AWARDS

Each year, the awards structure of the symposium is determined by the faculty planning committee. Changes do occur from year to year based on faculty preferences and student feedback. The evaluation criteria are available: 2024 Winchell Symposium: Oral Presentation Judge Feedback and 2024 Winchell Symposium: Poster Presentation Judge Feedback.

2024 Judges’ Choice Awards

Oral Presentations

INHIBITION OF COLIPHAGE T4rIIΛB REPLICATION USING Moringa oleifera SEED EXTRACT. Megan Drayna and Jeanne Minnerath (Advisor), Department of Biology, St. Mary's University of Minnesota, Winona, MN.

REPEAT METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE EXPOSURE ALTERS THE INFLAMMATORY POTENTIAL OF MURINE SKIN FIBROBLASTS. Oliver G. Lagasse and Elena Tonc (Advisor), Department of Biology, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN.

DETERMINING THE IMPACT OF EXERCISE ON WOMEN’S BRAIN FOG. Natalie A. Mathews and Aaron Aslakson (Advisor), Department of Biological & Health Sciences Crown College, St. Bonifacius, MN.

ASSESSMENT OF GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING AND FUNCTIONAL PRIORITIZATION OF NUCLEAR ENVELOPE GENES IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. Emma S. Schuster and Claudia C. Preston (Advisor), Department of Biology, St. Mary's University of Minnesota, Winona, MN.

IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL SECONDARY METABOLITES FROM WASTEWATER BACTERIA USING COMPARATIVE GENOMICS. Alena C. Wadzinske, Justin J. Donato (Advisor), and Cassandra McCorison (Advisor), Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN.

Poster Presentations

EFFECTS OF MUTATION P126E AND P126R IN WATERMELON GLYOXYSOMAL MALATE DEHYDROGENASE (WGMDH). Lois J. Campbell, Mirnesa Delic, Finn J. Melchior, and Betsy Martinez-Vaz (Advisor), Department of Biology and Biochemistry Program, Hamline University, St. Paul, MN.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF DENTAL ANOMALIES AND PATHOLOGY IN WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus Virginaus). Tessa B. Danielson, Sophia R. Tobin, and Joseph C. Whittaker (Advisor), Department of Biology, Concordia College – Moorhead, Moorhead, MN.

ASSESSING MICROPLASTIC CONCENTRATIONS IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACTS AND FECAL MATTER OF TREE AND GROUND SQUIRRELS (Sciuridae) FOUND IN URBAN AND RURAL HABITATS, Yuden Dorji, Sharon Mac-George Nwabia, Favziya Rasulova, Fatima Mohammed, Mubina Rasul, and Joseph Whittaker (Advisor), Department of Biology, Concordia College – Moorhead, Moorhead, MN

STANDARDIZING THE EX OVO CAM PLATFORM: IMPROVING VIABILITY WITH NOVEL VESSEL DESIGN AND WATER SUPPLEMENTATION. Makenna Berger, Carson Krefft, Ryan Lee, Rachel Novak, and Mong-Lin Yang (Advisor), Department of Science, Concordia University - St. Paul, St. Paul, MN.

REIMAGINING A BETTER VESSEL FOR EX-OVO CHORIOALLANTOIC MEMBRANE CHICK EMBRYO ASSAYS. Abby Lewerenz, Makenna Berger, Jarrid Pizel, Julian Yang, and Mong-Lin Yang (Advisor), Department of Science, Concordia University - St. Paul, St. Paul, MN.

VEGF AND NRP-1 NEURAL EXPRESSION IN CD-1 MICE EXPOSED IN UTERO TO ATRAZINE. Elle Petersen, Nina Langley, and Debra Martin (Advisor), Department of Biology, St. Mary's University of Minnesota, Winona, MN.

IDENTIFYING CANDIDATE DRUGS TO TREAT RARE TYPES OF MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY. Brenna A. Powers, Nathaniel P. Mohar, Benjamin E. Hinz, Hailey McCoy-Munger, and Lori L. Wallrath (Advisor), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

CORRELATION BETWEEN MORPHOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT IN EURASIAN PERCH, Perca Fluviatilis, AND YELLOW PERCH, Perca Flavescens (Pisces: Percidae). Briella Schmidt, Alyssa Snider, James Le, Sophie Higgs, and Takashi Maie (advisor), Department of Biology, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN.

GOOD GALL-Y! FIELD PREVALENCE OF GALL-FORMING INSECTS IN CARVER COUNTY, MINNESOTA. Joel W. Swanberg and Trevor Vannatta (Advisor), Department of Biological & Health Sciences, Crown College, St. Bonifacius, MN.

COMPARING BIODIVERSITY OF SMALL MAMMAL SPECIES IN REMNANT AND RESTORED PRAIRIE HABITATS. Katie P. Waugh and Joseph C Whittaker (Advisor), Department of Biology, Concordia College – Moorhead, Moorhead, MN