplastics is needed. These ciliates may also be used to shed light on human cells through shared features. One model ciliate is Tetrahymena pyriformis, which has been used to study many cellular processes including phagocytosis, a cell membrane-invagination process used to take up particulates. We and others have demonstrated that microplastics are taken up by phagocytosis into Tetrahymena. We hypothesize that the uptake of these microplastics will affect the phagocytic pathway in a size-dependent manner. Our previous preliminary data has suggested that uptake of larger microplastic (6 µm) particulates decreases the ability of Tetrahymena to subsequently phagocytose smaller particles (~200 nm). To test this further, we developed and carried out “pulse-chase” experiments where the “pulse” is blue 6 µm beads and the “chase” is either yellow 6 µm microplastic beads or India Ink. India Ink is a calligraphy ink with a particulate size ≤ 200 nm. These experiments were compared to mock trials. We also conducted trials with different ages of cultures, 2-day and 6-day old cultures, to test the effect culture age has on phagocytosis after exposure. These findings will be presented and discussed.

B02.  Comparative Evaluation of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) Cultivated in Soilless Systems

Madeline Bach, Colton Bragg, Jasmine Smith, Courtney Thomas

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Holly Little

Worldwide human population growth combined with decreasing availability of arable land and fresh water poses an increasing threat to food security. Increased use of alternative methods of crop production can help reduce reliance on conventional farming for meeting dietary needs. Hydroponics and aquaponics are plant cultivation methods that do not require soil and have reduced water needs compared to conventional agriculture. The SVSU Greenhouse is involved in conducting a series of trials to compare plant growth and yield parameters between hydroponic and aquaponics systems to better understand factors affecting crop production in soilless systems and to provide insight into optimizing sustainable plant cultivation. In this study, spinach was grown hydroponically using a nutrient-film technique (NFT) with a diluted commercially available nutrient solution circulated from a reservoir.  Growth was compared to spinach grown aquaponically.  Nutrients for plants grown aquaponically are derived from waste products of fish and activity of beneficial bacteria maintained in a flood and drain system. This trial was conducted at the end of Fall 2021 and the beginning of Winter 2022 with parameters including electroconductivity, pH, and leaf growth rate monitored throughout development. At harvest, the fresh weight and stem length of all plants were measured. Results of this comparative trial will be presented.

B03.  Comparison of Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Production in Hydroponic and Aquaponic Systems

Madeline Bach, Colton Bragg, Jasmine Smith, Courtney Thomas

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Holly Little

Globally, reliable and sustainable agriculture methods are critical for meeting the dietary needs of a rapidly growing human population as natural resources, including water and arable land, become more limited. Hydroponics and aquaponics, two crop cultivation methods that eliminate the need for soil and reduce water consumption, are promising alternatives to traditional farming methods. This research focuses on the soilless cultivation of basil (Ocimum basilicum) and is part of a series of experiments in the greenhouse at Saginaw Valley State University comparing plant development and yield in a hydroponics system (H1) and an aquaponics system (Aq) to optimize crop production in soilless systems. H1 utilizes a nutrient film technique (NFT) to provide plants with nutrients via a cycling nutrient solution from a reservoir, while Aq takes advantage of the combined activity of fish, turtles, and beneficial bacteria to produce bioavailable nutrients in a flood and drain system. Trials took place in fall 2020 (Trial 1) and during summer 2021 (Trial 2). In addition to monitoring pH, electroconductivity, and plant growth parameters; number of nodes, main stem length, number of lateral branches, and fresh weight were measured at harvest. Basil production by the aquaponics system exceeded that of the hydroponic system in all yield parameters evaluated in Trial 1, while differences in performance between the systems in Trial 2 were mixed. Results of this comparative analysis have provided insight into factors limiting yield potential that can be addressed to maximize the utility of alternative methods for sustainable food production.

C01.  Synthesis of C-Glycosides for Potential Type II Diabetes Treatment

Jennifer Chaytor, Max Michalak^*, Devin Neumann^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Chaytor

Type II diabetes mellitus is a widespread disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose. Other severe health issues can arise from diabetes, including vision problems, cardiovascular disease, and renal failure. While this health condition can be combatted through lifestyle changes such as exercise and a healthy diet, drug therapy is often necessary for the management of hyperglycemia. This research explores the synthesis of three C-glycosides, modeled after existing drugs prescribed for Type II diabetes, for their role in treating hyperglycemia. It is hypothesized that C-glycosides could serve as both alpha-glucosidase inhibitors and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, mechanisms that are incorporated into existing therapies. Two synthetic pathways for the target compounds are currently being investigated. Purification of the products will be conducted via column chromatography and preparative TLC. The identity of products will be confirmed with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

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C02.  Peptidoglycan binding of a novel, multi-substituted beta-lactone

 Michael Coote, Paige Prime*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Michael Coote

Pathogenic microbes continue to develop resistance to therapeutic  compounds and pose a significant health risk from infection.  Traditional antibiotics are often based on the b-lactam functional group to which microbes have developed specific resistance.  While occurring in some known antimicrobials, the beta-lactone group has not appeared prominently.  As antibiotics often target bacterial cell wall synthesis, peptidoglycan obtained from M. luteus cell wall was titrated against the b-lactone and the resulting interactions monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy to determine possible interactions toward defining a mechanism of action.

