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Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
Abstract Directory
A1
Presenter: Zachary D'Orsi
School: Scituate High School
Teacher: Mr. Goodfellow
The effectiveness of natural antibacterial solutions in comparison to pharmaceutical antibiotics
In the world today, people are looking for every method in which to save money and to live healthier. One way this is possible is
to gradually omit unnecessary and costly pharmaceutical antibiotics, replacing them with healthier, natural solutions. This project
continues to investigate the effectiveness of natural antibacterial solutions in comparison to pharmaceutical antibiotics. In
addition, the investigation of the natural antibacterial, tea tree oil will be continued. Since tea tree oil cannot be ingested, its
antibacterial qualities would be useless to someone who had an internal bacterial infection. However, if tea tree oil is split up
into its respective components, the effective components may be able to be put in an ingestible form. The procedures performed
in this project include bioassays, thin layer chromatography, column chromatography, and fractional distillation. The natural
substances tested in this project include tea tree oil, rosemary, and lemon. The antibiotic is Amoxicillin. The zones of inhibition of
each bioassay will be measured and compared in order to determine if natural antibacterial solutions are as effective as
pharmaceutical antibiotics in the eradication of E. coli. After the comparison of the zones of inhibition, some link was shown
between the effectiveness of Amoxicillin and the effectiveness of Tea Tree Oil. It was also concluded that Tea Tree Oil’s
effectiveness lies in its components with relatively high boiling points.
A2
Presenter: Lamara Drexler
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Victoria Conte
Personality Types and Brain Amplitudes
A possible correlation between extroverts and introverts, and the
amplitude of alpha brainwaves in the temporal lobe will be investigated. I became interested in this topic after I read an article
about brainwaves and personality. I wondered if brain waves could play a role in the personality of a person.
Hypothesis: If a subject is more extroverted then the alpha waves in the temporal lobe will have a higher amplitude than if the
subject were introverted.
Experimental Methods: I tested my hypothesis by gathering twenty random subjects. Each subject received a personality survey
that would provide a basis for whether or not the person was extroverted and introverted. Then, using a BioPac® system,
electrodes attached to the subjects’ skull measured brainwaves. The amplitude of the alpha waves was then measured and an
average calculated. This number and the number from the survey will then be used to note a correlation between personality
and brainwaves.
A3
Presenter: Marissa Marzano
School: Scituate High School
Teacher: Shannon Donovan
Do Automotive Chemicals Interact With DNA?
Internal Intrusion: Do Automotive Chemicals Interact With DNA? is a project involving the interaction of Toluene, Ethylene Glycol
and Diethylene Glycol Dibenzoate with DNA. Three tests will be used to determine whether or not these chemicals has a positive
or negative interaction with DNA. The first test I will conduct uses a spectrophotometer to find the melting point of the DNA.
When DNA is heated to a certain temperature the bonds formed between the base pairs begin to break. The second test uses
Gel Electrophoresis to determine exactly how much chemical interacted with the DNA and how the size of the fragments
changed. The final test will be HyperChem®, molecular modeling software, to give me a visual of the interactions going on. From
the results yielded from the test, I can conclude that toluene has little affect on DNA whereas Ethylene Glycol and Diethylene
Glycol Dibenzoate have a much greater affect.
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A4
Presenter: Brian Christie & Kadie Dias
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
Are the everyday foods bought from supermarkets, genetically modified?
Are the everyday foods bought from supermarkets, genetically modified? This experiment will test everyday food items that we
believe may be genetically modified with the round-up ready gene. We will use two soy plants as controls, one that contains the
genetic modification, and one that is wild type without the modification. The items selected for this experiment will include:
soymilk, tortilla chips, soy sauce, corn, potato chips, cereal, and energy bars. These selected foods, will be tested for genetic
modifications, using the process PCR. We predict that the items containing corn products will more likely contain the round-up
ready gene than the soy products.
A5
Presenter: Merna Gaballa
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Victoria Conte
Do Brain Waves Correlate to Weather?
It has been noticed that mood and the weather have been connected. I was curious to see if weather patterns affect brain waves
and mood. I am hoping to find out that there is a correlation between brain waves, mood, and the weather.
Hypothesis: If the weather is sunny, then the subject’s amplitude of brain waves will be lower because they are thinking more,
due to excitement. If the weather is foul, then the subject’s amplitude of brain waves will be higher because they are thinking
less, due to fatigue.
Experimental Methods: This hypothesis was tested on a group of subjects on rainy days and sunny days to compare the
difference between brain waves and the mood on those days and weather types. A BioPac® system was utilized to gather and
analyze the brain waves. The experiment will show if the weather really does affect brain waves. Electrodes were connected to
the subjects’ brain and the brain waves were measured and then analyzed. The experimental design was based on the weather.
A6
Presenter: Mathew Van Hook
School: Brown University
Teacher:
The interactions of ipRGCs with other signaling systems in the retina
Within the mammalian retina, cells called rods and cones are responsible for detecting light for forming images. Therefore, they
are classified as photoreceptors responsible for “image-forming vision.” Recently, David Berson, a scientist at Brown University,
was instrumental in the discovery of a third photoreceptor in the mammalian retina. These photoreceptors – called intrinsically
photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) – unlike rods and cones, detect light for “non-image-forming vision.” They are
responsible for various responses to light such as aligning the circadian rhythm with the rising and setting of the sun (circadian
entrainment) as well as the pupillary light reflex (the constriction or dilation of pupils in response to changed lighting conditions).
My work focuses on the interactions of ipRGCs with other signaling systems in the retina – specifically the retinal dopamine
system. Dendrites from ipRGCs make close contacts with the cells in the retina that are responsible for dopamine release – the
dopaminergic amacrine cell – suggesting that dopamine may alter the function of ipRGCs. Therefore, I asked whether dopamine
can, by directly acting on ipRGCs, alter their responses to light.
To test this possibility, I made electrophysiological recordings from ipRGCs that had been labeled by injection of a fluorescent
tracer into the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the rat brain. After stimulating the cells with light and measuring their response, I
treated the cells with compounds that mimic some of the effects of dopamine.
Dopamine and SKF38393 (which acts like dopamine only at D1-type dopamine receptors) both reduced the ipRGCs responses to
light, while quinpirole (which acts like dopamine only at D2-type dopamine receptors) had no effect. Forskolin and IBMX
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mimicked the effect of dopamine and SKF38393, while KT5720 blocked the effect of SKF38393, suggesting that dopamine acts by
D1 receptors and a cyclic AMP, protein kinase-A signaling pathway. I confirmed that ipRGCs express D1 dopamine receptors with
single cell RT-PCR.
A7
Presenter: Chelsea Carvalho, Michael Fontes, Kevin Gaspar & Joao Pacheco
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
Effects of Caffeine on Brain and Muscle Activity.
We will be testing the effects of caffeine on brain and muscle activity. We will test muscle activity and reaction time using the
EMG on three different people, conducting four one minute trials per person, two trials with caffeine intake and two trials
without caffeine intake. We will then test brain waves using the EEG and ask the subject to perform simple tasks with caffeine
intake and without caffeine intake. We will conduct four trials per person, two with caffeine intake and two without, and
compare the results of the three subjects to come to a conclusion of the effects caffeine can have on brain and muscle activity in
the human body.
A8
Presenter: Ben Johnson
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Kathleen Couchon
Is it possible that humans evolved from bacteria?
The human race follows the same patterns as a bacterium cell, is it possible that if humans evolved from bacteria. If you carefully
examine and compare bacteria and human cells you would find many similarities. Humans spread to an area and multiply and
multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way we can survive is to spread to another area; the only other two
organisms on this planet to follow the same pattern are a bacterium and a virus. The way I will prove this is by growing bacteria
under different environmental conditions and at different levels of nutrient resource levels. First I will create seven bacteria
growing petri dishes. Three of these dishes will be in cold, warm, and regular temperature. One will be placed in the dark and one
in the light. The final two will be put in the dark and light as the ones before but one will have nutrients and one will not. Finally I
will compare all of this data to the living patterns of humans and how they would survive in these conditions.
A9
Presenter: Neale Ross & Marissa Simeone
School: Mt. Hope High School
Teacher: Chris Munzert
Mutations within a plasmid of a bacterium
This project concerns mutations within a plasmid of a bacterium. Mutations are changes in the gene sequence in the DNA. There
are various forms of mutations, including inversion, deletion, and in this experiment particularly, point mutations. This kind of
change involves the alteration of one base of the genomic sequence. This experiment was selected because of our joint interest
in microbiology and genomic mutations. The goal of the project was to learn what it takes to mutate a bacterium and if it could
be done by continuously re-culturing the E. coli.
