The MBRS Program provides unique opportunity to faculty and students to conduct quality research in biomedical-health sciences which would have been practically impossible at such a small undergraduate predominately minority institution. The proposed work is divided into five projects which will involve eleven students yearly and will utilize the expertise of five faculty members and consultants. Dr. Bhalla will investigate the systematics of the common house mosquito Culex pipiens quinquefasciatics using the newly developed DNA-based technology and compare with conventional biochemical techniques based on enzyme electrophoresis. Dr. Chopra will investigate the comparative effectiveness of 4-quinolones from cephalosporins on different clinical isolates and similar pathogen isolated from different body sites in-vitro. Ms. Hicks will study, document, and evaluate the extent to which there is a correlation between locus of control for the frail elderly and their involvement in decision making for their health care. Dr. Russell will utilize various synthetic methods to prepare indole- fused 4-quinolones as potential antimicrobial agents and to prepare Melatonin analogs suggested by NCI researchers. The former will be tested within the auspices of Project 2 and the latter screened by NCI as cell mitosis inhibitors. Dr. Tabor will synthesize a series of cationic benzothiazole dyes containing one, two, or three acetylene groups within the dye chromophore. Dyes and dye intermediates, containing a functionalized pendant carboxylic acid group or derivative, will also be synthesized. UV-visible, infrared, and proton and carbon NMR studies will be conducted to characterize the spectral properties and to establish the stereochemistry of these compounds. Select compounds will be studied in cancer therapy using in vitro and in vivo tumor models.
