As diseases like COVID-19 become endemic, it becomes more apparent that access to low-cost, user-conducted tests with high sensitivity and rapid results are necessary to help reduce the spread of disease and mitigate burden on healthcare and laboratory infrastructure. While paper-based colorimetric tests attempt to fill this gap, they have reduced sensitivity when compared to “gold-standard” tests such as RT-qPCR, which typically exhibit results with fluorescent reporters. The goal of this project is to detect fluorophore activity using a smartphone camera and flash, with zero modifications (or as minimal as possible). As many people have smartphones and the ability to take a picture, but fewer possess lab skills or access to a lab, we aim to develop a smartphone-based system with the highest sensitivity and lowest barrier for entry, that is capable of detecting a fluorescent output. We are experimenting with both biological and technological levers, including combinations of time-delay using FRET and long-lasting fluorophores. On the software side, we are looking into whether we can leverage a smartphone’s built-in bayer filter to better delineate between emission wavelengths of fluorophores, and using timed flashing and recording methods to detect the biological time delay. So far, we have collected preliminary data on colorimetric readout reactions and shown that the difference between reactant and negative control is apparent at fairly low concentrations (250 uM). We expect that with a simple filter setup, we will be able to excite and detect the fluorescent output from a fluorophore. Further research will aim to simply things setup further, to reduce the number of external modifications required for use. When coupled with a diagnostic test, these ideas could potentially bring any test that can be coupled to a fluorescent readout from the lab to the user, increasing accessibility and lowering the costs of such tests.

Current sociopolitical climates for LGBTQ+ individuals in South Asian countries are hostile, and South Asian communities within America will often reflect similar beliefs. Likewise, there might be an unfavorable atmosphere for LGBTQ+ individuals at faith-based institutions. As such, for South Asian college students enrolled in Christian institutions, their religious context and South Asian cultural practices and values might combine to shape their attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people. To explore this understudied topic, I utilized semi-structured interviews with South Asian students at a Christian institution. Thus far, I have interviewed four participants and intend to complete at least eight interviews to meet the qualitative analysis standard. Preliminary examination reveals our participants’ tendency to avoid conversations about the LGBTQ+ community, and they connected this tendency to South Asian culture. In contrast, they noted that LGBTQ+ topics were actively discussed on their Christian campus. Our study hopes to expand on the research surrounding intersectional identities and their impact on the individual.

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a crucial marine flowering plant that provides intertidal ecosystem services in and outside the Puget Sound. However, eelgrass populations are under threat due to the adverse effects of climate change. Maintaining genetic diversity is essential for their survival. This project aims to enhance our understanding of eelgrass reproduction and how populations will react to climate change by characterizing the molecular mechanisms of flowering in eelgrass. We have identified candidate eelgrass flowering genes that are homologous to genes found in Arabidopsis thaliana, a model organism. These candidate genes were selected based on the clock-regulated model of flowering, in which FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) encodes for a critical protein that triggers the flowering response pathway. To investigate this model, we created transgenic overexpression lines in Arabidopsis and identified two candidate eelgrass FT genes that exhibit an early flowering phenotype similar to FT overexpression in Arabidopsis. We are also using Yeast 2-Hybrid Assays (Y2H) to confirm the identity of the suspected eelgrass FT. Y2H is a technique for studying protein-protein interactions and allows us to investigate interactions between eelgrass FT and other transcriptional regulators within the flowering response pathway. Based on our data, we expect to see the two candidate eelgrass FT genes result in a simultaneous early flowering phenotype and in interactions with other transcriptional regulators to form a transcription factor complex that enables the expression of a reporter gene. Identifying FT in eelgrass will prompt further study of individual and population-wide flowering patterns, and how these patterns change with shifting ocean conditions.

Despite heavy exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacteria that causes Tuberculosis (TB), some individuals show no evidence of infection and by defining these resistance mechanisms, we may identify novel treatment strategies. Among Mtb resistant individuals, our lab identified the Rab5a protein as differentially expressed as compared to controls with Mtb infection. By regulating vesicle trafficking, Rab proteins modulate a variety of cellular pathways including inflammatory signaling, antigen presentation, and autophagy, likely playing a role in Mtb clearance. We hypothesized that loss of Rab5a would alter IFN-êžµ gene expression. Monocyte-like THP-1 cells were electroporated with siRNA targetting Rab5a and yielded 70-90% knockdown at 24 hours versus scrambled siRNA control. Cells were then stimulated with DNA ligands for four hours before RNA analysis. Loss of Rab5a resulted in lower levels of IFN-êžµ gene expression after stimulation with Sheared Calf Thymus DNA (p=0.002, 53.9% reduction), Poly(I:C) (p=0.01, 42.8% reduction), supercoiled plasmid (p=0.03, 45.3% reduction), and cGAMP (p=0.008, 45.7% reduction). We conclude that Rab5a expression is required for Type I IFN production through the DNA-sensing pathway. By characterizing the pathways by which Rab5a modulates the macrophage Mtb response, we may identify host targets to augment protective responses that may serve as adjuncts to current TB treatments and vaccines.

