admin

Optimizing Plant Microbial Fuel Cell Energy Output: The Effect of Anodic Substance and Shape

By: Maya G.Year: 2023School: Fairmont Private Schools, Anaheim HillsGrade: 8Science Teacher: Michael Morin In a world facing ever-increasing energy demands and environmental challenges, young innovators like Maya are stepping up to the plate, using their scientific curiosity and ingenuity to seek sustainable solutions. Maya, a student participating in the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair, embarked on a

OCSEF Student Maya Gandhi is a Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge Finalist

Society for Science has announced Maya Gandhi among the 30 finalists in the 2023 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge — the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students. Maya, an 8th Grader at Fairmont Private School – Anaheim Hills Campus, entered the completion with her OCSEF project, titled “Optimizing Plant Microbial Fuel

The Efficacy of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Countermeasures in Public Parking Facilities

By: Saachi H.Year: 2023School: Fairmont Private Schools, North Tustin CampusGrade: 8Science Teacher: Joshua Riturban In today’s world, the issue of air pollution is a growing concern. One of the most insidious contributors to this problem is carbon monoxide (CO), a highly toxic gas emitted predominantly by vehicles powered by fossil fuels. Among the various settings where CO emissions

What is in Your Yogurt?

By: Alexandra I.Year: 2023School: Rancho San Joaquin MiddleGrade: 8Science Teacher: Paige Morris In today’s health-conscious world, yogurt is often hailed as a superfood, marketed by a multibillion-dollar industry as the elixir of gut health. But is this portrayal accurate? Are the expensive yogurt brands truly superior when it comes to probiotic content? Alexandra set out to demystify the

Mirror Tracing and the Temporal Lobe

By: Naim B.Year: 2023School: Magnolia Science Academy Santa AnaGrade: 10Science Teacher: Asiye Dumlu The human brain is an extraordinary organ, constantly adapting and evolving to navigate the complexities of our ever-changing environment. This remarkable ability to learn and adapt is orchestrated by various regions of the brain, including the temporal lobe and the hippocampus. Naim’s primary goal in

Analyzing Social Media Sentiment on Mass Shootings with Machine Learning

By: Marissa H.Year: 2023School: Woodbridge HighGrade: 9Science Teacher: Tracy Walla In a world where major tragedies seem to occur all too frequently, one pressing concern is the dwindling public attention span that follows these events. The window of opportunity to implement meaningful changes with substantial public support in the aftermath of such tragedies has been shrinking. This is

Two New Videos Available on Picking a Topic for a STEM Project

Students and Educators  —  Check out the videos from the 2023 OCSEF summer workshops on picking a STEM topic for your science fair project.  Each video is about 40 minutes in length. “How to Choose a Science Project – Getting an Idea for a Topic!”  Explore a variety of science fair topics to identify topics that

Modeling Nanoparticle-Based Therapy in Tumor Growth

By: Hailey V.Year: 2023School: Portola HighGrade: 10Science Teacher: Erica Borquez In the realm of medical science, the landscape of cancer therapy has been undergoing a remarkable transformation over the past decade. The emergence of targeted therapies has opened new avenues to interrupt the intricate molecular processes that fuel the growth of cancer cells. With each patient’s cancer being

Cellular Protein Degradation Pathways

Study focusing on human Sodium-dependent Multi Vitamin Transporter (hSMVT) and its application in cancer cell targeting By: Arjun G.Year: 2023School: Los Alamitos HighGrade: 11Science Teacher: Brighton Merrell In the realm of scientific exploration, few projects carry the promise of transforming lives as much as Arjun’s groundbreaking study on the human Sodium-dependent Multivitamin Transporter (hSMVT) and its potential application

Evaluating the Effects of Varying Wavelengths of Electromagnetic Radiation on Bacterial Growth

By: Kaixuan H.Year: 2023School: Sage Hill SchoolGrade: 11Science Teacher: Todd Haney In the quest for advancing public health, the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has posed a significant challenge. As we face this ever-growing threat, exploring alternative methods of disinfection and sterilization becomes paramount. Kaixuan, in his OCSEF project, embarked on a science project with the goal of evaluating