To complete the process, heat shock the E. coli to insert Green Florescent Protein into the cell wall, which is turned on by an
arabinose activator. After locking in the protein, culture the bacteria. Using agar streak plates with LB and Ampicillin, ensures that
the arabinose activator could enter through the bacterial cell wall and cause the plasmid to glow. We next began culturing the
bacteria; some grew on plates with arabinose, and others did not. After eleven generations, we took a sample of the bacteria and
brought it to the Rhode Island Genomic Sequencing Center. By extracting the plasmid from the bacteria, the gene sequencer was
able to record the sequence of the plasmid. With this information available, we compared the experimental sequence to the
control sequence of GFP as provided by BioRad.
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The sequence of the experimental plasmid differed from the control plasmid. The data showed that several mutations
occurred, thereby supporting the hypothesis. This project will allow for further understanding of exactly how bacteria mutates
and what is required to make these changes occur. It paves the way for further research into how point mutations develop.
A10
Presenter: Brittany Silva
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Gina Cunha
The relationship between ethnicity and the ability to taste or not taste phenothiocarbamide (PTC)
I will be studying the relationship between ethnicity and the ability to taste or not taste phenothiocarbamide (PTC). I chose this
experiment because while learning about PCR and heredity in class I became very interested in the PTC gene because of our
results. The results of the experiment showed that majority of my classmates have the ability to taste the PTC and that same
majority is also of Portuguese descent. With this data, I thought it would be interesting to see if there was a correlation between
ethnicity and the ability to taste the PTC. I plan on sampling a variety of people by having them taste first the control and then
the PTC paper. Each person will then be asked to reveal his ethnic background. After collecting all of the data, I will analyze my
results and compare it to other research that has been done regarding this topic. Based on my research and that of others, I will
look for correlations between the different variables and draw my conclusions.
A11
Presenter: Alex Martin, Harmony Tillison & Joseph Esposito
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Michelle Casavant
Which of the following energy drinks is the most effective on increasing heart rate, oxygen in-take and carbon dioxide output?
The goal is to determine which of the following energy drinks is the most effective on increasing heart rate, oxygen in-take and
carbon dioxide out-put. Once data is collected ingredients will be compared to determine which contribute to increased
metabolism.
Hypothesis: If Monster Energy drink is consumed it should be best for increasing metabolism to give more energy due to the fact
it contains guanine and taurine as active ingredients.
Procedure: The plan to figure out the one best for energy is to consume the energy drinks and record data based on increasing
heart rate, oxygen consumption, and carbon dioxide production. The experiment is on-going so there are no conclusions, yet.
A12
Presenter: Jodie Greenlaw, Tyler Jackson, Megan Gouveia & Gina Ghazal
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
Do strong tasters of PTC also have the ability to taste Sodium Benzoate or is it non sequitur?
The ability to taste PTC is a good genetic trait possessed by about 66% of the EPHS student population. PTC is a compound in the
category of bitter taste. Sodium Benzoate is a compound for sweet taste. This ability is also inherited. Through this study we will
determine if people who have inherited the ability to taste PTC also can taste Sodium Benzoate. For our experiment, 100 people
will be tested for the ability to taste PTC and Sodium Benzoate. We believe that if people have inherited the trait for tasting PTC
then they will be able to taste Sodium Benzoate or it may be non sequitur, which means random.
A13
Presenter: Frank Constanza & Dora Rivas
School: William M. Davies Career and Technical High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
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How Organic is "organic"?
You hear so much these days about “organic” foods. They are all the rage. Knowing that much of the corn and soy crops have
been genetically altered led us to ask how widespread the genetic manipulation of corn in a product like tortilla chips is. Our
group decided to focus on some common products found at the supermarket: organic chips, international imported chips,
Tostitos, Frito’s and finally, generic brand corn chips. We believe that most will have genetic changes, but hope that the organic
chips are true to their label. In order to accomplish this, we will first extract DNA from each of the test chips. Then, we will
amplify the DNA using PCR technology. Finally we will analyze the PCR products through gel electrophoresis, creating a genetic
fingerprint for each supermarket corn product tested.
A14
Presenter: Ana DiPrete, Katie Riley & Mat Minty
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The Effect of Oil and Fertilizer Pollution on the Population Density and Fatality Rate of Brine Shrimp
The purpose of this experiment was to observe the population density and fatality rate of sea monkeys as they grew in a beaker
of sea water, a beaker of water polluted with oil, and a beaker of water polluted with fertilizer. There is researched evidence that
both oil and fertilizer have very harmful effects on sea life. My hypothesis was that the population density would decrease the
most in the oil-polluted beaker, and the sea monkeys in that beaker would die first. At least four times a week, a sample was
taken from each beaker and the amount of sea monkeys in each sample was recorded to represent the population density. The
amount of days it takes for the sea monkeys to die represents their fatality rate. The sea monkeys in the beakers polluted with
fertilizer died first, after an average of 6 days, whereas the sea monkeys in the oil-polluted beakers died after an average of 9
days. As for the population density, the numbers were higher for the oil-polluted beakers, and lower for the fertilizer-polluted
beakers. Therefore, my hypothesis was incorrect. The population decreased the most in the fertilizer-polluted beakers, and the
sea monkeys in those beakers died first. I think that the fertilizer had a stronger effect on the sea monkeys than the oil because it
is a more acidic substance, and sea monkeys are used to living in a more basic environment.
A15
Presenter: Sara Pacheco
School: Brown University
Teacher:
Genome-Wide Approaches to Identify Sperm Biomarkers of Toxicant Exposure
Reproductive toxicology is the study of the effects of chemicals (toxicants) on the reproductive and neuroendocrine systems
throughout an organism’s development. The reproductive function of men is susceptible to a variety of adverse chemicals and an
undesirable consequence of long term exposure to these toxicants is infertility. Infertility is defined as a couple’s inability to get
pregnant after one year of consistently trying. Male factor infertility occurs in about ~40% of couples. There are currently very
crude ways to clinically assess male infertility. My project focuses on identifying different biological markers of fertility status by
looking at changes of the cellular components (DNA and RNA) found within sperm.
A16
Presenter: Juana Martinez
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Victoria Conte
Athlete versus Non Athlete
Purpose: I was an athlete and I wanted to find out if athletes were actually stronger than non athletes.
Hypothesis: If a person is an athlete then the amplitude of their muscle contraction will be greater while lifting weights than
someone who is a non athlete.
Experimental Methods: First what we did was gathered subjects who are non athletes and athletes. Then we connected them to
the Biopac® system, in order to do an electromyography to record their muscle action. Each subject was given a ten pound
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weight. Then the Biopac® system recorded their muscle action while they lifted, released, and rested for ten repetitions. The
data was gathered and will be analyzed to determine the difference between muscle action in athletes and non athletes.
A17
Presenter: Selena Gell & Robert Reenan
School: Brown University
Teacher:
Dissecting the Action of a “Selfish” Gene
As Mendel first observed, gene pairs, or alleles, segregate during the production of gametes (sperm or eggs), allowing half of the
progeny to receive each allele type. Occasionally, this tenet of sexual reproduction is violated and one allele propagates itself at
the expense of another. The Segregation distorter (Sd) locus on chromosome two in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster,
exhibits this type of “selfish” behavior. Segregation Distortion (SD) occurs when a male fly caries both an Sd-bearing chromosome
and a Responder (Rsp)-bearing chromosome. Nuclei containing Rsp-bearing chromosomes fail to condense during the final stage
of spermatogenesis and are lost, ensuring that virtually all viable gametes carry a Sd chromosome (Tokuyasu et al., 1977).
Although this phenomenon was first observed more than 50 years ago, to date no one has been able to understand how Sd is
able to eliminate Rsp. Several pieces of preliminary data have suggested that the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway may be
involved. RNAi is a defense mechanism used by cells to silence spurious messages including RNA viruses and selfish genetic
elements such as transposons. I hypothesize that in SD, transcription of a repetitive DNA sequence at the Rsp locus leads to
disruption of the RNAi mechanism and eventual destruction of those nuclei carrying Rsp. To test this hypothesis I have
determined the effect of mutations in RNAi pathway proteins on the severity of distortion. Early results suggest that disruption
of RNAi enhances the distortion phenotype, supporting a role for RNAi in facilitating distortion.
