2019 SACNAS The National Diversity in STEM Conference THE RESEARCHER STUDENT RESEARCH PRESENTATION ABSTRACT BOOK THE OFFSETTER If you plan on printing this abstract book, please consider printing double-sided to conserve paper. 2019 SACNAS: The National Diversity in STEM Conference ABSTRACT BOOK Thursday, October 31, 2019 the positively charged arginine residues are important for 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM interacting with ADH and thus a decrease in the protective role of R9/25/30/54A when compared to wild-type DAFP-1. These studies are important to further understand the thermal protective Thursday Graduate Posters properties and mechanisms of AFPs that could lead to the screening of effective protectants for thermal labile proteins and THU - G1 Exploring Electron Rich Cobalt Complex As a the design of highly effective protectants. Potential Phip Catalyst. Discipline: Chemistry THU - G3 Chemical Evolution in the Milky Way: Rotation- Subdiscipline: Inorganic Chemistry Based Ages for Apogee–Kepler Cool Dwarf Stars Discipline: Physics & Astronomy Safiyah Muhammad*, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Subdiscipline: Astronomy and Astrophysics Alison Fout, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Abstract: Earth-abundant transition metal complexes have Zachary Claytor*, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai'i and recently gained much interest for their use as catalysts for the Jennifer van Saders, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai'i synthesis of fine chemical products. However, their widespread Abstract: Precise stellar ages are imperative in understanding the implementation currently trails less abundant and more toxic evolution of the Milky Way. Previous investigations of galactic second- and third-row transition metal congeners. One reason for evolution have relied on ages from isochrones, kinematics, or this is due to the intrinsic preference of late first-row metal asteroseismology, but these ages are unreliable or imprecise for complexes to undergo one-electron or radical chemical the most common, low-mass field stars. Rotation periods from transformations. The incorporation of strong-field ligand systems, Kepler and stellar parameters from the Apache Point Observatory such as phosphines and N-heterocyclic carbenes, into first-row Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) provide a rich dataset for transition metal complexes has led to an increased number of use in obtaining ages using gyrochronology, or rotation-dating, catalytic two-electron processes. Following this approach, new which is most useful for low-mass field stars. Combining APOGEE ligand derivatives of previously examined cobalt bis(carbene) spectroscopic temperatures and chemical abundances with Kepler complexes have been synthesized and characterized. Namely, rotation periods, we use models of stellar angular momentum electronic modifications of the ligand system were achieved evolution to determine ages for 796 stars in the APOGEE-Kepler through the incorporation of an electron withdrawing Cool Dwarfs sample. We investigate the impacts on age trifluoromethyl group and an electron donating tert-butyl group. inferences of including or neglecting detailed chemical abundance Metalation of the two ligands derivative, MesCCCtBu (MesCCCtBu = patterns as well as varying initial conditions. Under our model bis(mesityl-benzimidazol-2-ylidene)-4-tert-butylphenyl) and assumptions, the ages for our stars have a median relative MesCCCCF3 (MesCCCCF3 = bis(mesityl-benzimidazol-2-ylidene)-4- precision of 8%, which is better than other age determination trifluoromethyl), afforded the cobalt(III) complexes which were methods for similar dwarf star samples. Finally, we use our Mes R characterized. The carbonyl complexes, ( CCC )Co(CO)2 (R = inferred ages to investigate trends of α-element enhancement t Bu or CF3), were synthesized to examine the electronic effects with age, and consider their implication for galactic chemical the electron-withdrawing and -donating group exhibit on the evolution. metal center using IR spectroscopy. Furthermore, cobalt(I) Mes R Mes R analogues, ( CCC )Co(N2)PPh3 and ( CCC )Copy, were THU - G4 Tip of the Red Giant Branch Distances to Nearby synthesized and examined for the catalytic hydrogenation of Galaxies alkynes and alkenes. Preliminary results revealed that the Discipline: Physics & Astronomy electron withdrawing group gives rise to a less active Subdiscipline: Astronomy and Astrophysics hydrogenation catalyst. Lastly, mechanistic studies based on para- hydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) NMR spectroscopy revealed Gagandeep Anand*, University of Hawaii- Manoa; Brent Tully, that the electronic modification of the ligand system does alter University of Hawaii- Manoa and Luca Rizzi, W. M. Keck Observatory