Rensch’s rule suggests that sexual dimorphism increases as body size increases in species where males are larger than females. One hypothesis explaining this pattern is that through sexual selection, male-male competition for food, mating partners, and territory increases with body size. Here, we examine whether mandibular sexual dimorphism follows Rensch’s rule in the feliforms, a clade consisting of Nandiniidae (African palm civets), Felidae, Viverridae (civets and genets), Hyaenidae (hyenas), and Herpestidae (mongooses and meerkats). Although previous work found that few carnivoran families exhibit Rensch’s rule trends for their body size, whether a more consistent signal can be found in a trophic morphology such as the mandible has yet to be investigated. To test the hypothesis that carnivoran mandibles follow Rensch’s rule, we 3D scanned 349 mandibles across 73 species from museum collections and performed geometric morphometrics to quantify shape and size differences between male and female mandibles. We then used ANOVAs to test for mandibular dimorphism in each species, and linear regressions to test for Rensch’s rule. Preliminary analyses have revealed that viverrids, herpestids, and felids all do not follow Rensch’s rule, and that the degree of mandibular sexual dimorphism varies among families. We predict that mandibular sexual dimorphism will be highest in feliform clades with a high degree of dietary specialization because the specialized diet of carnivorous species may lead to greater competition between males and females for food. However, we predict that we will find little support for Rensch’s rule, as mandibular dimorphism may vary more with social system or diet than with body size. Overall, our research will add to the growing body of research on Rensch's rule and help elucidate the effects of niche divergence and sexual selection on the evolution of sexual dimorphism in mammals.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD), has been increasingly associated with disruption of ion channel function. The symptoms and etiology of ASD are complex and associated with dysregulation of many brain regions. Recent research suggests that individuals with ASD have disrupted activity in the mesostriatal network, which is well-studied for its contribution to social behavior and social reward. Another developing area in the etiology of ASD are ion channel mutations. Specifically, the Kv7 ion channel family, encoded by the genes KCNQ1-5, have become increasingly implicated with NDDs such as ASD. Though broadly expressed throughout the nervous system, these channels are also expressed in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA), a region within the mesostriatal pathway that plays a key role in social behavior and social reward. Here we study the impact of a KCNQ3 mutation identified in multiple ASD patients, KCNQ3-R230C. To do this, we used transgenic mice and viral strategies to drive the expression of human wildtype (hKv7.3/WT) or mutant (hKv7.3/R2C) KCNQ3 in the VTA. I helped to conduct a three-chamber social interaction task wherein these transgenic mice could elect to interact with either a novel mouse or a familiar mouse, and I helped analyze the data therefrom. We observed a loss of social novelty preference in the three-chamber social interaction task in mice expressing hKv7.3/R2C but not in controls expressing hKv7.3/WT. This research contributes to our understanding of the role of ion channel disruptions in the VTA in the context of social behavior and ASD.

Prosocial behavior is important to many species and its disruption is a hallmark symptom of many diseases and disorders including autism, schizophrenia, and depression. The neurotransmitter dopamine modulates neuronal activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and plays a critical role in the regulation of prosocial behavior. While the role of dopamine (DA) is well studied in the context of social behavior, little is known about neuronal activity in the NAc during social behavior. Here we use transgenic mice, viral delivery of genetically encoded fluorescent calcium sensors, and a miniaturized microscope to measure NAc neuronal activity during a series of social behavior assays. We used the 3-chamber assay to investigate NAc encoding of social novelty preference, a 5 minute on-off free social interaction assay, and an operant social task in which mice press a lever to gain access to another mouse. Preliminary data suggests that the technique is feasible to detect neuronal activity in the NAc during social behavior, and that there is no detectable encoding of social novelty preference in the 3-chamber assay. Findings from this study will improve our understanding of how prosocial behavior is encoded and may lead to the development of treatments for diseases and disorders that result in a loss of prosocial behavior.

