Kalamazoo College

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND-INSTITUTIONAL PORTION FOR KALAMAZOO COLLEGE UNDER THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF,AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT

EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID GRANTS TO KALAMAZOO COLLEGE STUDENTS UNDER THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT

MECHANISM-BASED INHIBITION OF P450 2D6 BY A PIPERAZINE-CONTAINING COMPOUND

PROMOTING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SUCCESS IN STEM THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS, RESEARCH EXPERIENCES, MENTORING, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

KALAMAZOO SCHOLARS: EXPANDING AN ACTIVE SCIENCE PROGRAM THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS

RUI: EVOLUTIONARY ORIGINS OF BACE1 AND AMYLOID-BETA

SUBSTANCE USE AND PARTNER CHARACTERISTICS IN DAILY HIV RISK IN AFRICAN AMERICANS

LANGUAGES, STUDY ABROAD?AND INTERCULTURAL SKILLS: A PATH TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH [THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC IN LANGUAGE PROGRAMS AT KALAMAZOO COLLEGE. IT INCLUDES PLANS TO BRING SUSPENDED PROGRAMS BACK ONLINE AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO STUDENTS IN THE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT, WHERE WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A PREPAREDNESS GAP DUE TO A YEAR OF ONLINE CLASSES. THE PROJECT ALSO INTENDS TO BOLSTER THE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM AS IT CONTINUES TO RECALIBRATE ITS OFFERINGS AND PROCEDURES DURING THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES. THE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDY ABROAD AND ENROLLMENTS IN THE LANGUAGES MUST REMAIN HEALTHY IN THE LONG TERM. WITH AN EYE TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY, WE WILL ALSO ENGAGE IN INTENSE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CURRICULAR REFORM TO PIVOT TOWARD AN INTERCULTURAL APPROACH IN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE CURRICULA. THIS APPROACH WILL HIGHLIGHT THE VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTITUDES DEVELOPED BY STUDENTS IN THE HUMANITIES THAT WILL SERVE THEM IN ANY FUTURE PATH.] [PURPOSE:?THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO HIRE AND RETAIN FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTORS, TUTORS, AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS.  ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE COLLEGE WILL HIRE PART-TIME INSTRUCTORS IN ARABIC, MODERN HEBREW, ANCIENT GREEK, SPANISH, FRENCH, CHINESE, AND GERMAN, ALLOWING THESE COURSES TO BE OFFERED AND FOR TENURE-TRACK FACULTY TO FOCUS ON THEIR RESEARCH. STUDENT TEACHING ASSISTANTS AND PEER TUTORS WILL ASSIST WITH THESE COURSES AND WILL HELP CONFRONT AN ANTICIPATED PROFICIENCY GAP AMONG INCOMING STUDENTS.  EXPECTED OUTCOMES:?THE PROJECT WILL SUSTAIN THE COLLEGE?S INTERCULTURAL PROGRAMS, PARTICULARLY THE SECOND LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION THAT PREPARES STUDENTS TO STUDY ABROAD.   INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: CURRENT STUDENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE SUSTAINED LANGUAGE PROGRAMS, GIVING THEM THE CHANCE TO STUDY ABROAD. INCOMING STUDENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE ASSISTANCE FROM PEER TUTORS. FUTURE STUDENTS WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE CONTINUITY OF THE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM. TENURE-TRACK FACULTY WILL BENEFIT FROM CONTINUING THEIR RESEARCH WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. THE COLLEGE AS A WHOLE WILL BENEFIT FROM THE MAINTENANCE OF ITS INTERCULTURAL PROGRAMS WITHOUT INTERRUPTION.   SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES:?THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS. ]

