Faculty Research Interests

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Adolfina Koroch
Project: Investigating the potential antioxidant capacity of natural extracts

Many abiotic stresses lead to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are toxic and cause damage to cellular molecules which ultimately results in oxidative stress. Plants accumulate high concentrations of chemicals that are not used for growth and development but they provide a wide range of ecological advantages. Some of these compounds are phenolics and essential oils and can protect the plant against oxidative stress damages.  REU students will conduct ethnobotanical uses of the plant, using literature search, and then determine the chemical composition (total phenolics and total flavonoids) and antioxidant capacity of natural extracts. Students will correlate the antioxidant capacity, chemical composition (such as total phenolics, flavonoids or oils) and ethnobotanical use. Students will test the hypothesis that antioxidant capacity is due to the chemical composition and will understand its ethnobotanical use.

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Alexander Gosslau
Project: Effects of natural extracts on the stress response

The stress response exerted by stress proteins is a vital and prompt defense mechanisms in a variety of different organisms. Stress proteins were initially termed heat shock proteins (Hsps) after the first observation of an upregulation by heat. Meanwhile it is well established that Hsps are induced in response to a wide range of biological and physicochemical stressors, including heat shock and oxidative stress. Prominent stress proteins are represented by Hsp70 which protect the cell by binding to malfolded proteins resulting from exposure to stress, thus preventing their aggregation and either helping these proteins to refold to their active state or targeting them to lysosomes for protein degradation. Plants contain different secondary metabolites demonstrated to reduce the damaging effects of environmental stress. Students will analyze the impact of plant extracts on mammalian cells exposed to heat shock, and oxidative and chemical stress. By the use of TaqMan qPCR students will quantify the expression levels of Hsp70 as measure of plant extracts to reduce environmental stress. By integrating the knowledge of the chemical composition students will hypothesize the mechanisms leading to a decrease of cellular stress.

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Christine Priano
Project: Effect of natural extracts on microbial life in fresh water and marine ecosystems

Microbial organisms in fresh water and marine environments are crucial for sustaining life in these aquatic ecosystems. The physical environment is usually associated with shifts in organism abundance, activity, and diversity. Intertidal ecosystems are especially subject to frequent changes in abiotic conditions such as temperature and salinity. In a changing global environment, it is of interest to investigate disruptions at the base of ecosystems in intertidal regions where microorganisms are exposed to constant fluctuations in salinity. It is hypothesized that such fluctuations cause stresses that lead to cell damage in microbes, thereby affecting the balance of life in these ecosystems. Because natural extracts have the potential to relieve cell damage, REU students will screen microbial life in fresh water and marine environments, determine the physical conditions, analyze these microbes under stresses of salinity variation, and study the effect of natural extracts on these microbes exposed to these stresses. Students will employ standard microbiology techniques and metabolic assays for characterization and identification of bacterial strains, DNA extraction, plasmid isolation, DNA sequencing, and protein analysis.

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To be announced
Project: Effect of natural extracts on nuclear membrane integrity

The integrity of the nuclear membrane is of particular importance for proper gene replication and transcription. The Msp58 and EDD protein complex play crucial roles in the mammalian cell cycle affecting the lamin A/C gene responsible for protecting the nuclear envelope. Recent reports indicate that green tea extracts induce an up-regulation of the lamin A/C gene, which also results in lower cell motility. REU students will study the protective effects of plant extracts against  damage induced by oxidative stress by the application of hydrogen peroxide. First, students will analyze the impact of oxidative stress on the growth of a fibroblast cell line. Thereafter, students will evaluate the expression levels and localization of Msp58 and lamin A/C by the use of Western blot analysis to determine the potential beneficial effects of plant extracts on nuclear integrity.

