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Imagine Yourself a Scientist at Alverno

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Alverno High School Scientists

Environmental Science Projects

Water Projects:

  • Aquaponics
    • Hydroponics + Aquaculture system for farming fresh food in places that have polluted or scarce water
  • Native Plants
    • Support native animals, drought tolerant, create a wildlife corridor
  • Rain Water Diversion & Conservation
    • Save rainwater by redirecting and storing
  • Pond Ecosystem Revival
    • Dead pond to living pond with water lilies, fish, dragonflies, and other creatures

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  • Pummel the Plastic!
    • School-wide project to encourage students to use re-usable water bottles.

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  • Recycling Drive
    • Educating campus about recycling

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Alverno High School Scientists

Science Research Projects

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Astrophysics

Students at Alverno participate in real-life analysis of data received from space in a search for pulsars. They also are building their own radio telescope for monitoring the sun and Jupiter.

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Alverno High School Scientists

SEAL Solar Energy Activity Laboratory

The goal is to create storable solar energy using dirt cheap materials, which would make energy environmentally-friendly and available world-wide, including remote or impoverished areas. Students work on these projects with post-doc mentors from Caltech.

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Alverno High School Scientists

Genetics

Synthetic biology, which allows medicines and other proteins to be manufactured in an inexpensive, humane manner. e.g. Insulin used to be harvested from the pancreases of animals for use in humans, but it is now possible to produce human insulin, by inserting a human insulin gene into bacteria, so that it can be made efficiently in a lab.

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iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machines)

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What is Synthetic Biology?

  • Genes like LEGO bricks
  • DNA programming language
  • Engineer systems like an Electrical Engineer uses resistors, capacitors, etc.

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Cool Applications of Synthetic Biology

  • Medicine
    • Insulin
    • Artemisinin
  • Biosensors
    • Fluorescent Proteins
  • Materials
    • Bacterial Membranes
  • Biological Research
    • Gene Regulation

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http://m.laughinggif.com/view/f1y2mmnrsm/13.html

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Micropipette - What is this thing?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6F48qGcLiQ

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Using a Micropipette

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEy_NGDfo_8

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