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C03.  Seed crystals toward simulating hydrothermal vents

Hien T. Nguyen^*, Jason J. Pagano

Faculty Advisor: Dr.  Jason J. Pagano

The research mentioned herein this Abstract is funded by SVSU’s student-led research grant program. We produce seed crystals from five different crystal recipes in plastic containers from water soluble basic compounds (pH ≈ 13). The single crystals are placed conventionally and inversely in acidic water-soluble iron (II/III) containing solutions (pH ≈ 1.5). Depending on the placement of the seed crystal hollow tubes form by “silica garden” or “chemical garden” precipitation methods. Chemical gardens or silica gardens are a class of chemical reactions which are capable of forming hollow tubular precipitation structures. This poster presentation will discuss our methods of synthesizing the tubular precipitation structures. We also discuss the isolation process of the tubular precipitation structures from the reaction zone for upcoming physical characterization. Our results contribute to the emerging field of chemobrionics. Lastly, results from this experimental methodology may reveal similarities to that of chimneys that form at hydrothermal vents encountered in natural systems.

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C04.  Determining the Efficacy of Biochar in Removing Antibiotics from Aqueous Solution

Warren Jacobs^*, Peyton Long^*, Adam Warhausen

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Adam Warhausen

With the rise in use of conventional antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections, 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.  In this project, the efficacy of biochar, an organic compound produced from the pyrolysis of biological matter, in the removal of tetracycline, sulfamethazine, 4-nitroanaline, and amoxicillin trihydrate all water-soluble antibiotics or antibiotic precursors commonly used for the treatment of infectious diseases will be determined.  Furthermore, the efficacy of commercial and lab-synthesized 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 the target compounds from solution, with sulfamethazine showing the greatest difference in removal efficacy between the commercial and lab synthesized.  When comparing magnetized and unmagnetized biochar, it appeared that the different types of biochar did exhibit differences in their capacity to remove antibiotics, though no consistent overall trend was observed between different classes of antibiotics. Moving forward, further work will be performed in order to test biochar’s absorptive capacity on other antibiotic compounds and determine the differences in affinity biochar has for differing antibiotics.

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C05.  Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Analysis of Synthetic Biomolecule Models Containing d8-Metal with Hydroxamate and/or Nitrosyl Ligands

Alice Erman, Emily Jaremba^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Adam Warhausen

Biological molecules such as the heme unit and their interactions to nitric oxide (NO) have been highly studied, yet there is still much to research on molecules that are capable of generating NO in biological systems. Hydroxamic acids are known to be NO donors and are often utilized in the pharmaceutical industry. This research focuses on synthesizing a d8-metal based model of the heme unit and determining its interaction with NO-donating compounds. The use of electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques is used to understand the redox behavior of the reactions between these compounds. It is important to understand the potential interactions between nitric oxide-donating molecules and heme-containing biomolecules. If these compounds bind to d8-metals and are being used in medications within the body, it is crucial to determine if they will also react with iron containing proteins and/or donate NO in a redox environment.

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C06.  Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in municipal and facility wastewater using ddPCR

Marc Dean^*, Tami Sivy, Caleb Whittaker^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed many areas for improvement in disease control and prevention strategies. An early-detection system could be helpful in informing health departments of coming outbreaks of infectious diseases and reducing stress on healthcare systems. In conjunction with MiNET, a collaborative lab network in Michigan, Saginaw Valley State University has used Digital Droplet PCR (ddPCR) to detect levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in municipal wastewater and other sewage sources, including long-term care facilities, prisons, and our campus. Because the virus is excreted in human feces early during an infection, the results have provided a strong predictive correlation for future positive cases in a community. Additionally, the method is capable of detecting virus shed from asymptomatic individuals, offering a more accurate measure of community infection rates. With continuing optimization and normalization, these methods could be employed to provide early warning to health departments for the detection of various pathogens within their communities.

