Dr. Melba Horton’s three biology classes (BSC1010) shared their group projects in the IST Commons November 18 and 19 in the first BIO (Biology Integrated Outlook) Expo.
Groups of between two to four students presented 30 posters that summarized their class projects on innovative concepts inspired by biology. The goal was for Dr. Horton’s students to apply biology to their individual STEM degree programs like engineering or computer science. The team component was also a critical part of the learning experience.
“The process of putting the projects together was amazing,” said Dr. Horton. “At the beginning, they weren’t too happy – extra assignments, working with partners, agreeing on the concept – but now they are very excited to share their ideas.”
The project may have been challenging at first, but several teams quickly realized that much of the technology we use today is similar to – or even directly copied from – processes found in nature.
Projects applied biological concepts – for example, cellular regeneration, human physiology and phytoplankton (diatoms) – to core STEM fields. Applications in nanotechnology included methods to employ nanofiber scaffolds to restore damaged amino acid chains, embedded nanowires in clothing to convert body heat into electricity and using nanoparticles to immobilize broken bones internally without the need for an external splint. Diatoms had far-ranging uses from delivering targeted medication to improving the efficiency of solar panels. Some groups used computer engineering to imitate a variety of biological functions including cyber security techniques modeled after cellular defense systems and employing sensors to provide biofeedback to prosthetic limbs.
Two teams were already awarded grant money through the Florida Polytechnic Sustainability Innovation Competition, sponsored by the Student Government Association and FIPR, to continue work on researching and refining their BIO Expo projects involving solar energy. The final projects are due on March 15, 2016, for evaluation and the winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22.
“I’m very impressed with the students and their ability to integrate biology with the core STEM concentrations they’re studying, to introduce the underlying biological concept in the projects they’ve developed, to articulate their research and then clearly describe their conclusions,” said University President Dr. Randy K. Avent. “I think we have foundations for several very solid future research projects here today.”
Students aren’t just working for top grades in biology class. The BIO Expo is also a competition with four awards up for grabs: the President’s Choice award presented by Dr. Avent, the FIPR Choice award presented by the Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute, the Pearson’s Choice award presented by Pearson Education and the Student’s Choice award as voted on by Florida Poly students. Each award will include a certificate for members of the winning team, and the Pearson award will include a copy of Campbell Biology, 10th Edition, recognized as the preeminent text in the field.
All of the projects are the products of teamwork among the students and the event itself is a product of teamwork among Florida Poly faculty and staff.
“The whole University operates in a very integrated fashion. Each department involved in helping to coordinate and run the event from the Academic Success Center, Faculty, Student Affairs, Technology Services, Marketing and Communications, all worked so well together,“ said Dr. Horton. “And the students took that integration within the University to new levels by showing the integration and application of biology and core STEM. Like I tell my classes, ‘Only at Poly, where great minds intertwine.’”
List of Project titles, teams and faculty mentors:
SECTION 2
WEDNESDAY, NOV 18, 2015, 8:00 – 9:15 A.M.
POSTER # 2
“Use of Electrospinning in the Medical Field”
Zachary Pisani, Samuel Fama, Kylee White
Mentor: Dr. Coughlin
POSTER # 5
“Octopus Defense Program”
Francisco Silvestrini, Troy Joyce, Lawrence Fishman
Mentor: Dr. Foster
POSTER # 18
“Using Self-Assembling Peptide Nanofiber Scaffold to Reverse Parkinson’s Disease”
James Nance, Michael Boullard, Jamie Blanco
Mentor: Dr. LeFrancois
POSTER # 29
“Nanoscopic Medical Particles”
Pete Lozano, Caleb Riggs, Jacob Shuler
Mentor: Dr. Ucar
POSTER # 28
“Identafish”
Dejai Hardin, Luke Rhon, Geoffrey Ruiz
Mentor: Dr. Sherif Said Rashad
POSTER # 24
“The Positive Shirt”
Reid Hendrick, Alexander Thompson, Duniel Garcia
Mentor: Dr. Anas Salah Eddin
POSTER #6
“Choices”
Rafael Visani, Roberto Alfonso, Peter Lancaster
Mentor: Dr. Sherif Said Rashad
POSTER # 16
“Vigilante: Extra Immunovaccine”
Alessandro Rivera, Tova Jones, Nicholas Fragoman, Austin Velez
Mentor: Dr. Matyi
POSTER #4
“Facial Expression: As Systematic Pain Scale”
Yassir Bello, Karina Tibbs, Caleb Brown
Mentor: Dr. Horton
SECTION 4
THURSDAY, NOV 19, 2015, 9:00 – 10:15 A.M.
