An Integrated Microfluidic Device for Blood Plasma Separation and Biomarker Detection Stanley C. Liu Arcadia High School

Overview

University of Southern California Human blood plasma contains biomarkers associated with many diseases. Separation of plasma from blood cells is crucial for many disease diagnostics. The current centrifugation separation technology suffers from its bulky design and inability to be integrated with downstream detection. A microfluidic device for blood plasma separation, antigen/antibody binding, biomarker capture, and fluorescence detection was successfully developed. The device uses the principle of bubble-induced acoustic microstreaming to capture and separate the blood cells from the blood sample, resulting in a pure plasma solution. Bubble-induced microstreaming results from an acoustic field on oscillating air bubbles causing the viscous dissipation of the surrounding liquid in the microchannel. This device successfully demonstrated plasma separation, with a 31.8% yield and 99.9% plasma purity, comparable to a traditional centrifuge. The blood was spiked with fluorescent P24 antibody, which was then mixed with 7-µm diameter beads conjugated with P24 antigen in an micromi xing chamber. The bound proteins were then captured by acoustic microstreaming and detected using a fluorescence microscope. The fluorescent detection of HIV1 P24 antibody from a whole blood control demonstrated a detection limit of 17 pg/µL. This device shows a potential of immunoassay-based disease diagnostics with high sensitivity and quantification. Comparing Fungus and Bacteria to Improve Crop Production and Soil Fertility: Analyzing the Effects of Azospirillum bacteria and Mycorrhizal fungi for Zea mays: Phase IIII Kayla Livesay Van Buren High School Keosauqua, Iowa I tested how fungi and bacteria would affect Zea mays (corn). I also compared soil and tissue samples throughout growth to measure environmental impact on plant and soil conditions. Discovering methods to increase production is a critical task of the agriculture industry moving into the future. By producing a higher yielding crop, growers can feed the world’s growing population. However, environmentally safe practices must be used to meet these production needs. A better understanding of the results of these biologicals can help reduce the dependency of fertilizers that run off into rivers and streams, harming the environment. Previously I grew corn indoors, then moved outdoors researching the effects of macronutrients and fungi on growth, health, and yield. This year I was striving to discover a natural solution to raise yield with biologicals while monitoring similar components. I concluded the Mycorrhizae and Azospirillum in-furrow application combination created the healthiest plants, soil fertility, and highest yielding crop. These plants were able to utilize the most nutrients in the soil, allowing for less waste and decreased probability of soil leaching, detrimental to the environment. This was due to the increased root mass which allowed better utilization of water and nutrients in the soil.