RUI: MECHANISMS OF SPECIFICITY AND TOLERANCE IN A NEMATODE-BACTERIAL SYMBIOSIS

SYNTHESIS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF 5-HYDROXY-2-(2- PHENYLETHYLL)CHROMONE ANALOGUES - (7) PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT: GLUTAMATE (GLU) IS A KEY EXCITATORY NEUROTRANSMITTER OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) AND PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY, LEARNING AND MEMORY. WHEN SYNAPTIC CONCENTRATIONS OF GLU INCREASE BEYOND 1ΜM, OVERSTIMULATION OF GLU RECEPTORS INITIATES AN IRREGULAR RISE IN INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM LEADING TO A CASCADE OF NEGATIVE CELLULAR RESPONSES RESULTING IN NEURON DEATH. THIS PROCESS IS FORMALLY KNOWN AS GLUTAMATE EXCITOTOXICITY. GLUTAMATE EXCITOTOXICITY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE A COMMON PATHOLOGY IN GLAUCOMA, AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS, AND ALZHEIMER’S, PARKINSON’S, AND HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE. AS SUCH, APPROACHES DESIGNED TO PREVENT GLUTAMATE EXCITOTOXICITY WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE TREATMENT OF MANY NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS. 5-HYDROXY-2-(2- PHENYLETHYL)CHROMONE (5-HPEC) WAS SHOWN TO PREVENT GLUTAMATE EXCITOTOXICITY; HOWEVER, ITS MECHANISM OF ACTION IS UNKNOWN. STUDIES FROM OUR LAB HAVE REVEALED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT 5-HPEC CAN ACT AS A LOW AFFINITY 5- HT2B ANTAGONIST AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES NEURONAL LOSS IN A CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS (C. ELEGANS) MODEL OF GLUTAMATE EXCITOTOXITY. THE HYPOTHESIS FOR THIS PROPOSAL IS THE 5-HPEC SCAFFOLD CAN BE USED TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP SELECTIVE AND POTENT 5-HT2B ANTAGONISTS WITH IMPROVED NEUROPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY AGAINST GLUTAMATE INDUCED EXCITOTOXICITY. TWO AIMS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS. AIM 1: DESIGN, SYNTHESIZE AND CHARACTERIZE 5-HYDROXY-2-(3-PHENYLPROPYL)CHROMONE ANALOGUES AS 5-HT2B RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS. PRELIMINARY STRUCTURE ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIP STUDIES SHOWED C-2 ALKYL CHAIN HOMOLOGATION OF 5-HPEC TO 5-HYDROXY-2-(3-PHENYLPROPYL)CHROMONE (5-HPPC) IMPROVES AFFINITY AT 5-HT2B 10 FOLD. LIGAND DOCKING STUDIES OF 5-HPPC USING THE AVAILABLE 5-HT2B CRYSTAL STRUCTURE IDENTIFIED SIX POSITIONS ON THE 5-HPPC SCAFFOLD MOST LIKELY TO INFLUENCE BINDING AFFINITY. AIM 1A IS TO SYNTHESIZE 40 NEW ANALOGUES BASED ON RESULTS FROM THE MOLECULAR MODELING STUDIES. SYNTHETIC ROUTES EXECUTABLE BY UNDERGRADUATES HAVE BEEN DEVISED TO OBTAIN THE PROPOSED ANALOGUES. AIM 1B WILL DETERMINE THE AFFINITY, SELECTIVITY, AND FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY FOR THESE COMPOUNDS AT 5-HT2B. FOR COMPOUNDS WITH IMPROVED RECEPTOR PHARMACOLOGY OVER 5-HPPC FURTHER ASSAYS WILL BE USED TO CHARACTERIZE THEM AS AGONIST, PARTIAL AGONIST, OR ANTAGONIST AT 5-HT2B. AIM 2: DETERMINE NEUROPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF THE NEWLY SYNTHESIZED LIGANDS. USING AN ESTABLISHED C. ELEGANS MODEL OF GLUTAMATE EXCITOTOXICITY WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW ADMINISTRATION OF 5-HPEC AT 22MM SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES NEURONAL LOSS DUE TO GLUTAMATE EXCITOTOXICITY. THE GOAL OF THIS AIM IS TO EXAMINE THE NEUROPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF THE SYNTHESIZED COMPOUNDS IN THESE ANIMALS. IN AIM 2A THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF NECROTIC HEAD NEURONS PER ANIMAL WILL BE DETERMINED USING DIFFERENTIAL INTERFERENCE CONTRAST MICROSCOPY. IN AIM 2B DIFFERENCES IN LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY DUE TO NEURONAL LOSS BETWEEN TREATED AND UNTREATED ANIMALS WILL BE COMPARED. COMPOUNDS SHOWING IMPROVED LIGAND PHARMACOLOGY AT 5-HT2B SHOULD REDUCE NEURONAL LOSS AND IMPROVE LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY.

COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM

THE KALAMAZOO COLLEGE CAMPUS VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROJECT WILL ENHANCE CAMPUS-WIDE POPULATION-FOCUSED INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS AND PREVENT SEXUAL ASSAULT DATING/DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND STALKING.

