(9:00-9:15)
[9 - 180-269]: Metabolic Moonlighting: How Hom2 and Hom3 Bridge Metabolism and Chromatin Regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Chloe Khokhar1†★, Adi Netanel2★, Tyler Hendrick2†, Sage Byerrum1†, Jennifer K. Chik1†1 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 2 Department of Biological Sciences, †Frost Support, ★Speaker
Moonlighters are a class of multi-functional proteins challenging the longstanding “one protein, one function” paradigm. A moonlighter is broadly defined as a protein that can perform multiple distinct biological functions which cannot be attributed to gene fusion, duplication, or alternative splicing. The study of this important class has led to the discovery of alternative biological functions for proteins with well-known canonical roles. Our work investigates chromatin-based moonlighting roles for the enzymes aspartic $\beta$ semi-aldehyde dehydrogenase (Hom2) and aspartate kinase (Hom3) from the threonine biosynthetic pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. While well-characterized for their metabolic roles, this study has uncovered previously uncharacterized roles for these enzymes in both ribosomal DNA (rDNA) silencing and DNA damage repair. Comparison of single and double mutant phenotypes revealed a synergistic relationship between Hom2 and Hom3 within the rDNA silencing pathway, and current investigations are further characterizing the dynamics of silencing across single mutants. Hom2 and Hom3 catalytic mutants have also been generated, enabling deeper investigation of the reliance of threonine metabolic activity in chromatin-based roles. Understanding the moonlighting functions of these enzymes is essential to building a strong understanding of chromatin regulation in S. cerevisiae and highlights Hom2 and Hom3 as promising pharmaceutical targets. |
(9:15-9:30)
[10 - 180-269]: Effects of Intercropping Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus on the Growth of a Non-AMF Host, Radish (Raphanus sp.)
Hanna Waite★, Dena GrossenbacherDepartment of Biological Sciences, ★Speaker
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant symbiotic relationships date back to over 400 million years ago. AMF provide nutrients for the plant and, in return, AMF receives photosynthates. Agricultural practices today exploit this beneficial relationship with AMF to increase the quality of the crops. However, not all plants form relationships with AMF. The Brassicaceae family, which consists of key cultivated crops such as cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, mustard, turnips, and watercress, is widely recognized as a non-host for AMF. It is possible that intercropping a non-host plant with host plants could be beneficial. In this study, we are investigating if radish (Raphanus sp.), a non-mycorrhizal Brassicaceae species, can benefit indirectly by intercropping with an AMF-host and nitrogen-fixing Fabaceae plant (Phaseolus vulgaris). We will do this through a potting experiment, growing various combinations of radish, bush bean, and AMF. Understanding whether non-mycorrhizal crops can indirectly benefit from AMF through intercropping has important implications for informing agriculture practices. It can guide the design of more efficient cropping systems that improve nutrient cycling and enhance the productivity and resilience of economically important crops. |
(9:30-9:45)
[11 - 180-269]: Bioinformatics Capstone 2026: Building Bioinformatics Expertise Through Industry Collaboration
Kelly Nguyen1★, Genevieve Newstead1★, Gabrielle DeNonno1★, Larissa Firmansyah1★, Deeksha Radharaj1★, Paul Anderson2, Jean Davidson11 Department of Biological Sciences, 2 Computer Science and Software Engineering, ★Speaker
The Bioinformatics Minor at Cal Poly culminates in a distinctive two-quarter capstone experience that bridges academic training with real-world application. In this program, students partner directly with biotechnology, biopharma, and conservation organizations to design and execute authentic bioinformatics projects. Working with this year’s clients—Pheast, Bioglyph, Seagrant, Virgil, and Protean—students apply computational and analytical skills developed through their coursework to address meaningful, data-driven challenges like antibody discovery, population genomics, and biomarker predictions which will be discussed briefly in this presentation. The capstone emphasizes not only technical proficiency but also the professional competencies essential for success in the field. Students operate in small teams, managing project scope, timelines, and deliverables while maintaining regular communication with external partners. Through this process, they gain hands-on experience in project management, organization, collaboration, and client-centered problem solving—skills that are difficult to replicate in traditional classroom settings. Now in its sixth year, the capstone has grown substantially, expanding from an initial cohort of three students to twenty participants this year. This growth reflects both increasing student interest in applied bioinformatics and strong industry engagement. By integrating experiential learning with community and industry partnerships, the capstone provides mutual benefit: students graduate with practical experience and professional confidence, while partner organizations receive valuable insights and data analyses that advance their missions.