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), human exposure to animals can represent a significant source of enteropathogens. The presence of domestic and non-domestic animals either in the vicinity or in immediate households within LMICs have the potential to contaminate soil and high-touch surfaces leading to enteropathogen transmission and infection. Among LMICs, access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is limited and is responsible for contributing to the global disease burden. Lack of WASH regulations and implementation can compound transmission and infection rates of enteropathogens from animal exposures. The objective of this study is to determine the sources and quantities of household animal fecal contamination, an important exposure pathway for enteropathogens, in Ecuadorian households. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays were used to identify host-associated fecal contamination by detecting gene fragments of gut microbes that are specific to the feces of a given human or animal host. These microbial source tracking (MST) marker assays were used on environmental samples collected in Ecuador households including floor, mother and child hand rinses, and domestic water to assess the abundance and sources of household fecal contamination. MST marker targets included human feces associated markers (HF183 & HumM2), dog feces makers (DG37), ruminant feces markers (Rum2Bac), pig feces markers (Pic2Bac), bird droppings markers (GFD), and general bacteroidales markers (GenBac). The anticipated results are that the qPCR data will continue to indicate high levels of general and human-associated animal fecal contamination in animal-owning Ecuadorian households as previously observed in Phase 2 of this study. Findings from this study will highlight the need for the development and implementation of relevant public health interventions aimed at reducing animal exposures and improving overall hygiene practices to decrease the global disease burden among LMICs.

People have avoided art therapy for a long time due to the belief that they cannot use it to cope with their mental health problems if they do not have artistic ability. Luckily, people can use this form with or without art skills. In Europe, this type of therapy originated in the 1940s. During a tuberculosis outbreak, art therapy helped patients cope with their illness. It is safe to assume that anyone can benefit from art therapy based on that information alone. A number of studies have examined people's mental health symptoms before and after sessions. That raises the question: How can art therapy affect others in the long term in the mental health field? In a variety of studies, they reported significant symptom improvement after art therapy interventions. It was not only people’s symptoms that improved but it was also shown that their self-esteem was positively oriented. This literature review will help identify the stigma surrounding this form of therapy. It will also help identify how art can be a healthy way to cope and express themselves. 

Joubert syndrome (JS) is a neurodevelopmental condition diagnosed by the appearance of the “molar tooth sign” on axial brain magnetic imaging (MRI). Patients display hypotonia, abnormal eye movements, and ataxia. Substantial progress has been made on identifying the genetic causes of JS, which typically displays recessive inheritance. Nonetheless, the cause cannot be identified in ~25% of our cohort of JS-affected families. The contribution of variants that impact RNA splicing remains unknown. Our goal is to evaluate the role of noncanonical splice variants in the pathogenesis of JS. Canonical splice variants impact RNA splicing by disrupting the splice site directly, whereas noncanonical splice variants may affect it through alternative mechanisms, which need to be validated by RNA analysis. We previously identified genetic causes in 520 of 679 families with JS. To identify additional causes, we used SpliceAI (SpliceAI score >0.5) to identify candidate variants that impact splicing. We extracted RNA from patient cell lines and converted it into complementary DNA (cDNA). Then we used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the affected exons with two sets of primers flanking the relevant splice junction. We evaluated PCR product size and sequence using gel electrophoresis and Sanger sequencing. We found 74 families with ≥1 canonical splice variant. An additional 34 families have ≥1 candidate noncanonical splice variant. We confirmed the pathogenicity of two of the candidate noncanonical splice variants by demonstrating an abnormal splicing event in AHI1 and MKS1 in two patient samples. By extrapolation from our data in JS, noncanonical splice variants may contribute as much as 10% to the genetic causes of recessive conditions. A precise genetic diagnosis informs prognosis, avoids unnecessary work-up, guides monitoring for associated complications, and opens the door to gene-specific treatments.

The Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway is a crucial regulator of immune responses including tumor and antitumor activities in the human body. Mutations in the JAK-STAT pathway are associated with cancer development. In particular, the JAK2^V617F mutation, a common mutation of the JAK2 protein, has been linked to an increased risk of early death among myeloproliferative cancer patients. Despite this association, much is still unknown about the consequences of this hyperactive JAK-STAT pathway in cancer. The purpose of my project is to gain a clearer understanding of the role of JAK2^V617F in cancer development using the degradation tag (dTAG) system. The dTAG system harnesses the cell’s protein degradation machinery to degrade proteins fused with an FKBP12^F36V tag. After expressing JAK2^V617F in-frame with an FKBP12^F36V-tag (JAK2^V617F-FKBP12^F36V), dTAG molecules can bind to FKBP12^F36V and recruit an E3 ligase complex to induce ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of JAK2^V617F-FKBP12^F36V. We hypothesize that degrading JAK2^V617F will decrease the activity of downstream pathways that lead to myeloproliferative cancer. To create a system to degrade JAK2^V617F, I first used Gateway cloning to generate a lentiviral plasmid that expresses JAK2^V617F-FKBP12^F36V. I then made lentiviruses with JAK2^V617F-FKBP12^F36V in 293FT cells for delivery into human cells. To express JAK2^V617F-FKBP12^F36V, I transduced human erythroleukemia (HEL) cells with the virus and monitored expression using Western blotting. Once successfully expressed, I will evaluate the degradation of JAK2^V617F-FKBP12^F36V upon treatment with dTAG molecules in a dose-response at various time points. I expect to see lower levels of JAK2^V617F-FKBP12^F36V compared to untagged JAK2^V617F. The ability to selectively degrade JAK2^V617F allows us to uncover the aberrantly activated JAK-STAT pathway’s roles in cancer development. Importantly, this research contributes to future drug discovery by determining whether developing small molecule degraders of JAK2^V617F is a promising therapeutic strategy for myeloproliferative cancer.

 In recent decades, various East African countries have experienced changes in precipitation patterns leaving the local communities vulnerable to food and water insecurities. The continent is rich with indigenous knowledges and some of them have proved to be useful in combatting climate change crises. I conducted a case study to explore Massai cattle grazing strategies and the use of sand dams in East Africa. The case study demonstrated that Maasai cattle grazing strategies provide great resilience to spatially and temporally shifting precipitation patterns and that sand dams effectively retain water during droughts. The results have demonstrated the need for further discussion and exploration into the application of these strategies in a larger climate change context.

The Middle Miocene (23-5 Ma) represents a period of rapidly changing climate and active volcanism, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Our understanding of the structure and composition of plant communities during this timeframe is complicated by a limited or degraded leaf fossil record. Plant fossil assemblages are also often time averaged, representing accumulation of plant material over an extended period. A plant community that was preserved because of a single, short-lived event can provide insight into the composition and structure of that community in life. The Watersnake locality of the Sucker Creek Formation in southwestern Idaho contains two thick (8-14 m) ignimbrite tuffs (volcanic ash layers) that preserve charcoal fragments, reflecting plants that were burned when the tuffs were deposited. In order to identify the woody taxa that made up this community, thin section microscopy is used to examine the preserved cellular detail of the fossil charcoal fragments from the lower tuff. Since ignimbrites are deposited as a part of a single event, the impacts of time-averaging are minimized. Although these deposits reflect a short time, they are likely to integrate across space, providing a view of the broader landscape. The results of this study will reveal the structure of this plant community immediately prior to the eruption that caused the ash flow. I hypothesize that the taxa identified within the ash will be very similar to those of the leaf fossil record found in the shale beds below. A lowland community consisting primarily of wetland Glyptostrobus oregonensis, and Quercus simulata found near flowing water will likely be represented. Upland vegetation consisting of conifers (Pinus, Tsuga) were also likely incorporated into the ash flow as it moved downhill. This study will provide insight into the dynamics of plant community change during the Miocene in relation to volcanic disturbance.

Fire is a fundamental disturbance that drives changes in biome structure. Knowledge of ancient fire regimes may help predict future fire regimes resulting from anthropogenic climate change. Charcoal morphometry (quantified shape of charcoal), particularly charcoal aspect ratio (length:width), is an emerging proxy of ancient fuel type wherein higher mean aspect ratios are associated with grassy fuels. This study aims to experimentally validate this proxy method. Thirty-four modern plant species were sampled from UW Herbarium collections, separating leaf, stem, and reproductive body tissues for each species. Each sample was burned at 500°C for 20 minutes, crushed in a water slurry, and imaged under a binocular microscope. Charcoal particles were enumerated and morphometrics were measured using ImageJ with charcoal particles 125-250 μm and >250 μm analyzed separately to account for differences due to differential particle breakage. Strong evidence was found in the 125-250 μm size fraction through an analysis of variance test (F = 2.66, p = 0.03), that aspect ratio varies as a function of taxonomic group. The strongest evidence for a difference in aspect ratio is found, through Tukey's Honestly Significant Differences to be between graminoid and conifer charcoal (p = 0.03). Evidence is even stronger for a taxonomic effect on aspect ratio in the >250 μm size fraction (F = 3.64, p= 0.007). This variation seems to also be driven by a difference between graminoid and conifer charcoal (p = 0.002), corroborating earlier findings. Future validation of this methodology will be focused on the potential effects of burn temperature and charcoal transport in charcoal morphometric records. Rigorous verification of charcoal morphometry as a proxy of fuel type will help increase confidence in paleo reconstructions of fuel type. 

