50th

Annual MACUB Conference METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION

of COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY BIOLOGISTS

MosquitosQas vectors

zika k malaria

Keynote  speakers:    

Vincent  Racaniello,  Ph.D.  Higgins  Professor,  Department  of  Microbiology  and  Immunology  

Columbia  University  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons    

Ana  Rodriguez,  Ph.D.  Associate  Professor,  Department  of  Microbiology  

Co-­‐Director,  Anopheles  Insectary  New  York  University  Medical  Center  

a Saturday,  October  28,  2017  New  Jersey  City  University  

Jersey  City,  NJ      

The Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists

thank the following Affiliate Members for their support:

Academx Publishing Services

AD Instruments

BIOPAC Systems, Inc.

Blue Door

EM Control

E.O.S.

John Wiley and Sons. Inc.

Micro-Optics Precision Instruments

Pearson

St. John’s University

Please make every effort to support these affiliate members. Their participation help us to keep the registration fees at a

reasonable price.

New Jersey City University welcomes the members and guests of the Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists to MACUB’s 50th Annual Conference. NJCU’s Biology Department is proud to serve as the host of MACUB’s Golden Anniversary Conference. Please join me in congratulating the present and past leaders and members of MACUB in sustaining a vibrant organization dedicated to collegiate education and research in the biological sciences. NJCU’s mission is to provide a diverse student population with an excellent education. NJCU is committed to the improvement of the educational, intellectual, cultural, socioeconomic, and physical environment of the surrounding urban region and beyond. Established in 1927 as a training school for teachers, NJCU is among the most comprehensive universities in the state of New Jersey. NJCU's fully accredited Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, and Professional Studies, and School of Business offer 43 undergraduate programs, 28 master’s programs, and 3 professional doctoral programs. NJCU operates three campus sites—the main campus in Jersey City, the School of Business in Jersey City’s financial district, and NJCU at Brookdale in Wall Township.

NJCU is a vibrant place to live and learn, with students and faculty from around the world; a welcoming campus; a wide variety of student organizations, including Biology and Chemistry Clubs and the Nu Pi chapter of the Beta Beta Beta Biological National Honor Society; and learner support services that address individual student needs. NJCU students engage in rigorous applied-learning experiences that include research internships, international study, and cooperative education placements. 38 Biology majors participated in mentored research internships and courses in 2016, several of whom were recognized for excellence at regional undergraduate research conferences.

NJCU’s Biology Department is one of NJCU’s largest departments, with nearly 600 declared and intended majors. It recently became the first NJCU department to receive 1000 applicants in a single year. The Department offers a range of programs that lead to baccalaureate degrees in Biology, Medical Imaging Science, and Medical Lab Science, as well as dual-degree programs in Biology with Biomedical Engineering, Dentistry, Podiatry, or Biomedical Sciences. Through these programs, NJCU’s Biology Department propels students to careers in health care, government, research, education and more.

The Biology Department’s scholarly and supportive culture creates the optimal environment for scientific learning and exploration. The faculty is student-focused and committed to offering outstanding learning experiences along with individualized attention. Faculty members are very successful in grant-seeking to support a variety of student-support initiatives, including mentored research, Supplemental Instruction, personal and professional development activities, curricular innovation, and infrastructure development. The faculty provide personal mentoring and advisement to guide students in selecting coursework and career plans that fit their interests and life goals.

NJCU is completing an $42 million expansion and wholesale renovation of its Science Building that will be finished in 2018. The new facility will house the Biology, Chemistry, Geoscience and Physics Departments, and will include imaging, spectroscopy, GIS and other core facilities, as well as up-to-date classrooms, teaching and research labs, educational technology, and numerous spaces for student interaction.

Once again, and on behalf of New Jersey City University’s Biology Department, I welcome you to NJCU for our annual get-together with our MACUB friends. We have a stimulating program of events and renowned speakers will share their work on vector-borne diseases with us. I hope that you enjoy our hospitality and the Gilligan Student Union Building. Have a great conference and a great day!

John Grew Professor and Chairman of Biology and Host New Jersey City University

CONFERENCE

7:30–8:00 AM Vendor set up—Gilligan Student Union Building (GSUB) Lobby

8:00–9:00 AM Registration, Continental Breakfast, Exhibitor Display, and Poster set up—GSUB Lobby

• Breakfast sponsored by the Office of the Provost, Daniel Julius, Provost

9:00–9:15 AM Welcome—Margaret Williams Theater

Kathleen Nolan, President, MACUB

John Grew, Conference Chair, New Jersey City University

Daniel Julius, Provost, New Jersey City University

9:15–10:30 AM Speaker Introduction: Kathleen Nolan

Keynote Address:

Vincent Racaniello, Ph.D.

“Zika  Virus,  a  New  Global  Pathogen”  10:45 AM–12:45 PM Concurrent Workshops, Exhibitor Displays, Poster Presentations—GSUB Lobby

11:30 AM–1:00 PM Member presentations—GSUB 129, 216, 217, 218

PROGRAM 12:45–1:30 PM Luncheon and Business Meeting—GSUB Multipurpose Room

Special 50th Anniversary Address by Pamela Carlton

CDROM Slide Show by Archivist Kumkum Prabakar

1:30–2:30 PM Speaker Introduction: Kathleen Nolan

Second Keynote Address

Ana Rodriguez, Ph.D.

