- chemistry
- Class of 2017
- Eldora, IA
Jaelyn Daggs-Olson Participates in Buena Vista University's Twelfth Annual Scholars Day
2016 May 6
Buena Vista University's (BVU) twelfth annual Scholars Day was held Friday, April 22. The event provided students from all disciplines an opportunity to present their best presentations, original research, academic posters, artistic creations and performances to their peers, professors and the public.
This year's Scholars Day event featured 38 presentations from 66 students, exploring topics from literature and business to science and history.
Jaelyn Daggs-Olson , a senior chemistry major from Eldora, was one of the students who participated. Daggs-Olson 's presentation was titled Contribution of the Influenza Virus NS1 Effector Domain to Secondary Bacterial Infection Susceptibility, and the project's abstract is as follows:
The common flu is caused by the influenza virus, and this virus weakens the immune system to allow for secondary bacterial infections. In the Huber lab, their particular interest is secondary bacterial pneumonia, caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. From previous research in the Huber lab, the NS gene in the influenza virus genome has been linked as a contributor to secondary infections. They have identified two distinct viruses that differ in BVU Scholars Day 2016 PAGE 5 the production of NS1, and have observed that the NS1 gene in the TX98 virus allows the animals to survive a secondary infection. However, the NS1 gene from the PR8 virus predisposes the animal to death due to the secondary bacterial infection. The NS1 gene is approximately 230 amino acids long, and it is composed of three major regions. These regions are the RNA-binding domain, the Effector domain, and the C-terminal domain. This project involves creating a virus that differs in the effector domain, with the goal of determining the influence this region has towards susceptibility to secondary infections.
The keynote speaker for the event was Grant Gerlock, BVU Class of 2004, who is a Harvest Public Media reporter at NET News. Gerlock is recognized as a great storyteller and has visited coal plants, dairy farms, horse tracks and hospitals to cover a variety of stories.
"The students put so much into their research-time, effort, resources-that it becomes a part of them," said Dr. Steven Mills, assistant professor of Spanish and chair of the events committee who organized the event. "As they give their presentations and share their knowledge with the audience, their countenance brightens, their confidence rises and their eyes light up. What has become a part of their identity flows out with energy and enthusiasm; they feel like they have truly succeeded, and this success can be valuable to others, as well. I have seen every student walk away with a firmer step and a deeper desire to turn his or her academic work into something more."
A photo gallery from the Scholars Day event is available at www.bvu.edu/scholarsday.