Last month, SACNAS held its science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) Conference virtually. According to SACNAS, college-level through professional attendees were immersed in scientific research and professional development sessions at the almost week-long event.
More than 100 students took part in graduate oral presentations and undergraduate poster presentations. Five students were recognized for their exemplary poster presentations. They include Diane Hernandez, University of Utah, Kia Z. Perez-Vale, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kayla Titialii-Torres, University of Kentucky, Sara Zarate, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, and Anahi Carrera, University of Southern California.
An abstract book of Student Research Presentations featured various studies, including computational drug discovery for a protease inhibitor as a treatment for the coronavirus disease, and arsenic’s presence in Colorado due to increased housing developments near abandoned mines.
Another study looked at excess pharmaceutical waste in water, an emerging concern about increased parasitic drug resistance, interrupted animal food chains and threatened drinking water sources.
Other studies explored an antibiotic that is used in treating various bacterial infections, innovative ways to address resistance to antibiotics, and performance-enhancing methods in the world of sports, which involves the use of red blood cells being extracted, stored, and transfused back into the athlete, making the transfused blood and the fresh blood nearly identical.
One project is researching fruits native to South America, while another is looking at third-hand smoke (THS), which remains on surfaces such as a car or home for weeks after the cessation of tobacco smoking, leaving behind a toxic mixture of chemicals.
Yet another study found that the production of smoke from burning biomass affects public health due to the effects of smoke inhalation. In this study, they illustrate how citizen concerns regarding a local restaurant potentially emitting high levels of smoke can be evaluated with a “citizen science” based approach.
In a study of artificial neural networks or computerized models that mimic the brain, an optimized neural network platform was created in a MATLAB format, including assessing network functionality, nodes, and related model factors.
Another study is aiming to characterize the composition of 2D nanomaterials used in electronics, in order to understand their toxicity, while one study shows how the implementation of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in laptops, cell phones, and electronic vehicles has allowed the supply growth of these batteries (a 58% increase of electric vehicles is expected for 2035).
The study finds that a lack of regulatory policies has resulted in unexpected environmental pollution. Most of the devices produced in 2016 will end up in landfills in 2025, and a 192% increase of LIBs in waste streams between 2020-2040 is expected, the study said.
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