“Malaria,  Mosquitoes  and  Hope  of  Eradication” 2:30–3:00 PM Poster Awards, Dessert and Ice Cream Social

• Ice Cream sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the Arts and Sciences, Joao Sedycias, Dean

• 50th Anniversary Cake from Lloyd’s Carrot Cake, Bronx, NY delivered by Richard Conley

MACUB Thanks the Following:

• Program Chairs: Reed Carroll (posters) and Allison Fitzgerald (presentations)

• Event Chairs: Meriem Bendaoud (personnel) and Laura Pannaman (facilities)

• Poster Judging: Ethan Prosen • NJCU Biology Faculty: Cindy Arrigo, Natalia Coleman, Laine Giovanetto,

Vanashri Nargund-Joshi • NJCU Student Ambassadors • Noemi Rivera—E-mails.

And Many Thanks to All Our Judges! We couldn’t do it without you!!

   

 

There  is  a  growing  demand  for  publishing  custom  textbooks,  laboratory  manuals  and  lecture  manuals  in  most  science  courses  today.  Academx  Publishing  Services  provides  the  services,  resources,  and  content  you  need  in  one  place  for  departments  and  faculty  to  professionally  publish  material  tailored  for  their  courses.  

As  the  demand  continues  to  grow,  so  does  our  commitment  to  produce  the  highest  quality  and  most  cost-­‐effective  educational  materials  for  your  students  with  customized  content,  low  quantities,  professional  design  and  printing,  and  the  option  to  make  changes  each  semester  as  your  course  needs  change.  

� No  annual  contract   ���

� Produce  as  few  as  25  copies   ���

� Revise  each  semester   ���

� Publish  only  the  content  and  labs  you  teach  in  the  order  they  are  assigned   ���

� Include  your  original  content  and/or  choose  from  our  selection  of  database  content   ���

� Free  desk  copies  for  faculty  and  TA’s   ���

� Secure  permission  to  use  copyrighted  material   ���

� Create  a  custom  cover  using  our  Exploring  Science  cover  program   ���

� Unique  ISBN  assignment   ���

� Complete  publishing  process  -­‐  editing,  design,  printing,  and  distribution   ���

� Royalty  for  you  or  your  department   ���

� Deliver  on  time  and  at  a  savings  to  students   ���

� STEPS  for  creating  your  book  or  manual  –  guidelines  and  checklist  to  simplify  the  publishing  process  ���and  prepare  your  manuscript  for  press  FOR  MORE  INFORMATION,  visit  our  website  at  www.academx.com  or  call  866-­‐877-­‐2665   ���

 

 

MACUB Workshops Location - GSUB 216

10:45-11:45 Teaching Physiology: Introduction to Fundamentals and Data Collection Kevin Wasco, MS

BIOPAC Systems, Inc.

12:00-1:00 A Workshop on Interdisciplinary Communication Using the Genetic Algorithm Natalie Hammerman Anthony Tolvo Department of Mathematics Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Computer Studies and Environmental Science

Molloy College

Member Presentations Session Gilligan Student Union Rm 129

Moderator: Victoria Ruiz

11:30-11:50 Analysis of the genome of Mycobacterium phage CharlieB Stephanie Lochan and Urszula Golebiewska

Queensborough Community College 11:50-12:10 Cytotoxicity testing of comestible plant metabolites on human colon cells

grown in monolayer culture Steven M. Lipson St. Francis College

12:10-12:30 Statistical Analysis of Specimens of Duchesneodus uintensis (Mammalia,

Perissodactyla, Brontotheriidae) from the Duchesneodus Quarry, West of Vernal, Utah Bryn J. Mader Queensborough Community College

12:30-12:50 Effect of microbial restoration after early-life antibiotic treatment on

intestinal microbial communities and on host gene expression and function Victoria E. Ruiz1,2, Thomas Battaglia2, Ceren Ozkul2, Martin J. Blaser2 1Department of Biology and Health Promotion, St. Francis College, 2Division of Translational Medicine, NYULMC

Member Presentations Session Giligan Student Union Rm 217

Moderator: Catarina Mata

11:30-11:50 Implementation of a semester-long research project in an introductory Biology laboratory course to promote students’ basic skills in scientific inquiry and civic engagement

Maria Entezari and A. Lucia Fuentes LaGuardia Community College 11:50-12:10 Research in class, from wish list to reality

Catarina Mata Borough of Manhattan Community College

12:10-12:30 Incorporating Undergraduate Research Experiences In The Biology Classroom

Mangala Tawde Queensborough Community College

Member Presentations Session Gilligan Student Union Rm 218

Moderator: Alison Dell

11:30-11:50 A How-to Guide on Developing Open Educational Resources: Our Experiences Creating a Microbiology Laboratory Manual Joan Petersen & Susan McLaughlin Queensborough Community College

11:50-12:10 Leveraging Civic Engagement in Upper Level Courses

Davida Smyth Mercy College

12:10-12:30 Academic boot-camps for undergraduate science courses

Irina Ellison1 , Alison Dell2 1 Mercy College, 2 St. Francis College

12:30-12:50 Using a mtDNA laboratory module to explore the social and biological aspects of

ancestry and race in the classroom Sara Danzi Engoron1, Larisa Honey1, Ngaire Honey2 1Queensborough Community College, 2 Vanderbilt University

