Glioblastoma Multiforme and the Cancer Stem Cell Model Ellen Tuck 39
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Trinity Student Scientific Review | Volume V TS SR Trinity Student Scientific Review Volume V i Published by the Trinity Student Scientific Review c/o Faculty of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, Trinity College, Dublin 2 Republic of Ireland. All rights reserved. Copyright © contributors to the Trinity Student Scientific Review 2019 All views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or sponsors. This journal claims no special rights or privileges. Print managed by Custodian Cover by Tigran Simonian Photography by Tigran Simonian, David Simonian and Dale Chen The TSSR logo created by Ger Walsh at Magnet Design in 2014. The Trinity Student Scientific Review is also available online at http://trinityssr.com Inquiries at [email protected] ii TS SR The Trinity Student Scientific Review is kindly sponsored by The Faculty of Engineering, Mathematics and Science Trinity College Dublin iii Sponsorships The entire editorial board of TSSR would like to take a moment to convey our profound gratitude in the dili- gence, patience, and hard work of all the Faculty of the Engineering, Mathematics, and Science in Trinity Col- lege Dublin. Without their support, Volume V would not have been possible. iv With Thanks to: TCD Association & Trust With Thanks to: IdentiGEN v TSSR Volume V Committee Back Row (L to R): Tigran Simonian, Natalie Ness, Kathryn Yeow, Ciarán Ó Cuív, Maxime Deckers Front Row (L to R): Alva Casey, Danielle Olavario, Aislinn O’Brien Right Insert: Ronan Treanor General Manager Danielle Olavario Deputy General Manager Tigran Simonian Financial Officer Aislinn O’Brien Life Sciences Editor Alva Casey Assistant Life Sciences Editor Ronan Treanor Assistant Life Sciences Editor Natalie Ness Chemistry Editor Kathryn Yeow Natural Sciences Editor Ciarán Ó Cuív Physics Editor Maxime Deckers vi Prize-Winning Reviews Best Overall Review Auroral Radio Emission: A Potential Method for the Direct Detection of Exoplanets Niamh Feeney Best Natural Sciences Review Not with a Bang but with a Whimper: Plant Evolution During Mass Extinctions Jessie Dolliver Best Chemistry Review Electrospinning and the Redox Flow Battery: a Fabrication Method for Biomass-derived Electrodes Lia Grogan Best Life Sciences Review The Gut-Brain Axis in Mental Health and Parkinson’s Disease Áine McCabe Best Fresher Review Structure, Function and Pathogenic Mutations of Mitochon- drial Complex I: Implications for Human Disease Jane Cook vii Acknowledgements Life Sciences Editor Alva Casey Assistant Life Sciences Editors Ronan Treanor Natalie Ness Life Sciences Peer Reviewers Chloe Choi, Joseph O’Callaghan, Elaine Dempsey, Niamh Mohan, Arnas Petrauskas, Conor Rossi, Daniel Fortunati Natural Sciences Editor Ciarán Ó Cuív Natural Sciences Peer Reviewers Fionn Ó Marcaigh, Paula Tierney, Cian White Chemistry Editor: Kathryn Yeow Chemistry Academic Advisor: Dr. Mike Southern Chemistry Peer Reviewers: Mike Southern, Mike Lyons, Isabel Rozas, Peter Dunne, Mathias Senge viii Physics Editor: Maxime Deckers Physics Academic Advisor: Dr. David McCloskey Physics Peer Reviewers: Dr. David McCloskey, Hugh Manning, Robert Kavanagh, Calin Hrelescu TS SR ix Trinity Student Scientific Review Vol. V Life Sciences Letter from the Editors 1 Structure, Function and Pathogenic Mutations of Mitochondrial Complex I: Implications for human disease Jane Cook 5 A Glial Perspective: The Role of Astrocytes in Alzheimer’s Disease Cliona Farrell 17 Eradication of Measles Virus Laura Hennelly Mc Carthy 27 Glioblastoma Multiforme and The Cancer Stem Cell Model Ellen Tuck 39 The Use of BiKEs and TriKEs as a Cancer Immunotherapy Cathal Keane 51 x Trinity Student Scientific Review Vol. V Contents The Gut-Brain Axis in Mental Health and Parkinson’s Disease Áine McCabe 63 Polygenic Risk Scores and Complex Disease Iseult Jackson 73 An Integrative Neuroscientific Evaluation of Social Motivation and Reward Áine Heffernan 83 xi Trinity Student Scientific Review Vol. V Natural Sciences Letter from the Editor 93 Ventifacts: Where Form Meets Function Maria Cordero 97 Not with a Bang but with a Whimper: Plant Evolution During Mass Extinctions Jessie Dolliver 105 xii Trinity Student Scientific Review Vol. V Contents Chemistry Letter from the Editor 115 Cyclic Peptide Therapeutics: A Brief Overview Susie Calvert 119 Electrospinning and the Redox Flow Battery: a Fabrication Method for Biomass-derived Electrodes Lia Grogan 131 Pt(IV) Complexes as Prodrugs for Traditional Pt(II) Drugs Aoife Donaghy 143 Photon Upconversion by Triplet Photosensitiser Complexes Luke Doolan 155 xiii Trinity Student Scientific Review Vol. V Physics Letter from the Editor 169 Flexible Electronics and the Pre-Strain Strategy: A Positive Side to Wrinkling Lucy Prenderville 173 Auroral Radio Emission: A Potential Method for the Direct Detection of Exoplanets Niamh Feeney 185 Recent Research on Phase Change Material Vanadium Dioxide Jill Ivers 195 Worth its Salt? A Study of Salinity Generated