POSTER #26
“Hibearnate”
Marc Burstein, Lloyd Stewart, Kenneth Williams
Mentor: Dr. Foster
POSTER # 9
“Echo Security”
Grant Gould, Adriana Medina, John Neger
Mentor: Dr. Wei Ding
POSTER # 12
“Cell Defense”
James Wienold, Jack Burk, Andrew Ryan
Mentor: Dr. Al-Nashif
POSTER #15
“Digital Dissection”
Levi Lambert, Peter Molitor
Mentor: Ms. Renee Michel
POSTER # 27
“The Biologically Adapted Rain Collection (B.A.R.C.) System”
Devon Moreno, Brian Smith, Arjay Paredes
Dr. Dean Bushey
POSTER # 17
“Adaptation: The Game”
Lee Oester, Haily Reinhardt, Gabriela Valdes
Mentor: Mr. Constantine Stefanakos
POSTER # 14
“Oceanic-Adapted Cyber Security System”
Megan Henson, Taylor Rodriguez, Nicholas Suppe
Mentor: Dr. Mohammad Samarah
POSTER #8
“Brainapp”
Emily Yates, Joel Dela Cruz
Mentors: Dr. Susan LeFrancois & Dr. Henry Chao
POSTER # 1
“Functionalizing Diatoms With TiO2 for Solar Cell Applications”
Chris Dowdy, Dalton Reith, Samuel Trappen
Mentors: Dr. Christopher Coughlin & Dr. Sesha Srinivasan
POSTER # 21
“Utilization of the Lily Pad Structure to Collect Photovoltaic and Thermal Energy From the Sun (Solar Lily)”
Joshua Watkins
Mentor: Dr. Horton
SECTION 3
THURSDAY NOV 19, 2015, 3:00 – 4:15 P.M.
POSTER # 23
“Cell Wall Mechanical Properties”
Nicholas Cottrell
Mentor: Dr. Coughlin
POSTER # 13
“Diatoms: The Glass Menagerie of Drug Payloads”
Christian O’Brien, Holly Pafford
Mentor: Dr. Matyi
POSTER # 7
“Technology of Medical Cybernetics”
Fernando Batista, William Francois, Fabio Volpato
Mentor: Dr. Bushey
POSTER # 10
“Consolidating Skin Cancer Data Around the USA With Strict Confidentiality”
Oliver Bennett, Gabriel Bennett, Scott Shriver
Mentor: Dr. Staab
POSTER # 11
“Bio Scanner Unit (BSU)”
Cynthia Osuji, Jonathon Gleason, Sean Kelly
Mentor: Dr. Horton
POSTER # 19
“Koitus: Artificially Reproducing Koi Genomes”
Michael Barone, Raphael Henrich, Skylar Coffey, James Groccia
Mentor: Dr. Yang
POSTER # 20
“The Mood House”
Travis Hills, Devin Marks, Austin Rosenberger
Mentors; Dr. Rashad & Dr. Integlia
POSTER # 25
“Use of Python in Converting RNA Codons into Their Amino Acid Counterparts and Vice Versa”
Trevor Beckett, Steven Maldonado
Mentor: Mr. Henry Chao
POSTER # 22
“Cellulosoft: An Anti-Malware Program Mimicking the Substance Regulating Properties of Cell Membranes”
Matthew Ryan Chavers, Travis Collura, Clint Johnson
Mentor: Dr. Bushey
POSTER # 3
“The Natural Process”
Jake Schiller, Brandon Aubele, Jonathan Cotton
Mentor: Dr. Samarah
POSTER # 30
“Optimization of Cork as Protection of Sensors and Equipment”
Robert Helde, Cordero Brown, Cody Hersman, Logan Micher
Mentor: Dr. Coughlin