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Secret serial numbers, cloning enzymes for future nutritional supplements, and the health of aquatic invertebrates in rural and urban streams were among the topics discussed at the 10th Columbia University Science Symposium held Wednesday. .
The students filled the Broder Science Center with posters depicting their work and explained it to the dozens of visitors who approached them.
More than 50 student research projects participated.
Nicholas Polk, a fourth-year forensic science and biology student at St. Peter’s University, was getting a lot of attention for his project, “Using carbon dot nanocomposites for a secret serial number imprinting method.”
Carbon dots are biological markers that can be applied to certain types of plastics to mark items, Pook explained.
He envisions using it for serial numbers on firearms, which can only be seen using specific wavelengths of ultraviolet light.
He said law enforcement will be provided with the location of the firearm’s serial number and the wavelengths needed to view it.
It is said that it can be used as a means to prevent counterfeiting of banknotes.
“It’s also cheap and simple,” Pook said, pointing to another benefit.
After graduation, he plans to work as an anatomical technician at Alta Sciences in Columbia.
Kristin Kelly, a fourth-year biology student at Columbia University, conducted research on cloning malate dehyglogenase.
“This is an important enzyme,” Kelly says.
The resulting protein could be used as a nutritional supplement, she said.
“It’s like a vitamin,” she said.
She is enrolled in the University of Missouri’s biomedical sciences master’s degree program and plans to study the effects of the immune system on heart function after a heart attack.
Her research won the symposium’s Best Research Proposal Award.
Nick Grabner, a fourth-year biology student at Azland University, won the Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science Award. He was also the symposium’s keynote speaker.
His research investigated invertebrate health and water quality in urban and rural streams.
The urban stream is Flat Branch Creek in downtown Columbia, and the rural stream is Turkey Creek between Columbia and Ashland, one of the streams in the Three Creeks Preserve.
Water quality was better at Turkey Creek, based on measurements such as oxygen and PH levels.
“It had high alkalinity and low phosphate,” Grabner said of Turkey Creek.
Information on invertebrates was not conclusive, he said. Flat Branch Creek had more invertebrates, while Turkey Creek had more species.
Adrian Mason, a fourth-year forensic chemistry student from Searcy, Arkansas, presented research on the reliability of eyewitness evidence.
Mason said eyewitness evidence has been proven to be completely unreliable and has led to many wrongful convictions. Groups like the Innocence Project have worked to use DNA evidence to overturn many convictions.
In her research, she caused chaos in the classroom. A woman enters the room, loudly scolds the instructor for not meeting her deadline, and leaves.
“They had the best results overall in terms of hair color,” Mason said. “They had lower height and clothing scores.”
There were 25 students in the class, but 2 dropped out. One refused to participate, and the other she knew the intruder personally.
“This area requires further research,” Mason said.
Brad Sharp, professor of biology at Columbia University, said the symposium is a great opportunity for students to present their research to a wide audience.
“Students will be able to present their own data,” Sharp said. “This is very important in the scientific field.”
Roger McKinney is the Tribune’s education reporter. Contact rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He’s on his X @rmckinney9.
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