Browse real student projects, abstracts, and awards.
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
One of the greatest challenges in medicine right now is having enough new antibiotics to combat bacterial infections since antibiotic resistance contributes to 5 million deaths worldwide yea…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
Chlorella vulgaris is a species of unicellular green algae celebrated for its many uses in industry and agriculture. Its potential in the aerospace industry as a multifunctional material is…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
Tilapia are held responsible for the localized decline of economically important native fish species in the ‘Alekoko Fishpond, namely the Striped Mullet known as the ‘ama‘ama. This novel res…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
Breastfeeding is the process of nourishing an infant through the production of breast milk. Human breast milk has complex components crucial for the health of both mother and child, encompas…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that causes plaque buildup within the arterial inner lining, and 42.1% of adults with no other known heart disorder suffer from the illness. Ather…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
The weakening pipeline of the discovery of novel antibiotics and the excessive use of antibiotics have contributed to the recent emergence of antimicrobial resistance. In response to this em…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology Fourth Award
Fossil fuel-derived plastics, including microplastics, cause significant environmental pollution, necessitating sustainable solutions. While biodegradable plastics are key for sustainability…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology Third Award
Phage therapy is a promising option to mitigate antibiotic resistance. Phages, a type of virus, are genetically diverse and globally plentiful. Yet only 14,500 phages have been discovered, m…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
Mycobacteria remain a prominent problem, especially in developing areas in South Africa and India. Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes the pulmonary disease tuberculosis (TB) and is responsibl…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology Fourth Award
Bats, like bees, are a keystone species benefiting the environment and saving farmers billions of dollars in chemicals. However, since 2006, millions of bats in North America have died of a…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology Third Award
The natural production of antimicrobial substances by living organisms as part of their defense mechanisms has been well-documented. Among these substances, bacteriocins, a diverse class of…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
Bacterial biofilms, which contribute 80% of microbial infections in humans, are difficult and expensive to treat due to their antibiotic resistance. This experiment investigated the potentia…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
The researchers conducted experiments using Pestalotiopsis microspora in which the researchers created a non-toxic biodegradable process of decomposing plastic for a nutrient source and re-f…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
As the development of novel antibiotics slows and pathogenic bacteria develop mutations to counter antibiotics, understanding mutant genes contributing to resistance becomes critical. Among…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology Second Award
Francisella tularensis, a gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of tularemia, a severe zoonotic disease which is highly lethal even with minimal exposure. Francisella is recognized…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology Third Award
Diabetes poses a significant global health challenge, emphasizing the urgent need for insulin. Insulin costs a quite demanding as it is needed every year through one's lifetime. Meanwhile, s…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
Escalating plastic waste demands breakthroughs. Promising biological plastic recycling (BPR)—using microbial-origin enzymes, is little explored for poorly recycled polymers like polyurethane…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
l-lactic acid is a key component of degradable plastics and an important platform compound used in chemicals, materials, health, and cosmetics. The production using agricultural feedstock ca…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
In 2019, bacterial infections were estimated to be the second leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for every one in eight global deaths. More than half of these were caused by bacte…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
Flocculation occurs during fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The cells aggregate into dense masses that sink, separating cells from alcohol products easier, due to the binding betwee…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
Physarum polycephalum is an acellular, multinucleate organism that reacts to environmental stimuli (pressure, light, chemical stimuli, etc.). Physarum polycephalum's morphological changes in…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
I conducted this experiment to observe the air quality in agricultural settings once learning how unsafe the air pollution has become in these environments. I tested the air quality by placi…
ISEF · 2024
Microbiology
In response to the escalating environmental concerns of oil spills, this project investigates banana bark as a potential oil sorbent that can naturally degrade the absorbed oil. This study e…
ISEF · 2023
Microbiology
The intent of this project is to identify the efficacy of antibacterial soap when compared to non-antibacterial soap. In 2016, the FDA banned antibacterial products which contained triclosan…
ISEF · 2023
Microbiology Fourth Award
Doxorubicin is a globally utilized drug for cancer treatment. This drug has unfortunate cardiotoxic side-effects through drug-induced functional loss of iron-regulatory proteins (IRP1, IRP2)…
ISEF · 2023
Microbiology
Microplastics have been a significant environmental pollutant that are recently beginning to be studied within the past decade. While their threats have been well-documented among a variety…
ISEF · 2023
Microbiology
This project analyzes the efficacy of osmoadaptation systems in the algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in response to osmotic stress caused by brine dumping cycles from desalination plants. As…
ISEF · 2023
Microbiology Fourth Award
Chronic wounds are a significant healthcare threat worldwide, affecting an estimated 6.5 million people in the U.S. and costing the healthcare system an estimated $25 billion annually (10).…
ISEF · 2023
Microbiology
According to the World Health Organization, there are 600 million cases of food borne diseases and 420,000 deaths each year. This disparity can be especially harmful and prevalent in develop…
ISEF · 2023
Microbiology
Hot Springs, Arkansas is a tourist town known for its geothermal hot springs, which contain microbial thermophiles that thrive at high temperatures. These springs have several sources of wat…