A Study of Biological Photonic Crystals in the Effects of Beta Amyloid on Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Alzheimer’s: Internal Opal Scale Structures of Iridescent Beetle Species in the Cerambycidae Family

Authors

Andrew Romney, Brigham Young University
Dr. Sterling Sudweeks, Brigham Young University

Keywords

photonic crystals, beta amyloid, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, Alzheimer's disease

College

Life Sciences

Department

Physiology and Developmental Biology

Abstract

For the past two years, I have worked in Dr. Sterling Sudweeks’ research lab experimenting with neurotransmitter receptors that are implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s Disease. When functioning normally, these receptors act as ion channels which open upon binding nicotine or acetylcholine and are thus appropriately named nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAcRs). nAcRs’s are found at the neuromuscular junction as well as in nervous tissue and are comprised of 5 subunits. Dr. Sudweeks’ previous research suggests that the alpha 3 and beta 2 subunits are the most common subunits in receptors in the hippocampus, which is the primary area of the brain damaged in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s patients have increased levels of the protein beta amyloid in the brain, which has been shown in hinder the function of local nAcRs. My research has focused on the alpha 3 and beta 2 receptor subunits and their interaction with beta amyloid in an effort to better understand how nAcR function is altered in Alzheimer’s patients.

Recommended Citation

Romney, Andrew and Sudweeks, Dr. Sterling (2013) "A Study of Biological Photonic Crystals in the Effects of Beta Amyloid on Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Alzheimer’s: Internal Opal Scale Structures of Iridescent Beetle Species in the Cerambycidae Family," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 1501.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/1501