Annually the top three senior-level projects that meet the stringent requirements for entering the International Science and Engineering Fair win the Grand Award. Grand Award winners received an all-expense paid trip to the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, AZ May 12th-17th.

Sponsored by:

Winner: Nathan Witters
Title of Project: Developing a PCR technique to determine the distribution of Lyme disease in Johnson County, Kansas

Abstract: Ticks that are infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete bacterium can transmit the bacterium to humans. Infected humans may develop Lyme disease; ticks have been transmitting the disease for hundreds of years and are the only known vector for the disease. The gene OspA is known to code for the outer surface protein A in 19 different Borrelia burgdorferi belonging to the seven OspA-serotypes 1-7 (Will et al., 1995). In this experiment, ticks were randomly selected throughout Johnson County, Kansas. First DNA was isolated, from each tick collected. Secondly, the Ospa319 gene was amplified and the amplicon was analyzed using agarose gel electrophoresis. The purpose of the project was to determine the distribution of ticks carring Lyme disease in Johnson County, Kansas. Analysis of the agarose gels, revealed that the ticks collected were not infected with Borrelia burgdorferi.

Teacher: Brenda Bott
School: Shawnee Mission West High School
District: Shawnee Mission

Winner: Christon Alexis Petersen
Title of Project: A novel approach for cancer prevention: The use of lycopene to stimulate apoptosis in UV-damaged Sf9 cells.

Abstract: In 2012 there were an estimated 1,638,910 new cases of cancer, not including non-melanoma skin cancers, which caused 577,190 deaths in the United States. Cancer is a major cause of mortality in not only North America but the world. In addition to family history, diet and lifestyle are considered important factors in this disease. Cancer cells are immortal. That is, the cells "ignore" the chemical signals during the cell cycle. This cases the cells to grow without control resulting in too many cells that then create a mass--- a tumor. Normal cells have a limited life span, followed by cell susicide, apoptosis. Therefore, the number of cells is controlled. Evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of cancer and other chronic diseases. Oxidative stress is the disturbances in a normal cells' state that cause toxic effects through the production of peroxides and free radicals which damage all components of the cell, including proteins, lipids, and DNA. Recently, studies indicated that adding lycopene to your diet aids in the destruction of cancer cells. More specifically, evidence indicates a daily lycopene intake of 30mg was considered adequate to combat oxidative stress. In order to test whether or not lycopene would have an effect on cancer cells, a lycopene solution (LyD) was placed in Sf9 cells that were exposed and damaged by ultraviolet rays. Apoptosis increased significantly in cells exposed to UV and cultured with lycopene. Lycopene has a promising future in its ability to initiate apoptosis.

Teacher: Brenda Bott
School: Shawnee Mission West High School
District: Shawnee Mission

Winner: Disha Dasgupta
Title of Project: Finding the role of Aggregation, Hyperphosphorylation, and Mutation of Tau Protein in causing Alzheimer's disease using C. Elegans worms

Abstract: This project investigated whether abnormal tau protein encoding genes caused Alzheimer's disease, which affects over 27 million people worldwide. Neurofibrillary Tangles (NFTs) made of tau, have been foudn in the autopsies of Alzheimer's patients' brains. This lead the researcher to Hypothesis 1- Aggregation of the tau protein causes neural dysfunctions. Phosphorylation helps the tau proteiin to stabilize microtubules that are responsible for axonal transport between neurons. This led to researcher to Hypothesis 2- Hyperphosphorylation of the tau encoding gene (7Phos) causes neural dysfunctions. The P301L mutation is linked to Frontotemporal Dementia with Parkinsonism (FTDP-17) and the 3PO mutation causes the tau proten to aggregate faster. This led the researcher to Hypothesis 3 - Mutations of tau encoding genes cause neural dysfunctions. C. elegans worms injected with tau-encoding genes infused with Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) were used for the experiments. Behavioral assays were used to investigate dysfunctions of the nervous system characterized in Alzheimer's disease. GFP microscopy was used to detemine the aggregation of the tau protein and the presence of the hyperphosphorylated and mutated tau proteins in C. elegans. Results from 313 trials, using 63 C. elegans worms, supported all three hypotheses that the aggregation, hyperphosphorylation, and mutations of tau protein cause neural dysfunctions. Though previous studies postulated the role of the tau protein in causing Alzheimer's disease, this study investigated the specific mutations of the tau encoding gene that cause neural dysfunctions. Findings from this study could lead to a cure for Alzheimer's disease.

Teacher: Elizabeth Esco
School: Olathe North High School
District: Olathe