Microbiology science fair projects from 2026

A Fun Time With A Fungi: Simulating Neuronal Galvanotropism on Ustilago maydis Mycelium to Manipulate Growth Rate, Direction, and Cell Development and Its Applications to Nerve Regeneration

Microbiology

It is important to find ways to study neuronal diseases or methods of treatment that are ethical, relevant, and effective. It is intriguing to see that the structure of fungal mycelium and n…

Analysis of the Interaction Between Bacterium Nissle 1917 and L-Dopa to Improve Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

Microbiology

Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients primarily receive the drug L-Dopa to replenish the natural stores of dopamine in the body to reduce PD symptoms (Nagatsu 2009). L-Dopa is structurally simil…

A Nano-Chitin and HACC Multilayer System for Remediating Severely Eutrophic Waters via Oxygenation, Bacterial Inhibition, and Nutrient Stabilization

Microbiology Second Award

Restoring severely eutrophic waters, especially in hardened urban river channels, is challenging and costly due to algal blooms, turbidity, microbial overgrowth, oxygen depletion, and nutrie…

A Novel Approach for Predicting Phage Therapy Outcomes Prior to Treatment: Characterization of Bacterial Immune Systems

Microbiology (Senior Division) Third Award

The rapid rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria, coupled with stagnating antibiotic discovery, makes once-treatable infections increasingly lethal. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy offers a pro…

A Novel Approach to Overcoming Antibiotic Resistance: Exploring the Future Role of Bacteriophages

Microbiology (Senior Division)

The rapid rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has created an urgent need for alternative antimicrobial strategies. Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and destroy bacteria w…

A Novel Self-Sustainable Kit to Combat Rural Vitamin A Deficiency During Pregnancy and Early Childhood

Microbiology

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major global health crisis affecting approximately 19 million pregnant women and 30 million children under the age of five, with over 50% of cases from rural…

Antibacterial Potential of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Vegetables: Bacteriocin Gene Screening and Inhibitory Activity Analysis

Microbiology

Antibiotic are medicines used to kill or inhibit bacterial growth. Due to overuse, antibiotics are becoming less effective. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a group of bacteria which produce a…

Antibiotic Combinations as an Alternative Strategy Against Bacterial Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus

Microbiology

In the United Stated more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur each year. According to CDC's (2025) AR Threats Report, more than 35,000 people die of this infection and…

ANTicipate: Engineering a Camponotus Enzyme-Functionalized Aerobic Microbe for Simultaneous CO2 Mitigation and Fertile Compost Production From MSW Landfill Food Waste

Microbiology Fourth Award

Food waste accounts for 58% of methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLF), one of the top three sources of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Over 96% of MSWLFs lack deco…

Antimicrobial Activity of Repurposed Citrus Peels Against Foodborne Bacteria and Sensor-Based Detection of Food Spoilage

Microbiology (Senior Division) Fourth Award

Microbial spoilage drives food waste and landfill accumulation. In the US, one-third of food is wasted, with fruit peels comprising a substantial portion. Studies suggest that fruit peels co…

Antimicrobial Effects of Household Substances on Escherichia coli

Microbiology (Senior Division)

This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of honey, lemon juice, vinegar, and saltwater against Escherichia coli grown on agar plates. Chlorine and water were used as positive and nega…

Bacteria on the Menu 2.0

Microbiology Fourth Award

In this project, we aimed to investigate the potential use of phages (bacterial viruses) as a form of biocontrol against bacterial plant pathogens. Our goal was to specifically test the effe…

Banana Fibers: A Scaffold for Cell Adhesion

Microbiology (Junior Division) Honorable_mention Award

In this project, the problem addressed was finding sustainable, low-cost biomaterials that can inhibit bacterial growth and support cell adhesion, using banana plant fibers that are often di…

Battling Algal Blooms: How Rotifers Keep Microcystis in Check

Microbiology

Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) are growths of microalgae that produce harmful toxins. Microcystis aeruginosa is the cyanobacterium commonly found in HABs. Microcystis produces the cyanotoxin mi…

Biodegradation of Polyester by Piscinibacter (Ideonella) sakaiensis in Rich and Poor Broth

Microbiology (Junior Division) Second Award

Plastic pollution of the human body is an increasing concern that requires a solution. One solution would be to introduce plastic digesting bacteria in our intestines to digest any microplas…

Bioprospecting of Novel Sunscreen- and Plastic-Degrading Fungi in Tannin-Rich Coconut Fiber

Microbiology Third Award

Sunscreen and plastic pollution are widespread and pervasive in ocean waters, stressing marine life through chronic exposure. Previous studies have demonstrated certain fungi have the abilit…

Can Safe Ingredients Make An Effective Dry Shampoo?

