Emiliania huxleyi and some related prymnesiophyte algae produce a novel group of polyunsaturated long-chain C37-39 alkenones, alkenoates, and alkenes as their major neutral lipids, however their biosynthesis pathway is unknown. Like triglycerides, the . . .

Reproductive isolation is critical to speciation and therefore biodiversity. The immediate goal of such studies is to identify which barriers contribute most to overall reproductive isolation between species, in order to gain a broader understanding o . . .

Vernal pool habitats have been significantly reduced by conversion to incompatible agriculture and urbanization. As a result, a number of vernal pool dependent species have become rare, including Colusa grass (Neostapfia colusana) and Greene’s tuctori . . .

In the pursuit of producing cleaner fuels, plant lignocellulose is a source of fermentable sugars that don’t compete with food production. Conversion of plant components, or lignocellulose, into biofuels typically requires hot and acidic pre-treatment . . .

Freshwater turtles worldwide are declining due to a variety of human caused impacts. The Western Pond Turtle (Emys marmorata) is native to the pacific coast of the North America and is also in decline. Many Western Pond Turtles live in human-modified . . .

Many rare and threatened California plant species are endemic to ultramafic serpentine soils. Understanding what specifically makes these species rare is of high value to conservation and management efforts statewide. While there is no one definition . . .

Marine ciliates are important consumers of marine phytoplankton and represent a vital link in the food web. These unicellular grazers exhibit complex feeding behaviors and can be highly selective in their prey choices. Recently, Echevarria et al. (201 . . .

Growth receptor bound protein-2 (GRB2) is an intracellular adapter protein responsible for linking receptor tyrosine kinases to downstream signaling proteins involved in cellular growth and differentiation. GRB2 is overexpressed in certain forms of hu . . .

ABSTRACT NATAL ORIGIN OF JUVENILE LOGGERHEAD TURTLES FROM FORAGING GROUND IN NICARAGUA AND PANAMA ESTIMATED USING MITOCHONDRIA DNA by © Akiko Masuda 2010 Master of Science in Biology California State University, Chico Summer 2010 The loggerhead turtle . . .

ABSTRACT MICROSATELLITE DEVELOPMENT IN PLATANUS FOR DOCUMENTING GENE FLOW AMONG SPECIES by Kylene R. Lang Master of Science in Biological Sciences California State University, Chico Fall 2010 Hybridization is a primary source of invasive genotypes and . . .