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C07.  Using Colilert, qPCR, and ddPCR for bacterial quantification and microbial source tracking in Iosco County

Marc Dean^*, Bruce Hart, Tami Sivy, Ashlyn Smith^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy

In the last decade, several molecular tests for microbial contamination have been developed to assess levels of risk for human contact in recreational waters and to identify potential sources of contamination. Historical methods such as Colilert require overnight incubation, extending response times for beach closures and potentially increasing human exposure to microbial contaminants. As a result, the rapid quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based EPA Method C was developed and has been used in conjunction with standard 18–24-hour Colilert tests by our lab and others in MiNET to evaluate water quality at recreational beaches and rivers. In addition, digital drop PCR (ddPCR) technology has been employed to help inform whether sources of contamination are human, avian, or otherwise mammalian, known collectively as Molecular Source Tracking (MST). Our recent objectives have extended to study the efficacy of using ddPCR for E. coli quantification as well as MST.  Samples collected in 2021 from the Tawas River Watershed allowed for comparison of the three methods in measuring E. coli levels. Our preliminary results indicate a low degree of correlation between ddPCR and qPCR (R2= 0.1395) and ddPCR and Colilert (R2=0.0684 ). Further assay optimization of ddPCR E. coli assays is needed, as well as a threshold set for acceptable human exposure.  For MST using ddPCR, our results indicate that gull, ruminant, and human fecal bacteria were the largest contributors of fecal contamination to Tawas recreational beaches. If shown to be effective, a ddPCR-based method for measurement of E. coli as a fecal indicator organism would have the rapid results that qPCR provides while potentially eliminating inhibition, as well as indicating physical sources of microbial contamination in a single assay plate.

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C08.  Comparison of methods to determine fecal contamination levels  and microbial sources in Isabella County

Marc Dean^*, Bruce Hart, Carson Moen^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy

Saginaw Valley State University and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe have had a long-held collaboration to explore microbial contamination in the waters of Isabella County. In the most recent study, undertaken in the summer of 2021, three different methods were used to measure the levels of Escherichia coli at 28 sites; E. coli is associated with the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms making it an indicator for fecal contamination in water sources. The first was the historical standard Colilert, a culture-based method that requires overnight incubation. Second, EPA Method C, which relies on quantitative PCR (qPCR), was employed for detection and quantification of E. coli DNA. Lastly, digital drop PCR (ddPCR) was used to also measure E. coli DNA. This newest method is intriguing as it has the potential to be more sensitive and to eliminate inhibition. Additionally, ddPCR methods can be used to determine the physical sources of contamination, known as microbial source tracking (MST), due to genetic differences in Bacteroides and other microbes specifically from humans, ruminants, avians, etc., each of which were detected in the Isabella County samples. For E. coli measurements, the correlations (by R2 values) between ddPCR to Colilert, ddPCR to qPCR, and qPCR to Colilert were 0.1193, 0.2847, and 0.1636, respectively.
Reasons for these underwhelming correlations may be the low sample number and the sampling sites being mostly drains. Further persistence studies should be conducted in order to determine if the discrepancies between PCR and culture methods stem from DNA of dead organisms being present in the environment, thus contributing to higher levels of detection. Finally, methods for MST will continue to be explored and optimized.

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C09.  Studies towards the use of click chemistry to form a novel dual-action antibiotic to combat antibiotic resistance

Elizabeth Reinbold

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Brouet

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing concern facing medicine, leading to difficulty preventing and treating infections.  It is necessary that novel methods be developed to ensure higher levels of activity for historically important class of antibiotics.  One promising avenue is to form dual-action antibiotics which have more than one mode of activity.  Click chemistry is an important method of linking molecules through a [3 + 2] cycloaddition, leading to heterocycles.  To this aim, we describe studies towards a novel synthetic method of incorporating an azide moiety into a beta-lactam antibiotic that can undergo crosslinking with an alkyne partner.

C09. Determination of the effect of temperature on antibiotic function in E. Coli via β-Galactosidase assay

Warren Jacobs, Nishan Poudel, Kaylee Taylor

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy

As microorganisms continue to develop new methods of antibiotic resistance, it is vitally important that researchers are able to understand the methods of antibiotic uptake in bacteria to develop new treatments for microbial infection. In this project, the ability of E. Coli to intake tetracycline, a common antibiotic, at different temperatures will be investigated.  As tetracyclines typically possess a significant number of hydroxyl and ketone groups on the outside of the molecule, it was hypothesized that passage through a nonpolar environment such as the plasma membrane may be impacted by outside factors such as temperature, with higher temperatures making passage thermodynamically unfavorable resulting to the increased β-Galactosidase activity in E coli.  Samples of E. Coli were cultured in lactose broth in order to stimulate production of β-Galactosidase, which allows the cell to convert lactose into galactose and glucose, which can be readily metabolized by the cell. The effectiveness of tetracycline was determined through Ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry of o-nitrophenyl-β -galactopyranoside, which resembles lactose, but upon cleavage by β-Galactosidase, is capable of absorbing light at a wavelength on 420nm.  As light absorbance is directly correlated to o-nitrophenol presence and β-Galactosidase activity, differences between light absorbances from samples can therefore be used to estimate tetracycline entry and activity in the samples.