A18
Presenter: Amanda Barbosa, Mark Correia, Elizabeth Costa & Carolina DosSantos
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Amy McGowan
Which energy drinks have the greatest impact on heart rate and rhythm?
How do energy drinks such as Monster and Red Bull affect the heart, and ultimately which energy drink has the greatest impact
on heart rate and rhythm? The first step is to measure the heart rate and rhythm of the individual without any consumption of an
energy drink to establish a baseline. The ECG feature of the BioPak equipment will be used for this test. Next, the individual will
consume Red Bull Energy Drink and the heart rate and rhythm will again be tested. On a subsequent occasion, the individual will
consume Monster Energy Drink, and the heart rate and rhythm tested. Based on prior knowledge it can be predicted that
caffeine affects individuals differently by either increasing the heart rate and rhythm or by no change at all.
A19
Presenter: Jasson Archila & Nick Alves
School: William M. Davies Career and Technical High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
How good is the memory of a hamster?
How long does it take a hamster to find its way through a maze? We created an experiment around our curiosity and interest in
this question. We hoped to learn how its memory affects its speed. We conducted this experiment because we were very
interested in testing a hamster’s memory and to see how well its memory corresponds with its speed. Our references told us that
it would take that the hamster a few minutes to find its way through the maze and we based our hypothesis on this. Our
hypothesis was that the first trial would take over 5 minutes to complete, and the hamster would use only 2 minutes total on the
last day of trials.
We first built a maze out of plexi-glass, and then placed some hamster food at the end of the maze. We placed the hamster
inside of the maze and started trials to see how long it took him to find the food. Then we recorded the time of the trial. After we
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repeated what we did for 19 more trials. After the experiment we found that after each day of the trials the hamster’s total time
decreased. We also learned the hamster moved faster with each day that passed .
A20
Presenter: Olivia DiPrete, Mark Murphy, Julia Vincelette & Julien Nelson
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The effect of sulfuric acid solutions with different pHs on young grass seedlings
Investigated in this lab were the short-term effects of tap water and different acid solutions on the growth of grass in terms of
height. As it closely imitates the effects of acid rain on plant life, it is significant to our world as more fossil fuels are burned
around the globe, making acid rain more commonly present. Our setup required three grass pots and a different watering
solution for each pot, and these were tap water, a weaker sulfuric acid and a stronger sulfuric acid. For five weeks under a lamp
rack, the plants were watered bi-weekly with their determined solution through a watering can and measured using average
blade height. It was found that the grass pot watered with the weaker sulfuric acid had the greatest change in growth and the
grass pot watered with the tap water had the lowest change in growth. But the range of height increase between the three pots
was only 13 millimeters, so it can be concluded that liquid acid does not have a great effect on plant growth over a short period
of time. These results could have been due to the role of the plant cuticle, the amount of time the grass plants were watered,
and the concentration of the acids that were used.
A21
Presenter: Katlin Thompson, Marissa Almeida & Meredith Brown
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
How does an individual's PTC tasting affect ability to taste sodium benzoate and thiourea?
We will explore if the strength of a person’s PTC tasting correlates with their ability to taste sodium benzoate and thiourea. By
collecting qualitative data from 100 volunteers, we will use PTC paper, sodium benzoate paper, and thiourea to attempt to find a
correlation. We will ask our testers if they taste the PTC paper strongly, weakly, or not at all. Then we will ask whether or not
they can taste sodium benzoate or thiourea. We believe strong taters will taste both the sodium benzoate and the thiourea.
A22
Presenter: Andrew Barao, Sarah Botellho, Erin Butler & Andrew Hill
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Amy McGowan
Bioluminescence in Dinoflagellates: reducing energy consumption at night
Bioluminescence is the production of light by living organisms due to the enzymatic reaction of luciferase with the substrate
luciferin. The luciferin is oxidized, producing energy in the form of light. Bioluminescence could be used to reduce energy
consumption by providing natural light. The idea of bioluminescence being the future of lighting up the night was sparked while
splashing walnut jellies late one summer night. Dinoflagellates photosynthesize during the day and bioluminesce at night if
physically disturbed, yet the light is produced in short bursts, not for hours on end. Our goal is to prolong the duration of these
bursts to make this an efficient way to light up the night. To study the plausibility of this method, a series beakers of saltwater
and dinoflagellates will be set up. During the day the beakers of dinoflagellates will receive sunlight so photosynthesis can occur
and at night bioluminescence will be observed when they’re agitated; light output duration will be recorded. The results obtained
will help to shed light on the use of dinoflagellates to light areas up this is a baseline or the plausibility test of the beginning of
much future research.
A23
Presenter: Eli Hebert & Steven Spinella
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School: William M. Davies Career and Technical High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
The effect of music on cerebral performance.
We are frequently told that music with an upbeat tune will cause inadequate cerebral performance, while other musical choices
may increase focus on a task. The purpose of this experiment was to confirm or deny this claim. We decided to clear up this
misunderstanding due to personal experience. As we go about doing schoolwork, we are constantly lectured about our choice of
music. The older generation believes that new music decreases concentration and only the soothing classical melodies can aid
the concentration process.
We gathered a large group of students and subjected them to a series of tests using the Nintendo DS game, Brain Age, noisecancelling headphones and an iPod with songs representing opposing genres of music. We had each subject take three tests; the
first, Brain Age without music; the second, Brain Age with Mozart, and third, Brain Age with heavy metal music. Each test
subject yielded unique results according to their preference and intellectual levels. While, for the most part, the test subjects did
better while listening to Mozart, their preference played a key role in their overall performance. Mozart helps with ones focus
due to the affect the rhythmic nature of the slow beat has on the brain’s ability to process data.
A24
Presenter: Rachel Gouveia, Christian Ranney, Keegan Gould & Cory Durkin
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The effect of salt on freshwater fish (neon tetra) food consumption
The purpose of this experiment was to demonstrate the effect that salt has on the amount of time it takes freshwater fish to
completely consume their food. The experiment measured the amount of time it took six neon tetras in two tanks to eat ¼ mL of
fish food pellets. One tank had salt added to while the other remained fresh. The fish in the tank without salt showed
consistently slower eating times than that of the fish in the tank with salt. The average time for food consumption in tank one,
which had high levels of salt, was around a minute and a half while the average time for food consumption in tank two, which
had low levels of salt, was around two minutes. The results conclude that the higher the level of salt, the less time it takes
freshwater fish to completely consume their food.
A25
Presenter: Colleen Allen, Amanda Cabral, Breana Medeiros & Brandon Sousa
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
Effect of energy drinks on the heart's activity.
Using Biopac software to measure electrical impulses and electrical activity in the heart, we will determine if energy drinks have
an effect on the heart’s activity. We will be testing four people for our experiment. Two of these people will be non-athletic, one
will be someone that drinks energy drinks normally and the other person will be someone that doesn’t usually drink them. We
will follow the same procedure for the athletic people as well. Testing of these people will be conducted at around the same time
of the day so we can get accurate results. We expect to see a difference in heart rates for these four people which will support
our hypothesis that energy drinks do in fact have an effect on the heart’s activity.
A26
Presenter: Daniel LaBove, Sarah Pollock, Elizabeth McGovern & Alex Menzies
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The effect of density of goldfish on various elements of water chemistry
In this experiment, the purpose was to observe the effects that water parameters, such as ammonia, nitrate, and dissolved
oxygen, have on goldfish in three freshwater tanks set at different temperatures. The tanks were set up with heaters, filters, and
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aeration systems and all were set at 20° C. After the fish were acclimated, the temperatures of two tanks were risen to 24° C and
26° C and the other remained at 20° C. Temperature and pH were recorded daily while dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, and
nitrite were measured weekly, due to availability of lab equipment. In the ammonia test, all three tanks had high levels initially
due to the low levels of bacteria established, but then the levels dissipated until becoming untraceable by week four. The results
of the dissolved oxygen levels test shows that tank one always had the highest levels, tank two had second highest levels, and
tank three had the lowest levels. Tank one stayed steady throughout the six weeks with a level of about 8.2 ppm while tank two
and tank three gradually increased. Tank two had a rise of 2.3 ppm over the course of the experiment, which may be due to the
fact of a new air filter. Tank three had a small increase from 5.3 to 7.1 ppm. In nitrate testing, tank one had the lowest levels on
every test date, tank two had levels slightly higher than of tank one, but decreased over the time of the experiment, and in tank
three, the levels were the highest, initially measured at 2.64 ppm, but gradually decreased until the last week at 1.52 ppm. In the
results of the nitrite levels, there strangely seems to be no pattern distinct pattern in levels. Tank one began with slightly
elevated levels at 1.6 mg/L, but then lowered to <.3 mg/L and stayed constant. Tank two began with elevated levels around 3.3
mg/L for the first two weeks, then decreased to <.3 mg/L. However, in tank three, all 5 weeks of testing had the same level of <.3
mg/L. The pH levels of each tank were roughly similar, ranging between 6 and 7 at each testing and averaging at 6.5 in each tank.