Microbiology (Junior Division) Third Award

The objective of this project was to develop a low-cost, natural-ingredient dry shampoo for people with limited access to clean water and to evaluate its effectiveness under consistent testi…

Characterizing Chlamydial Cytotoxins as Inflammatory Modulators: C. Muridarum and C. Trachomatis Putative Glycosyltransferase Activity and NF-kappa B Regulation

Microbiology Fourth Award

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ctr) causes over 130 million urogenital infections annually. Despite high genetic similarity, Chlamydia muridarum (Cm) exhibits different host tropism. Interspecies di…

Cold Plasma: Sterilizing Dairy Biofilms

Microbiology

Bacterial biofilms in dairy processing equipment are difficult to sterilize and contribute to spoilage and significant economic losses. Cold plasma, which generates ions and free radicals ca…

Comparative Dose-Dependent Antibacterial Effects of Natural Substances and Conventional Antibiotics

Microbiology (Junior Division)

The increasing concern surrounding antibiotic resistance has brought interest in alternative or complementary antimicrobial agents. This study investigated the antibacterial effects of selec…

Comparing the Antimicrobial Effects of Common Antibiotics and Natural Antimicrobial Products on Bacillus subtilis (Gram-

Microbiology (Senior Division)

As antibiotic resistance increases, interest in natural antimicrobial alternatives continues to grow. This study evaluated the antibacterial effectiveness of oregano oil, tea tree oil, honey…

Computational Discovery of Quorum Sensing Inhibitors Among Fda-Approved Drugs

Microbiology (inferred)

Conditioning Paramecium caudatum to Avoid Microplastics with Auditory Stimulus

Microbiology (Junior Division) Honorable_mention Award

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that have become a widespread environmental concern, with 99% of seafood products containing them. A major cause of this contamination is trophic tra…

Curcumin and Salicylic Acid as Natural Alternative S. Epidermidis Treatment

Microbiology (inferred)

Over the last decade, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) prevalence increased by nearly 35% worldwide. MRSA infections are most commonly found in hospitals, with the skin being the most…

Cyantific Sight: A Novel, Synergistic Approach to Combating Antifungal Resistance Using Naturally Derived Compounds Phycocyanobilin and Curcumin

Microbiology

Drug-resistant Candida albicans infections are rapidly outpacing current antifungal therapies as mutations in the ERG11 enzyme reduce azole drug efficacy and drive treatment failure. Most an…

Dermatology 101: Bacteria Elimination by Different Forms of Facial Cleansers

Microbiology (Senior Division)

This project presented an experiment that involved 3 different types of facial cleansers along with 2 control groups.: oil, gel, and balm cleansers. Alongside a control with a total eliminat…

Design of a Multi-Mechanistic Triple Therapy to Overcome Biofilm-Associated Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Microbiology

Biofilm-mediated resistance is a major barrier to treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Biofilms are estimated to contribute to over 65% of microbial infections, allowing bacteria to p…

Determining the in vitro Post-Antimicrobial Effect in Staphylococcus epidermidis With Piperine Incorporation

Microbiology

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a leading cause of infections associated with indwelling medical devices and accounts for over 20% of bloodstream infections in U.S. intensive care units. Altho…

Dirty Birds: Drug Resistant E. coli in Migratory and Non-migratory Birds

Microbiology (Junior Division) Fourth Award

Currently in the scientific world, there is growing awareness of the concept called One Health. One Health states that the environment, humans, and animals are all connected. Furthermore, th…

Do Natural Compounds Exhibit Synergistic Antibacterial Activity Against Escherichia coli for Wound Care?

Microbiology (Junior Division) First Award

As antibiotic resistance is increasing, scientists are studying natural compounds as possible alternatives for treating bacterial infections, especially in wound care. The purpose of this ex…