   

D e p a r t m e n t o f B i o l o g y a n d H e a l t h S c i e n c e s

Kathleen A. Nolan, Ph.D. Professor and Chair of Biology and Health Sciences Dept. St. Francis College President of MACUB 718-489-5439 knolan@sfc.edu October 28, 2017

Dear MACUB Members, Faculty, Students, and Esteemed Guests, We welcome you as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of MACUB! It promises to be a wonderful conference today that will be filled with excitement. We will learn much from our speakers, member presentations, poster presentations, and vendors. Please take advantage of what we have to offer and drink in as much as you can! Twenty-two years ago I attended my first MACUB conference at Iona College. We were a small, intimate group of 20. Today, as you look around you, we have grown, and are thus able to offer you more choice in terms of speakers, vendors, and presenters, some even concurrently. The poster session as has grown from 12 to over 100 presenters. Our vendor number has grown. We are very grateful to the people who have worked so tirelessly for this organization---Gary Sarinsky, who is now the past president, and who was the president recently for over twenty years, Gerry Spory, our past treasurer, Pam Carlton, an esteemed member who will give the lunch presentation about our history, Paul Russo, who has worked the desk for every registration for the past 22 years and beyond, Ed Catapane, who is the editor of In Vivo, and countless others, including our board, which is listed elsewhere in this program. Many of you, such as John Grew, our current host, have stepped up the plate to plan and organize conferences. We are very thankful to them. And, we could not do this without YOU the members and attendees., judges, and presenters. Please keep on practicing biology, teaching biology, conducting research, and imparting wisdom to your students. Students, please go on to do great things in biology! Please keep in touch with us if you would like to volunteer for this organization. We would love to hear your ideas! Enjoy the conference!!!

 Sincerely  yours,  

 Kathleen  A.  Nolan,  Ph.D.  

   

Vincent  Racaniello,  Ph.D.  Higgins  Professor,  Department  of  Microbiology  and  Immunology  Columbia  University  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  

     Dr.  Racaniello  studies  the  infection  of  humans  with  viruses  ranging  

from  Zika  to  the  common  cold.    Dr.  Racaniello  completed  both  his  undergraduate  and  his  Ph.D.  studies  at  Cornell  University  where  he  studied  genetic  reassortment  of  influenza  virus.  As  a  post-­‐doctoral  fellow  in  David  Baltimore's  laboratory  at  MIT  (1979–1982),  Racaniello  used  recombinant  DNA  technology  to  clone  and  sequence  the  genome  of  the  small  RNA  animal  virus  poliovirus.  He  produced  the  first  infectious  clone  of  an  animal  RNA  virus,  which  helped  to  greatly  advance  the  field  of  modern  virology.      With  the  global  decline  of  poliovirus,  Racaniello's  lab  has  taken  a  particular  interest  in  Zika  virus.    Racaniello's  virology  blog  and  podcasts  This  Week  in  Virology,  help  scientists  and  non-­‐scientists  alike  learn  more  about  viruses.    He  is  a  co-­‐author  of    Principles  of  Virology,  a  textbook  used  by  many  students.   Ana  Rodriguez,  Ph.D.      Associate  Professor,  Department  of  Microbiology    Co-­‐Director,  Anopheles  Insectary  New  York  University  Medical  Center    

   Dr.  Rodriguez’s  lab  studies  two  different  parasites,  Plasmodium,  which  causes  Malaria  and  Trypanosoma  cruzi,  which  causes  Chagas  disease.  Malaria  is  a  devastating  disease  that  causes  about  400,000  deaths  per  year,  mainly  among  children  in  Africa.  There  is  an  urgent  need  for  new  strategies  to  control  malaria,  but  there  is  a  lack  of  detailed  knowledge  of  the  basic  biological  processes  of  Plasmodium,  that  would  allow  faster  development  of  anti-­‐malaria  drugs  and  vaccines.  A  main  interest  of  her  laboratory  is  the  study  of  malaria-­‐induced  inflammatory  pathology  and  its  implications  in  the  pathology  of  disease,  including  cerebral  malaria  and  severe  anemia.  The  laboratory  is  attempting  to  develop  effective  drugs  against  Chagas  Disease.  In  collaboration  with  GSK,  her  lab  team  has  performed  high  through-­‐put  screenings  of  intracellular  Trypanosoma  cruzi,  to  find  compounds  with  anti-­‐trypanosomal  activities.  Selected  compounds  are  now  being  tested  for  efficacy  in  mice.      