All of the results indicate that the goldfish in tank one were put under the least amount of stress physically. The goldfish in tank
three were stressed the most, with the lowest levels of dissolved oxygen and the highest ammonia and nitrate levels. However,
during the experiment, no fish were killed during the six weeks of the data recording, and as far as can be seen from this
experiment, water parameters are not severe enough in temperatures of 26° C to have fatal effects on goldfish.
A27
Presenter: Erin Aparicio
School: Mt. Hope High School
Teacher: Chris Munzert
The effect of specific supplements on the growth period of cloned Venus Flytraps
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effect specific supplements have on the growth period of cloned Venus
Flytraps. Generally, basic nutrient media is used to grow plants. However, some studies have shown that there are natural
supplements that improve plant growth. The desired results through experimentation will determine whether media, with
coconut water, banana powder, or alone will grow these clones in a quicker manner. This will be measured in the amount of
time it takes the flytraps to sprout. The hypothesis for this research project is that if coconut water contains the hormones auxin
and cytokinin, which stimulate root and shoot growth, then coconut water will yield cloned venus flytraps quicker. In order to
test this hypothesis, three sets of thirty six tubest with the varying types of media were made. Then, on three separate occasions
the flytraps were put into the tubes using tissue propogation to begin growing. In order to collect and analyze data, charts were
made to keep track of the tubes which produced the traps first. Therefore, culture dates were written on the test tube racks and
corresponding sprouting dates were written in the chart. After experimentation was concluded, the data suggested that nutrient
media and coconut water produced cloned venus flytraps the fastest, thus supporting the hypothesis. Further experimentation
adn more time for the flytraps to grow will provide a stronger conclusion. Also, decreasing the contamination rate, and
increasing the number of tubes that grow flytraps will supply more definite results.
A28
Presenter: Aubrey C. Frank & Mark A. Johns
School: Brown University
Teacher:
Expression of a Translation Inhibitor in the Arabidopsis Generative Cell Produces Single Germ Cells that Preferentially Target
the Central Cell
The male germ line of flowering plants undergoes two rounds of mitosis after meiosis to produce two sperm within the pollen
cytoplasm. These sperm are delivered to an ovule by a pollen tube where one fuses with the egg to form the embryo and the
other fuses with the central cell to form the endosperm. A long-standing question about this system, known as double
fertilization, is whether the two sperm are developmentally equivalent and equally likely to fuse with either female gamete; or
are the two sperm distinct, fusing with specific targets? By expressing the diphtheria toxin A subunit (DTA), a potent translation
inhibitor, from the male germ line-specific HAP2 promoter, we blocked sperm development before the final cell division and
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
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produced pollen tubes that carry a single germ cell (SGC) rather than two sperm. SGCs preferentially fuse with the central cell
and initiate endosperm-only seed development when they reach an ovule. Using this new tool, we show that de novo translation
is required for completion of sperm development, that the HAP2 promoter is very tightly controlled and activated before the
second pollen mitosis, and that male germ cells can be forced to take on a preferential target for gamete fusion. These data
suggest that the two sperm carried within a single pollen tube may have distinct gene expression profiles that define their targets
for gamete fusion.
A29
Presenter: Cassie Couture, Lucy Tillman & Jordan Ashton
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The Effect of Heat on the Growth of Bread Mold
The purpose of this experiment was to see how temperature affected the surface area growth of mold over an 11-day period. We
had three tanks, each heated by a different wattage light-bulb. The first tank was a 25-watt light-bulb that heated the tank at
25.25°C, the second was heated with a 60-watt light-bulb at about 30.5°C, and the third was a tank heated at 64°C by a 200-watt
light-bulb. My hypothesis was that the tank with the greatest heat would grow the most mold because the research stated that
at higher temperatures, mold will grow more abundantly (“Mold Growth”). After placing one piece of bread in three different
bags, one bag was put in each tank. After the tanks were set-up, we recorded the amount of surface area of mold using a grid
each day—for 11 days. Once we were done recording results, we noticed that the tank with the least amount of heat, the 25watt tank, grew the most mold—with a surface area of 87.5 cm2. The second-most surface area of mold growth was in the tank
that was heated by the 60-watt light-bulb, with a total surface area of 70 cm2. The third tank, the one heated with the 200-watt
light-bulb, grew 0 cm2 of mold. I came to conclude that since the moisture in the bread in the 200-watt tank had dried up, that
was the reason why it did not grow mold—because it cannot grow mold when there is no moisture. So although it could be true
that mold thrives in warmer temperatures, there comes a point when too much is too much, and you eventually lose your
moisture. My research also told me that normally mold grows in a temperature range from 16-27°C ("Mold and Human Health:
Where Does Mold Grow?"). So I have also concluded that that is why the tank with the lowest wattage grew the most—because
it fit right into that rang of temperatures.
A30
Presenter: Ana Brunet, Alneisha Sanabria & Stephany Sulbaran
School: William M. Davies Career and Technical High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
Music and Concentration
When students do homework, they listen to music because it helps them. This method of gaining concentration provides great
results, individually. Based on this, we conducted our experiment to see if this was widespread among other teens. We then took
this idea a bit further to see whether a certain music genre was more effective. Our hypothesis was that music was going to make
a difference and the pop group would do the best due to its somewhat slower, relaxing style and rhythm.
In our experiment we took 50 people and placed them in 10 rooms. Each room had a different musical environment: one room
had no music and was our control, one room had rock playing, another room had rap playing, one room had pop playing and the
last room had hip-hop playing. They each took a test we created by taking questions from the board game “Are You Smarter Than
a 5th Grader?”© After testing, we averaged the scores and organized them based on music genre. The group that did the best
was rock with an average of 80. Hip-hop ended up with the lowest average. The no music group had the second lowest average.
Based on this information, we concluded that music does help concentration and certain genres, specifically rock, helps certain
people with their concentration more effectively.
A31
Presenter: Amberlee Perry & Alex Oredola
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Audrey Kampper
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
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The effect of various activities on oxygen and carbon dioxide levels
The Human Body relies on the lungs to pump oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body. With different activities the
oxygen and carbon dioxide levels change. Different bodily functions also cause these levels to be altered. If different activities are
affecting the respiratory system, then the carbon dioxide and oxygen levels will change depending on the activity and person.
With the help of volunteers we will test the way the levels of oxygen along with carbon dioxide change in the following activities;
coughing, sobbing, snorting, sneezing, yawning, crying, laughing and hiccupping. The volunteers will be different ; height, weight,
age, gender and will or will not be athletic. As a spin off to this project we will also test these results with a smoker to see if there
is a difference in the results. The tools we will use to experiment are a spirometer and a gas analysis to determine whether our
hypothesis can be proven or not.
A32
Presenter: Jacob Desforges, Danielle Smerbeck, Jeffrey LaPointe & Luca Spinazzola
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The effect of temperature on the growth of freshwater algae
Our experiment measured the effects of different temperatures on the growth and concentration rate of freshwater green algae.
Using three fishbowls, we set one to about 93 degrees Fahrenheit, another to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and allowed the
third to remain at room temperature, and put some of an “algal solution” in each one. We conducted tests on the bowls every
two days by testing each other on what shapes and colors were visible through the bowls. Our results concluded that the bowl
set to about 93 degrees Fahrenheit had the most growth as measured by clarity, followed by the 83 degree bowl and then the
room temperature one. From this experiment, it is clear that the algae grew faster because chemical reactions occur faster at
higher temperatures. This can be applied to global warming in that a raised aquatic temperature would result in overpopulation
of algae in all bodies of water around the world.
A33
Presenter: Samantha Resto
School: William M. Davies Career and Technical High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
Does the Beats per Minute (BPM) of Music affects a Gold Fishes Normal Behavior?”
