Development and Refinement of a Novel Rapid Phage Screening Protocol to Accelerate Bacteriophage Discovery and Offer Alternatives for Antimicrobial Resistant Infections

Overview

The World Health Organization estimates by 2050, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) deaths will outnumber cancer deaths. A solution to AMR is desperately needed and bacteriophages are part of the solution. Lytic bacteriophages are bacteria-specific viruses that lyse and kill bacteria. Lytic bacteriophages, including bacteriophage cocktails, have had limited treatment roles in AMR infections since bacteriophages must perfectly match the patient’s bacterial i solate and be available upon demand. Unfortunately, discovering patient -specific bacteriophages takes significant research time. In response to the need for rapid bacteriophage treatment, I sought to develop and refine a bacteriophage discovery protocol and evaluate environmental bacteriophages for cross lytic bacteriophage activity. A novel spectrophotometric Rapid Phage Screening Protocol (RPSP) was developed, patented, and enhanced to provide a fast inexpensive method to discover lytic bacteriophages from the environment. Further refinements were made with validation of RPSP v2.0 t hrough iterative testing of known lytic bacteriophages, phage cocktails, and environmental samples against E. coli B. Time dependent decreases in optical density (OD) absorbance proved lytic bacteriophage activity. Additionally, this research suggests phage cocktails may not be necessary for treatment and may have antagonistic effects. Furthermore, cross-lytic activity was displayed with all eight discovered bacteriophages against both E. coli Band E. coli K12. No lytic activity against six other bacteria was found. RPSP v2.0, using portable laboratory equipment and protocols, allows for rapid discovery of novel lytic bacteriophages which will help ameliorate the AMR crisis by providing rapid bacteriophage discovery and personalized medical treatments to patients worldwide. NanoDiffusion: An Ultra-Precision, Compact Powder Optimization System for Advancing Battery Performance and Nanoparticle Cancer Treatment Oliver Wang Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, VA In the advancing sectors of nanoparticle cancer therapy and electrochemical energy storage, uneven particle distributions significantly stunt efficiency and performance. In cancer therapy, uneven distributions of nanoparticles lower the efficacy of tumor targeting. Similarly, in lithium-ion batteries, inconsistent electrode coatings deteriorate battery lifespan and performance while also fostering dendrite growth. My research presents NanoDiffusion, a novel particle distribution system designed to improve t he uniformity of particle distributions. I hypothesize that NanoDiffusion enhances particle uniformity, improving treatment efficacy in nanoparticle cancer therapy, boosting battery performance, and enabling the creation of advanced metal alloys with superior properties. Designed to be adaptable across various materials and processes, NanoDiffusion is compact and versatile. The system utilizes microcontrollers and the ATMega238P chip for precise parameter controls; with the TMC2209 driver enabling microstepping, it is capable of rotational precision with control down to 0.007°. Carney Flow Tests, Electron Microscopy, and Ultra -Stable Plasma (USP) material property testing confirm that NanoDiffusion significantly improves the consistency and uniformity of pow der distributions. The application of this technology in the processing of nanoparticles for cancer treatment has the potential to improve treatment efficacy, while its integration into the creation of lithium-ion battery electrodes could improve both the performance and longevity of batteries. Furthermore, NanoDiffusion has been used to produce metals with exceptional hardness and high melting points, while also improving the precision and capabilities of metal additive manufacturing. Through this, NanoDif fusion paves the way for designing specialized high -performance metal alloy parts with characteristics that surpass existing strength and durability limitations. Hawaii and Pacific

Competition history

• JSHS 2025 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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