Energy and its (Electrical) Current Challenges Pierce Sinnott 205 xiv TS SR Trinity Student Scientific Review Vol. II Welcome We live in a scientific golden age. There are breakthroughs almost every day which develop our understanding of every topic imaginable. However, we also live in a new era of antiscience activism. Our society’s trust on science and its experts has eroded to the point that fake news and “alternative facts” have become part of our vernacular. Many have become cynical of the scientific process and therefore its discoveries; many climate change deniers, for example, hold political power and determine policy, while the anti-vaccination movement endures, as is reflected by the fact that measles outbreaks have been reported all around the world in the first three months of 2019. In the very first Trinity Student Scientific Review published in 2015, general managers Johnny Deane & Georgia O’Sullivan said that TSSR aims to “provide Trinity science undergraduates with an opportunity to bridge the gap between their degree and the research-driven world of science.” A lot has changed in this publication and in the state of the world since 2015, but this core mission remains the same. In 2019, TSSR aims to allow science to be more accessible not only to science undergraduates but also to the wider college community. TSSR is our attempt to cut through the noise in whatever way we can and allow for science to be more inclusive. The fifth volume of Trinity Student Scientific Review would not have been possible without a few people. First, our sincerest thanks to Dean Vinny Cahill and the Faculty of Engineering, Maths and Science, for their unwavering support and faith in the TSSR team. We also owe an enormous debt of gratitude to this year’s sponsors, Identigen and TCD Trust. I would also like to thank Gemma Mortell, last year’s general manager, and the rest of TSSR Volume IV team for their support. Lastly, this review would not have been achieved without this year’s phenomental team: Tigran Simonian, Aislinn O’Brien, Alva Casey, Natalie Ness, Ronan Treanor, Kathryn Yeow, Maxime Deckers and Ciarán Ó Cuív. Thank you all so much for your hardwork. It is with immense pride that we bring to you Trinity Student Scientific Review Volume V Danielle Olavario General Manager, Trinty Student Scientific Review Vol. V xvi Trinity Student Scientific Review Vol. IV Welcome TS SR xvii 1 Life Sciences TS SR 2 Letter from the Editors Letter from the Editors The Life Sciences section consists of a collection of reviews that en- compass a broad spectrum of topics. These reviews showcase the diversity of the biological moderatorships that are undertaken by students here in Trinity College. As such, you will find that this sec- tion includes reviews on research in areas of microbiology, genet- ics, immunology and more. The enthusiasm and passion of Trinity students for the life sciences is evident in both the volume of sub- missions that we received and also in the quality of the reviews, for which the authors should be highly commended. Research in the life sciences is vital to advances in medicine and continues to improve human health and living standards. The re- views published in this, the fifth year of Trinity Student Scientific Review’s life sciences section, is a reflection of this statement. The editorial board for the life sciences section selected reviews that cap- tured the cutting-edge research being conducted in diverse fields of study. The authors have successfully presented comprehensive and informed reviews that are indicative of critical scrutiny of the cur- rent scientific thinking and literature. The outstanding quality of the reviews published in this year’s life sciences section is a testament to the ability and talent of the authors. The editorial process was directed by the advice and guidance of a team of peer reviewers. We would like to express our gratitude to all the peer reviewers whose input and support were invaluable in bringing the life sciences section to fruition. We would also like to thank all the students who prepared a submission for publication. The diligence shown by those students who undertook the difficult task of evaluating complex fields of research is admirable. This com- mitment to and passion for research is a clear reflection of the aca- demic drive that is encouraged in Trinity. Effective scientific communication is a critical skill for any science graduate regardless of whether or not they pursue a career in scien- 3 Trinity Student Scientific Review Vol. V Life Sciences tific research. The ability to convey complex experimental evidence and summarise exciting and every expanding research fields in a short review requires a combination of brevity and clarity that is demonstrated in all the published reviews. There is no doubt that all the authors that took part in the editorial process have improved their scientific writing. This skill will be of great benefit to them in their academic future. It has been a pleasure to serve on the editorial board for the life sci- ences section.