In my research I found that gold fish are sensitive to sound, but not about what happens to them when exposed to the sound. I
was interested to know, so in my project, I tested gold fish at different beats per minute of music to conclude how their normal
activity changes. For a certain amount of time prior to starting the music, I monitored the gold fishes behavior, and from this I
was able to determine their normal activities. There were four different tanks; three were test tanks, which had 2 gold fish each,
and a control tank with 3 fish. Three play lists were constructed with bpm levels ranging from 70-160 using a computer program
called, “Bpm Counter” Each test tank was assigned a play list with one range of bpm. The gold fish were exposed to their assigned
play list, and their behavior was monitored, during and after the music, then compared with their normal behavior. My
hypothesis was that the higher the bpm level of the music, the more the gold fishes normal behavior would be affected, and in
then end of this experiment, my hypothesis was correct. I learned that the higher the bpm of sound directed to the fish tanks
does change their behavior drastically. My experiment can also be related the studies on sonar’s effect on marine mammals.
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
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A34
Presenter: Isin Cakir
School: Brown University
Teacher:
The Correlation between Sirt1 and Obesity
Obesity has reached epidemic rates in the world. In order to treat obesity and associated disorders, it is necessary to understand
how body weight and food intake are regulated. Hypothalamus is the brain center involved in this regulation. Our study shows
that the activity of an enzyme called Sirt1 positively correlates with food intake and weight gain. In food deprivation, Sirt1 activity
increases in the hypothalamus, and stimulates food intake. Inhibition of Sirt1 activity, on the other hand, decreases food intake
and body weight gain. Eating a fat-rich-diet results in increased Sirt1 activity, and this might be one of the reasons of obesity.
B1
Presenter: Michele Arriaza
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Audrey Kampper
How does exercise affect the respiratory system of smokers, non smokers, and people with asthma?
I am planning to do my research on the respiratory system. My problem is going to be as follows: How does exercise affect the
respiratory system of smokers, non smokers, and people with asthma? If your body is consuming more oxygen during exercise,
then there should be a higher production of carbon dioxide. I will use at least three people to experiment on for each factor. To
measure these consummations of oxygen and production of carbon dioxide levels, I will use a gas analyzer. I will measure each
person’s normal levels and then they will exercise for two minutes, then five minutes, and finally ten minutes.
After they exercise, I will measure their levels again. I will also address the normal levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide of each
individual. Overall the theme is “who has to work harder when exercising?”
B2
Presenter: Brittany Franco
School: Scituate High School
Teacher: Shannon Donovan
The antimicrobial effects of invasive plants species on pathogenic organisms
The Science fair project that I conducted this year was a study of the antimicrobial effects invasive plants species have on
pathogenic organisms; E. Coli and Yeast. The invasive species that I worked with was Bittersweet, Barberry, Buckthorn, Burning
Bush and Garlic Mustard. The results of this experiment was intended to apply to antibiotic use also. In the experiment zones of
inhibition indicated that there were antimicrobial effects. The reason for applying invasive species for antimicrobial use is that
these species in their natural habitat have an ability to overwhelm an area and over grow the other plant species in an area. To
test the plant species they were soaked in ethanol with a 1/4 concentration. Then each of the extracts would be put on a paper
disk placed on the plates with the bacterium. To test the extracts I used an ethanol control and a paper disk control. The
antibiotic controls were Gentamicin, Methicillin, and Carbencillin. This experiment resulted that Barberry, Bittersweet, Burning
Bush, and Buckthorn all showed effects against the E. coli. The Yeast was not effected by any of the test extracts or the antibiotic
controls. Each of the plates was measured for inhibition using a ruler in cm, for the clear rings around the disks. Bittersweet and
Barberry had the greatest measured inhibition of 0.4 cm to 0.6 cm. The antibiotic control's inhibition of 0.8. the results and data
of this experiment supported that these specific invasive species had antimicrobial effects on e. coli.
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B3
Presenter: Ruth Santiago, Elizabeth Howard, Sarah Pothier, Danielle Santos & Andrea Luther
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
Bacteria in Cosmetics
We will determine how much bacteria is found in make-up when it is first bought and how much bacteria is able to grow in the
make-up after it is opened. We will test make-up from 5 different brands and compare the brands to each other. We will
compare how much bacteria is in make-up that has been opened for a few weeks to make-up that has just been opened. We will
also test brand to brand by comparing an expensive brand versus a store brand. Also we will test liquid cosmetics versus mousse
cosmetics versus powered cosmetics and how the bacteria types vary in each substance. We will observe how much bacteria
grows every two days, determine at what rate bacteria grows, and how much bacteria would be in the make-up after 3 weeks.
B4
Presenter: Tess McNamara, Kieran Kenny & Rachel Andronowitz
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
Effect of cigarette smoke on the tunneling of harvester ants in AntWorks ant farm
The purpose of this experiment was to observe the effect of cigarette smoke on the length of tunneling of harvester ants in
AntWorks ant farms over a twenty eight day period of time. This experiment included two ant farms and one of them was
polluted with cigarette smoke. Not only was the tunneling observed, but there were also additional notes taken on mortality
rates and the physical appearance of the habitat. The hypothesis for this experiment stated that the cigarette smoke would
make the ants tunneling length be shorter the ants living in clean air, as well as having the polluted ants have less energy.
Overall, the hypothesis was correct because the ants living in clean air tunneled a cumulative amount of 197 centimeters while
the ants with polluted air tunneled 185 centimeters over 28 days.
B5
Presenter: Sherly Folgar & Damien Ramos
School: William M. Davies Career and Technical High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
How Well Do Students Follow Directions While Using Photoshop?
Our project was to find out how well students followed directions while using a graphic design program from Apple called
Photoshop. We tested students from the Graphic Arts technical area. We gave them a set of instructions to follow which we
designed, and were reviewed by the Graphic Arts teacher. If students followed the instructions as they were written, the final
design would have specific cut outs and a colored background. There were approximately 20 students that took part in the
experiment which took about 90 minutes to complete. What we wanted to get from this project was to see how well the
students followed the directions while using the Photoshop program. The original plan was to take students who had not used
the Photoshop program and test them as well, providing a comparison. After this experiment; our results were that out of 20
students one student was about 90% correct, seven students were less than 50% correct, and ten of them were less than 35%
correct. Some didn’t do it because they had said they did not understand what the directions said. As the results show, the
students did not follow the directions correctly. The next step will be to test the students who haven’t used the Photoshop
program. Then, a comparison can be made between the two results and see who followed directions better.
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B6
Presenter: Lillian Malis Sarum
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Michelle Casavant
The effects of sugar in apple and orange juice on a person’s heart rate.
Purpose: The purpose of the project to see which juices affects the heart rate, according, to the amount of sugar that the
participants with in a two day span.
Hypothesis: If apple juice is consumed then heart rate will increase faster than if orange juice is consumed because apple juice
has contains more sugar than orange juice.
Experimental Methods:
1. Base line EKGs will be recorded for each participant.
2. Each participant will then drink a one cup of orange juice.
3. After ten minutes, EKG will be recorded.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for apple juice
5. Analyze EKG records
Results and conclusions: Experiment is currently on going. Results are to follow.
B7
Presenter: Meghan Noury
School: Scituate High School
Teacher: Mr. Goodfellow
Properties of Natural and Synthetic Rubber Polymers
The purpose of this experiment was to perform relative tensile strength tests in order to compare the difference in properties of
natural and synthetic rubber polymers. Three synthetic rubbers, Polychloroprene, Silicone, and Polyurethane, underwent a
tensile test compared with the natural rubber. First, measure 2 cm from the top and 1 cm from the bottom of the rubber then
clamp to the top of the stand and hang metal hooks onto the bottom clamp. Starting with a 2kg weight, adding weights in
intervals of ½ kg, and ending with a 2kg weight, add each weight for 5 minutes until the rubber reached ultimate failure or the
maximum amount of time and weight has elapsed.
The silicone reached ultimate failure first, followed by the polyurethane and neoprene, and lastly natural rubber. The natural
rubber didn’t break under these weights because of the durometer (or hardness) rating of the natural rubber to improve its
quality. The neoprene had an average of 2.77cm, with it breaking under the load of 7kg each trial, followed by the silicone
rubber with of 2.08cm, because of the shorter duration of time. Natural rubber followed with an average of.3cm, but it didn’t
break, and finally the polyurethane had an average of 0.04cm, proving its toughness under a respectable force. Neoprene took
the longest time to reach ultimate failure- 35.92 minutes with 7kg, followed by polyurethane with 35.34 minutes, and lastly the
silicone rubber with breakage at an average of 9.04 minutes under 3kg.