the process of cis hydrogenation followed by trans isomerization. Abstract: Our collaboration is interested in understanding the large-scale structure and dynamics of the local universe. Accurate THU - G2 Effects of Charged Residues on the Stabilization distances are a requirement for the reconstruction of the Role of Antifreeze Proteins on Alcohol Dehydrogenase individual motions of galaxies. One method that is becoming Discipline: Chemistry increasingly popular to determine distances to galaxies uses the Subdiscipline: Other Chemistry brightest red giant branch stars in a galaxy as a standard candle. This tip of the red giant branch technique has matured to the Yasmeen Solano*, California State University, Los Angeles and Xin point where we can reliably determine distances to within 5% for Wen, California State Univeristy, Los Angeles galaxies within 10 Megaparsecs (Mpc) with the Hubble Space Abstract: Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are found in many organisms Telescope. We report results from our ongoing work in which we that need to survive in subzero environments including bacteria, use these distances to disentangle galaxies from the Hubble Flow fish, plants, and insects. Previous studies have demonstrated the and retrieve the underlying peculiar velocity field. Our work presence of transcripts of AFP genes in a summer desert beetle highlights the main structural features present in the Local Microdera punctipennis, where its AFPs (MpAFPs) have a thermal Volume, along with their peculiar motions. In the near future, the protective function. In our previous study, we demonstrated the James Webb Space Telescope will allow us to extend this work out thermal stability and the thermal protective function of an AFP to 40 Mpc. This greatly increases the number of galaxies for which isoform from Dendroides canadensis (DAFP-1). Alcohol we can obtain precise distances. This will also allow us to dehydrogenase (ADH) is a group of dehydrogenase enzymes that establish a direct linkage with distances obtained from surface occur in many organisms and facilitate the interconversion brightness fluctuations, allowing us to determine the value of the between alcohols and aldehydes with the reduction of Hubble constant with a completely independent technique from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to NADH. When ADH is what is done at the present. placed under thermal stress it easily loses its enzymatic activity. Studies found DAFP-1 to have a thermal protective role when THU - G5 The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment interacting with ADH at varying temperatures. In this study we will and the Protodune Detectors look at how the positively charged arginine residues will influence Discipline: Physics & Astronomy this newly found thermal protective role by using R9/25/30/54A, a Subdiscipline: Physics DAFP-1 mutant where positively charged arginine residues in DAFP-1 was replaced by alanine residues. We hypothesize that 2 of 178 2019 SACNAS: The National Diversity in STEM Conference consumption, and intentional exercise. PCA constructed 23 Casandra Morris*, University of Houston and Lisa Koerner, University patterns from 120 foods and beverages, with a cross-validated of Houston root mean squared error (RMSE) of 4.93. PLS summarized the Abstract: Neutrinos are the most abundant matter particles in the data with only two diet patterns (RMSE=4.91). SPLS also identified universe; despite this they are one of the most mysterious. We two patterns, but only required 11 variables to do so (RMSE=4.94). know that there are 3 different types, or flavors, of neutrinos and SPLS’s first diet pattern described hamburger and diet soda that as each of these flavors travel they have the ability to change, intake, both positively associated with BMI. The second pattern or oscillate, into a different flavor. By exploring the phenomenon summarized unfried potato and wine consumption, both of neutrino oscillation there is the possibility of unlocking some of negatively associated. The remaining foods in the SPLS model the secrets of the origin of matter, such as, why is there more were positively (lettuce, steak, ham, and fries) or negatively (sweet matter as opposed to antimatter in the universe? The Deep potatoes, nuts, and sugar in coffee/tea) associated with BMI. We Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) plans to build a 40 kt have illustrated that by using outcome data and variable liquid argon detector a mile underground and 1300 km away selection, SPLS creates more interpretable diet patterns because from our neutrino source. This gives enough distance for the it uses fewer patterns and foods without much loss of predictive neutrinos we create to oscillate, and the distance underground ability for the outcome, as measured by RMSE. will provide enough cover to protect