C10. Aspirin Binding Affinity to Bovine Serum Albumin

Jonathan Giglio, Emily Jaremba

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy

Some drugs utilize the circulatory system for delivery; therefore, it is important to understand how they interact with proteins found in plasma. Serum albumin (SA) is the most prominent protein found in the plasma with many binding sites for various substrates. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a common and accessible SA to utilize in laboratory studies. BSA’s site I is known to bind to bulky aromatic rings, whereas site II binds to carboxylic acids. Warfarin, a common blood thinner, is known to bind to site I; however, diphenhydramine, an allergy relief, will be used as a substitute, since it also contains bulky aromatic rings. Ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory, is known to bind to site II through its carboxylic acid group. Aspirin, a drug that is often prescribed with other medications, potentially binds to both active sites on BSA due to having both a bulky aromatic ring and a carboxylic acid. By looking at the binding affinities of aspirin in coordination with the other medications, it will be determined whether aspirin has higher binding affinity for site I or site II through the use of UV-vis spectroscopy. Due to a more prominent carboxylic acid and a more shielded aromatic ring, it is hypothesized that aspirin will bind to site II with higher affinity than site I.

C11. Addition of Beta-galactosidase to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its Ability to Metabolize Lactose

Bailey Kosaski, Wyatt Liston

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast that does not possess the enzyme b-galactosidase.  b-galactosidase is the enzyme responsible for metabolizing lactose. If S. cerevisiae is cultured with the addition of b-galactosidase at varying concentrations through a minimal media, there will be new enzyme activity. More specifically, if varying sugar and lactose concentrations were sampled with the culture, through a common form of milk, the growth of the culture will be dependent on the concentrations of both lactose and glucose. Colony growth will depend on different concentrations of b-galactosidase added to the media and the corresponding milk type. The values of growth were determined by a macro b-galactosidase assay.

C12. Effect of amino acids on E. coli protein synthesis

Jackie Popko, Maria Vukaj

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy

Many athletes struggle to gain muscle that is needed for their sport. Typically, protein is the one of the key factors into building muscle and many studies show that high quality protein can increase muscle mass. Specifically, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins that help repair and maintain muscle tissue. Therefore, we want to determine if taking amino acid supplements could promote protein synthesis. We manipulated E. coli because of its relative simplicity with various amounts of branched amino acids. Specifically, the branched amino acids are leucine, glutamine, iso-leucine, and valine that were incubated with E. coli. The protein from the amino acid concentrations were separated by using size exclusion chromatography. Therefore, the protein concentration was measured using spectrophotometer.

C13. Effects of Garlic and Garlic Derivatives on the Genome of E. coli and S. epidermidis

Olivia Getzinger, Adrian Metz

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tami Sivy

Garlic and its derivatives, such as the essential oil and a compound called allicin, have been widely known for their antibacterial properties. To further explore these properties, E. coli and S. epidermidis  cell cultures were treated garlic and garlic derivatives (extracted allicin, allicin supplements, and garlic essential oil), and a RT-qPCR test was performed to see if there was any effect on the expression of fimH and icaD genes in the respective bacteria. The RT-qPCR should show decreased expression of the fimH and icaD genes in treated samples, showing that garlic and its derivatives have effective antibacterial properties against the fimbriae adhesion gene, fimH, in E. coli and the intercellular adhesion operon, icaD, in S. epidermidis.

CS01.  Detecting Fake News on Twitter Using AI models

Clayton Cook^*, Aos Mulahuwaish, Manish Raj Osti^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Aos Mulahuwaish

The Internet has become a big part of people's life. Most of the news and information is been followed by people. And Twitter is one of the social network news sources, which is used by more than 300 million people around the globe. So, in such a huge network, there is always a chance of getting to know fake news. This is one of the burning issues for all the social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and so on. There have been many times where there is violence just because of this fake news. So, this research is using some highly accurate AI models. Specifically, the research is using Deep Learning which is a subset of Artificial Intelligence, where the models like Bi-LSTM with Nadam and Adam optimization, Ensemble CNN-GRU, and Bi-directional Encoder Representation from Transformer(BERT) are used to detect between fake and real news. So, we preprocessed the data which are the tweets from Twitter, trained them in all these 3 models, and got really high accurate predictions. But still, among them, Ensemble CNN-GRU and BERT give higher accuracy most of the time than, standalone Bi-LSTM. So, these two models are the preferred choice for detecting fake news. Nevertheless, the models are still undergoing research.

