An UNDERGRADUATE JOURNAL of LIFE SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP at LAKE FOREST COLLEGE
About Eukaryon
Eukaryon is an award-winning undergraduate research journal at Lake Forest College that publishes the very best of life science scholarship conducted by Lake Forest students. The journal’s goal is to celebrate and highlight the academic accomplishments of students achieved within the research-rich classrooms and student-centered research labs of Lake Forest College faculty. The word “eukaryon” reflects the diversity of organisms with which the life sciences faculty are involved through their scholarship. The students and faculty in the life sciences at Lake Forest College founded this peer-reviewed annual online journal in 2004. To date, over 270 Lake Forest College students have become published authors in Eukaryon.
VOLUME 22
About the Cover
“The Way of Water” by Mieng Chandavimol '27
At the first glance, many described this image to be space-like - a comet tail or a shooting star. This was actually a picture of the waterfall at the TeamLab Borderless Museum, Azabidia Hill, Tokyo. This specific piece is called ‘The Rock where People Gather’. Each line represents the movement of water that is created by using 3D technology called the Ultrasubjective Space. Linking back to our theme, water, a small molecule formed by two hydrogens and oxygen, gives rise to all living organisms. In this sense, water mirrors the theme of Beyond the unobservable universe. The artwork reminds us that what seems to be unobservable doesn’t mean insignificant. Sometimes things we cannot see play the greatest impact in our life.
2026 Eukaryon Highlights
Zora Kleinmann '27
Feature Article Spotlight
William Cleveland ’26
Feature Article Spotlight
Daniel Dziadula '25
Grant Spotlight
Eva Mansbarret '28
Review Article Spotlight
Thalia Rodriguez ’27
Primary Article Spotlight
Perla Arias '25
Senior Thesis Spotlight
Eukaryon is published by students at Lake Forest College, who are solely responsible for its content. The views expressed in Eukaryon do not necessarily reflect those of the College. Articles published within Eukaryon should not be cited in bibliographies. Material contained herein should be treated as personal communication and should be cited as such only with the consent of the author.
Table of Contents
Year 22: Beyond the Observable Universe
How Art Reveals What’s Beyond The Observable Universe
Doyinsola Ogunshola
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Science of Teaching
Dr. Kirk: Unlocking Student Potential In The Life Sciences
Sebastian Henson
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI, Ethics, and The New Science Classroom
Javier De La Cruz
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Cool New Courses
Gene Editing a CRISPR Take On The Future
Niousha Akbari Ghaleh Noy
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Artificial Intelligence: Interdisciplinary Pathways Merging Innovation, Ethics, and Societal Impact
Kairo Fuller
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Alumni in Focus
Alumni In Focus: Getting Into Top Graduate Schools
Charlotte Flood
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Ethics in Science
A More Ethical Science: The Futures of Animal Testing And Alternatives
William Cleveland
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Research Off Campus
Faculty in Focus
Life AD-rift At Rosalind Franklin University
Yuliia Kultchytska
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Conference Roundup
SICB 2025 In Review: Bumble Bee Gobbies, Rubber Mallets, and Resilience
Saniya Varghese
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Faculty News
The Cicada Pulse: Ants, Ecosystems, and A Rare Experiment
Alvaro Arroyo
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Fighting A Timeless Killer: Dr. William Conrad’s NIH Funded Battle Against Tuberculosis
Mieng Chandavimol
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Science Issues & News
Stem Education In Research Why Funding Matters
Lia Alterson
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
The Attack On DEI: How Political Rhetoric Shapes Scientific Inquiry In America
Zora Kleinmann
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Beyond Punishment: The Work of Mental Health Court As a Model For Change
Jaila Phillips
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Grant Proposal
Daniel Dziadula
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Emily Bross
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Investigations of Alzheimer’s Disease: Mechanisms of Assessing APOE 3 and 4
David Olesky
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Brooke Swiecki
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Lauren Volk
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Book Review
Sebastian Henson
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
A Review on Ivan Petrovich Pavlov
Olga Sedentskaya
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Review Article
How Ethical is CRISPR-Cas9 and What is it?
Eva Elena Mannsbart
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
An Ethical Analysis on CRISPR-Cas9 Technology
Yullia Mercado
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Primary Article
The Lateral Line System of Pristella maxillaris
Emily Bross
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
The Effects of Food Distance and Quality on Eastern Gray Squirrel Foraging Preferences
William Cleveland
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Growth of Fungal Endophytes Isolated from Quercus macrocarpa Roots and Acer rubrum Bark
Daniel Dziadula and Emma O’Malley Galvan
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Effect of Water Temperature on Heart Rate in Human Mammalian Dive
Sam Grinshpun
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
The Lateral Line System of Tanichthys albonubes
Emma O’Malley Galvin
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Environmental and Nutritional Trade-Offs in Squirrel Foraging Strategies
Thalia Leon Rodriguez
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Jared Swensen, Michael Villagomez, and Cecil Vojnikovic
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Examining the Lateral Line System of Captive-Bred Pristella maxillaris
Morgan Traxinger
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Senior Project
Pathogenicity Assessment of Three Newer α-Synuclein Mutants Under Varying Expression Levels in Yeast
Sebastian Gacek
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Senior Thesis
The Impact of Pregnancy on Mood, Cognition, and Microglia Function in Alzheimer’s Disease Mice
Perla Arias
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Nicolle Bek
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Stefanie Dejneka
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Nilufar Imomdodova
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
The Effects of Periodical Cicada Emergence on Ant Foraging Behaviors
Calliope Saban
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Michelle Soriano
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Beny Verezub
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