Vincent Racaniello today (left) and as a Ph.D. student in the laboratory of Peter Palese, Mt. Sinai, NY (right)

MACUB  POSTERS-­‐-­‐-­‐2017         Biochemistry,  Biophysics,  Biotechnology  1. Screening and identification of inhibitors for activated Cdc42-associated kinase (ACK) to reverse v-Ras-induced cancerous phenotype of mammalian cells; Jaleel Shepherd, Ijaz Ahmed, Raj Rajnarayanan and Alam Nur-E-Kamal; Medgar Evers College UG 2. Decitabine Induction of Terminal Differentiation Markers on SV40 Transformed Human Keratinocytes; Olayinka Ajumobi-obe1 and Mark Steinberg, PhD2; 1Queensborough Community College; 2City College, NY. CC

3. Monitoring Riboswitch Modulation via Fluorescent Gene Expression;Sonia Dadlani, Toni Zangrilli, James Tilton, Dr. Jonathan Ouellet; Monmouth University UG

4. Computational analysis of electronic properties of S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM-e); Dailyn Despradel and Madhavan Narayanan; Mercy College UG

5. Does Myelin and lymphocyte Protein (MAL) Function as Clostridium perfringens Epsilon Toxin (ETX) Receptor?; Olawale Eleso; K. Rashid Rumah M.D; Ph.D. Vincent A Fischetti Ph.D.; Medgar  Evers  College  UG

6. Transcription Factor SOX9 Modulates Chemoresistance in Ovarian Cancer; Ryan Frank, Cassandra Greco, Casey Lievre, Laura Oliva, Rosemary Ritter; Molloy College UG

7. Generating a Monoclonal Antibody Against the Centromeric Protein, HCP-3, in C. elegans; Meghann Herman, Dr. Joost Monen, Dr. Thomas Owen; Ramapo College UG  

8. Engineering A Drug To Counteract Neurodegenerative Diseases; Christopher Mason, and Najma Bibi; CUNY New York College of Technology UG

9.  Discovery of New Sphingosine Kinase 1 Inhibitors; Edison Mera, Michael Pulkoski-Gross; Queensborough Community College CC

10. Synthesis of a Mini-Reporter to Test RNA Therapeutic Strategies to Block VEGFR2 and Angiogenesis in Human GBM; Koushik Muralidharan, Kerianne Fuoco, Arbaz M. Khan, Hemangi Patel, Martin J Hicks; Monmouth University UG

 11. The Effects of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Determinate Dwarf Cherry Tomato Plants; Ha Phan, Tetiana Delaney; St. Joseph's College UG

12. Mislabeled Herbal Supplements; Amandeep Rataul, Dr. Nidhi Gadura; Queensborough  Community  College  CC 13. Acrylamide gel stain to quantify DNA fragments; Shenin Siddiqui, James Tilton, Dr. Jonathan Ouellet; Monmouth University UG 14. Ionic Liquid Mixtures with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Electrolytes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells; Rawlric A. Sumner1 and Dr. Tirandai Hemraj-Benny, Dr. Sharon Lall-Ramnarine1, and Dr. James F. Wishart2; 1Queensborough Community College, 2Brookhaven National Laboratory CC

15. Species Identification From A Mixed Insect Sample Using DNA Barcoding; Stephanie Zapata, , Jenifer Vasquez, Herbert Miller, Mariah Curet, Michael De La Fuente, John V. Smalley, Elena Tartaglia; Bergen Community College CC

Developmental  Biology,  Genetics  16. Identification of Metal Ion Transporters in Phragmites australis ; Ramzy Abualteen, Constance Maurer, and Yourha Kan; Iona College UG 17. The effect of Methoprene on larval mortality; Lady Cardenas; Baruch College UG  

18. Building a better phylogeny: increasing Drosophila melanogaster species group sampled for DNA sequence from cytochrome oxidase II gene region; Brea Castro-Gambrell, Edwin Jacobellis, Josue Merida, Ines Muravin, Malika Sampson, and Valerie Schawaroch; Baruch College UG

19. What is lurking on your pocket change?; Carolyn Curtis, Nidhi Gadura, Ph.D.; Queensborough Community College CC

20. Systematic Characterization and Conservation of Adjacent Gene Co-Regulation in Fungi; Reem Eldabagh, Christopher Monzo, Matthew So, Nelson Mejia, Dr. Jay Foley, and Dr. James T. Arnone; William Paterson University UG 21. The role of Drosophila SOCS36E in linker histone H1-mediated heterochromatin formation and tumor suppression; Ki sum Fan, Andrea Mejia, Meghan Pfau, Nathan Doran, Amber Crockett1, Arthur I. Skoultchi2, and Na Xu1; 1Natural Sciences Department, LaGuardia Community College, 2 Albert Einstein School of Medicine CC 22. Expression of CX3CR1 in Tumor Associated Macrophages; Naomi Horowitz, Salvatore Coniglio; Kean University UG 23. Protein Quantification in Reproductive Tissues of Petunia hybrid; Angel Jizzelle Smith, Ivan Shun Ho, and Farshad Tamari; Kingsborough Community College CC 24. Ribosome Rescue and Stalling upon a Circular mRNA in E. coli; Dmitry Kharitonov, Devin Camenares; Kingsborough Community College CC 25. Signal transduction and activator of transcription-3 inhibits osteoclast differentiation; Stephanie Lochan and Dr. Andrew V. Nguyen; Queensborough Community College CC 26. Low-level copper exposure causes developmental defects in the embryonic zebrafish; Michalak, K, Shields, A, Figueroa, K, Pagnotta, J., Islam M, Nolan, K. and Dell, AL.; St. Francis College UG

