Undergraduate Summer Research Experience

Joel Ducoste, Cranos Williams, Ron Sederoff, Vincent Chiang

NCSU

Mark Melton St. Augustine College

Objectives

• Provide summer research experience in Plant Genomics

• Increase graduate related research opportunity to under-represented groups

Process

• Ad was placed at St Augustine’s College and North Carolina State University

• Ad was circulated to the biology, chemistry, and all engineering departments

• Several students expressed interest and resumes were reviewed.

Undergraduate Summer 2010 Research Results

• Two undergraduate students performed research – Mr Jamian Smith from St. Augustine’s College, Mr. Ransford Damptey

from NC State University. Mr Smith graduated from Engineering Mathematics. Mr. Damptey is a junior in Electrical Engineering.

Undergraduate Research:

• Simulated the metabolic pathway of yeast and compared the results to literature data

• Performed steady state analysis and Lyapunov Method for Region of Attraction

• Compared continuous Boolean approach to Michaelis-Menten Kinetics for metabolic flux analysis

Undergraduate 2011 Summer Research Results A representative integrated module in S. cerevisiae

Undergraduate 2011 Summer Research Results Glucose Activated Transcription factor Hot1

ATPc

Undergraduate 2011 Summer Research Results

Figure (left). Potential patterns for

phase portraits that describe the

influence of parameters on steady

state values

Figure (right). The phase portrait to

the left shows the relation of ATPn

and ADPn, and it’s stability within

the metabolic system.

Undergraduate 2011 Summer Research Results

Consider the first four reactions from the upper part of Glycolysis. The

image below displays reactions that balance the energy ATP and ADP

Undergraduate 2011 Summer Research Results

Law of Mass Action is applied this system to generate a series of

ODEs

Undergraduate 2011 Summer Research Results Modeling Continuous Boolean Equations

Convert a Directed Graph

A B

C

To Boolean logic

To Continuous Boolean logic

1

1

A B

BA ABC

n n

nn nn

AB

dC A B

dt BK A K

Activation Inhibition

Activation Inhibition

( , ) ( , ) !C f A B where f A B A and B

Undergraduate 2011 Summer Research Results Glucose 6-phosphate Fructose 6-phosphate

Fructose 1,6-biphosphate

Undergraduate Summer Research 2012

• Two new undergraduate students have been identified – Mr. Joaquin Green from St. Augustine’s College and Ms. Liya

Weldegebriel from NC State University. Mr. Green is a senior in Engineering Mathematics. Ms. Weldegebriel is a junior in Environmental Engineering.

• Students will be working on the modeling portion of the project

• Potential projects include: – Steady State Analysis of Regulatory Signaling model

– Steady State Analysis of Metabolic flux model

– Development and execution of Continuous Boolean Kinetic model

– Uncertainty and Sensitivity analysis of Continuous Boolean Kinetic model

NC STATE UNIVERSITY

Undergraduate Summer Research Experience

• Questions

• Questions

• Questions