Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Cancer is among the most debilitating diseases in the world with its pervasiveness originating from its complex genetic makeup. Although cancer research is at the forefront of medical concer…
Biochemistry
Mutations in the genes encoding Ras GTPases are major drivers of human cancers. Despite 30 years of intensive research, no compounds directly targeting Ras proteins have been developed. Prev…
Engineering Mechanics
The primary objective of this project is to design, build, and test an altitude control system for high altitude, long duration weather balloon flights. Ordinarily, weather balloons are fill…
Engineering Mechanics
Second Award
Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWESs) offer an efficient, environmentally sustainable, cost-effective, portable, and safe method of generating electricity. An AWES consists of a tethered glid…
Energy: Chemical
Energy is a key problem in our modern society. Every year we require more energy than the last and fossil fuels are nonrenewable. Solar energy stands as a possible answer to the problem as t…
Biomedical Engineering
Third Award
This project uses the “Bag of Visual Words” computer vision algorithm to automatically detect age-related macular degeneration in retinal fundus images. Macular degeneration is the most prev…
Microbiology
Macrophages (Mfs) of the amphibian Xenopus laevis are morphologically and functionally distinct; depending on whether they are differentiated by the colony stimulating-factor-1 (CSF-1) or in…
Energy: Chemical
Fourth Award
The concern related to a global energy crisis remains at the forefront of discussion because conventional sources of energy are finite and innovative methods for production of clean energy a…
Microbiology
The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effectiveness of Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth), Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback Rattlesnake), and Disphol…
Plant Sciences
Anionic polyacrylamide (PAM), a soil flocculant and erosion stabilizing polymer, can be used in irrigation to help promote soil quality and reduce the amount of water needed to efficiently i…
Animal Sciences
The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether if crayfish were given caffeine to simulate tachycardia would garlic and motherwort extracts regulate the heart rate and change their b…
Environmental Engineering
Much of the world’s drinking water is contaminated with harmful compounds including lead making it unsafe for human consumption. The project goal is to design a system filter enough water fo…
Animal Sciences
Beta-adrenergic blockers (beta-blockers) are extensively used to treat a variety of cardiovascular disorders from hypertension, arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, and angina. The rapidly g…
Chemistry
Plastic bottles are manufactured with organic epoxy resins containing Bisphenol A (BPA), Bisphenol S (BPS), and Bisphenol F (BPF). These are carcinogenic and mutagenic substances. People ass…
Energy: Chemical
Previous experimentation determined that waste grease from animal fats are a viable source for biodiesel production. The next logical step was to test large scale production feasibility and…
Translational Medical Science
Medical bracelets can save lives, but often lack sufficient information for appropriate medical care. The question was: Will a dynamic QR code based medical bracelet allow participants to re…
Robotics and Intelligent Machines
Neural networking is a new and exciting form of machine learning that utilizes computer science, software development, and mathematics to create a network of virtual neurons that process inp…
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Neural competition occurs when two stimuli fight for representation. Unimodal neural competition occurs when two stimuli within a single modality compete for embodiment. Bimodal neural compe…
Robotics and Intelligent Machines
Third Award
Myocardial Infarctions are major cardiovascular emergencies that can severely weaken the heart or even cause heart failure if they are not treated in a timely manner. Myocardial Infarctions…
Translational Medical Science
Third Award
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a common fatal genetic disease. Mutations in the CFTR gene often lead to drastically reduced lifespans, which can be greatly increased after diagnosis. Because curren…
Microbiology
The Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic is an urgent global health crisis. While RT-PCR is the gold standard for detecting ZIKV, a lengthy turnaround time (2-4 weeks) and laboratory data analysis can…
Mathematics
The internet’s expansion has increased the data available to researchers, allowing analysis to make insights into human behavior. This project statistically analyzes trends in computer scien…
Engineering Mechanics
Purpose / Need: To create a variable UVB light fixture. Procedure: Light fixture prototype build: Cut 101.6 cm x 5.08 cm x 2 cm piece of wood as a base. Cut 2 101.6 cm x 20.3 cm x 0.75 cm pi…
Environmental Engineering
The process of fracking, although very beneficial to our lifestyle and economy, can be harmful to the environment and aquatic ecosystems (Dindorf, 2008). Hagen (2015) reports that chloride s…
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by behavioral irregularities. Causal variation has been implicated in only 30-40% of ASD diagnoses; it is…
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Worldwide 1, out of every 5 deaths of children under 5 is due to a water-related disease. 1 in 9 people world wide do not have access to safe and clean drinking water. The purpose of my expe…
Systems Software
To improve how researchers study materials for high-performance electronics, mathematical models and simulations can be created to predict the performance and properties of these materials.…
Cellular and Molecular Biology
Fourth Award
Migraines are the third most prevalent illness, affecting one billion people worldwide. Migraine symptoms may include a severe throbbing headache, disturbed vision, nausea, and sensitivity t…
Microbiology
Tetrahymena thermophila is a single-celled eukaryote that possesses the remarkable ability of viral immunity. No virus has been identified that is capable of infecting Tetrahymena. Our resea…
Engineering Mechanics
This experiment was conducted to determine which cost-effective building design is best suited for resisting earthquakes in rural areas of Turkey. Turkey lies on multiple fault lines and is…