27. Eastern Oysters from Chincoteague Bay, VA, Contain a Polymorphism in the Cytochrome c Oxidase 1 Gene Found Predominately in Oysters Further South; Romain Nzebele, Gary Sarinsky, M.S., and Craig S. Hinkley Ph.D.; Kingsborough Community College CC 28. Altered microglia morphology and AGE accumulation in the RAGE- and DIAPH1-null aged murine somatosensory cortex; Moises Rodriguez, Julia Derk, Michael MacLean, Paul Mathews, Ann Marie Schmidt; Medgar Evers College UG

29. Using BLAST to Identify and Compare non-LTR Retrotransposons of Solenopsis invicta; Katherine S Rosero, Peter A Novick1;Queensborough Community College CC

30. Phosphorylation of Hexim1 is Critical for Prostate Cancer DU145 Xenograft Growth in Nude Mice; Sarah Sadik, Kristelle Pierre and Dr. Manya Mascareno; SUNY Old Westbury UG

31. Interrelationship between c-src and SIT in the regulation of osteoblast activity; Sydney Kauffman, Candace Morales-Wilde, David Cifelli, Samuel Sanchez, Joseph Tarr, Stephen Popoff, Nicole Rodstrom, Dr. Thomas Owen; Ramapo College UG

32. Genetic delivery of RNA molecules to alter expression of EGFR in glioblastoma multiforme; Nicole Sivetz, Sarah C. Falotico, Peter Nekrasov; Monmouth University UG

33. The Chicken Limb Bud as a Model for Chondrogenesis and Specific β-Endorphin Expression During Early Development; Shequana Cooper, Dara DiFrancisco, Jenny Lee, Joseph Sanchez, Allison Torlincasi, Candice Williamson and Anthony Tolvo; Molloy College. UG 34. Molecular Analysis of Deadwood-Inhabiting Fungi Biodiversity at Stephens State Park, Hackettstown, NJ; Marut, W, Yearwood, J. Blue, S., Vindas-Cruz, A., Shumskaya, M.; Kean University UG 35. The Role of SIT in Human Osteoblast Cell Differentiation; Donald Irons, Gabrielle Foster, Dr. Thomas Owen; Ramapo College UG

Environmental,  Ecology  36. What are they Eating? Using Next Generation Sequencing to Determine Food Availability in Sediment Samples Inhabited by Juvenile Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus); Nikita Alim, Sadieann Bassaragh, and Dr. Joan Petersen; Queensborough Community College CC 37. Observation and Quantification of Oyster ‘spat’ in the Bronx River, NYC.; Rutvij Antala and Allison M Fitzgerald, PhD; New Jersey City University UG 38. Dermo (Perkinsus marinus) Is Not Found in The Tappan Zee, N.Y. Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica); Kameca Baxter, Craig Hinkley, Gary Sarinsky; Kingsborough Community College CC 39. Characterization of the first auxin conjugate hydrolase-like homologue to be isolated from liverwort (marchantia polymorpha) and its implications for the evolution of auxin regulation in plantae; James J. Campanella1, Stephanie Kurdach1, Joy Bochis2, John V. Smalley2 ;1Montclair State University, 2Bergen Community College CC

40. Monitoring Resilience of an Ancient Oddity - The Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) on Plumb Beach, Brooklyn, NY; Naomi Campos and Christina Colon, PhD.; Kingsborough Community College CC

41. Distribution of Leeches on the Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta); Arielle Hincapie, Ana De Sousa, Nichols Zelaya and Prof Tony Pappantoniou; Housatonic Community College, Bridgeport CT 06604 CC 42. Predation Effects of Oyster Drill Snails (Urosalpinx cinerea) on Juvenile Oysters; Raysa Dominguez, Marily Ruiz, Margaret Ramirez, Juliana Jacobson, and Allison Fitgerald, PhD; New Jersey City University UG 43. Constructing the SAE2 Disruption Cassette; Susan Dominguez-Mata1 and Wilma Saffran, Ph.D.2; 1Queensborough Community College and 2Queens College CC

44. Pathogenic Bacteria On The Rise In The Lower Hudson Raritan Estuary And Mussels To The Rescue; Carol Ellameh, Juliana Jacobson, Jenique Klinkerth, Allison Fitzgerald PhD, and Meriem Bendaoud PhD. ;New Jersey City University UG

45. The methodology of keeping crayfish and assays of behavioral responses influencing molting and neuropeptide production; Christian Giraldo & Allison Fitzgerald, PhD; New Jersey City University UG

46. FeederWatch: A Third Winter of Flurries and Feathers; Sara Gonzalez, Alaa Barbour, Abdul-Mumin Sanni-Adam, Sherane Raymond, Adewale Busayo, Lauren Chukrallah, Vasilios Orologas, Brittanie Fils, Gabriela Mosqueda, Naidel Montano, Dolly Basaldua, Vy Giang, Catalina Melendez, Frances Raleigh, Katherine Wydner; Saint Peter’s University UG 47. Hidden Truth: Survival Rate of Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) at Plumb Beach in Jamaica Bay; Kahli Grosvenor and Christina Colon, PhD.; Kingsborough Community College CC 48. In Search of Native Dwellers: The Rise and Fall of The Juvenile Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus); Kadijah Harry, Christina P. Colon; Kingsborough Community College CC 49. Variance in Otolith Assymetry in the Ontogeny of the Mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus in Great South Bay; Ronojoy Hem, Dr. Kestrel Perez; St. Joseph’s College UG 50. Pesticides exposure and Microglial’s dysfunction causes Alzheimer’s disease; Gabriel Palencia, Mohammad Javdan; Queensborough Community College CC