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CS02.  Channel State Information Spectrum Gap Filling Using Shallow Neural Networks

Beata Hejno^*, Avishek Mukherjee, Manish Raj Osti^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Avishek Mukherjee

We propose CSIFill, a novel system to predict the Channel State Information (CSI) in indoor wireless networks. CSIFill can estimate the CSI on different frequency sub-carriers by using the CSI measurements from neighboring frequencies. CSIFill is different from traditional estimation techniques which attempt to recreate the wireless channel and instead rely on already collected CSI data, to predict the CSI on different wireless frequencies. This is especially useful in indoor wireless networks where an Access Point (AP) needs to periodically measure the CSI on other frequency channels to find better data rates. CSIFill can be used to automatically determine when to switches to another channel to obtain better service without any additional probing or overhead. Our initial results with CSIFill have been very encouraging. CSIFill was evaluated using real-world experimental CSI data and was found to accurately estimate CSI data for up to 7.5 MHz channel bandwidth using a shallow neural network.

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CS03.  Twitter Bitcoin Opinion Leader Analysis

Matthew Loucks^*, Aos Mulahuwaish

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Aos Mulahuwaish

Digital cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have exploded in recent years in both popularity and value. By virtue of their novelty, cryptocurrencies tend to be both volatile and highly speculative. The capricious nature of these coins is helped facilitated by social media networks such as Twitter. Not everyone’s opinion matters equally, however, with most posts garnering little to no attention. Additionally, the majority of tweets are simply retweets from popular posts. We must then find out whose opinion matters, and what the difference is between influential users and non-influential users. This study separates these two groups and analyzes the differences between them. It does so using Hypertext-Induced Topic Selection, which segregates the dataset based on influence. Topic modeling is then employed to uncover differences in the types of speech employed by each group, as well as what group may best represent the entire community. We found that there are differences in language as well as interest between these two groups regarding Bitcoin, and that the opinion leaders of Twitter are not aligned with majority users.

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EE01.  Feasibility Study of Thermal Imaging, Sensing and Design for an Electronic System for a Dependable Source

Satrudhan K . Yadav

Faculty Advisor: Dr. M. Ashraf Khan

Dependable heat source can save resource and make safe one. In this work, networks of sensors are proposed that can be utilized for detecting drastic temperature change in order to design controlled and safe heat source. The fire from cooking is a safety factor for a household. Two-thirds (67%) of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials. Because of modern safety measures, the rate of accident has a decreasing trend. However, the number of accidents is still large. Because of the hazard, an effective design of sensing and controlling is warranted. As a feasibility study, experiments are performed to explore the effectivity of proposed network with circuit parameters. In doing so, an array of sensors for the detection of irregular or accidental temperature deviation is proposed to ensure a safe heat source. The study is also being performed to investigate the usefulness for thermistors with a range of lengths for connecting wires. The primary results indicate the potential of using the thermistors with given constraints for use in control circuitry.

EE02.  Electromagnetic Detection of Failure in Electronic Interconnects

M. Ashraf Khan, Gavin Zimmer^*

Faculty Advisor: Dr. M. Ashraf Khan

The electric reliability of interconnects is of great importance as it ensures desired signal transmission between chips or circuits. Detecting faults, cracks and defects by images from Scanning Electron Microscope, SEM, and Focused Ion Beam, FIB, is a traditional method. However, the process can introduce process-induced failure. The process can also be inconvenient to some extent for encapsulated structures. A possible alternative method for fault detection is electromagnetic method. To begin with the method, a simulation model for interconnects can estimate performance parameters such as insertion loss and return loss. A crack, a partial crack or narrowing of the interconnects can manifest variation of the loss parameters. This project intends to find a pattern of changes in the loss estimates for the structural variation. Interconnect model, through COMSOL, similar to Quilt Packaging one has been designed. In the model of transmission lines, various cracks are introduced which includes in the signal lines and ground lines. The other includes the cracks in all lines. The different depths of cracks are introduced such as 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 90% which will finally be used to indicated changes in S-parameters. The model is designed to indicate the changes of S-parameters for the cracks.

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P01.  Diffusion of Microparticles and Nanoparticles in Polymers and Biopolymeric Liquids

Kavindya Senanayake, Aiden Slate

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kavindya Senanayake

The integration of microparticles and nanoparticles in polymer and biopolymeric networks has the potential for many advancements in current technologies. A particular application of note can be seen in the field of nanomedicine. By furthering our understanding of the mechanisms that dictate the behavior of particles, the size of micrometers in diameter and smaller, in polymer and biopolymeric networks, better methods and technologies for medical diagnosis, drug-delivery, and/or cancer theranostics can be developed. Our research explores the translational diffusion properties of these particles. Videos are taken using microscopic imaging where the tracks of a finite number of particles can be analyzed. Analysis of these videos are done through the use of the Fluorescent Image Evaluation Software for Tracking and Analysis (FIESTA) software and other MATLAB code. Our results will then be compared to existing models for particle diffusion (specifically the Stokes-Einstein equation). Our studies hope to identify the parameters that determine how microparticles and nanoparticles diffuse in polymer and biopolymeric liquids to aid in the development of novel and existing technologies for nanomedicine.

