Morgan Whitlow is still a year away from her a bachelor’s degree in biology, but she’s already working with fellow researchers at Arkansas’s medical school working on a method to attack deadly staph infections with atomic-size silver nanospheres.

“My project is on silver nanoparticle synthesis. What I have done is modify silver nanospheres and by modifying one of the chemicals in the formula – a polymer –and increasing the amount of that chemical, I’ve gone from nanospheres to nanowires,” she said.

So what can those particles do?

“My silver nanoparticles are going to be used in collaboration with UAMS and will be used with antibodies targeting staph bacteria,” she said. “The antibody will then dock with the bacteria, which will take in the silver nanoparticle which you can target with a laser, heating up the particles until they tear the bacteria apart, leaving the surrounding flesh unharmed. Dead bacteria; living flesh.”

She explained her extraordinary project this week at UALR’s Undergraduate Research Expo that displayed to astounded passers by the intellectual depth these students are exploring.

She and a ballroom full of undergrads stood by their displays explaining their research on Monday, April 26, Undergraduate Research Expo, an annual event where students from freshman to seniors show off their intellectual endeavors.

Whitlow, a junior from Hot Springs majoring in biology, won third place in the category of Interdisciplinary Research. Second place went to speech communication student Amada Wells of Benton for her case study exploring the ups and downs of friendship between friends and how it changed over a period of time.

Nursing students Jennifer Bowe and Joyce Diemer, both from Little Rock, won First Place in the category with their quantitative and qualitative research presenting the difference between late-preterm and term infants with respect to cost, risk factors, and common mordidities with the purpose of developing a standard set of care guidelines for these infants.

“It is truly amazing the quality of intellectual ability these students are displaying,” said Dr. Patrick Pelicane, dean of UALR’s Graduate School and vice provost for research, said at the awards ceremony. “We’ve got some freshmen in the mix here.”

The Expo showcases and encourages research by UALR undergraduates in all disciplines. Applicable research includes senior theses, honor projects, independent study projects, course projects, and more. The Expo provides a venue for students to exchange ideas in a professional setting.

First, second, and third-place awards were awarded in each category: Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Technology, Mathematics, Engineering, Physical Science, Life Sciences, and Interdisciplinary/Other.

Top projects will be nominated for presentation in Washington, D.C., at the annual “Posters on the Hill” event organized by the Council on Undergraduate Research.

For more information about the Expo, contact Dr. Dale Zacher, assistant professor in the School of Mass Communication at 501-569-3250 or dezacher@ualr.edu.

Here is a full list of this year’s winners:

Engineering:

1.       “A Portable Solar Powered Beverage Cooler” by Eric Jackson of Conway, Engineering Technology.

2.       “Development of Pediatric Nasal Airway Models for Evaluation of Inhalation Toxicology and Therapeutic Aerosol Delivery” by Robert Newcomb of Benton, Systems Engineering.

3.       “A Photolitography technique for a Miro-Cantilever Beam” by Heather Keathley of North Little Rock, Systems Engineering.

4.       Quickest Opportunity Detection in Cognitive Radio Systems by Sharonda Harmon of Little Rock, Computer Systems Engineering.

Arts:

1.       “A Historical and Iconographical Analysis of the Stele of Sheditef” by Rachel Golden of Little Rock, Art History and French.

Humanities:

1. “Why Did the Trains Stop?  The Suspension of Jewish Deportations from Slovakia During the Holocaust” by Anitra Van Prooyen of Jacksonville, History and Secondary Education.
2. “In Bluebird” by Sarita Perez of Little Rock, English.
3. “The Nootka Sound Crisis: British Motivation for Pursuing War with Spain” by Jessica Jent of Bismark, History.

Interdisciplinary:

1. “Little Babies with Big Needs” by Jennifer Bowe and Joyce Diemer, both of Little Rock, Nursing.
2. “The Ups and Downs of Friendships: A Case Study on Expectancy Violations Theory” by Amanda Wells of Benton, Speech Communication
3. “Controlled Morphology of Silver Nanostructures” by Morgan Whitlow of Hot Springs, Biology.
4. “Hip Surgery and the Effects on Recovery” by Donna Cook and Christian Fotso, both of North Little Rock, Nursing BSN.

Life Sciences:

1. “Nitric Oxide and Cytokines Relationship During Glycoconjugate-Treatment and Killing of Bacillus Spores” by Mohamed Lahiani of Little Rock, Life Sciences.
2. “Osh6p Transport Sterols to the Vacuolar Membrane for Longevity” by Richard Connor of Jacksonville, Biology.
3. “Detection of Inositol Polyphosphates by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis: by Maroof Zafar of Little Rock, Biology and Molecular Biotechnology, and Rizan Mohsin, undeclared major.

Physical Sciences:

1. “Spectroscopic Characterization and Catalytic Oxidation Studies of a Fe Complex of Tetraamidomacrocyclic Ligand” by Anna M. Brezden of Little Rock, Chemistry.
2. “Characterization of Al-doped ZnO Thin-Films and Nanowires” by Shuja Rayaz of Little Rock, Physics.
3. “Computational Modeling of Materials for Use in Hydrogen Storage” by Jessica Bomer of Conway, Chemistry.

Social Sciences:

1. “The Link Between Video Games and Behavior Problems” by Andrew Moropoulos of Bryant, Psychology.
2. “The Effect of Hyperactivity on Math Scores” by Taylor Howard of Little Rock, Psychology.
3. Resiliency Training for the Workplace” by Melissa Amerman of Sherwood, Psychology.
4. “Mimetic Isomorphisms in Resource Procurement in Local AIDS Service Organizations” by Robbie Lester of Little Rock, Political Science.

Technology:

1. “Large Scale Graphene Systhesis by Radio Frequency Chemical Vapor Deposition” by Jimmy Shyaka of Little Rock, Systems Engineering.
2. Jean Luc Umwungeri of Little Rock, Systems Engineering.