On Saturday, February 8, 269 gifted and talented students from across the Roanoke Valley will participate in Roanoke Valley Governor’s School for Science and Technology’s 28th annual Project Forum.
The science fair competition will represent several scientific disciplines, such as biochemistry, computer and mathematics, medicine and health, physics, and engineering. This year’s project titles include:
* The Effect of Caffeine on Zygote Formation and Embryonic Development
* Analysis of Poison Ivy Skin Sensitization
* The Effect of Cell Phone Radiation on Expression of Cancer-Related Genes
* The Effect of a Magnetic Field on the Electrochemical Production of Hydrogen
* Under-Body and Diffuser Flows of Passenger Vehicles
Students Ford Carson and Gavin Vess elected to work in the biotechnology field on a project titled The Effect of Caffeine on Zygote Formation and Embryonic Development.
“I was inspired to conduct this experiment after an encounter this summer during one of my Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training ride-alongs” said Carson. “A seemingly-healthy pregnant woman was experiencing a racing heart, and my team could find nothing wrong with her other than the fact that she regularly consumed copious amounts of caffeine. I decided then on this year’s project’s focus, and I am thrilled that my idea piqued my project partner’s interest and was approved by our professor. The vast majority of biotech projects at other schools are mundane experiments concerning fruit flies.”
As Gov. School students, Carson and Vess have complete access to the extensive Governor’s School lab and also the lab at one of the Governor’s School’s partner facilities, the Basic Science Research Lab at Carilion Clinic. “Our Gov. School biotech professor, Cindy Bohland, helped us contact the lab manager at Carilion Clinic for permission to use her equipment,” said Carson. “Not only was the lab manager enthusiastic about helping Gavin and me conduct our experiment, she also introduced us to her husband, a professor at Virginia Tech with a Ph.D. in reproductive physiology. The five of us met several times during the fall to design and plan the scope of the experiment, and Gavin and I have invested almost 100 hours so far in the project.”
Like most science projects at Gov. School, this one is complicated. Carson and Vess are using a pig model to simulate a human and are examining three components of zygote formation and embryonic development. During the experiment, the boys are studying the effects of caffeine on semen for motility and survivability, oocytes for survivability and viability, and embryos (up to the eight-cell stage) for viability and development.
Already Carson and Vess have made some important discoveries. “During testing, we were surprised to find that caffeine has an effect on the male’s contribution to fertilization. Our tests show that caffeine has a negative effect on sperm viability, which essentially means that if a couple is trying to conceive, it may behoove the male to abstain from consuming caffeine during that time.”
A diverse and accomplished panel of over 60 judges will evaluate the projects and determine scores based on strength of presentation, comprehension of subject matter, and depth of research. Cash prizes will be awarded to outstanding participants, and the top-placing students will have the opportunity to advance to a variety of local, regional, state, and international science fair competitions.
Over 100 Governor’s School parents, local businesses, and community supporters have donated items, services, and cash for Project Forum’s Silent Auction and the school’s annual appeal.
Public viewing of the student research projects will be from 1:30-3:00 PM in the Patrick Henry High School cafeteria in Roanoke. The awards presentation will follow at 3:30 PM in the Patrick Henry High School auditorium. Silent Auction live bidding will take place from 12:45-2:45 PM in the school library. All events are free and open to the public.