1200 BIOCHEMISTRY / MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Hepatitis B Patient-Derived Virus Shows Replication Step-Dependent Resistance to Interferon Treatment in an In-Vitro Chronic Infection Model

| July 28, 2023

By: Annabel T.Year: 2023School: Northwood HighGrade: 12Science Teacher: Karen Zhou Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health concern, affecting approximately 300 million people worldwide. Despite significant advancements in medical science, there is still no definitive cure for chronic HBV infection. Interferon (IFN), an antiviral cytokine, represents the first-line treatment for HBV patients. However, clinical studies …

Evaluating the Carbon Degradation Potential of Marine plasmids

| April 21, 2023

By: Pranav M.Year: 2022School: University HighGrade: 12Science Teacher: Timothy Smay Marine ecosystems play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, and bacteria are the primary drivers of carbon degradation in these environments. However, the distribution and diversity of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) on plasmids, which are non-chromosomal DNA, of marine bacteria have been relatively understudied until now. Pranav’s …

Using Microbial Fuel Cell to Test Energy Production of SCOBY Fermentation Microbes

| July 9, 2022

By: Anh T.Year: 2022School: Westminster HighGrade: 11Science Teacher: Huy Pham To aid students suffering financially, schools in Orange County provide free lunches (HBUHSD…). As regulations require students to take a fruit, fruit waste increases compared to previous years. In the U.S. alone, “more than a third of edible food is tossed… happens most with fresh …

In-Silico Investigation of Most Effective Hepatitis B Virus Inhibitors

| June 25, 2022

By: Rachel F.Year: 2022School: Westminster HighGrade: 10 Science Teacher: Huy Pham The Hepatitis B Virus affects multiple different communities, however, proportionally, Vietnamese communities are at higher risk, with the average rate of chronic HBV among Vietnamese Americans over 10% (compared to the general population rate of <1%) (Taylor, V. M.). HBV proves incurable as current …

Uncovering the Secrets of Amino Acids

| February 11, 2022

By: Cloris S.Year: 2021School: Jeffrey Trail MiddleGrade: 8Science Teacher: Jose Ignacio This project uses data from publicly available databases (NCBI Virus) to analyze the receptor-binding sequences of human coronaviruses. The novel virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is one of six human coronaviruses. Current methods used to initially analyze novel viruses involve time-consuming research, so more …

Immunotherapy Tumor Suppression (ITS): Using convolutional neural networks, gene profiling, and CRISPR/Cas9 Base Editing to enhance genetically engineered Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells for efficient immunotherapy

| April 27, 2021

By: Pranav S. & Vishnu M.Year: 2021School: Irvine HighGrade: 11Science Teacher: Neetu Toura The purpose of this software was to design a tumor suppression immunotherapy from tumors identified by medical scans (CT and MRI). This was done utilizing CAR-T cells, a type of lymphocyte that targets and kills rapidly dividing tumor cells. Normal T-cells target …

DNA Genes With Anti-Inflammatory Properties From Various Asian-Based Plants And Fruits

| June 3, 2020

By: Mailing A., Lien Th. & Jenifr T.Year: 2020School: Westminster High School, 12th gradeDivision: Senior Inflammation is an immune response which has been linked to cancer, cardiovascular related diseases, and dermatitis. Our project’s purpose is to find a specific DNA gene found in various fruits and Southeast Asian-based plants that gives the plant anti-inflammation properties.From …