LEAPS-MPS: SYNTHESIS OF PHOTOACTIVE MANGANESE COMPLEXES WITH CARBENE LIGANDS -IN THIS PROJECT MANAGED BY THE CHEMISTRY DIVISION AT NSF, PROFESSOR DANIELA ARIAS-ROTONDO AND HER STUDENTS AT KALAMAZOO COLLEGE WILL DESIGN, PREPARE, AND STUDY MANGANESE-BASED COMPOUNDS THAT COULD HAVE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS IN CONVERTING SOLAR ENERGY INTO ELECTRICITY. MANGANESE IS A LOW-COST, LOW-TOXICITY ALTERNATIVE TO THE MATERIALS CURRENTLY USED FOR THESE APPLICATIONS. STUDENTS OF VARIED BACKGROUNDS WILL WORK ON THIS PROJECT, CLOSELY MENTORED BY PROF. ARIAS-ROTONDO, WHO WILL ALSO ESTABLISH PEER-MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PROJECT PARTICIPANTS. ADDITIONALLY, PROF. ARIAS-ROTONDO WILL RE-DESIGN THE LABORATORY PORTION OF THE INORGANIC CHEMISTRY COURSE OFFERED AT KALAMAZOO COLLEGE TO GIVE STUDENTS A RESEARCH-LIKE EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASS. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL, SOME OF THE COMPOUNDS DEVELOPED IN THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE INORGANIC CHEMISTRY TEACHING LAB. THE PHOTOPHYSICS OF MANGANESE COORDINATION COMPLEXES IS AN UNDEREXPLORED RESEARCH AREA, AS IS THE ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY OF MANGANESE IN LOW OXIDATION STATES. PROF. ARIAS-ROTONDO AND HER STUDENTS AIM TO SYNTHESIZE CARBENE LIGANDS TO COORDINATE TO MANGANESE IN SEVERAL OXIDATION STATES AND CHARACTERIZE THE RESULTING COMPOUNDS THROUGH A COMBINATION OF NMR AND OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY, X-RAY DIFFRACTION, AND ELECTROCHEMISTRY. COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING WILL BE USED TO AID THE INTERPRETATION OF EXPERIMENTAL DATA, CREATING A MORE THOROUGH DESCRIPTION OF THE MOLECULAR AND ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF THESE COORDINATION COMPLEXES. THE PI SEEKS TO SYNTHETICALLY MODIFIED LIGANDS TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF SUBSTITUENTS ON THE PROPERTIES OF THE MN COMPOUNDS. THIS PROJECT COULD POTENTIALLY YIELD ROBUST PHOTOACTIVE MANGANESE COMPLEXES WITH CHARGE-SEPARATED EXCITED STATES THAT CAN BE ACCESSED WITH VISIBLE LIGHT AS WELL AS DESIGN PRINCIPLES TO PREPARE OTHER MN COMPOUNDS AND TAILOR THEIR PROPERTIES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

