Human interaction, in the form of urbanization, has been rapidly altering natural environments, leading to phenotypic changes in endemic species. A trait of interest is claw morphology, which aids in the movement and overall survival of lizards in both urban and natural environments. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the difference in claw morphology between populations of urban and natural Texas spiny lizards (Sceloporus olivaceus), a species commonly seen in both environments. S. olivaceus were collected from both environments in Texas, and high-resolution images were taken of the claw on the fourth finger (largest finger) on both the arm and leg. A full curvature analysis was conducted utilizing the image processing software FIJI along with the Kappa plugin. To compare and test for differences in overall claw curvature between the two populations, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted using R. Body size (snout-vent length) and sex were considered as covariates. This research contributes to the growing field of evolutionary ecology by examining whether morphological changes occur under the pressures of urbanization. Understanding these changes in species can provide insight into how urbanization affects their ability to adapt, which can hopefully aid in the development of more effective conservation practices and the preservation of natural habitats.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that poses serious health concerns in both athletic and clinical settings. It is often found in high-contact sports, such as football and wrestling, where skin-to-skin contact and shared equipment increase the transmission of bacteria. However, little research has been done on the presence of MRSA in lower-contact sports like baseball and softball. This study aims to find out the potential presence of MRSA and related bacteria across collegiate baseballs and softballs. To address this, the prevalence of Staphylococcus colonies on collegiate baseballs and softballs was measured. This was accomplished by swabbing and culturing the samples on Mannitol Salt Agar to promote the growth and identification of Staphylococcus colonies. Colonies were restreaked for isolation and tested for mannitol fermentation (color change), gram staining (cell type), and cell morphology. Confirmatory testing included antibiotic resistance using oxacillin discs and coagulase activity. Many isolated samples showed characteristics consistent with Staphylococcus, including mannitol fermentation, gram-positive staining, and cocci morphology. Despite this, all isolates tested negative for coagulase activity, indicating none were Staphylococcus aureus. However, one isolate showed no zone of inhibition in the oxacillin test, but this is most likely attributed to the isolate being gram-negative, making it unsusceptible to oxacillin to begin with. Staphylococcus isolates were often found on most sampled baseballs and softballs. Ongoing testing comparing high-contact surfaces on campus will help to assess the broader presence of MRSA in community environments.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to global health, and some of the most difficult bacteria, according to the CDC, to combate are ESKAPE pathogens. These bacteria are common in hospitals and long-term care facilities, where they pose serious risks to patients with weakened immune systems. As traditional antibiotics are becoming less effective, scientists are exploring natural alternatives. One of the interests to our lab are tomatoes who are known for their natural acidity and for containing antimicrobial properties. These two attributes make it hard for bacteria to survive. In our study, we created red and green tomato extracts and tested them in their ability to inhibit the safe relatives of ESKAPE pathogens. In our experiments, we found that our red tomato extract formulation had stronger antibacterial effects and was able to inhibit some of our tested safe relative ESKAPE pathogens. We also were able to see that through heat inactivation, our extract's ability to inhibit the safe relative ESKAPE pathogens decreased. This suggests that the potential antimicrobial products becomes inactive/denatured in high heat environments. These results fit into a larger trend described in the literature that many plant-based compounds show promise against drug-resistant bacteria and should be further explored to help compbate the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. We hope that our research can lead to a natural compounds that could help develop new ways to treat bacteria infections.

Aging is a universal component of biology. Research on variation in aging has identified both genetic and environmental factors. In addition, this research has helped to identify interventions, such as calorie restriction, that can extend lifespan. However, the molecular mechanisms by which environmental exposure influence variation in aging are still largely unknown. We used Daphnia as a model organism to study environmental elements of aging. Daphnia are well known for their ability to respond to environmental changes and predatory cues. The purpose of this study was to determine if predation cues could affect longevity in Daphnia lumholtzi. To do this, we tracked survivorship of the 4th generation of Daphnia lumholtzi reared in artificial lake media with or without fish conditioning. We found that Daphnia lumholtzi treated with fish media had a lower mortality rate than control Daphnia lumholtzi, and the first 10 days showing the most significant difference in mortality rate. This suggests that predatory cues impact survivability at different life stages in Daphnia lumholtzi. These findings set the stage for subsequent research examining the role of differential gene expression in mediating the environmental effect on longevity.