b'Reproductive rates of Hippocampus zosteraeOffspring Brood Sizes and BodyMeasurement at BirthAtalya D. ManchesterSponsor: Dr. RoseAs the threats to seagrass beds in Tampa Bay are gradually increasing, there is a greater need for understanding the reproduction of flagship species for this ecosystem and how to preserve them. Seahorses are an excellent model system for determining the changes in seagrass ecosystems effect on population growth rates. This experiment followed ten broods of lab-born Hippocampus zosterae to determine offspring size at birth and growth rates. Size of seahorses at birth were recorded for their lengths by measuring photographs of live fish along with the weights. Offspring sizes were used to compare the babies at birth and the size of the parent to better predict reproductive rates in the wild. The male dwarf seahorses gave birth to an average of 26 offspring that were 11.69 mm ( 0.7) for total body length and 2.63 ( 0.2) mg when averaged across the ten broods. Comparisons can also be made with the reproductive rates of Hippocampus erectus, a sympatric species residing within the ecological community that has significantly larger males and greater number of offspring. These findings will be helpful for consideration of future lab experiments dealing with similar treatments and comparisons to the H. zosterae species in the wild.Department of ChemistryPeptide Drug Delivery of Didanosine,Emtricitabine, Lamivudine, Letermovir,Nitazoxanide, and Tenofovir Disoproxilfor Treatment of COVID-19: A QSAR StudyTaylor M. MaceraSponsor: Dr. ManningCOVID-19 is responsible for 1.59 million deaths in the United States. There is currently no treatment for COVID that allows patients complete and full recovery. I am seeking to find an antiviral that is capable of binding to the spike protein of COVID. The spike protein sequence used is the last two proteins of 7BZ5. It is a viral protein for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. I chose this spike protein sequence because it can bind to the antivirals and change the geometry. The values of physical and biological values were analyzed before and after the spike protein was added to the antivirals. All of antivirals showed activity changes in multiple categories upon adding the spike protein. Through this project, I was able to assess if any of the antivirals chosen would be able to be treat COVID-19. Log P, Protease Inhibitor activity, Kinase activity and Enzyme Inhibitor activity were the main focuses for this study.18'