Browse real student projects, abstracts, and awards.
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Aliivibrio fischeri is a single-celled, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that lives within the ocean. When in healthy waters, its cell membrane quorum senses with other bacterium near it…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
The World Health Organization reports Vibrio cholerae serogroup O139 as a high-priority pathogen that has the potential to precipitate the 8th cholera pandemic. This project explores the use…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
For my Science fair project, I investigated the cleanliness of public restrooms, specifically finding which area was the grossest. My hypothesis was that door handles would be the dirtiest s…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Biosand filters are an effective way for rural or less-developed communities to purify water from local water sources. However, limited research has been done on how the addition of microorg…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria presents an escalating challenge to traditional antibiotics, causing the exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies. A key mechanism of…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) is a gammaherpesvirus infecting 90% of adults, and is associated with various diseases, including infectious mononucleosis, Hodgkin lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and N…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Microplastic pollution presents a significant environmental challenge, particularly in soil ecosystems, where its effects on microbial communities remain poorly understood. This study aimed…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal diseases, primarily due to its asymptomatic progression and late-stage diagnosis, which severely limits treatment options and reduces surviva…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Oral mucositis is an inflammation that causes pain and ulcers that affect cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The condition is marked by oral mucosa inflammation, wh…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
C1 compounds—methanol, formaldehyde, and formate—are toxic environmental pollutants associated with hazardous spills, water contamination, and severe health effects, including blindness, can…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) is a highly infectious and contagious pathogen with a significant impact on the global swine industry, causing reproductive an…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
The dengue virus infects over 400 million people each year and can lead to organ failure and death. Until 2024, there was only one current vaccine option for dengue; however, studies have sh…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Biofilms are dangerously formed by bacteria in threatening environments and are challenging to treat when a person is infected. Biofilms form due to stressors on the bacteria, and on the Int…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Cryptococcus neoformans—a pathogenic yeast—poses a severe risk to immunocompromised individuals. Its polysaccharide capsule, primarily glucuronoxylomannan, is its chief virulence factor. Cal…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Ticks are vectors for approximately 16 diseases or illnesses, and in 2021, 476,000 Americans were treated for Lyme disease (CDC 2021). According to the CDC, I. scapularis ticks are responsib…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
With the advent of biologic pharmaceuticals, it is necessary to consider how these therapeutic mechanisms can be utilized to combat growing global health concerns, namely antibiotic resistan…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Hawaii has a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections compared to the national average. Environmental water is a major vehicle for the transmission…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Oil contamination in soil poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health, underscoring the need for effective remediation strategies. This study aimed to isolate and identify oil-…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), often referred to as a “silent pandemic” in scientific discussions, has become one of the most pressing threats to global health. AMR plays a key role in micr…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Quorum Sensing (QS) is a bacterial communication pathway that mediates population-based activity activities such as virulence, motility, conjugation, and biofilm formation. Specifically, QS-…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Staphylococcus epidermidis is commonly found on the skin and is typically harmless; however, if left untreated, it can lead to infections that may have serious health consequences. The goal…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter essential for stress regulation, mood stability, and anxiety reduction. Dietary factors such as artificial and flavors have b…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
This project explores the effectiveness of coccolithophorid algae and eelgrass in reducing atmospheric CO2 levels through a small-scale carbon capture system. The goal was to design an affor…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Artificial sweeteners are widely used sugar substitutes, and their effects on gut microbiota remain controversial. This study investigates the antimicrobial effects of artificial sweeteners…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Antibiotic resistance is a rising threat to public health. Until recent years, efforts to combat antibiotic resistance have focused on creating newer and stronger antibiotics, but pathogens…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
This study investigates how per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds—PFOA, PFOS, and PFBA—affect the growth and genetic stability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a eukaryotic organism with a genome t…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
Before the discovery of antibiotics, bacterial infections constituted a leading cause of human mortality. Antibiotics used during World War One and the subsequent introduction of penicillin…
ISEF · 2025
Microbiology
One of the most important steps in the overall workflow of manufacturing a drug is ensuring that the mice in which the drug is tested are healthy; unhealthy or sick mice will provide inaccur…