M17 Community

Semifinalists

Team 1 – The Effect of Microgravity on Telomerase Activity and Efficiency in Saccharomyces cerevisiae 

  • Sara Dawood (Microbiology)
  • Shan Dawood (Neurobiology and Government and Politics)
  • Jessica McClelland (Neurobiology)
  • Arthi Ramkumar (Chemistry)
  • Korina Vlahos (Neurobiology)
  • Mentor: Daniel Serrano (Cell Biology)

Team 9 – The Effects of Microgravity on Fermentation of Yeast and Ethanol Yield: A Key to a More Sustainable Future

  • Raed Ahmed (Electrical Engineering and Chemical Engineering)
  • Sophia Hu (Mathematics/Statistics)
  • Maruko Kogure (Geography)
  • Eric Lee (Mechanical Engineering)
  • Mentor: Ilya Semenov (Aerospace Engineering)

Team Spacture – Microgravity’s effect on the germination of chia seeds

  • Abrefi Agyemang (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Paphils Atianjoh (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Mentors: Taylor Bartlow (Astronomy), Jason Hipkins (Math), Jack Quesinberry (Biology)

Team Nitro – The Integration of Microgravity to Study the Oxygen Production of Nitrosopumilus Maritimus

  • Jimena Amaya (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Brandon Bisnath (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Danny Castano (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Shree Ruttala (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Mentors: Taylor Bartlow (Astronomy), Jason Hipkins (Math), Jack Quesinberry (Biology)

Participating Teams

Team 2 – In-Cellulo Protein Crystallization in Microgravity

  • Yusuf Aamir (Physics, Astronomy)
  • Shazali Audu (Aerospace Engineering)
  • Caio Goolsby (Astronomy; Government)
  • Raina Hatcher (Physics)
  • Javier Lorenzo (Physics)
  • Ruthie Vogel (Physics)
  • George Witt (Physics; Computer Science)
  • Mentor: Carlos Ríos Ocampo (Materials Science and Engineering)

Team 3 – Interstellar Insects: Feeding preferences and Dietary Composition of Tetramorium caespitum (pavement ants) Under Microgravity

  • Jared Allanigue (Aerospace Engineering)
  • Willow Houck (Astronomy)
  • Kimia Samieinejad (Physics; Computer Science)
  • Hartley Carlson (Studio Art)
  • Mentor: Kenneth Frauwirth (Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics)

Team 4 – Use of combined protease and nuclease treatment on biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in microgravity

  • Somadinauwa Ezekwu (Nursing)
  • Sebastian Hoffman (Microbiology)
  • Xinyue Li (Computer Science; Mathematics)
  • Mentor: Nishat Seraj (Biochemistry)

Team 5

  • Sondos Quqandi (Physics)
  • Riya Kumari (Computer Science)
  • Manushi Raj (Astronomy)
  • Mentor: JL Weissman (Biology)

Team 6 – Material Differences of Two-Part Epoxy Systems Cured in Microgravity Conditions

  • Eric Chen (Computer Engineering)
  • Evan Wang (Computer Science)
  • Mentor: Hao Yiu (Biological Sciences)

Team 7 – Enzyme Kinetics in Microgravity Environments

  • Emily Passaro (Bioengineering)
  • Mentor: Usoshi Chatterjee (Process Engineering and Waste Conversion)
  • Contributors: Trevor Moore (Mechanical Engineering), Nitya Venkatiahgari (Bioengineering), Zining Wang (Agriculture and Resource Economics; Math)

Team 8

  • Bilal Akbar (Electrical Engineering)
  • Cody Dean (Mechanical Engineering)
  • Aniket Gullapalli (Physics)
  • Mentor: Michael Kio (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

Team 10

  • Chrisopher Blaisdell (Aerospace Engineering)
  • Muhil Rajagopal (Mechanical Engineering)
  • Ningxi Yan (Bioengineering)
  • Mentor: Michael McCreary (Biology)

Team 11 – The effects of spaceflight conditions on the intrinsic properties Ti3C2Tx: Implications for Energy storage

  • Tamia Bowers (Mechanical Engineering)
  • Mentor: Daniel Serrano (Cell Biology)

Team 12 – Blood Storage for Deep Space Exploration

  • Saul Flores (Biochemistry; Physiology and Neurobiology)
  • Janam Shankar (Bioengineering)
  • Nikola Susic (Physiology and Neurobiology)
  • Mentors: Kenneth Frauwirth (Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics) and Daniel Serrano (Cell Biology)

Team Wgabi – COVID-19 Test Performance in Microgravity

  • Nelisauriel Achuo (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Hoiseon Ng (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Esther Oso (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Linette Santos (Grade 10, DuVal High School)
  • Mentors: Taylor Bartlow (Astronomy), Jason Hipkins (Math), Jack Quesinberry (Biology)

 

Community Leadership

Program Directors: Taylor Bartlow (Astronomy), Jason Hipkins (Math), Daniel Serrano (Cell Biology)
Education Specialist: Rey Sasaki (Math; Music)
Patch Coordinator: Pinky Dulaca (Physics)

 

Step 1 Review Board

  • Moderator: Nicole Catanzarite (Neuroscience and Cognitive Science)
  • Jose Delgado-Jimenez (Bioengineering)
  • Michael Kio (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
  • Pei-Yin Lee (Chemical Physics)
  • Aishwarya Rao (Food and Nutrition Science)
  • Callie Weber (Bioengineering)

 

Step 1 Independent High School Proposal Reviewers

  • David Carey (Technology Entrepeneurship)
  • Cecelia Garcia (Microbiology)
  • Mel George (Electrical Engineering)
  • Sumiao Pang (Bioengineering)
  • Joseph Pottackal (Neuroscience)
  • Riya Samanta (Biopgysics)
  • Qinfeng Wang (Quantum Physics)
  • Maria Zubkova (Geography)