B8
Presenter: Chantelle Plouffe, Jack Monagle & Peter Martins
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
Study of the physical capabilities of high-school athletes
We will conduct various tests on eight high school athletes; four swimmers and four football players. We will determine each
athlete’s physical capabilities, and we will determine the physical differences between the athlete types. We will see if their
training influences their physical strengths and weaknesses. We will be able to find differences in flexibility, reaction times,
balance, blood pressure, lung capacities, muscle strength, and structures between swimmer and a football player. We expect
that these physical capabilities will differ due to differences in the athlete’s training. In order to obtain this data we will perform
various experiments, on multiple high school students who are involved in either sport. Finally, we will research the same data
for professional athletes and compare it with the data we collected.
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
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B9
Presenter: Hunter Trowbridge, Caitlin Skenyon & Bradley Loomis
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The density dependence of common feeder goldfish in relation to their growth rate and feeding habits
The purpose of this experiment is to determine how many common feeder goldfish it is healthy to keep in an aquarium. To test
this we kept three identical environments each with a different number of fish in them; tank A had five fish, tank B had 10 fish,
and tank C had fifteen fish. To get our results we measured the fish weekly and found the average length for each tank which
showed us the growth rates of each tank over the course of five weeks. We also developed a five step feeding scale (attached)
which we used to monitor the veracity of feeding for each tank. What we found from our experiment was that tank A had a
larger overall growth rate than any of the other tanks, and that it also had a calmer feeding veracity. Thus, our experiment has
proved that it is healthier to keep goldfish in tanks with less than five fish per 254 square centimeters (100 square inches).
B10
Presenter: Maryanna Aldrich & Kristi Wharton
School: Brown University
Teacher:
Investigating Mechanisms of BMP Negative Feedback in Drosophila melanogaster
One of the most intriguing problems facing developmental biologists concerns how a uniform field of cells can be specified to
take on many different cell fates. This could not occur without communication between cells achieved through signaling
molecules and signal transduction. The BMP signaling pathway is a conserved signaling pathway that is responsible for cell
growth, survival, and specification. My lab studies the mechanisms governing this pathway during wing development in the
model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Cells in this tissue respond to BMP signaling in a concentration-dependent manner
such that the amount of signaling seen by a target cell determines its response. Since it is vital that cells see a particular amount
of signaling, it is important that levels of signal are not only properly set up but also properly maintained throughout
development. Previous work in the lab has found that expression levels of the BMP signaling molecular Dpp are negatively
regulated. Levels of dpp expression are increased in response to decreased BMP signaling and decreased in response to
increased BMP signaling. We believe that this allows for “fine tuning” of BMP signaling in the event of small fluctuations in
signaling levels. My work addresses the factors that are responsible for negative feedback and the regulatory sequences in dpp
that allow feedback to occur.
B11
Presenter: Erwing Saenz, Jeffrey Gard, Tiago Matias & Fabian Salinas
School: Tolman High School
Teacher: Julie Connor
Transformation of the Green Gene
We recently did an experiment under the instruction of our teacher Ms. Connor and two students of Brown University. In this
experiment we studied the transformation of genes, specifically what is known as the green gene. While doing the experiment
we used calcium chloride as the substance of choice for the experiment. Our results were visible using this substance because the
ecoli showed the green color that was expected. We began to wonder why in fact we used the calcium chloride. Upon inquiry to
our teacher, Ms. Connor, we began developing an interest in this very topic. We want to find out why other compounds were not
used such as barium chloride, copper chloride, or potassium chloride for example. We will repeat the process using the
ampicillin, the plasmid and the ecoli just like we did when testing the green gene with the calcium chloride. We hope to find out
what will happen when different compounds are used and if in fact the calcium chloride is the best choice for this experiment.
Does the calcium chloride make the results appear faster? What is it about the calcium chloride that speeds up the process, if in
fact it does? Questions like these are the core of this experiment and what we hope to answer at the end of it.
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B12
Presenter: Bouphal Ouk
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Victoria Conte
Do you Wash Your Fruit Before You Eat it?
Abstracts
Do you wash your fruit before you eat it? This project was to designed to show people how much bacteria would an unwashed
fruit contain compared to the washed fruit. During this experiment, we tested a variety of different cleaning styles to determine
which was the most effective way to remove any bacteria. I arrived at the question posed because my mother always tells me
how important it is to keep my body healthy by eating clean fruits. I decided to select this topic as my experiment because I know
there are many people who absolutely do not wash their fruit before they eat it.
Before doing this experiment, I predicted that if an unwashed fruit is compared to the fruits that have been washed with cold
water, then the bacteria would fade away. If an unwashed fruit is compared to the fruit which has been rubbed with your hand,
then the fruit which has been rubbed with your hand will have more bacteria on it. In addition, if an unwashed fruit is compared
to the fruits have been rubbed with a wet paper towel, then the bacteria would still be on, however it will contain less bacteria.
Finally, I predicted that the fruit that has washed with the DAWN ®, have no bacteria on it.
In order to do this experiment, I had to use the sterile technique to gather bacteria from the surface of the fruit. Then the
samples were cultured to determine the results.
B13
Presenter: Allison Kirwan, Alex Therrien, Brianna Johnson & Yostena Makram
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
Are non-tasters of PTC, tasters of other bitter compounds such as sodium benzoate and thiourea?
Are non-tasters of PTC, tasters of other bitter compounds such as sodium benzoate and thiourea? One hundred people will be
tested to see if they can taste PTC. The same 100 people will also be tested to see if they are tasters of sodium benzoate and
thiourea . We predict that tasters of PTC will be tasters of sodium benzoate and thiourea. The data will also be analyzed to
determine: If a person is not a taster of PTC then will (s)he be able to taste at least one of the other compounds? We will be
organizing our data by recording who can and cannot taste the three different compounds.
B14
Presenter: Kiani Carroll, Abigail Libman, Jackie Starr & Chris Salamone
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The effect of road salt on the feeding and mortality of bullfrog tadpoles
For our experiment, we tested the time taken to eat for Bullfrog tadpoles in a tank with salt and in a tank without salt. We timed
how long it took for each tank to start eating an algae wafer that was broken up into five parts. We took down results every three
days and for day one it took the salinity tank 120 minutes and the non-salinity tank 75 minutes. On day two the tank with salt
took 70 minutes to eat and 60 minutes for the non-salt tank. For day three it took the salinity tank 135 minutes to eat and 40
minutes for the non-salinity tank. On the last day, the tank with salt took 75 minutes and the tank without salt took 15 minutes.
Overall, the tank with salt took more than half the time to eat compared to the tank without salt. That shows how salt affects
tadpoles behavior to interfere with their eating habits. Also, the times taken to eat for the salinity tank were very inconsistent
and went up and down by the times. For the tank without salt, it was pretty consistent and the number of minutes got smaller as
we kept taking data. The results of times for how long it took for each tank to eat shows that salt affects tadpoles and the
background information on what it does to them shows in the results we took.
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
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B15
Presenter: Kathleen Galligan, Amber Silva & Kristy Vongphakdy
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
How pollutants effect the growth of basil plants
This experiment is designed to demonstrate how pollutants effect the growth of basil plants. It will consist of twelve basil plants,
split in to three groups of four. Each group of basil plants will have one control plant and will be testing a different category of
pollutants. The first group of plants will be monitored by testing the effects of household cleaning products on the plants. The
second group will be monitored by testing the effects of hair products. The final group of basil plants will be testing the effects of
cosmetics on the plants. All twelve plants will be under the same conditions and be watered with the same amount of pollutant.
This will allow the results to be as accurate as possible. The results of growth will be recorded in tables and graphs. The effects of
growth will be measured by height of the plants, the color of the leaves and the strength of the stems by comparison to each
other and the control. Observations will be recorded in a notebook.
B16
Presenter: Stephania Cherubin
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Victoria Conte
How energy drinks can effect heart rates.
This research is about how energy drinks can effect heart rates. After seeing commercials for all the different types of energy
drinks where promises were made that it will improve performance, I thought it was necessary for all those promises to be
investigated. Evidence of what energy drinks do to you is necessary. I predict that the energy drink will increase the heart rate.
My hypothesis will be proven by testing 6 subject’s heart rate before consuming an energy drinks and then thirty minutes after
consumption. An electrocardiogram will be administered to measure the subjects’ heart rates, using the Biopac® System.
B17
Presenter: Joneirys Baez, Reema Malek, & Laia Lopez-Best
School: William B Cooley Health & Science Tech
Teacher: John Wemple
Genetically Modified Foods
To know if Cooley HST High School serve food containing genetically modified corn or soybean?