51. Is eating behavior affected when Uca pugnax's competitior Sesarma reticulatum is introduced?; Margaret Ramirez, Raysa Dominguez, Marily Ruiz, Julianna Jacobson, & Dr. Allison Fitzgerald; New Jersey City University UG

52. Optimizing DNA Extraction for Historic Samples of Atlantic Sturgeon; Brian Reiss, Keith Dunton, Megan Phifer-Rixey; Monmouth University UG 53. A Study of Soils from Ellis Island’s Abandoned Hospital Complex; Jena Richards, Cindy Arrigo, Nurdan S Duzgoren-Aydin, Deborah Freile; New  Jersey  City  University    UG  

54. Does A Restored Reef Act as A Source of Food or Shelter For Fish and Crab Populations In An Urban Estuary?; Marily Ruiz, Juliana Jacobson, Raysa Dominguez, Margaret Ramirez & Dr. Allison Fitzgerald; New Jersey City University UG

55. A Comparison of NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Water Quality Data between 2016 and 2017: A New York Water Trails Association Initiative; Maria Shapiro, Zanna Shapiro, Rob Buchanan, Nina Hitchings, Alison Dell, and Kathleen A. Nolan; St. Francis College UG

56. Assessing Common Practices in Seining during Citizen Science Fish Counts: A Validation Study of Seining and Catch-Per-Unit-Effort; Ye Chan Sung, Maridalia Lillis, Daniel Kaluka, and Peter J. Park; Nyack College UG 57. The Effect of Semi-precocial Development on Movement of Juvenile Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) from the Nest; Monica Valero, Dr. Brian Palestis; Wagner College UG

58. Biomedical Implications of Herring Gull Data Obtained at Kingsborough Community College; Rosanne Wallach and Mary T. Ortiz; Kingsborough Community College CC 59. Investigation of Soil Moisture in Two Urban Parks in Queens NY; Kimarie Yap1, Nancy Zeng1, Jessica Shannon2, and Laura Schramm1,; 1St. John’s University; 2Bronx High School of Science UG Microbiology,Immunology  60. The Protozoan Parasite Toxoplasma gondii was Not Found in Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from Jamaica Bay, New York; Manuela Aguiar, Gary Sarinsky, M.S., and Craig S. Hinkley Ph.D.; Kingsborough Community College CC 61. Testing exogenous rescue of adventurous motility in slime secretion mutants of Myxococcus xanthus; Asia Alexander, Susan Gutekunst; Iona College UG

62. Evaluation the Effect of EGCG-S on Biofilm Formation with Dextrose and Sucrose in Seventeen Bacteria; Theresa Aponte, Lee H. Lee; Montclair State University G

63. Strong Antimicrobial Activity Displayed By Newly Synthesized Hydroxamic Acids And Their Derivatives; Sonam Dosanjh, Jenique Klinkerth, Carrol Ellameh, Dr. Robert Aslanian, and Dr. Meriem Bendaoud; New Jersey City University UG

64. RNA AND Protein Expression in Glioblastoma Cell Lines Treated With Anti-EGFR RNA Therapeutics;  Sarah Falotico, Nicole Sivetz, Peter Nekrasov; Monmouth University UG

65. Plant Pathogen Pressures on Seed Germination: Negative Feedback and Landscape Fragmentation; La Zhen Han, Elouise Schmidt, Hannah Richardson, Dr. Cathy Collins, Dr. Michelle Hersh; Sarah Lawrence College UG

66. Dermo (Perkinsus marinus) Was Not Found in The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) At Woods Hole, MA; Kendall James, Craig Hinkley, Gary Sarinsky; Kingsborough Community College CC

67. Discovery of a Marine Bacteria with a Wide Spectrum Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Biofilm Activity; Jenique Klinkerth, Sonam Dosanjh, Carol Ellameh, and Meriem Bendaoud PhD; New Jersey City University UG

68. Interleukin-17 and Gut Microbiota Axis in The Regulation of Metabolic Activities; Jean-Pierre Makheni, Dr. Pawan Kumar; Queensborough Community College and Stony Brook University CC 69. Newest Kid on the Block: Characterization of the novel multidrug-resistant pathogen, Candida auris; Susanna Mirabelli1*, Lindsey Masone1*, Hiu Ham Lee2, Luis R. Martinez2, Tejas Bouklas1; 1Long Island University-Post; 2New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine UG

70. Mesenchymal progenitor cells influence macrophage phagocytosis through secreted factors and direct contact but with opposing regulation ; Anthony Morante, *Anthony Ricigliano, *Rachel Rex, *Jillian Weiss, Jodi Evans Ph.D ; Molloy College. UG 71. Antimicrobial Characteristics May Lead to Antibiotic Resistance in Soil Bacteria; Kimberly Garcia, Salina Nawaz, Dr. Mangala Tawde; Queensborough Community College CC

