This week, I had the pleasure of competing in the 2021 Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair. I had been working on this project for seven months now, so competing for the fifth time was truly special.
My project was entitled: Microfluidic C. elegans electrotaxis procedure towards the detection of heavy metal residue in water. My inspiration for this project actually came way before BASEF 2021, so it was great to get to carry out experimentation (even if we were all at home!)
| Many human activities since the Industrial Revolution are known to produce harmful chemical byproducts, of which heavy metals in low concentration are common. However, current methods of heavy metal salt detection in water are not widely accessible. Experimentation involved C. elegans nematodes exposed to heavy metals to investigate efficient and reliable methods of heavy metal toxicity detection in water. |
Here is the link to my project presentation and my project backboard! Majority of my previous science fair projects, as are listing on this blog, have been health-sciences/biotechnology projects. This year, COVID-19 threw us all a curveball and restricted access to a laboratory: a crucial resource to health-related projects. So, this project was carried out entirely from home!
Edit: Just yesterday, I found out that I had won Second Best in Fair at BASEF and that my qualified for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)! I am humbled and honoured to be apart of Team Canada 2021, and I cannot wait to compete!
Link to the Bay Observer Article that I was mentioned in!
Hi Neha, this project sounds awesome and congrats on winning Second Best in Fair – it sounds very well deserved! My company, InVivo Biosystems, produces a weekly live show called 17 Minutes of Science to discuss with a new guest each week how science is woven into their lives. I was wondering if you would be interested in joining our show to discuss your recent project, your involvement with STEMpowerment, and more! If so, I can send you more information. Thank you in advance and I hope we can talk more!
Hello Hannah! Thank you so much for reaching out! I would love to discuss this further over email.