Category: Willa Dean Lowery Grant

We congratulate our winners of the 2022 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Roslyn Crowder, Associate Professor of Biology

Examining Hypoxia-Induced Caspase-8 Post-Translational Modifications in Hypoxic Cancer Cells

Caspase-8 is a mediator of regulated cell death, apoptosis. Caspase-8 mediated cell death is used clinically to target and eliminate pathogenic cells in diseases including cancer, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Loss of caspase-8 activity has been identified as a cell death resistance mechanism, highlighting the requirement of complete caspase-8 activation for cell death progression. Hypoxia is a term that refers to conditions with low oxygen levels. Hypoxic regions in solid, malignant tumors have been found to be resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, presenting therapeutic challenges. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy utilize initiation of cell death pathways involving caspase-8 activation to kill cancer cells.

Caspase-8 protein receives several post-translational modifications (PTMs) that effect protein function including phosphorylation (adds phosphates), ubiquitination (adds ubiquitin) and sumoylation (adds SUMO). Cullin3 ligase and A20 deubiquitinase are associated with adding and removing ubiquitin to and from caspase-8, respectively. PIAS ligase and SUMO specific protease SENP1 are associated with adding and removing SUMO to and from caspase-8, respectively. Hypoxia has been shown to alter protein phosphorylation. While changes to phosphorylated proteins under hypoxia have been studied, changes to ubiquitinated and sumoylated proteins, remain largely unexplored. Regulation of caspase-8 sumoylation and ubiquitination, under hypoxia, has not been investigated.

We congratulate our winners of the 2021 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Kristine Dye, Assistant Professor of Biology

Elucidate the Mechanisms of Cellular Transformation and Tumorigenesis by MCPyVST Necessary for the Development of MCC

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive skin cancer with a mortality rate three times greater than melanoma. In 2008, it was discovered that MCC is caused by the integration of the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) genome into the host genome, and subsequent constitutive expression of viral oncoproteins, such as the small tumor antigen (ST). Previous research of mine has shown that MCPyV ST binds to the cellular protein AMOT, a regulator of the cell cycle. The goal of this current project with senior research students is to elucidate the mechanisms by which MCPyV ST perturbs the functions of AMOT resulting in tumorigenesis. Such experiments will provide the MCC field with influential advancements necessary for the design of novel, efficacious, therapeutics to treat MCC. Of importance, the most influential health care workers have an appreciation and the ability to conceptualize basic research that contributes to our current understanding of disease and individualized, efficacious treatment options. Therefore, the engagement of senior research students in an authentic virology and cancer research project will provide these students with the comprehensive training, confidence, and experience that will undoubtedly influence their future careers in health care and progress my development as a teacher-scholar at Stetson University.

Holley Lynch, Assistant Professor of Physics

Tracking Cellular Motion During Early Embryo Development

The proper assembly of new tissues and organs throughout development depends on large-scale tissue motions. Current approaches to understand the mechanics of these developmental processes in many species are limited to analysis of fixed samples or almost non-existent. In this project, we will establish protocols for live cell imaging in Ambystoma mexicanum embryonic tissue explants and Vanessa cardui butterfly embryos. These time-lapse image sequences will be used to determine the cellular coordination within developing tissues and to investigate the extent cellular behaviors are conserved across species. This will further my development as a teacher-scholar at Stetson University by enhancing my research program. In addition, protocols established in this project will be used to expose Biophysics (PHYS 251) students to fluorescent microscopy and its use in interdisciplinary research. The proposed image processing workstation will advance computationally intense tasks, like deconvolution from long term and live imaging experiments using the inverted fluorescent microscope acquired from the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant ($266,091, 2019), on which I am a principal investigator.

We congratulate our winner of the 2020 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Jean Smith, Assistant Professor of Biology

Uncovering Novel Mutations in Cell Fusion Genes Using Error Prone Polymerase Chain Reaction

Cell fusion is essential for the development of eukaryotic organisms. Sperm-egg fusion occurs during fertilization, muscle cells fuse to form muscle fibers, and placental cells fuse for proper implantation during pregnancy. Fusion has also recently been implicated in cancer development and progression. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms and regulation of cell fusion. Studying this process in budding yeast allows for identification of genes involved in fusion. Importantly, many genes and proteins are conserved from yeast to humans, which has allowed the identification of yeast fusion proteins that have subsequently been shown to be important in muscle fusion. Here, I propose a screen to uncover novel mutations in a known regulator of fusion in yeast. This project requires mutations to be made using polymerase chain reaction, which requires a thermocycler. We do not have a thermocycler capable of the long reactions required to make these mutants. Not only is this equipment required for the current proposal, it is also essential for most molecular biology research. Therefore, acquisition of a thermocycler would have a great impact on my growth as a teacher-scholar and allow me to conduct exciting projects with senior research students as well as inquiry-based labs.

We congratulate our winners of the 2020 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Heather Evans Anderson , Assistant Professor of Health Sciences

CRISPR gene editing in Ciona intestinalis

Gene editing via CRISPR has garnered global attention due to the recent actions of a Chinese scientist who used it to genetically modify a set of twin girls.  This egregious act brought the world’s attention to the powerful technology.  I see great potential to use CRISPR as an educational tool.  Previously I successfully used CRISPR in a semester long project conducted by undergraduates in a Cell Biology course (1).  Here I intend to harness the power of CRISPR technology to genetically modify an invertebrate organism (Ciona intestinalis) to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of heart development.  This proposal describes a set of specific research aims that will be conducted by undergraduate students at Stetson through an advanced genetics course in collaboration with Dr. Lynn Kee as well as several spin off senior research projects.  The proposed project will bring cutting edge technology in an innovative application to Stetson.  Funding provided by the Willa D Lowery grant would support several student projects that would lead to presentations at national level meetings and high impact peer reviewed publications. 

We congratulate our winners of the 2019 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Heather Evans Anderson, Assistant Professor of the Department of Health Sciences

We congratulate our winner of the 2018 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Lynn Kee, Assistant Professor of Biology

Gene Editing of Microorganisms Tradigrades and Caenorhabditis elegans

We congratulate our winners of the 2017 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Ben Tanner & Jason Evans, Associate Professors of Environmental Science

Determination of Past Shifts of the Salt Marsh/Mangrove Ecotone

Roslyn Crowder, Associate Professor of Biology

Examination of Genistein-induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in
Lung Cancer Cells

We congratulate our winners of the 2016 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Roslyn Crowder, Associate Professor of Biology

Examination of Genistein-mediated Lung Cancer Cell Death