Hypothesis:
Tested Items 35S Hypothesis Tubulin Hypothesis
Round up Ready (RR) yes yes
None Round up Ready (NRR) no yes
Taco Shell (TS) ? yes
Corn Muffin (CM) ? yes
Experimental methods: We used 35S to know if RR, NRR, TS, and CM are genetically modified. Also we used Tubulin to make
sure that our chemicals and our technique were working properly.
Results and Conclusions: The Taco Shell was found to be Genetically Modified. And Corn Muffin was not found to be Genetically
Modified.
Tested Items 35S Results Tubulin Results
Round up Ready (RR) yes no
None Round up Ready (NRR) no no
Taco Shell (TS) uncertain/maybe no
Corn Muffin (CM) no yes
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
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B18
Presenter: Jermaine Dumond & Louann Markley
School: William M. Davies Career and Technical High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
The Chameleon Bacteria Serratia marscescens
The bacteria, Serratia marscescens, changes color based on the temperature it’s stored at. It was used in the late 1900’s as a
marker for microorganisms. It is not used anymore because it was found harmful to the body. We hoped to learn how the
temperature influenced bacterial color change and then identify the wild type of the bacteria. This experiment was done to see
how the bacteria would change in relation to the temperature. Our procedure was done under sterile conditions. We first made
40mL of sterile nutrient broth. We poured 5mL of nutrient broth into 8 sterile test tubes with caps. Next we inoculated the broth
with a singe colony of Serratia marscescens from a plate that was previously streaked with the bacteria. Four of the test tubes
were placed in an incubator at 37ºC and the other four were placed in a separate incubator at 45ºC. The tubes were incubated
for one week and we recorded color changes over the course of the week. The control of this experiment was the
plate with red S. marscescens because the red type is the normal type and we knew what the culture should look like. The
variable of this experiment was the temperature of the two incubators. By doing this experiment, it showed us how the
temperature affected color change in Serratia marscescens. In conclusion we learned that the wild type is white.
B19
Presenter: Kelsey Breen, Kristen Fox, Simonne Letendre & Kristen Saucier
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
Presence of the Round-up Ready Gene in Organic versus Non-organic Foods
When testing organic versus non-organic foods, we will be looking for the presence of the round-up ready gene. We expect that
the non-organic food will leave a presence of the modified gene and the organic food will not. Based on the DNA and absence of
any modified or engineered genes, we expect the organic food to be visibly healthier. To prove this we will test organic cheese
crackers, lemonade, peanut butter and carrots versus non-organic varieties of the same products.
B20
Presenter: Hannah Lindsley, Julia Sliwkowski, David Menzies & Kristina Barbone
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The effect of acid rain on the growth and development of geraniums
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
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B21
Presenter: Lulu Tsai
School: Brown University
Teacher:
Investigating the mechanisms of axonal guidance in the olfactory system.
In order for your brain to function properly, billions of neurons have to make extraordinarily specific connections with each
other. Neurons can extend their axons for several feet in order to make these connections. In the nose, thousands of neurons are
scattered randomly throughout the area called the olfactory epithelium. However, all the neurons that recognize the same set of
smells somehow guide their axons to just a handful of structures within the olfactory bulb of the brain. How do axons know
where to go? Each population of neurons shares one unique protein: the olfactory receptor that allows it to recognize certain
smells. Since the receptor protein is located on the tip of the growing axon, I hypothesized that the olfactory receptor guides
growth by responding to different chemical cues. Several complementary gradients of chemicals would impart a unique chemical
code for each point in the olfactory bulb. My experimental approach was to genetically force olfactory neurons to express more
than their usual single olfactory receptor. If the neurons use receptors to guide their axons to certain points within the chemical
gradients, then forcing the neuron to express two receptors should change the guidance of that neuron’s axon. I used a
fluorescent antibody to stain all of the neurons that express two receptors and I saw that their axons do indeed target a new
structure within the olfactory bulb. This result supports my hypothesis that olfactory neurons use their olfactory receptors for
axonal guidance.
B22
Presenter: Courtney Johnson & Yesenia Palacios
School: William M.Davies Career and Tech High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
Does the printed color of text affect children’s reading efficiency?
We wanted to see if the color of print would affect the speed at which children read. We assumed that the lighter colors would
affect the children more because it takes longer for their eyes to adjust. We thought that darker colors would be easier and show
an increase reading speed because it is easier for the eye. Twenty children, ages 6-11 read sections from Dr. Seuss’ The Cat In the
Hat. Each section was written in a different color, including black, brown, red, blue, purple, green, orange, pink, and yellow. Each
child read every colored section, and the reading times were recorded. Then, all the reading times for all colored sections were
compared. To show our results we averaged all the times for each color then graphed them. We concluded that our hypothesis
was right, because the lighter colors were harder to read compared to the darker colors. We were surprised to see that yellow
was not the hardest but pink took the kids longer. So we are able to say that the color of print does affect children’s reading
efficiency.
B23
Presenter: Sandy Vieira, Zachary Gagne, Craig Fitzpatrick & Nick Boyce
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
Presence of bacteria are present on different environmental surfaces within East Providence High School
We will be looking to see if different kinds of bacteria are present on different environmental surfaces within East Providence
High School. We will complete this by swabbing the surfaces of a door knob, bathroom faucet, cell phone, and cafeteria table
top. We will then test the effectiveness of cleaners against the bacteria we culture from those locations.
First, we will test the surface with a cotton swab and then dilute the substance in water to prepare it for growth. Then we will
clean the tested surface with a chosen cleaner, take another sample and dilute it once again. Once the colonies are grown, we
will generate colony counts and classify the colonies by macroscopic and microscopic characteristics.
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
Abstract Directory
B24
Presenter: Felipe Castillo & Andres Anleu
School: William M. Davies Career and Technical High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
Have you ever wondered what colors trigger your memory?
Have you ever wondered what colors trigger your memory? Are brighter colors easier to remember compared to darker colors?
We thought of this question after reading a quote in the book “Memory” by Alan Baddely: “Memory for pictures has been shown
to be substantially better than memory for words.” We thought that maybe the reason for this was because bright colors in
pictures give people more to remember than just black words. So we found a picture that was filled with color. We showed it to
50 people for 20 seconds, took the picture away from them, and asked them what colors they remembered. From our results, we
concluded that people have a tendency to remember bright colors more than dark colors. We found that the memory of brown,
yellow, white, black, and orange was very similar. This was not expected, so we decided to do a follow up using only those 5
colors. We took the exact same picture from the first test and manipulated it so only the colors brown, yellow, orange, white,
and black appeared. We showed this picture to 20 people for 20 seconds and asked them what colors they remembered. We
found that the majority of the people remembered brown, yellow, and orange and not so many remembered white and black.
In conclusion, we found that colors that are bright and stand out are more likely to be remembered than darker colors that aren’t
very noticeable. We believe this because the brighter colors are more likely to catch a person’s eye and they’ll be attracted to the
color. Since colors like black and white and grey are common and plain, people really don’t pay much attention to them
B25
Presenter: Max Ragozzino, Ryan Keane, John Richards & Ethan Deaulniers
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Adam Reis
The effect of soil pH on growth of grass
B26
Presenter: Christopher Botelho, Courtney Cooke, Devhan Hurley, Priyanka Patel & Ali Streit
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Amy McGowan
How do certain stimuli affect an individual’s stress?
The intended purpose of the experiment is to discover how certain stimuli affect an individual’s stress. The questions being
asked are: how annoying are certain stimuli and is there a difference in the perception of nuisance between age groups. The
second question evolved from the first question, which was derived from an experience in a car when one of the members of the
group annoyed another individual in the vehicle by continuously opening and closing the automatic window. Thus, the idea for
testing how bothersome various stimuli are to different individuals was put into action. In order to test how “annoying” the
stimuli are the human test subjects will be attached to an EEG, EKG, and EMG as they are exposed to different sounds both
calming and irritating. The monitoring of cardiac, brain, and muscle activity as well as pupil dilation/constriction (which will be
monitored manually by the group) will provide insight into whether the individual being tested is calm or beginning to become
frustrated. The responses of different age groups will be tested by comparing results of student subjects to those of teacher
subjects. It is expected that if the individual is annoyed their heart rate will increase, as will brain activity. However, it is
expected that there will be no measurable change in muscle activity or pupil constriction/dilation. The predicted result of the
age group variability test is that the student group will have a faster and more severe frustrated response compared to the
teacher group.