72. TIM3 Expression on Natural Killer Cells in the Endocervix is not Associated with HPV Infection Status; Chenise O’Garro1, Evelyn Gomez1, Monika Lavi1, Taryn Aulicino2, Susan Holman2, Deborah Gustafson2, Howard Minkoff2, Howard Strickler3, and William Carr1; 1Medgar Evers College, 2SUNY Downstate Medical Center and 3Albert Einstein College of Medicine UG

73. Development of a model system for Zika virus vector-borne transmission; Margarita Rangel, Maria Noval, Elfie De Jesus, Juan Rivera-Correa, Ana Rodriguez, Ken Cadwell, Kenneth Stapleford; NYU School of Medicine G

74. Inhibition of Pathogenic Bacterial Biofilm Formation Using Cell-Free Extracts of Neisseria Sicca and Erwinia Carotovora; Alexandria Stanley, Jenique Klinkerth, Sonam Dosanjh, and Meriem Bendaoud PhD; New Jersey City University UG

75. Identification and Genetic Characterization of Vancomycin Resistant Bacteria in a Community Setting; Hakim Thomas, Elizabeth A. Mulligan, Ph.D., Grace L. Axler-DiPerte, Ph.D. ;Kingsborough Community College CC 76. Serial Isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans Demonstrates Altered Resilience to Nutritional Stress; Rupali Ugile1, Zachary Cain1, Bettina C. Fries, MD, FIDSA2, Tejas Bouklas, PhD1; 1 Long Island University-Post, 2Stony Brook University UG 77. Does Cell Growth Rate Affect Event Timing in Escherichia coli?; Carmen Urgiles1, Khem Ghusinga2, Abhyudai Singh2, and John J. Dennehy1,3; 1Queens College of the City University of New York, 2University of Delaware, 3The Graduate Center of the City University of New York UG Physiology,  Neuroscience,  Clinical 78. Immunohistofluorescence Study of the Actions of Manganese on the Phospholipase C Mechanism of Dopamine D2-Like Post-Synaptic Receptors in Crassostrea virginica; Peter Amoako, Mohamed Eid, Margaret A. Carroll and Edward J. Catapane; Medgar Evers College UG  79. Spectral Sensitivity of Sensory Motor Integration of Gill Lateral Cell Cilia in the Bivalve Mollusc Crassostrea virginica; Reniece Buchanan1, Johanne Jean-Pierre2, Margaret A. Carroll1 and Edward J. Catapane1; 1Medgar Evers College, 2Kingsborough Community College UG 80. The efficacy of manual physical therapy in the reduction of pain and stress in osteoarthritis; Liam Gallagher, Christie Catterson, Shane Martensen, Jack McCarty, Melinda Stoski and Jodi Evans; Molloy College UG

81. Doc, my head hurts, I'm moody and I keep dropping things...what's wrong with me?" Diagnosis of a nervous system disorder; Diana Colgan, Catharine Potok and Patrick Field; Kean University UG 82. Immunohistofluorescence Study of the IP3 Receptor Mechanism of Dopamine D2-Like Post-Synaptic Receptor Signaling Pathway in Crassostrea virginica; Delilah Cummings1, Maxine Jacobs2, Margaret A. Carroll1 and Edward J. Catapane1; 1Medgar Evers College , 2Kingsborough Community College UG 83. Activity-dependent targeting of CaMKII to Inhibitory Synapses; Mohammad Fauzan, Zaki Minas, Reed Carroll; New Jersey City University UG 84. Taurine Reduces the Toxic Effects of Manganese on Mitochondrial Membrane Potential; Christina Florestan1, Kelly Gazca2, Margaret A. Carroll1 and Edward J. Catapane1; 1Medgar Evers College, 2Kingsborough Community College UG 85. The Effect of Ribosome Activation on Learning and Memory in Mice with Memory Deficits due to rRNA Repression; Asuma Jalloh1 , Mathew Regier2 , Dr. Kim Allen2, Dr. Ivan Hernandez2;1 Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE), Medgar Evers College Brooklyn. 2 SUNY Downstate Medical Center UG 86. A Role for Protein Kinase C in Gill Lateral Cell Activity of Crassostrea virginica; Alexcia Johnson1, Krystle Ernest2, Margaret A. Carroll2 and Edward J. Catapane2; 1Kingsborough Community College, 2Medgar Evers College CC 87. Evaluating HIV Concern in Dominican Women in Washington Heights using Categorical Data Analysis; Steven Lawrence 1, Cassidy Mahor2, Michelle Odlum EdD 3, Suzanne Bakken PhD3; 1CUNY Medgar Evers College, 2 Amherst College, 3 Columbia University School of Nursing UG 88. Effects of the Psychoactive Drug Caffeine on the Behavior of Zebrafish (Danio rerio); Kevin Lipton, Dr. Brian Palestis; Wagner College UG

