Biochemistry
This experiment tests one of the leading hypotheses on the causes of salamander neoteny. Under ordinary circumstances, Barred Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium) metamorphose into terres…
Sign language is an effective alternative to speech for individuals who are speech impaired but still have full motor control. However, few people outside of the speech-impaired community un…
Second Award
Corneal scarring is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Since current therapies are expensive and functionally inefficient, the scarring process (known as the fibroblast-to-myofibrobla…
Just hearing the word “cancer” can strike fear into anyone. The everyday constant worry about doing, eating, or drinking something that may end up giving you cancer is quite enough of a batt…
The purpose of this investigation was to conduct a toxicology study on toluene-containing Pine-Sol; and to study the dangers it may pose to humans using yeast as a model organism. Rates of C…
We designed and developed a photonic fence that locates and tracks insects. Photonic fences have a wide array of uses. They can be deployed outside buildings to prevent disease carrying inse…
The purpose of this experiment was to see if traditional or nontraditional treatments for Clavebacter michiganensis nebraskensis (Goss’s Bacterial Wilt and Leaf Blight)a re more affective in…
The goal of TCD^3 project is to identify anomalous driving pattern from traffic camera feeds. Successful execution can improve road safety by assisting law enforcement catch dangerous driver…
As the world population continues to rise, the search for quickly and cheaply grown food becomes more and more desperate. For many years, farmers have used fertilizers to feed the world. Tho…
Rare earth materials such as neodymium are used in permanent magnets that are employed in wind turbine generators; a 6 MW wind turbine uses about 3600 kg of neodymium! Recently, there has be…
Third Award
The Carbonic Anhydrase I (CA I) receptor, is involved in regulating water/pH levels. When CA I activity is elevated, CA I antagonists can potentially treat diseases like osteoporosis, epilep…
Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent commonly found in consumer products, and when added to products, delays the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mildew. Rising levels of Triclos…
Having previously found that the shoreline (as opposed to out in the ocean or up on dry land) is the most effective placement of a wave barrier, I now observe the percentage of the shoreline…
Biomedical Engineering
Third Award
A major step in the metastatic cascade is the migration of tumor cells towards blood vessels in a process known as “streaming.” However, the signaling molecule that triggers tumor cells to e…
With a changing economy, more people are replacing their grass fields with synthetic turf since it is often cheaper and more durable. There are several risks that accompany synthetic turf, i…
Two-photon absorption (2PA) cross-sections of dye chemically bound to proteins were used as markers to monitor the unfolding and aggregation transitions of the protein Bovine Serum Albumin (…
The purpose of the experiment was to understand the physics behind heat transfers involved in fine particle forest fires, as well as to understand how radiation, convection, wind speed, and…
One major challenge in the 21st century is increasing crop yield to feed the world’s growing population on diminishing arable land. Plant parasitic nematodes, including the Root-Knot Nematod…
Translational Medical Science
Third Award
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and in 2013 was responsible for 611,105 fatalities, according to the CDC. GGF2 is a neuregulin-1, Type II protein isoform that mainly…
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to a group of factors that increase the risk to various health problems; these risk factors include abdominal obesity that is associated with low-grade infla…
Propulsion created by motors can be affected by numerous factors. Information about this topic is vital, in order to remain energy and cost efficient, while researching maritime heritage, ma…
Proper cell function relies heavily on the interactions between the cell and its environment. Mechanosensitive proteins, for example, sense external mechanical forces to initiate signaling p…
Methylparaben is the preservative commonly used in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and industrial products. It is a biodegradable substance, however; it cannot be completely removed during wastewa…
The EPA is setting a new standard on nitrogen concentration in effluent water at water treatment plants; due to high amounts of nitrogen commonly present in this water, the current form of r…
Conventional water analysis typically makes it difficult to efficiently determine a broad range of water contaminants. To improve health worldwide, an economical method for determining water…
Amyloid proteins are the key proteins in Alzheimer’s disease. In humans, elevated levels of Amyloid Precursor Proteins (APP) can lead to a buildup of Amyloid-B plaques, which ultimately redu…
Biomedical Engineering
Third Award
We don’t think about it, but many of our daily actions require our hands. But the truth is not everyone is fortunate to have their hands by their side. Prosthetics are available but they eit…
Over the course of several geologic timescales, the geochemical compositions of agglutinated foraminifera change with the addition or subtraction of various trace elements into the marsh eco…
Due to the finite supply of fossil fuels and the ecological dangers associated with their use, there has been a push in recent years to find new ways of efficiently producing energy. The dir…
This project aimed to develop and test an inexpensive and effective detector of NO2 using LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). I hypothesized that an LED that was configured as a light sensor would…