LEAPS-MPS: CROSS-LINKING PEPTOIDS FOR STABLE SELF-ASSEMBLY -IN THIS PROJECT, FUNDED BY THE MPS-LEAPS (LAUNCHING EARLY-CAREER ACADEMIC PATHWAYS) PROGRAM AND MANAGED BY THE BROADENING PARTICIPATION PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY (CHE-BP), PROFESSOR BLAKELY TRESCA AND HIS STUDENTS AT KALAMAZOO COLLEGE WILL PERFORM STUDIES FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING SELF-ASSEMBLED DIYNE PEPTOID NANOMATERIALS FOR SENSING APPLICATIONS. PEPTOIDS ARE SYNTHETIC POLYMERS THAT MIMIC THE STRUCTURE OF PEPTIDES AND CAN FORM SELF-ASSEMBLED NANOSTRUCTURES. THE WEAK NON-COVALENT INTERACTIONS THAT HOLD THE SELF-ASSEMBLED STRUCTURES TOGETHER AND THE NEED FOR PRECISE DESIGN OF THE SIDE-CHAIN INTERACTIONS ARE CHALLENGES IN THE GENERAL USE OF PEPTOID NANOMATERIALS. PROFESSOR TRESCA AND HIS STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP DIYNE PEPTOID MONOMERS TO CONTROL FOLDING, ACT AS CROSS-LINKERS IN NANOSTRUCTURES, AND FACILITATE SENSING OF ANALYTES. THE DEVELOPED SELF-ASSEMBLED NANOSTRUCTURES WILL BE USED AS PLATFORMS FOR COLORIMETRIC OR ELECTRICAL SENSORS. THEIR STUDIES COULD ADVANCE THE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF PEPTOID SELF-ASSEMBLY AND COULD LEAD TO THE DESIGN OF FUNCTIONAL PEPTOID SENSORS WITH INTEGRATED OPTICAL OR ELECTRICAL OUTPUT FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF SENSORS FOR ANIONIC OR NEUTRAL ANALYTES. THIS PROJECT WILL OFFER EARLY RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND MENTORSHIP FOR STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO DEVELOP THEIR SCIENCE IDENTITY, INCLUDING FROM GROUPS UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM. IN ADDITION, STUDENTS WILL WORK WITH MENTORS THROUGH WORKSHOPS ON APPLYING FOR GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS. PROFESSOR TRESCA AND HIS STUDENTS WILL SYNTHESIZE 1,3-DIYNE PEPTOIDS AND CHARACTERIZE THEIR REACTIVITY IN SELF-ASSEMBLED NANOSHEETS. THEY WILL DEVELOP METHODS TO SYNTHESIZE DIYNE PRECURSORS ON A GRAM SCALE AND TO PREPARE DIYNE PEPTOIDS USING AN AUTOMATED SYNTHESIZER. TOPOCHEMICAL POLYMERIZATION OF DIYNE PEPTOID NANOSHEETS WILL BE INITIATED WITH HEAT AND UV LIGHT. THE REACTIVITY OF DIYNE NANOSHEETS, AND PROPERTIES OF THE RESULTING MATERIALS, WILL BE MEASURED WITH IR AND UV-VIS SPECTROSCOPY, AS WELL AS DSC, AFM, AND DIC MICROSCOPY. SMALL MOLECULE MODELS WILL BE STUDIED TO UNDERSTAND THE SOLID-STATE PACKING AND REACTIVITY OF SPECIFIC MONOMERS WITH X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY AND NMR. THEIR RESEARCH WILL HELP TO DESCRIBE RATIONAL DESIGN RULES FOR DIYNE MONOMER STRUCTURES AND POLYMER SEQUENCES THAT MAY BE APPLIED TO DEVELOP STABLE NANOMATERIALS AS INTEGRATED SENSORS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

FY10 ONE TIME GRANT COMPETITION - COMPETITION A ---ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

RUI: PHOTODISSOCIATION DYNAMICS STUDIED BY VELOCITY-MAPPED ION IMAGING

RUI: CONFINED CHIRALITY TRANSFER IN ORGANIC POLYMERS: A COMBINATIONAL LIBRARY APPROACH

RUI: THE INTERACTION OF SCALE, HABITAT, AND DISPERSAL LIMITATION IN GREAT LAKES SHORELINE PLANT COMMUNITIES

HEATWAVES ARE FREQUENT AND INTENSE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. HOWEVER, WE HAVE A LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SUCH EVENTS AFFECT BEE SURVIVAL, DEVELOPMENT, AND FITNESS. THIS INFORMATION IS CRITICAL FOR GUIDING INFORMED MANAGEMENT DECISIONS AND PREDICTING IMPACTS TO POPULATIONS AND POLLINATION SERVICES FOR AGRICULTURE. MY PROJECT WILL QUANTIFY THE IMPACTS OF HEATWAVES ON AN IMPORTANT, MANAGED CROP POLLINATOR--THE BLUE ORCHARD BEE, OSMIA LIGNARIA. I WILL INVESTIGATE THE IMPACTS OF HEATWAVES ON TWO KEY STAGES OF EARLY DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THREE WESTERN POPULATIONS USED FOR CROP POLLINATION. I COMBINE FIELD AND LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS TO (1) DETERMINE THE IMPACTS OF HEATWAVES ON ORGANISMAL RESPONSES, SUCH AS DEVELOPMENT AND SURVIVAL, AND (2) IDENTIFY MOLECULAR MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH HEAT STRESS AND RESILIENCE. THIS RESEARCH IMPROVES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN (WITH RESPECT TO LIFE CYCLES), WHERE (WITH RESPECT TO GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION), AND HOW (AT THE ORGANISMAL AND MOLECULAR LEVELS) HEATWAVES IMPACT ORCHARD BEES. THIS SUPPORTS SUSTAINED POLLINATION SERVICES TO AGRICULTURE AND ENABLES FARMERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO PLAN FOR HEATWAVES.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: RUI: ETHICS OF CARE AND COMPOUNDED DISASTER

SCIENCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE THINK TANK

WORKSHOP ON COGNITIVE SCIENCE: THE COMPUTATIONAL PARADIGM