SMU students honored at Beta, Beta, Beta district meeting

WINONA, Minn. — Eight Saint Mary’s University biology students presented their research at the Iowa Academy of Science/Beta Beta Beta annual meeting, held at Central College in Pella, Iowa, April 28. The students, their advisors and research projects are:

Matt Bilski (Dr. Richard Kowles) “C4 photosynthetic efficiency in C3 oat plants containing maize chromosomes”;

Katie O’Brien (Dr. Kowles) “Determination of the activity of C4 photosynthetic enzymes in oat-maize addition lines”;

Katie Berg (Dr. Randy Krainock) “Insulin receptor response to chromium picolinate in murine myoblast cells”;

Abby Deckert (Dr. Kowles) “C 4 Photosynthetic enzymes are located in chloroplast of oat-maize addition lines”;

Jessica Voight (Dr. Jeanne Minnerath) “Sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus after repeated sublethal exposures of stellisept scrub antimicrobial agent”;

Ashley Karl (Dr. Krainock) “The effects whey proteins have on the actin fibrils in exercised female Mus musculus”;

Molly Dant (Dr. Kowles) “Cytological aspects of oat plants containing Zea Mays chromosomes”; and

Emily Bartusek (Dr. Phil Cochran) “Comparison of phosphorus levels in precipitation in adjacent rural and urban areas.”

Berg placed first in the Frank G. Brooks Awards for Oral Presentation, Voight placed second and Deckert placed third.

Also attending the meeting were Dr. Kowles, Dr. Minnerath and Dr. Debra Martin, Beta Beta Beta district director.