Turbulent flows with suspended, non-spherical particles are common in many natural and industrial processes. To identify the effects of anisotropic geometry on particle dynamics, a one-way coupled Lagrangian direct numerical simulation solver was written, verified, and used to collect data on particles simulated in multiple flows. This thesis explains the...
T. pseudonana biosilica and live cells was explored as a biosensor for detection of the explosive compound 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in aqueous solution. The diatom frustule is an intricately nanostructured, highly porous biogenic silica material derived from the shells of microscopic algae called diatoms. This material emits strong visible blue photoluminescence...
There is significant evidence that an increase in social media usage causes changes to mood and feelings about the self. It has also been found that there is a significant relationship between the extent of social media usage consumption and self-perception. Mimicking social media exposure, I focused on how participants...
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline porous material distinguished for high free empty volume and pore tunability. MOF-74(Ni) was previously shown to be effective in adsorbing carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen. Microwave-assisted synthesis of MOF-74(Ni) was shown to lower reaction time from days to hours. In this thesis, experimental conditions of...
As new cost-effective cultivation methods are needed for macrophytic red algae, this experiment expands upon a previously studied land-based approach. The experiment aimed to determine how the fluid dynamics of a previously researched land-based method affected the growth of the macrophytic red alga, Gracilaria Vermiculophylla. A clonal culture of G....
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has potential applications as a low-cost catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Defects on MoS2, such as edge sites and sulfur vacancies, are known to be the major active sites for HER. Controlling the formation of these defects allows for the enhancement in reactivity of MoS2...
Water-soluble quantum dots obtained through ligand exchange are widely applicable for biological imaging and marking, LEDs, and photovoltaics. Lipoic acid (LA) was reduced to dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) using 365-nm soft UV light in a process known as photoligation, and ligand exchange with dodecanethiol-capped CuInS₂-ZnS core-shell quantum dots occurred. The reaction...
Although thousands of volunteers from the United States go abroad each year to teach English, many are unprepared for their experiences. Undergraduate students teaching in a foreign country seem to lack training in educational methodology or foreign relations that would prepare them for teaching and living abroad. This project was...
The symbiotic sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana (Aiptasia) is a model organism used to better understand cnidarian-algal symbiosis and coral bleaching (dysbiosis). Many biological processes are hypothesized to be involved in coral dysbiosis, and the innate immunity is a key area of interest. Rab proteins are small proteins with GTPase domains,...
Childhood obesity is an extensively research topic as it effects a large number of individuals and has serious consequences on those effected. Current statistics estimate roughly 17% of the youth population is now obese. However, the spread of these cases is not equally distributed. Certain populations are at increased risk...