2021 Labs and Research

Laboratory 1

“Agents of Change”: Assessing your Personal Carbon Footprint

It is often difficult to assess our own role in effecting global climate change. How can one person influence the change of temperature in the oceans, melting of icebergs or extinct of life forms that have never been seen. Students will discuss what sets and influences the Carbon cycle and how climate is changed by increased CO2 emissions. They will assess their own personal atmosphere by testing the amount of carbon emissions present utilizing kit components. Students will subsequently perform selected activities for 6 days and on day 7, experimentally test how these activities changed their Carbon Footprint and thereby would influence the climate.

Laboratory 2

“Have we met? ” : Investigating Exposure to Infectious agents

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, being able to identify whether a person had been exposed to the virus and how they would be able to naturally protect themselves by producing neutralizing antibodies to prevent re-infection was the key in developing the COVID vaccine so quickly. In this laboratory, students will be given one of five different infectious disease cases and take on the role of a clinical laboratory technician. They will test simulated patient serums by conducting an immunological test, Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to assess whether the patient has produced an antibody response to the pathogen in their case.

Laboratory 1

Does color matter? The Chemistry of Food Colors

Would you eat black ketchup? Do you prefer a specific color M&M even though they all taste the same? The color of a food is an important part of the food industry and is determined by chemical compounds called dyes. Sometimes, dyes are extracted from natural sources and other times they are synthesized.

The laboratory activity will explore the properties of different types of dyes, extract dyes from various candies, and analyze the types of dyes that are extracted. Students will learn laboratory techniques including pipetting, making solutions, and creating and analyzing an agarose gel. Students will use their results to discuss the physical and chemical differences in food dyes.

Laboratory 2

Who has the flu virus? ELISA knows!

Many viruses including the influenza virus is easily passed from person to person. Quick detection of a virus in a potentially infected individual is necessary to for effective treatment and prevention of passing the infection to other individuals. With its rapid test results, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has made a positive impact on medicine and even agriculture. ELISA is currently used for detecting pregnancy, disease in animals and plants, illegal drug use, indoor air quality, and food ingredients.

Students will begin the experiment by sharing samples with a few other students to simulate potential exposure to a virus. They will use antibodies to detect an antigen, like an influenza virus, in an ELISA to determine which students were “infected” with the virus and work to determine the original source of the virus.

Project Spark: Light, Sound, Motion in Engineering

In the Engineering Laboratory section of the camp, the students will have the opportunity to study the basic concepts of electrical, mechanical and software engineering through various hands-on projects by using Arduino electronic prototyping platform.

The objectives of the Engineering Laboratory are:

• To learn how to program electronics using Arduino boards, which consists of a programmable microcontroller for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control objects in the physical world.
• To explore fun real-world challenges by developing engineering problem-solving skills through creativity and teamwork.
• To inspire the students to become more skilled in communication, organization and research, which will help prepare them for future success in higher levels of schooling and in the workplace.

Introduction to electric motors

In this session the student will be introduced to the Physics involved in design and construction of electric motors. With the help of new technologies and mobile apps, the student will map the magnetic field of a permanent magnet in different regions of space so to have information of where to place the motor coil in respect to this magnet. In this manner, it will be possible for the student to control several parameters involved in the force that is applied to a current under a magnetic field. The construction of the motor coil will be assisted in order to be as fast as possible. With the multimeter the student will be able to measure the current and evaluate the force applied to the coil. Finally, with the measurements and estimations obtained during this session, the student will be asked to improve the design later on, first mathematically, and then practically.

Game Prototype

Students will create a game prototype using 3D animation and game engine programs. The student will pitch their story and game idea, create 2D and 3D art assets, and build a playable game prototype using a game engine.

Laboratory Experiments in Microbiology.

Microbiology is the field of science that studies organisms that are too small to see with the unaided eye, such as bacteria and fungi. These microorganisms are necessary for life but can also cause infections and diseases. Bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, is part of our normal microbiota and plays an important role in human health. Microorganisms are also used for food and antibiotic production. On the other hand, pathogenic microorganisms are capable of causing disease, such as strep throat caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. Whether studying the beneficial or pathogenic bacteria, there are a variety of techniques used in the laboratory to study the biological characteristics of these microscopic organisms.

The focus of this research project is to provide students an engaging laboratory experience and introduce common microbiological assays used in medical and research labs. Students will perform aseptic technique for the growth and transfer of bacteria, biochemical tests for the identification and characterization of microorganisms, and the Kirby-Bauer method of antibiotic susceptibility testing. Furthermore, students will apply these techniques to the identification of unknown microorganisms.

Removal of Hard Water stains by Common Household Acids.

The objective of this project is to determine if common household acids can be used to dissolve localized hard water stains. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines water hardness as the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water. San Antonio, Austin, and its surrounding communities are known for having some of the hardest water in America, with values consistently over the 150 parts per million as calcium carbonate.

Although hardness is a property of water that is not a health concern, it can lead to several issues in our homes including mineral buildup in plumbing, fixtures, and water heaters, and deficient performance of soaps and detergents. This research project will require the students to measure the hardness of their water supply, to identify common acids available in their household and to explore the ability of these acids to dissolve a sample containing carbonates and bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium.

Project Sunlight: Development of a UV Tracking and Exposure Measuring Device

In the Engineering Research section of the camp, the students will have the opportunity to study the basic concepts of electrical, mechanical and software engineering through various hands-on projects by using Arduino electronic prototyping platform.

The objectives of the Engineering research are:

• To learn how to program electronics using Arduino boards, which consists of a programmable microcontroller for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control objects in the physical world.
• To explore fun real-world challenges by developing engineering problem-solving skills through creativity and teamwork.
• To inspire the students to become more skilled in communication, organization and research, which will help prepare them for future success in higher levels of schooling and in the workplace.

Introduction to electric motors

In this session the student will be introduced to the Physics involved in design and construction of electric motors. With the help of new technologies and mobile apps, the student will map the magnetic field of a permanent magnet in different regions of space so to have information of where to place the motor coil in respect to this magnet. In this manner, it will be possible for the student to control several parameters involved in the force that is applied to a current under a magnetic field. The construction of the motor coil will be assisted in order to be as fast as possible. With the multimeter the student will be able to measure the current and evaluate the force applied to the coil. Finally, with the measurements and estimations obtained during this session, the student will be asked to improve the design later on, first mathematically, and then practically.