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Jane Johnston
Project: Effects of natural extracts on viability, growth and differentiation of neuronal cells

Dr. Johnston is interested in studying  specific cellular  proteins associated with viability and growth of cells. She developed enriched neuronal cell cultures and double immunocytochemical staining techniques using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and rhodamine-labeled antibodies directed towards specific marker proteins (e.g. presenilin and heat shock protein 70). REU students will study the effects of plant extracts on viability, growth and differentiation of neuronal cells. For validation, students will use standard neuronal  cell cultures and immunocytochemisty as well as DNA and protein (Western) blot analysis. Students will test the hypothesis that the chemical composition derived from plant extracts will modulate the expression of HSP 70 gene contributing to increased neuronal viability.

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Abel Navarro
Project: Use of plant polymers on nutrients and heavy metal

Dr. Navarro is interested in the development of natural biopolymers (e.g., tea leaves and fruit peels) from plant bio-residues with high affinities towards heavy metals and nutrients (phosphate and nitrates). Heavy metals in water are a prevalent concern in mining industries and algal blooms (eutrophication) are a problem in aquatic environments due to high concentrations of plant nutrients. Plants can absorb heavy metals, organic materials or other pollutants due to the biological and chemical diversity of their composition. REU students will examine the capability of plant by-products in the raw and modified states to remove phosphate and nitrate ions as well as heavy metals from waters from Central Park (NYC) and evaluate their release under different experimental conditions. Students will relate these results to the chemical composition of the plant product.

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Jun Liang

Project: Effect of natural extracts on modulation of stress response and life span in Caenorhabditis elegans

Since Harman proposed the free radical theory of aging in 1965, it became well established that oxidative stress contributes to an accumulation of cell damage thus leading to aging. The worm Caenorhabditis elegans is a well-recognized model for the REU students to study the molecular mechanisms of stress response and aging. Their project will focus on functions of TGFß signaling and how specific genes affect the development, stress response, and the aging process. Students will use different genotype models of C.  elegans to evaluate potential effects of natural products against aging induced by oxidative stress. Students will assess longevity extension by monitoring numbers of live and dead animals every day. Students will learn how to cultivate the worms, design experiments and how to interpret the results of the effects of natural extracts on C. elegans affecting different genes in aging.

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Lalitha Jayant
Project: Effect of natural extracts on viability of sea urchin eggs

Harvested sea urchin eggs disintegrate within 24 hours and become heavily infested with a specific species of protists. Preliminary results have shown that the eggs of sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus disintegrate within 24 hours in regular seawater also under laboratory conditions. Current focus of this project is to optimize conditions to prolong the shelf life of sea urchin eggs. Students will test the hypothesis that eggs are disintegrating either due to oxidative stress or due to the presence of protists. In this project, REU students will artificially spawn sea urchins to obtain eggs. Eggs will be exposed to different natural plant extracts that exhibit anti-oxidative and anti-microbial properties. Effect of these extracts on the viability of sea urchin eggs will be studied by counting eggs at various intervals for at least a week. Students will also examine how these extracts affect the survival and proliferation of protists.

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Nipa Deora
Project: Elucidation of chemical structure and function of natural product compounds.

Dr. Deora’s area of research is in the field of computational organic chemistry where she applies quantum chemical methods to answer questions in organic chemistry. REU students will analyze and study the structure and functions of chemical compounds of plants based on electronic structure and charge distributions. A variety of quantum chemical methods such as the popular B3LYP and electron correlation methods like MP2 will be used in these studies using a variety of basis sets such as Pople basis sets (6-31G* and 6-31+G*) and Dunning basis sets (cc-pVDZ) using Spartan and Gaussian software packages. Quantum chemical analysis will be performed to locate and study the low energy conformations of active compounds followed by the analysis the chemical interactions between natural compounds and host molecules. These computational methods will be used to study different chemical interactions by analyzing the distance and charge distributions on the different atoms. Students will test the hypothesis that certain chemical groups (such as OH), long chain or a ring structure present will change the conformation of the molecules and make a significant impact on bioactivity of the molecule. Students will then relate these results to its traditional uses.

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