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
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B27
Presenter: Carolina Bonilla & Jocelyn Sical
School: William M.Davies Career and Tech High School
Teacher: Janet Butler
Genetically modified Soy Products
The number of products containing soy has grown tremendously over the past 10 years. We are told that most of the soy has
been genetically altered, but we wanted to know just how many. Our hypothesis was that about 80% of the total products
tested will contain GM soy, and none of the organic products will express the modification. The test products include
organic/regular soy milk, soy burger patties, organic/regular tofu, and Gensoy granola bars. To reach our conclusion, we
extracted the DNA from each off the test products, magnified the amount of DNA using PCR technology, and then ran the DNA
using gel electrophoresis. Our results and conclusions were somewhat surprising, considering our estimate of 80% genetically
altered soy.
B28
Presenter: Samantha Hicks
School: Narragansett High School
Teacher: Kathleen Couchon
Why is it that fresh water fish and salt water fish can only stay in their environment?
Why is it that fresh water fish and salt water fish can only stay in their environment and not switch into each other’s? My
experiment shows why this is, by taking different organisms and testing them in different salt solutions. By doing this it proves
that osmoses and diffusion exists, allowing the organism to either take it in water or release the water.
One example of what my experiment constant of is taking three potatoes, 1in long, and putting them in three different salt
solutions. In on is plane water, the second in 1% salt of water, and the third in 10% salt of water. I would assume that the one in
the 10% salt solution of water will release the water causing the potatoes to go from being hard to soft. I’m also going to test
salmon eggs in different salt solutions and to add to that different temperatures. This will be able to allow me to relate this back
to my question because its showing that all cells are trying to reach equilibrium. Proving why salt water and fresh water fish
cannot cross each others environments.
B29
Presenter: Kristin Kerr & R.D. Burwell
School: Brown University
Teacher:
The role of the postrhinal cortex in navigation
The postrhinal cortex (POR) has an identified role in contextual learning, but its contribution to navigation has not been welldescribed. In contrast, the rodent dorsal hippocampus (dHIP) and the medial entorhinal cortex (MEA) are clearly implicated in
spatial navigation tasks. This study was designed to examine the role of the POR in navigation and to dissociate POR functions in
navigation from those of the dHIP and MEA. The POR, which is strongly interconnected with cortical and subcortical structures
that are known to process visual and spatial information, provides a very strong input to the MEA. Moreover, the POR projects
directly to field CA1 and the subiculum of the dHIP and indirectly to the dHIP through its connections with the entorhinal cortex.
A novel spatial learning task, the terrain location association (TLA) task, was designed for this study in which digital image
“terrains” are back-projected to a solid rear-projection screen that serves as the maze floor. Rats were trained to find an
unmarked goal zone, relative to features within the terrain in order to receive a reward. The nature of the spatial
representations was examined by presenting spatial transformations of the terrains. Transformations included were translational
and rotational. Single unit activity was recorded in the POR, dHIP, and MEA during acquisition and during presentation of the
transformed terrains. Preliminary data suggests that individual terrains are represented as different contexts, and that terrain
features contribute to those representations.
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
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B30
Presenter: Vilma Cortez & Jonathan Hang
School: Cranston High School East
Teacher: Michelle Casavant
Testing cleaning products
Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether Lysol Wipes or Lysol Spray would kill more bacteria.
Hypothesis: The two products that are going to be used are Lysol wipes and Lysol Spray. Out of these two products the Lysol
wipes will kill more bacteria than the Lysol spray.
Experimental Methods:
Step 1: Divide each of the ten tables into three sections. Each product will be tested on one of the sections.
Step 2: The section with the wipes will be wiped five times.
Step 3: The section with the spray will be sprayed three times, rotating the napkins five times slightly pressed down.
Step 4: The third section of each desk will not contain any cleaner.
Step 5: After the product has been applied, bacterial samples will be acquired using sterile loops on each of the three sections.
Step 6: The loops will be streaked on an agar plate.
Step 7: Plates will be placed in an incubator for 24 hours at 37 degrees Celsius.
Step 8: Colonies will be counted.
Step 9: Plates will be placed in an incubator if needed.
Results: Experiment is ongoing and result will follow.
B31
Presenter: Sued Jn. Baptiste & Jamiel Sutan
School: East Providence High School
Teacher: Kimberly Laliberte
How do genes of organic plants compare to genes of non organic plants?
Question: How do genes of organic plants compare to genes of non organic plants?(Are these healthier for human consumption?)
Our question is based on how organic plants compare to genes of non organic plants and are these healthier for human
consumption. We will test these questions by using the GM Food Procedure Lab. We will test bits of the embryo tissue by adding
primers to it to test for the round up ready gene for an organic and non organic food samples. We were planning to test
tomatoes. We expect that the non organic vegetable produce to contain the round up ready gene and that the organically grown
produce to be free to contain the round up ready gene. We would expect that the organically grown produce to be free of the
round up ready gene for the obvious reason that if the food is naturally grown, we do not expect a genetically modified chemical
to be present. On the other hand we do expect the chemical to be present in non-organically grown produce.
B32
Presenter: Bill Homes & Tricia Serio
School: Brown University
Teacher:
Identifying Novel Transiently interacting Partners of the Sup35 Prion
The misfolding of normal cellular proteins and the associated cytotoxicity of aggregates comprised of these aberrant species has
been associated with a variety of aging-related disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s Disease and Parkinson’s
Disease. The neurodegeneration typical of these disorders is progressive in nature, a characteristic that is believed to arise when
existing misfolded variants of a protein template the remodeling of normal conformers of the same protein into the diseaseassociated form.
Understanding the cellular regulation of self-perpetuating changes in protein biogenesis is essential for developing novel
therapies for protein-misfolding diseases. One of the most experimentally tractable model systems in which dynamic transitions
in protein state may be interrogated within the context of a living cell is the yeast prion system. While these factors undergo
self-templated changes in protein state through a pathway that is indistinguishable from those of the mammalian proteins
Nature of Discovery Symposium 2009
Abstract Directory
associated with misfolding dieases such as Aβ, the presence of the prion conformer does not compromise viability of the host,
allowing a unique system with which to dissect the cellular factors mediating the persistence, amplification and spread of this
form.
The overall goal of my thesis work is to identify the cellular factors mediating the sustained self-perpetuation of misfolded
conformers in vivo and their roles in this process, using the Sup35/[PSI+] prion system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model.
Previous studies from our lab have indicated that Sup35 conformations and complexes are highly dynamic in vivo, a characteristic
that is shared with mammalian proteins that undergo templated misfolding. The challenge then is to develop a system in which
protein-protein interactions, even those mediated by transient conformers of Sup35, can be captured, identified and studied.
Toward this end, I will 1)identify conformation-specific interacting proteins by mass spectrometry and 2)Determine the effects of
the candidate proteins on the self-perpetuating protein misfolding cycles in vivo.
B33
Presenter: Susanne DiSalvo & Tricia Serio
School: Brown University
Teacher:
The Mechanism of Prion Curing by [PSI+] No More Mutants
The folding, localization, and solubility of proteins are basic processes essential for proper cellular function. Although generally
proteins fold into a single conformation that determines their function, there exists a unique set of proteins termed prions that
can adopt multiple conformations with alternative functions. The prion conformation of a protein manifests as ordered
aggregates which are heritable, promoting their own growth and transmission through the conversion and incorporation of the
normally soluble protein into the prion aggregate.
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains several prion proteins that partition between soluble (non-prion) and aggregated
(prion) states, and the self-perpetuation of these physical forms serves as an epigenetic mechanism to direct the inheritance of
novel traits. One such protein is the translation termination factor Sup35. In the non prion ([psi-]) state, Sup35 exists in a soluble
and functional form whereas in the prion ([PSI+]) state, Sup35 forms aggregates that are inefficient in translation termination.
Detailed information on the cis sequence requirements for efficient prion propagation has been gleaned from a number of
studies on Sup35. Several Sup35 mutants, containing amino acid mutations in the prion domain, dominantly interfere with
efficient prion propagation when co-expressed with the wildtype protein, although the mechanisms by which these variants act
are currently unknown. Using a variety of genetic, biochemical and cell biological approaches in vivo, we have characterized the
effects of two of these Sup35 mutants, G58D and Q24R, on propagation of the [PSI+] state by wildtype Sup35. Intriguingly,
sup35G58D appears to specifically disrupt prion propagation by incorporating into wildtype complexes and compromising their
capacity to act as epigenetic agents, while sup35Q24R compromises propagation at multiple points in the pathway. Together,
our studies demonstrate the utility of prion domain mutants in elucidating crucial events in in vivo prion cycles.