89. Regulation of CaMKII at Inhibitory Synapses by Calcineurin; Michael Malkowski, Ayleen Pittar, Anna Yactayo, Reed Carroll; New Jersey City University UG 90. Stimulation of neurite outgrowth of rat hippocampal neurons by extracellular matrix proteins ; Ruth Opoku, Alani Antoine-Mitchell, Ijaz Ahmed, Mohsin U. Patwary and Alam Nur-E-Kamal; Department of Biology, Medgar Evers College UG 91. Physiological Study of the Neurotoxic Actions of Manganese on Dopamine Cell Signaling in Crassostreavirginica, Downstream of D2-Like Receptor Activation; Cheyanne Robertson, Edward J. Catapane and Margaret A. Carroll; Medgar Evers College UG 92. The Effects of Taurine on Manganese Accumulations in Gill of the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica; Rafael Santos1, Emmanuel Agyei2, Elvin Griffith, Jr.3, Margaret A. Carroll2 and Edward J. Catapane2;

1Kingsborough Community College, 2Medgar Evers College and 3Notre Dame High School, West Haven, CT CC 93. Developmental lead exposure reduces encephalization and cortical quotients resulting in dysexecutive functions in the rat; Eddy Barrerra1,2, Jourvonn Skeen2,3, Jalen R. Bonnitto2,3, Cyrus Jo2,3, Jean-Martin Chrisphonte, Nimra Hameed2,3, Samantha Rubi2,3, Eric Khairi2,3, Teddy F. Dacius Jr.1,2, Asma Iqbal1,2, Dr. Youngjoo Kim4,5 & Dr. Lorenz S. Neuwirth1,2;1 Psychology Department, SUNY Old Westbury, 2 SUNY Neuroscience Research Institute, 3 Biology Department, SUNY Old Westbury, 4 Chemistry & Physics Department, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury’5 iCARE Institute, SUNY Old Westbury UG 94. A preliminary study of pharmacological perturbation of STAT6 on the growth of malignant B lymphoma, in vitro; Luis Valerio1, Stephen Redenti, PhD2, Rajendra Gharbaran, PhD1; 1Bronx Community College, 2Lehman College CC

95. Permethrin and High-mobility group box1 protein pathway on Microglial dysfunction; Miguel Vera, Mohammad Javdan; Queensborough Community College CC

Environmental,  Ecology  96. The Effects of Ecological Parameters such as Density and Bean choice on the Emergence and Survival of Bean Beetles Diana Chaimov, Myar Dandash, and Kathleen A. Nolan St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA UG 97. Changes in Vascular Plant Diversity of Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts Richard Stalter, Navida Rukhsha and Richard Stalter, St. Johns University, Queens, NY USA UG

http://www.biologymusicvideos.com/shop/

Instructional  RAP  videos  and  streaming  make  learning  biology  fun!!  

 MACUB 2017 EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

President Dr. Kathleen Nolan, Saint Francis College

Vice-President Dr. Fernando Nieto, SUNY Old Westbury

Past President Prof. Gary Sarinsky, Kingsborough Community College

Treasurer Dr. Margaret Carroll, Medgar Evers College

Corresponding Secretary Dr. Paul Russo, Bloomfield College

Recording Secretary Dr. Jill Callahan, St. Peter’s University

Members-at-Large Dr. Tin-Chun Chu, Seton Hall University

Dr. Christopher Corbo, Wagner College

Dr. Donald Stearns, Wagner College

Dr. Anthony DePass, LIU Brooklyn

2017 Conference Chair Dr. John Grew, New Jersey City University

2016 Conference Chairs Dr. Fernando Nieto, SUNY Old Westbury

2015 Conference Chairs Drs. Dirk Vanderklein and Quinn Vega Montclair State University

In Vivo Editor Dr. Edward Catapane, Medgar Evers College

Awards Chair Dr. Anthony DePass, Long Island University

Archivist Dr. Kumkum Prabhakar, Nassau Community College

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD & MACUB MEMBERSHIP THANK NJCU FOR ITS SUPPORT:

Office of the President; Dr. Sue Henderson, President

Office of the Provost; Dr. Daniel Julius, Provost

Office of the Dean of Arts & Sciences; Dr. Joao Sedycias, Dean

Department of Biological Sciences; Dr. John Grew, Chair

Improving  the  undergraduate  biology  laboratory  experience  by  promoting  the  development  and  dissemination  of  interesting,  innovative,  and  reliable  laboratory  exercises  

Call  for  abstracts!    

Second  Environmental  Health    

AND  Health  of  the  Environment  Conference    

at  St.  Francis  College    Saturday,  November  18,  2017  

 8:30  A.M.-­‐4  P.M.  

 Breakfast  and  lunch  included.      No  admission  fee,  but  registration  by  e-­‐mail  is  required  for  head  count  on  

food.    Call  for  abstracts  for  short  presentations  on  environmental  health  OR  health  of  the  environment.      10-­‐12  minute  presentations.    Faculty,  Graduate,  and  Advanced  Undergraduate  Students  welcome.      Please  submit  a  200  word-­‐abstract  and  indicate  your  names,  school,  faculty  or  student,  and  year  of  graduation  (for  students)    Posters  by  FACULTY  are  also  welcome.    They  will  NOT  be  judged.      A  program  will  be  provided.        Abstracts  for  both  presentations  and  posters  are  due  November  5,  2017.    Acceptances  will  be  e-­‐mailed  by  November  10,  2017.    We  welcome  early  submissions.    Send  abstracts  to:    Noemi  Rivera,  nrivera633@sfc.edu      or  Kathleen  Nolan  knolan@sfc.edu  

Many thanks to

St. Francis College

for sponsoring the

printing of this program.