Molecular Parasitology
Paul Ulrich, Georgia State University
Of the approximately 1000 different proteins that populate eukaryotic mitochondria, ~50% have no known function. Molecular Parasitology is a course-based intensively engages undergraduates by investigating roles of uncharacterized, mitochondrial proteins in trypanosomatid parasites. Students utilize basic bioinformatics (subcellular localization, conserved domain prediction, BLAST, secondary structure) to predict protein function followed by construction and transfection of GFP-fusion constructs into cell lines to validate their predictions. The CURE is designed to encourage independent problem-solving, science identity, and support career success.

A Microbial-Traits CURE for terrestrial ecosystems (mT-CURE)
Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz, Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus
Microbial traits are defined as phenotypic properties whose expression determines the tempo and mode of microbial activity. Growth rate, pH range, Q10, substrate affinity and nutrient-use efficiency, are traits whose variation across microbes can lead to differential contribution to ecosystem processes. The combination and distribution of traits among organisms can generate functional guilds in soils; hence a quantitative understanding of trait presence, trait magnitude and trait spectrum of variation can be a powerful component for function-based modeling of the contribution of different microbes to ecosystem level processes like carbon degradation or generation of methane gas in soils. In this "Microbial-Traits CURE for terrestrial ecosystems (mT-CURE)" students will participate for two semesters, develop hypothesis on the variability of traits and its organismal and/or environmental sources. During first semester evaluations of traits will be completed and hypothesis addressed using previous ecosystem-specific microbial culture collections derived from previous CUREs. In second semester, an effort to predict traits from microbes directly from genomic information will be evaluated against trait values collected on the first semester. The goal is to use available and accessible bioinformatic approaches to test their predictive capacity for validation and possible future expansion into metagenomic-assembled genomes.

Neurobiology of Alcohol CURE
Elizabeth Crofton, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Excessive alcohol use is highly prevalent in college students. Alcohol causes a multitude of alterations in the brain that can eventually lead to alcohol use disorder, but this shift is not fully understood. Evidence suggests that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to developing substance use disorders. Therefore, research into the neurobiology of alcohol has broad interest inside and outside the college classroom. The goal of this research project is to investigate the effects of chronic alcohol on gene and protein expression in specific regions of the rat brain. Students will critically evaluate existing alcohol research and design a well-controlled study to investigate a feasible and testable question. Students will use rodent brain histology, quantitative PCR analysis, or western blotting to investigate their hypothesis. This work will provide a better understanding of the effects of alcohol and provide students laboratory and research skills.

Inhibitors for Malate Dehydrogenase
Dawn Marin, Gaston College
The goal of this CURE is to design, synthesize and test inhibitors of Malate Dehydrogenase. Students will study the structure of the enzyme and propose possible inhibitors that could form intermolecular bonds with the enzyme. Students will choose potential inhibitor molecules that can be purchased or easily synthesized and purified. The binding of inhibitors will be screened using computational docking calculations. Successful Inhibitors will be tested using enzymatic assays.

Stress and Social Behavior in Cichlid Fish
Edmund Rodgers, Georgia State University
Social bonds are critical to the success of all social animals. However, these relationships are not static: they change over the course of an animal's life experience due to a variety of factors. This CURE is primarily interested in the interconnection between stressful experiences and social bonds. To explore this relationship the lab uses the highly social convict cichlid fish, which exhibit a variety of different types of social bonds: they are monogamous, bi-parental, as well as forming social shoals when not breeding. Students will perform animal husbandry, design experiments, and perform those experimental protocols in small groups. They will then present their findings at a University Research Conference. Over the duration of the course, students receive training in animal care, behavioral quantification, hormone sampling and EIA assay performance, data analysis, literature critique, scientific writing, and oral presentation.

Assessing antibiotic resistance in E. coli isolates from environmental samples in urban Atlanta
Mauricio Lascano, American Intercontinental University

Generic Arthropod Behavioral Syndromes CURE
Donna McDermott, Emory University
Behavioral syndromes research can be done with many students and few expensive materials. This field is fairly recent, so much of this research begins with descriptive observational studies where researchers identify behavioral types in a study system of interest. An animal exhibits a behavioral type if their behavior is consistent through time and ecological context, but differs from other individuals of their species. For example, a spider might consistently behave aggressively while hunting, finding mates, and avoiding predators as opposed to another conspecific spider which behaves with relative docility in all of those contexts. In this example, the behavioral types present in the population are aggressive and docile. In this CURE, students perform an observational study followed by an experiment. In the observational study, students will devise an assay used to investigate whether or not their study species displays multiple "types" of one behavior (e.g. boldness, aggression, exploration, sociability, activity level.) In the experiment, students investigate the role of developmental factors on those behavioral types OR the fitness outcomes of those behavioral types in different ecological contexts.

Invertebrate Biology
Michael Sitvarin, Georgia State University
In this course, students will collaborate with Dr. Michael Sitvarin to understand the behavioral decisions made by various arthropods, with an emphasis on spiders. Questions that could be explored include, "How do individuals choose their mates?", "How do predators find prey to consume?", and "How do prey avoid being eaten by their predators?". Students will gain experience working with arthropods as well as practice with experimental design, data collection and analysis, and scientific communication. This CURE will allow students to carry out the entire scientific process and will prepare them for future careers in STEM fields.

Drosophila as a Model Organism for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Rick Topinka, American River College
There is concern that chemical exposure may contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) such as autism. Drosophila (fruit fly) is a model system for NDDs and flies with mutations in genes homologous to known human autism-risk genes exhibit behavioral abnormalities. As part of the course-based undergraduate research experience in this biology class we will be exposing developing flies to environmental toxins and measuring one aspect of their behavior, either mating behavior or grooming behavior. In addition, we will be investigating whether neural development is impaired in these flies using dissection and fluorescent labeling of particular brain structures.

La Fermentación: Teaching Cell Biology with Kombucha
Bobbi Johnson, Wenatchee Valley College; Karina Vega-Villa, Wenatchee Valley College
Kombucha is made by introducing a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) into brewed tea. Health benefits of consuming kombucha are often described, but there is limited research supporting most claims. Additionally, there is conflicting information regarding some specific claims. For example, some websites advocate that frequent consumption of kombucha could reduce symptoms of Candida (a pathogenic yeast) while others claim that kombucha may actually contain Candida yeast or otherwise contribute to the growth of yeast in the body due to the sugar and yeast present in the beverage. The purpose of this CURE is to guide students through core concepts related to introductory cell and molecular biology through the lens of kombucha. Students investigate two hypotheses during the CURE: (1) a student-developed hypothesis related to yeast, bacteria, or kombucha and (2) testing if Candida can be identified in samples of kombucha. As part of the CURE, students learn the core concepts of an introductory cell and molecular biology course, develop basic transferable laboratory skills, and build their science-identity through supported application of the scientific process.