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(9:45-10)
[12 - 180-269]: Foraging Habitat Selection by American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata) in Vineyards Landscapes
Kevin Garcia Lopez★, Tim BeanDepartment of Biological Sciences, ★Speaker
The American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata) is a medium-sized raptor commonly found in agricultural landscapes where it uses nest boxes for reproduction and serves as a focal species for integrated pest management. Barn owl research in agroecosystems has focused on nest box occupancy metrics, prey selection, prey removal rates, and habitat selection. However, further research is needed to understand foraging habitat selection at fine spatial and temporal scales. To further advance our understanding of habitat use, we deployed GPS-loggers (1-Hz) equipped with accelerometers (50-Hz) on adult nesting owls (n=26) to track foraging behavior during the breeding season in vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California. We used a combination of fine-scale positioning and behavioral data to identify foraging flights and strike locations. We conducted microhabitat surveys at strike locations, used, and available points to evaluate the influence of habitat composition on foraging habitat selection. Preliminarily, barn owls appeared to strike in areas with lower crop height, but greater understory percent ground cover. These results can help winegrowers understand how barn owls use vineyard landscapes during the breeding season and also advance our knowledge on foraging behavior at fine spatial and temporal scales using GPS-positioning and accelerometry. |
(10-10:15)
[13 - 180-269]: Contemplating the call: Characterizing female northern elephant seal vocalizations
Mai Griffith1★, Gita Kolluru1, Maddie Schroth2, Heather Liwanag11 Department of Biological Sciences, 2 Department of Statistics, ★Speaker
Vocal communication has evolved in many species across different contexts, including conspecific aggression and parent-offspring recognition. In the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris, NES), a highly social species, vocalizations on land serve to support important life-history functions. NES females make threat calls to conspecifics and attraction calls to their pups. Previous research identified acoustically distinct pup-directed attraction calls produced by NES females. Although we know that female vocal behavior in NES is important for offspring survival, very few studies have examined the calls of female NES, and even fewer have investigated their individual or contextual variation. To address this knowledge gap, we aim to describe: 1) the female NES vocal repertoire; 2) call variability within and among individuals; and 3) variation in calls across behavioral contexts. To do this, we observe[HL2.1]d and record[HL3.1]ed female NES vocalizations at the Piedras Blancas breeding site (San Simeon, CA). We took opportunistic 30-minute recordings of dye-marked female NES (n=14) in situ and via GoPro video during the 2026 breeding season, noting associated behaviors of the focal female and the surrounding animals, such as agonistic encounters with conspecifics, defending pup from conspecifics, and pup attraction calls. We plan to record additional individuals during the 2027 breeding season. We isolated individual calls from the recordings and analyzed spectrograms to extract acoustic parameters (e.g., duration, amplitude, peak frequency, bandwidth, harmonics), yielding detailed characterizations of each call. We expect females to produce variants of both attraction and agonistic calls, with call usage and structure varying predictably with context. This study is the first comprehensive description of female NES vocalizations, filling a knowledge gap for an otherwise well-studied and ecologically important species.
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(10:15-10:30)
[14 - 180-269]: Molting mechanics: Characterizing surface temperatures during the initial molt of northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) pups
Rachel Survilas★§, Halley Carson†, Heather LiwanagDepartment of Biological Sciences, †Frost Support, §Santa Rosa Creek Foundation Support, ★Speaker
A vital life history stage for many animals is molting, or renewal of the outer layer (fur, feathers, skin, or exoskeleton). Like other pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, walrus), northern elephant seal (NES) pups are born with neonatal fur that they molt into a juvenile coat after weaning. The transition between pelts is likely to affect their thermoregulation, or ability to regulate their body temperature. One strategy available is to increase blood flow to specific body regions – called “thermal windows” – to help dump excess heat. The objectives of this study were: (1) to examine whether NES pups use thermal windows to facilitate their natal molt, and (2) to determine which environmental factors impact molting pup thermal profiles. We used a thermal imaging camera to take thermograms of NES pups at the Piedras Blancas rookery (San Simeon, CA) across the natal molt, and we recorded concurrent environmental variables (wind speed, air temperature, and solar radiation). We found that thermal windows were not associated with molted regions; windows were found primarily in low insulation areas (head and flippers) and randomly along the trunk. Wind speed negatively affected the presence of thermal windows, whereas ambient temperature and solar radiation positively impacted surface temperature of pups during their molt. This is the first study to investigate thermoregulation during the NES natal molt. Future work will compare these results to the molt of older age classes. |
(10:30-10:45)
[15 - 180-269]: Synthesis of Benzoxazole Inhibitors of Kinase CK2
Katherine Le★, Scott EagonDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, ★Speaker
Kinases are enzyme catalysts that allow the transfer of phosphate from ATP to serine, threonine, and tyrosine amino acids of their respective substrate proteins. Although a large number of kinases have been discovered, the biological roles of the majority of these kinases remain unknown. This along with the fact that kinase inactivity has been strongly
correlated to a number of human diseases has propelled research into better understanding kinase activity and developing small molecules that target these proteins. Success in targeting kinases is underscored by the fact that there are more than sixty FDA-approved kinase inhibitor drugs, and many studies have demonstrated that protein kinases are one of the most effective protein targets for drug therapeutics. Despite the breakthroughs in recent years, kinase potential still remains largely untapped, and a number of calls for contribution have been made. To answer this call, a composition of a public library of kinase activity, called the kinase chemogenomic set (KCGS), was recently disclosed to accelerate the synthesis and screening of drugs targeting kinase activity. With public access to the KCGS, many researchers are leveraging this resource to study biological function and therapeutic potential of many understudied kinases. As a part of this public effort, our group has focused on the synthesis of a benzoxazole compound that targets CK2, a human kinase whose upregulation is associated with several forms of cancer. In developing a procedure for the synthesis of drugs targeting this kinase, we hope to develop a library of potent and selective compounds that can later be screened as potential treatments for human diseases and added to the comprehensive public library of kinase inhibitors. |
(10:45-11:00)
[16 - 180-269]: Birch Reductions of Substituted 1-Arylbicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes
Arianna Ortiz★, Eva Voss★, Eric KantorowskiDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, ★Speaker
This experiment explores the application of Birch reduction to a series of 1-arylbicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes. The reactions were carried out under standard Birch conditions using sodium metal in liquid ammonia with ethanol at ?78 °C. Equipping the aromatic ring with an electron-donating group, it was predicted that the reduction would generate a cyclopropylcarbinyl radical intermediate which could initiate a rearrangement of the cyclopropane. Instead, the aromatic ring was reduced while the cyclopropane remained intact. Proton NMR analysis confirmed the unaltered cylcopropane, thus demonstrating its robustness under the Birch conditions. |