ES01.  Assessing a low-cost approach to sediment and phosphorus monitoring in the Saginaw Bay Watershed

Rebecca Bowen, David Karpovich, Cameron Mathews^*

Faculty Advisors: Rebecca Bowen, Dr. David Karpovich

There are considerable data gaps for tributary loading of sediment and nutrients to Saginaw Bay.  High frequency data on several tributaries would help guide management decisions to mitigate sediment and nutrient loading.  There are options for real-time measurements of discharge, and deployed sondes can yield real-time information on some water quality parameters.  However, parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS) and total phosphorus (TP) require extensive laboratory work, and therefore high frequency sampling becomes cost and time prohibitive.  Turbidity can be measured in real-time with deployed turbidimeters, and there are studies that successfully correlate turbidity with TSS and TP.  Generally, these studies have found that correlations are limited by sub-watershed land use, site characteristics, and season.  We have studied turbidity correlations with TSS and TP from over 20 sites from 16 different rivers in the Saginaw Bay Watershed over several seasons.  We have found strong correlations between turbidity and TSS as well as turbidity and TP.  The strongest correlations were found in rural, mostly agricultural sub-watersheds compared to urban sub-watersheds. We will discuss the utility of this approach along with its limitations for real-time monitoring of sediment and phosphorus in Saginaw Bay Watershed tributaries.

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SD-EE01.  Herboseidon

Matt Henderson, Collin Schultz, Daniel Schwarck

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

We are currently living in the day and age of autonomous technology where the goal is to have the product or object be able to perform tasks independently without the need for human assistance to make life easier. Herboseidon: lawn bot, incorporates the idea of autonomous technology into a task that no one exactly enjoys doing, lawn care. Herboseideon will be able to spray the user’s lawn with a choice of either liquid weed killer or liquid fertilizer with the push of a button making lawn care simpler than ever. The developed prototype will help control the spread of unwanted weeds such as dandelions, which can produce up to 200 seeds per flower and up to 10 flowers per plant with a germination period of 10 days. By controlling Herboseidon to drive a desired path by remote, it will save the driven path in its memory for future use and be able to spray an even coat of weed killer across the path on a lawn by itself, saving the user time and keeping their grass healthy and weedless.

SD-EE02.  Smart Bike Kit

Jayden A. Ponichtera, Sagar Prasain, Austin Rice

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

Smart bike kit aims to provide bikers a safe and enjoyable commute with health benefits with lower carbon emission. The kit will generate power using a dynamo without causing resistance to the rider. Riding a bike on the road can be a dangerous endeavor, other motor vehicles may not notice you in time. The kit will include a headlight and taillight for the bike, these are essential components for low visibility rides. An additional charging port will be available to the rider, so they can power low-energy devices. Additionally, the Smart JAS bike kit can show the rider health and route information as a standalone device, not requiring another app to cluster your phone.

SD-EE03.  Automated Fault Injection Testing System (AFITS)

Noah Conley, Jonathon Damzyn, Ryan Milks, Brandon Simon

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

Fault injection (open/short) is an intentional testing process during designing phase of a new product so engineers can estimate system resilience to unexpected circumstances. In this project, Automated Fault Injection Testing System (AFITS) aims to reduce human error and time to perform open/short testing by fully automating the process for Nexteer Automotive systems. The user-friendly graphical interface in AFITS design will enhance data analysis, system reliability, time and cost-efficiency for Nexteer engineers. The design includes printed circuit board (PCB) and solid-state relays to maximize switching speed with the ability for controller area network (CAN) communication for automation. Through CAN communication the AFITS is able to record required variables and auto populate Nexteer documentation. In addition, the AFITS design has the ability to allow for self-testing of opens and shorts to maintain engineering ethics by making the recorded data available for all Nexteer engineers.

SD-EE04.  Robotic Prosthetic Arm

Noah Adamcik, Molly Gibbons, Kevin Shaffer

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

The Robotic Prosthetic Arm project aims to create a 3D printed, functional, low-cost arm that could aid a child with everyday tasks. The design of the arm is modular, so that the components can be easily replaced and can be adapted to a child as they grow. Open-source software for programming and 3D modeling is used to minimize production cost and perform any upgrades in the future with less maintenance cost. An engineering requirement of this design is the ability to open and close the fingers of the hand and articulate the elbow based on the user’s input. The arm features a rechargeable battery pack that allows for all-day use. Safety is prioritized by limiting the motor through tracking the output with sensors. Use of the proper materials also contributes to the strength and safety of the arm. The developed 3-D printed robotic prosthetic arm will be able to assist families who do not have the resources to purchase a medical-grade prosthetic and has significantly impacted the engineering experience and community contribution of this group. This project has given the electrical engineering capstone design team a technical, community-oriented engineering experience.

