Adrienne McColl of San Pedro, California was selected for her novel research on the survival and development of Larval California Spiny Lobsters. Adrienne set out to determine how diet affects these crustaceans, a species that has never before been successfully raised in captivity - until now. Through carefully executed diets of brine shrimp, mussel tissue, grunion eggs and more, Adrienne was able to successfully raise a California Spiny Lobster in captivity. In fact, she holds the record at 179 days! Adrienne's findings have modern applications for aquaculture, as the ability to successfully raise this species in captivity could dramatically reduce the negative effects on wild stocks. In addition, this study helps researchers understand how the fishery will change based on dietary needs being met in the wild.

Nathan Kondamuri, who’s from Dyer Indiana, researched photophosphorylation – the process in which plants transform light energy into chemical energy to create sugar. He created a biofuel cell that utilizes this system to efficiently transform light energy into electrical energy. Eventually, Nathan hopes to take his research a step further by creating power for implantable devices in the human body.

Jinyoung Seo of Go-Yang City, Gyeong-Gi Do, South Korea, and Dongju Shin of Seoul, South Korea, teamed up to present their research on spider silk. Originally motivated by a set of dew drops on a spider web, this team set out to determine what exactly it is that allows spider webs to successfully collect water. In fact, they were able to very effectively duplicate this characteristic of spider silk. Eventually, this team hopes to fabricate water-harvesting devices inspired by spider silk and donate them to areas with shortages of water.

Matthew Feddersen and Blake Marggraff of Lafayette, California explored a completely new way to inexpensively increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment while also increasing medical safety. Ultimately, they wanted a project that could be applied anywhere in the world – and they’ve done just that. By placing tin metal near a tumor before radiation therapy, the cancer treatment becomes far more effective. To top it off, the entire experimental process costs less than $100!

Erica Portnoy of Dix Hills, New York is on her way to helping the world fight bacterial infection. At the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, she presented her research on E. coli and how it adheres to human kidney cells.

Taylor Wilson, from Reno, Nevada, is doing his part to counter nuclear terrorism. In fact, through his research, he developed novel passive and active techniques for detecting nuclear threats. He set out on an experimental campaign to develop a low-dose and low-cost active interrogation system for cargo containers. The resulting system constitutes one of the lowest dose and highest sensitivity interrogation systems ever reported. Furthermore, rather than using one of the most expensive and rarest substances on Earth, Helium-3, his system uses the most abundant substance, water.

Kira Powell, from Odessa, Washington, took the chemical sodium polyarcylate – which can retain up to 500 times its mass in water – and inserted it into soil. More water available for crops equals more crop production. In her research, Kira’s hypothesis was confirmed because both of her experimental plant plots had statistically higher average plant heights than the control plant plot.

Athens, Georgia local Andrew Kim presented his research on the genetic and social influences and brain function of Drosophila – better known as a small fly. Specifically, Andrew identified and analyzed a gene in the brain to better understand aggressive behavior and socialization in flies. What he found is actually very comparable to humans – the more social interaction a fly receives, the less aggressive behavior a fly expresses. This gene, cyp6a20, when overexpressed, was also found to make flies hyperaggressive. Andrew’s research doesn’t end there! He plans to continue experimenting with serotonin in flies and study its effects on antidepressants.

Matthew Bauerle of Fenton Michigan focused his research on improving a mathematical method for solving problems where data errors are sparse – or where many entries are zero. His new formulation greatly improves the reliability of an existing L1 solver and reveals new information about the underlying structure of L1 minimization which improves performance even further. After his time at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, Matthew plans to publish a journal on his research.

Nithin Tumma of Fort Gratiot, Michigan presented his groundbreaking research at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair that analyzed a vital enzyme involved in the metabolism of many carcinogens in the liver. Specifically, Nithin focused on the overexpression of this enzyme in diabetes. Using insulin and lab rats, Nithin was able to provide a first glimpse of detailed information on the specific mechanisms behind insulin and its effect on this enzyme. Nithin’s research has great potential for furthering our understanding of diabetes in its relation to cancer.

Dianna Hu of Dix Hills, New York is on her way to finding a cure for those with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Dianna’s personal experience with the disease is the inspiration behind her research, and she is thrilled to be working in a field where the weakness of her physique doesn’t hinder the progress of her mind. For her project, Dianna used computer simulations to model the effect of SMA-causing mutations on the behavior of an important protein. SMA is the most common genetic cause of infant mortality, so Dianna’s research has huge potential to make waves in the medical industry.

Samantha Marquez from Midlothian, Virginia is changing the medical world as we know it. Through her research, she has created a novel approach to the bioengineering of artificial tissue. Her studies are sure to have long-lasting, real world implications.

Lai Xue’s interest in computer science began the first time he laid his hands on a keyboard – he instantly began to explore the limitless possibilities of the digital world. Now, at 18-years-old, Lai has traveled all the way from Chengu, Sichuan, China, to present his project: the creation of an interactive augmented reality system that is very similar to the holographic projection system in the blockbuster hit, Iron Man. When using Lai’s invention, one can see an interactive virtual world that is automatically simulated into a live video feed of the real world through a pair of video goggles.

Jane Cox, from Provo, Utah, has always been interested in rocks. For her project, Jane analyzed the compositions of both rocks and meteors, and she found that the two are distinguishable. She even determined that when large asteroids crash into earth, the impact can be so large that it can generate sufficient momentum to launch earth rocks into space, with some perhaps settling on Mars! Therefore, the discovery of a rock on mars could lead to false claims of extraterrestrial life on Mars.