UMSL announces science symposium winners

The University of Missouri-St. Louis recently announced the winners of the 2008 Missouri Regional Junior Science, Engineering and Humanities Symposium's scientific research competition. The three-day symposium was held at the university.

The symposium, now in its 35th year, allows students to present the findings of their original scientific research to a team of judges. Students compete in six categories: behavior/education; chemistry/biochemistry; environmental science; general biology; microbiology and medicine; and physics, mathematics, engineering and computer science. The following students received certificates for their research:

Behavior/Education first place: Olivia Monroe, senior, Rockwood Summit High School, Fenton, Mo., for "Comparing the Effectiveness of Enrichment Devices to Elicit Interest From Maned Wolves in Captivity." Second place: Michelle Elissa Kropf, senior, Seneca High School, Seneca, Mo., for "Neurological Defects and Memory Loss in Planaria Associated with Long-Term Exposure to Excitotoxins."

Chemistry/Biochemistry first place: Cody Horton, freshman, Tuscumbia High School, Tuscumbia, Mo., for "Efficiency of Producing Various Biofuels from Plant Oils." Second place: Colin Park, senior, Wentzville Holt High School, Wentzville, Mo., for "Identifying Nickel-Independent Mutants of the Nickel-Dependent Repressor Protein NikR in Escherichia coli."

Environmental Science first place: Jerod Wyatt, senior, Mid-Buchanan RV High School, Faucett, Mo., for "Determination of Invisible Contaminates in Industrial and Environmental Waters of the Missouri River." Second place: Dalene Cook, senior, Seneca High School, Seneca, Mo., for "Determining the Efficiency of Bioremediation of Acid Mine Drainage Using Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria."

General Biology first place: Andrew Sass, junior, Mid-Buchanan RV High School, Faucett, Mo., for "Effects of Gibberellic Acid and Brassinolide on Plants in a Sumulated Microgravity Environment." Second place: Leslie Young, junior, Wentzville Holt High School, Wentzville, Mo., for "Transforming Ipomoea batatas via Direct Inoculation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes."

Microbiology and Medicine first place: Michael Stockwell, senior, Tuscumbia High School, Tuscumbia, Mo., for: "Copper as a Possible Bactericide for Contact Surfaces." Second place: Elizabeth Choe, junior, David H. Hickman High School, Columbia, Mo., for "Phenotypic Shifts in Salmonella typhimurium LT2 Strain CRC 2631 After Passage through TRAMP Mouse Prostate Tumors."

Physics, Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science first place: Renee Schaaf, junior, Central High School, St. Joseph, Mo., for "Effect of Rumble Strip Design on Wheel Influence." Second place: Derek Troutman, senior, Mid-Buchanan RV High School, Faucett, Mo., for "Schools: Leading the Blind."

Symposium sponsors include the Academy of Applied Science, Academy of Science of St. Louis, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Monsanto Company, Office of Naval Research, U.S. Army Research Office and UMSL.

Call Nancy Diley for more information at (314) 516-6226 or visit http://www.umsl.edu/~sep.

-END-