SD-EE05.  Asian Carp

Waliul Matin, Elliott V. Nazarowff, Tu T. Nguyen, Connor T. Schumann

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

Asian carp are a national invasive species of fish that has devastated the ecosystem and fishing industries along the Mississippi River. They are approaching the Great Lakes and currently threatening our 7-billion-dollar fishing industry. However, these fish are deterred by a number of stimuli. Bubble curtains and specific sounds are used as deterrent barriers to the rivers feeding from the Mississippi into the Great Lakes. However, the deterrent barriers cannot remove the fish once they cross them. A potential solution to this problem is to have a system of autonomous drones monitor the waters for Asian carp and guide them using deterrent methods to designated removal zones. This project provides a proof of concept for a critical portion of this idea. To evaluate an autonomously operating network of drones deploying sound deterrent methods. The drone employs GPS for autonomous navigation, a speaker and amplifier for the sound deterrence and uses Wi-Fi to create an information bridge between robots. The operation of this critical portion of the project will be evaluated to ensure the drones can operate autonomously holding formation, have enough capacity to operate for at least 4-hours, and produce sound levels of the above the deterrence threshold. This system can be scaled up and deployed in the field in Asian carp removal operations to guide the carp to designated removal zones. The impacts of deploying drones to a specific area will help stop the invasive species from expanding into new environments. It would be a critical step in a system that would help keep the Great Lakes Asian carp free.

SD-EE06.  Mobile Charging Hub

Zachary Jolin, Satrudhan Yadav

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

Solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy source today not to mention the cleanest, so why don’t we see solar panels installed everywhere? This is because most solar panels on the market today are only about 15% efficient. This proposal aims to develop a cost effective dual-axis solar tracker to achieve the highest efficiency possible. Because the sun is on a constant cycle of rising and setting, it’s impossible for any stationary solar panel to enjoy the benefits of direct sunlight for more than a few hours. This Mobile Charging Hub (or dual-axis solar tracker) provides the consumer with more energy for roughly the same amount of space as a fixed solar panel. This is because more energy is carried in a direct beam of sunlight rather than an indirect beam. We experience this every day, on sunny days, the afternoon tends to be hotter than the morning or evening because sunlight is hitting the earth more directly. By implementing a dual-axis solar tracker the overall efficiency can be increased by as much as 10 – 25% depending on the geographical location of the system.

SD-ME01.  Dupont HIMS Height Adjustable Stand for Static Eliminator

Ross Brown, Vitor Butzke, Aastha Dhungana, Jenna Jacoby,  Tony Tran

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

The project is to redesign a stand for a static eliminator. The static eliminator it is a key instrument used to cool the client's tubing once extruded. The current stands do not have any adjustability. The ability to adjust the stand will allow air to be blown directly into tubing barrels of different heights. The tubing can then be handled and packaged sooner, eliminating wasted time in the process.

SD-ME02.  Fullerton Tool Cutting Tool Through Hole Clearing

Anthony Allen, Riley Feeney, Ajay Sah, Michelle Van Hautte, Margaret Wood

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Thomas Mahank

Our client is Fullerton Tool Company.  This company designs and produces solid carbide cutting tools for many different industries. These cutting tools include end mills, drills, reamers, burrs, saws, keyseat cutters, and other custom tooling. Some of these cutting tools are designed to have coolant through holes, which tend to get blockages from their finishing medium or from regrinds. The goal of this project is to remove coolant through hole blockages and to redesign the current process. The redesign of this system must not damage the cutting tools, pass a visual inspection, remove medium blockage from 80% of the cutting tools, reduce the cycle time to 2 minutes per tool, must be able to clear cutting tools with shank diameter ranging from 0.236 in to 1 in, be free standing, have a footprint of less than or equal to 24 in by 24 in, fit within the current plant process flow (including the current steam and wire process), stay within the $5,000 budget, and must meet current OSHA and MIOSHA guidelines. The other 20% of cutting tools will require manual blockage removal due to the variety of coolant through holes encountered at Fullerton Tool.

SD-ME03.  Huhtamaki Plastics Sheet Granulator Auto Feed System

Jeffrey Gardner, Joshua Haubenstricker, Andrew Kemp, Isaak Portice, James Rye

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

Huhtamaki is a global manufacturer of plastic and paper products. The Coleman, MI facility uses thermoforming processes to manufacture single-use plastic lids, cups, bowls, and plates for a variety of restaurants and grocery stores. During startup and process adjustments, the sheet is rolled by hand until the sheet meets the requirements for the product being formed. The spools of sheet obtained during this process create reusable scrap which can be reclaimed in the thermoforming process. The scrap product will be put into a machine called a granulator, which reduces the plastic scrap to pellets which will be reused in the process. Currently, operators feed the scrap material into a chute by hand at granulator operating speed, which poses safety concerns. The current process also allows whole rolls of sheet to be fed into the granulator at once, which causes overloading of the granulator and excessive wear to the machine. The auto-feed system is designed to reduce safety related occurrences and unnecessary downtime by feeding scrap sheets into the granulator at a controlled rate. Commercially available systems exist on the marketplace, but with significant cost. This project is a redesign of commercially available products for cost savings and improved functionality.