The Supreme Court is often viewed with awe and the justices treated with reverence. It is the highest court in the United States, tasked with interpreting the law. But is the Supreme Court the neutral arbiter of justice it purports to be? Most recently, the 2022 ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the fifty-year precedent of Roe v. Wade, causing the Court to face increasing scrutiny and questions of its legitimacy. I conduct a philosophical analysis of the arguments made by the justices in the opinions on Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to understand the way abortion jurisprudence is argued. In the Court’s opinion on Casey, the plurality constructs an argument for the legitimacy of the Court. I take this argument and assess its logical validity, and then with the framework the argument presents, I examine if the Court is able to maintain its neutrality in the context of philosophical arguments. Then, using case law analysis from Melissa Murray about the impact of abortion and precedent, as well as Ronald Dworkin’s constitutional evaluation from Freedom’s Law, I discuss the role that legal principles play in abortion jurisprudence and apply political behavior research into motivated reasoning to better understand the Court’s political motivations. I find, on their own criteria, that the Court fails to maintain the neutrality they claim to have, meaning they are a political body. I also find the Court’s political nature impacts its ability to decide on controversial topics, and provide suggestions for what this means for the Court’s role in American government as we face increasing polarization.

 This research seeks to analyze and understand the approach and treatment of victims of sexual assaults stories and accounts in the broader historical narrative, using case studies of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide. My research explores the question of what effects the response to the role of sexual assault in genocide by historians and academics and what implications that has for the historiography of genocide. I conducted this research by collecting and reading first-hand accounts of survivors and their experiences of sexual assault to construct a narrative and clear understanding of the role rape played in each genocide, and then analyzed the historical response and research of these narratives following the events. The two case studies are synthesized and compared in this project to understand which attributes of political and social policy effected the reception of stories of victims and witnesses of rape and assault. My research is still underway, but thus far is revealing the slow response from scholars regarding rape following the Holocaust and how that may have influenced a difference in the response and scholarship following the Rwandan genocide. Both genocides are affected by unique struggles in collecting witness accounts, as well as stigma around traumatic data of this nature. This research is important in the social studies field as it commentates on the consistent lack of attention given to victims of sexual violence in the past and present, and advocates for increased education and awareness on the overlooked stories of these individuals, whether or not they lived to tell them themselves.

The paper investigates the viability of increased intergenerational solidarity welfare policy as a potential solution for the prevalent issue of loneliness experienced by older immigrant adults. Many older adults in individualist societies experience painful loneliness due to social isolation, which is exacerbated by patterns of adult children immigrating away from their parents for work opportunities.. Isolation often increases the prevalence of depression, vulnerability to scamming, and individualistic ideals that cause shame. Previous research of intergenerational solidarity (IS) reveals that multigenerational homes positively impact the well being of older adults living with their family members. IS research identifies factors such as economic, emotional, and functional interactions among family members and analyzes their role in societal institutions and mental wellness. This paper examines survey research studies that investigate matters of multigenerational interactions and physical access to community in the older adult demographic. Literature reviews of case studies are vital to implementing effective welfare in this context because it allows future programs to identify under served groups within the greater population. The literature review highlights the often overlooked emotional and financial cost that middle generation mothers pay to preserve IS interactions between their parents and children. Additionally, the comparative literature review found that older immigrant adults face more severe geographical and social barriers to IS interactions. Government welfare policy has the potential to alleviate these challenges, which disproportionately burden middle generation mothers and older adult immigrants. By providing publicly funded opportunities for IS interactions outside of the home, middle generation mothers and older adult immigrants can experience the benefits of community without economic and emotional hurdles. Building a foundation of intergenerational solidarity challenges the cycle of loneliness by equipping each generation with tools to seek out togetherness in the face of modern political and social challenges.

