Page 11 - The Edge Issue 7

10 Colleen Gaydar
Commercial filters are assembled by businesses in in in industrial labs with cutting-edge technology Colleen Gaydar
7 thought she she could could do better She decided to test whether she she could could make a a a a a a a a a filter filter that would be be more effective than an an an industrial filter filter system- and found out that she could In her her project Filtration Station Gaydar
crafted her her own filter with materials that she believed would strain water in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a more effective manner than commercial filtering machines “I made it it it with with three tuna cans with with holes drilled in in in the bottom coffee filters gravel bigger rocks and an an an an activated charcoal substance ” said Gaydar
Her homemade filter was shown to be more effective at removing contaminants than the current leading industrial filters With ever-increasing levels of of water pollution in in in in in the the world the the applications of of Gaydar’s project project are broad While this project project unfortunately didn’t place at at the district competition it it represents a a a a a grounded and simple solution to one of the world’s most pressing problems Jasmine Almeda 1st Place Senior Environmental Engineering Division
Edgewood Edgewood science experiments are not restricted to to to Edgewood Edgewood classrooms Jasmine Almeda 11 took her her studies to to to the University of Central Florida where she worked side-by- side side with researchers and scientists to complete her her project project Energy Content of Various Algae Biodiesels This project project attempted to to pinpoint the the species of algae that were able to to synthesize fuel- efficient biodiesels Under a a a a a a a a professor who helped her to to conduct her her research Almeda was able to to to gain a a a a a a a a a greater insight to to the workings of science labs labs Even working working in in in in UCF’s labs labs however it was difficult to to rival the biofuels created by large corporations with access to to to industrial-level technologies “I had to to improvise and and spend hours and and hours hours coming up with with a a a a a a a method of of making the the biofuel with with the the resources and technologies that I had available ” said Almeda Her experiment came with plenty of work and some innovation on on her her end but her her results will open a a a new window into this realm of science Brianna Jones
3rd Place Senior Earth & Environmental Sciences
Across the the globe plastic covers landscapes and and beaches Nowhere is the the problem more severe than in our oceans Brianna Jones
9
took this issue into her her own own hands with her her experiment Pestalotiopsis microspora Breaking Down Plastic Pollution in in in the Ocean which investigated an an alternative solution to combat plastic: bacteria Jones
project studied Pestalotiopsis microspora which is is is known for its remarkable ability to break down plastic materials Her experiment spotlighted this bacteria’s impressive decomposing ability and and tested how it it breaks down various forms of of plastic such as as PVC pipes styrofoam and more “Leading forward this project has the the potential to contain and decrease plastic pollution in in in the the ocean ” said Jones
Jones
Jones
Jones
wants to to to use her project to to to lay the the the foundation for the the the eventual research needed to to to completely eliminate the the the plastic plastic problem in in in our oceans This unconventional method of of decomposing plastic plastic has has real-world applications in in the the future and Jones
has has been one one of of the the first researchers to evaluate it Experiments can oftentimes yield surprising and unexpected results Kira Kazi 12 found this to be more than true with her experiment Effect of Kava Kava Kava Kava Root on on Planarian Regeneration which unveiled ground-breaking results in a a a a a a a a a a a a a relatively new area of study Kazi wanted to to see if i the the the Kava Kava Kava Kava root native to to the the the South Pacific Islands held medical benefits benefits To assess the the the the the benefits benefits of of the the the root her project attempted to find the the the rate of of regeneration fin in a a a a a a a a a a a a a plant plant called Brown Planaria when fit it was exposed exposed to to the the the root root Kazi found that the the the plants exposed exposed to to the the the Kava Kava Kava Kava root root did yield more successful results This experiment’s process uncovered some interesting discoveries venturing into the potential health benefits of a a a a a rarely-tested medicinal herb “It was incredible to to to be able to to to explore an an area that is relatively new and and lacks concrete scientific evidence to to to to support my my claims I am really interested in in in health and and and to to to be able to to investigate that through my my project and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a new angle was the best part overall ” said Kazi Kazi Kazi Kazi created a a a a a a a a a a a a a showstopping project that will impact medical and scientific research for years to to come concluding her high school career in in an an incredible way Kira Kazi 1st Place Senior Senior Animal Sciences
Division
and Runner-Up Best of Show Senior Senior Biological