SD-ME04.  Kremin Stone Cutting CNC Toolholder Cleaning Tool

Dustin Denham, Tori Romanik, Paul Thompson

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

Stone cutting firms experience excessive wear on tool holders due to debris. A product is being developed to remove the debris and extend the service life of the tool holders.

SD-ME05.  Nexteer Plant 6 D.37 Rotor Packaging Optimization

Daniel Anderson, Michael Krueger, Joseph McKnight, Kyle Tuttle

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

An overview of the optimization of Nexteer Plant 6 Rotor Packaging process. The current process that Nexteer has in place is slow and not very intuitive. Currently, rotors either come out of the automation cells in trays, or they are made through the manual cell and are single file fed into the inspection station that will load them one at a time onto a rod. This project seeks to automate the process of putting the rotors onto rods and have this done at the automated cells.  Impacts were determined based on how completing the task would impact the company and the community. These impacts were ethical, social, economic, and environmental. Three initial designs were chosen; a flipping tray, a vibration table, and a cobot. Using concept evaluation techniques and guidance from engineers, the flipping tray design was considered to be the best of the 3 designs. Calculations were done to determine the safety factor of the different components of the flipping tray design. Putting all of these things together, the team was able to create a complete flipping tray design.

SD-ME06.  Hemlock Semiconductor Classifying Deck Conveyor

Chad Birchmeier, Cailea Chappel, Nicholas Eickhoff, Jacob Keller

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Annamalai Pandian

Ultra-pure polysilicon is in extremely high demand for the solar power and electrical industries. Hemlock Semiconductor is a world-class polysilicon producer, and supplying the customer with ultra-pure material is top priority for HSC. For this project, the goal is to provide an efficiency improvement to Hemlock Semiconductor’s classification process. This improvement aims to reduce the amount of oversize material in the final product. An oversize piece of material is classified as anything over 45mm as measured by the long axis. Currently, the process runs at 95% efficiency by material weight and 99.5% by piece. The goal of this project is to improve that efficiency to 97.5% and 99.75%, respectively. The plan to reduce the amount of oversize material is based on the orientation efficiency of the classifier. Currently, the process allows a cross sectional area of 0.157 squared inches into the groove for proper orientation. By increasing the cross-sectional area of the groove by 90% to 0.294 squared inches, more material will be able to fit, thus increasing the orientation capability of the classifier while still maintaining the existing groove width of 0.866 inches.

SD-ME07.  TEAMTECH Motorsports Safety Race Suit Integrated Helmet Harness

Sachin Bhatta, Kyle Fetting, Jacob Topham, Matthew Vancoppenolle

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

TEAMTECH is a business that makes motorsports safety equipment, founded by Curt Tucker. Curt had previously designed a head and neck restraint system, but due to changes in SFI guidelines the design was no longer compliant. The group was tasked with designing a new head and neck restraint system that complies with SFI specifications and challenges the market with a more cost efficient option.

SD-ME08.  TEAMTECH User-Friendly Wheelchair Docking System

Nicole-Sierra Jackson, Kiley Mowry, Crystal Schultz,  Keegan Wrege

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brooks Byam

TEAMTECH, Inc. is a motorsports safety company based in Saginaw, Michigan. The company has also branched out into designing wheelchair docking systems and safety components to better the community. The User-Friendly Wheelchair Docking System is a redesign of an existing TEMATECH, Inc. system to meet measurable objectives in the following categories: function, size, cost, features, safety, and performance. This redesign is needed to allow wheelchair occupants the freedom and independence to dock themselves in a motor vehicle without a caregiver’s assistance. The previous docking system required the wheelchair occupant to exert about ten pounds of force. This limits the docking system to those who are capable of the stated amount of force. To encompass more wheelchair occupants, the redesign will allow the wheelchair occupant to simply push a button on a remote control. The system has economic, social, environmental, and ethical impacts.

Biology

Presentations are 30 minutes each in Pioneer 242.

Electrical Engineering Senior Design I

Presentations are 15 minutes each in Pioneer 240.

Electrical Engineering Senior Design II

Presentations are 30 minutes each in Pioneer 240.

Mechanical Engineering Senior Design I

Presentations are 30 minutes each in Pioneer 245.

Mechanical Engineering Senior Design II

Presentations are 30 minutes each in Pioneer 247.