A Conceptual Approach to Estimate the Environment Impact of Electric Aircraft in the U.S. NAS
Electric aircraft are becoming more prevalent in our skies, and they are currently being developed with short ranges and small payloads. Electric aircraft offer a solution for reducing the environmental impact of the NAS, and, as with advances in aircraft fuel efficiency, battery technology has continued to improve, advancing electric aircraft over time and reducing NAS emissions. Similar to integrating electric cars into the U.S. National Transportation System, an important question is: What is the environmental impact of integrating electric aircraft into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS)? This research proposes a methodology to quantify the environmental impact of the NAS by optimizing electric aircraft for inclusion in the NAS and then creating a “mixed” NAS comprising petrol and electric aircraft. This mixture then changes as battery technology improves. Results of this research show that for one day of aircraft operations in the U.S., with battery technologies of 250, 350, 500, 1000, and 2000 Wh/kg, 2.25%, 4.82%, 8%, 13.8%, and 14.81% of all petrol aircraft in the NAS can be replaced by electric aircraft, respectively. This mixed NAS leads to a total reduction in NAS emissions of 0.26% (161 mt of CO2), 0.688% (386 MT CO2), 1.14% (746 mt of CO2), 4.55% (2,017 mt of CO2), and 6.92% (2,744 mt CO2) for 250, 350, 500, 1000, and 2000 Wh/kg battery capabilities, respectively.

Continue reading Kade Davidheiser »

Assembling the genome of a bat (Epomophorus labiatus) with an XO sex determination system

Several members of the Pteropodidae family of bats are among the few mammals described without a Y chromosome. In these animals, sex is presumably determined by the dosage of the X chromosome. Additionally, bat genomes can reveal the genes involved with viral tolerance, as bats are notably asymptomatic to certain viruses. Therefore, we assembled the genome of a male epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus labiatus) using Pacbio HiFi reads and Hi-C sequencing data to generate chromosome-scale scaffolds. The resulting assembly spans 2.1 billion bases, with a BUSCO completeness score of 99.56%. With visualization tools PretextView and HiGlass, we manually curated the assembly into 17 autosomes and an X chromosome. Annotation was performed with TSEBRA, which integrates gene predictions from the TOGA2 and Stringtie pipelines. These annotations will enable us to perform comparative genomics to identify positively-selected immune-related genes across bat lineages. Additionally, we plan to obtain a karyotype from samples collected in Uganda to confirm the absence of a Y chromosome in this species. We are currently identifying the genes under selection that facilitate this XO sex determination, including genes found on autosomes that are present on Y chromosomes in other bat species. Ultimately, this work will increase our understanding of the evolution of mammalian sex determination and the evolutionary genomics of bat immunity.

Continue reading Ava Hendrix »

Development and Assembly of Plasmids for Biodegradable Plastic Using the Golden Gate Toolkit in Yarrowia Lipolytica

Reliance on single-use plastics continues to harm the environment as toxic chemicals leach into waterways, threatening plants, animals, and ecosystems. To help address this issue, I worked to develop a biodegradable plastic alternative that could reduce environmental damage while maintaining similar performance properties. My objective was to design and compare several plasmids to determine which would be most effective for producing biodegradable plastics. Using Benchling, I selected compatible components from the Yarrowia lipolytica Golden Gate Toolkit and combined them with PHB genes. I chose a diverse set of genetic parts to increase the likelihood that at least one plasmid design would successfully produce the target polymer. To guide my selections, I referenced the publication “A Modular Golden Gate Toolkit for Yarrowia lipolytica Synthetic Biology.” After finalizing the designs, I assembled the plasmids using Golden Gate assembly, which allows multiple DNA fragments to be joined in a single reaction. Each plasmid included inserts from three genes—PhaA, PhaB, and PhaC—which encode enzymes required for synthesizing polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a biodegradable polymer that can serve as an alternative to conventional plastics. I analyzed gene sequences in Benchling and designed forward and reverse primers for each insert. The genes were amplified using PCR and verified through gel electrophoresis. After several iterations, the plasmids were successfully assembled, transformed into competent cells, and confirmed through colony PCR to match the expected DNA lengths.

Continue reading Katelyn School »

Low-Frequency, Low-Intensity Ultrasound Increases Pro-Angiogenic Protein Secretion in 3D Macrophage-Endothelial Co-Cultures

Chronic wounds often stall in the inflammatory phase, creating a significant clinical burden. This study investigated Low-Frequency, Low-Intensity Ultrasound (LFLI US) as a non-invasive intervention to trigger the proliferative phase of healing by stimulating pro-angiogenic signaling. Researchers utilized a 3D porcine collagen scaffold to co-culture M1 macrophages and HUVECs, successfully simulating the complex wound microenvironment.

The experimental results confirmed that LFLI US significantly enhances the production of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), a protein essential for forming new blood vessels. Following a 15-minute exposure, all treated groups (50, 100, and 150 mW/cm²) showed elevated VEGF levels compared to the untreated control. While a clear dose-dependent response was observed between the 50 and 100 mW/cm² groups, a plateau occurred at 150 mW/cm². This suggests a biological saturation point, identifying 100 mW/cm² as the optimal therapeutic intensity for maximizing cellular response without diminishing returns.

Ultimately, these findings demonstrate that LFLI US can effectively shift the wound environment toward a pro-healing phenotype by modulating the behavior of key immune and vascular cells. This study provides a foundational framework for using ultrasound as a non-invasive tool to accelerate tissue regeneration. Future research will likely expand on these results by exploring macrophage polarization and testing more complex, clinically relevant models to further validate LFLI US as a viable treatment for chronic ulcers.

Continue reading Isaac Horst »