As the field of astrophysics continues to grow, the quantity of data to analyze is constantly expanding. With projects like the James Webb Space Telescope each sending back hundreds of gigabytes of data every day, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is needed to assist manual analytical techniques in processing these volumes of information. One of the most apparent tasks for AI in astrophysics is image categorization – identifying what sort of astronomical object a certain body is. If a machine could categorize these bodie in significantly less time than a person, it would free tens of thousands of human hours every year. I created a Machine Learning program using a Deep Neural Network (DNN) implemented in Keras and TensorFlow capable of classifying astronomical images based on photometric data. Built from scratch, it utilizes existing labeled images to “learn” how astronomical bodies differ in appearance and assign them a category. The value of automated classification of astronomical phenomena cannot be understated. DNN allows the model to find unique identifiers in images humans often cannot spot, leading to often-more reliable predictions, recognizing possible discoveries in far less time, and freeing astronomers to undertake higher-cognition tasks only humans can accomplish. As the model is continuouly improved, it will be able to make increasingly accurate classifications and be of ever-growing value.

 Solid tumor cancers are capable of releasing chemicals that are detectable in body fluids. These cancers can cause severe acidosis within the patient, resulting in the change of structure and function of Complement serum proteins, membrane-bound regulators, and receptors that interact with various cells and mediators. A better understanding of the mechanistic interaction between the complement system and tumor-induced acidosis can provide a new direction in cancer immunotherapy research. Here, we investigate the effect of pH on binding between Heparin, Complement Factor H (CFH), and C3b. We found that in controlled in vitro assays conducted through biolayer interferometry, CFH and Heparin bind better to C3b in pH 6.0 but only in lower concentrations of CFH. As for pH 7.4, the binding between CFH, Heparin, and C3b is lower in comparison; however, the binding between only CFH and Heparin is higher at pH 7.4 than at pH 6.0. Our results demonstrate how Heparin, Complement Factor H, and C3b are likely to function in a tumor microenvironment where the pH is generally lower. We anticipate this research to be a starting point for investigating the role of the Complement System in tumor growth and researching the implications of its biological actions with respect to the development of anticancer therapy.

Music, both vocal and instrumental, captures the attention of children and facilitates language learning. Infants have been shown to prefer infant-directed song over infant-directed speech. Furthermore, education professionals and researchers agree that music supports language acquisition. In early childhood, children are exposed to a great deal of auditory input, including music, in a variety of settings. Much of this exposure occurs in the home, which presents difficulties when attempting to capture data that is truly representative of a child's auditory environment. Thus, the main aim of Tots and Tunes is to quantify and describe the music and speech that infants hear in their home environment during first two years of life. To achieve this, I have randomly extracted 12,000 10-second audio segments from a longitudinal dataset of audio recordings taken of children at ages 6, 10, 14, 18, and 24 months of age by the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system. This system uses a small device worn by a child throughout their day to record their naturalistic linguistic environment. My team is using a novel citizen-science approach to outsource the annotation of the segments by naive listeners via a platform called Zooniverse. For each segment, we ask participants to listen and subsequently identify whether there is speech and/or music present, whether the speech and/or music is directed to the child wearing the LENA device, and if the speech and/or music is in-person, through an electronic device, or both. In the span of a month, 20% of the segments recorded at 6 months of age have been annotated. I anticipate that our findings will inform parents, researchers, and early childhood professionals about the presence of music in the auditory environment of young children, which will inform further work regarding how best to use music to support language acquisition.

Nature uses only four nucleobases to store genetic information in DNA. However, additional synthetic bases which use Watson-Crick pairing have been developed and are known as non-standard bases (NSBs). NSBs P, Z, B and S incorporated alongside standard bases A, G, C and T compose DNA strands using a new genetic alphabet. Nanopores offer the potential capability for direct single-molecule sequencing of DNA containing non-standard bases (NSBs). Using a voltage gradient, DNA strands were directed through a nanopore, the biological membrane protein MspA, while we measured the ion current through the pore over time. In studying the effect of NSBs on the ion current through the pore, we observe current measurements corresponding to the Z base have a different noise profile compared to other bases. We hypothesize this noise may be associated with pH-dependent protonation of the base. To test this hypothesis, we conducted experiments with identical sequences in buffers of pH 8 and pH 7, as Z is known to have a pKa of 7.8. I analyzed the noise from the ion current signals to look for signs of protonation. I found increased current noise values associated with the Z NSB in pH 7 compared to pH 8, while the canonical A base had no change in noise values from pH 7 and pH 8, supporting the hypothesis that the increased current noise is due to protonation of the Z base. In addition to indicating potential sensing abilities of nanopores for probing protonation kinetics of DNA, this research contributes to a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that control the currents in nanopore sequencing of DNA.