Student Abstracts

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduate – Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy
Author(s): Madyson Barber, Andrew W. Mann, Andrew Vanderburg, Adam Kraus, Megan Ansdell, Daniel Krolikowski

3 Myr transiting planet in the presence of a protoplanetary disk

Despite the discovery of numerous transiting planets orbiting 10-30 Myr stars, finding a newly-formed transiting planet below this age range posed many challenges. A planet that transits must have formed from an edge-on protoplanetary disk that would block the star and thus any signal from the transit. However, recent evidence suggests many outer disks may be warped, so transiting planets may be visible provided the inner disk is depleted. IRAS 04125+2902 is an M0 pre-main-sequence star residing within the Taurus Molecular Cloud and harbors a face-on (i < 30◦) transitional disk but exhibits stellar rotation consistent with an edge-on orientation, leaving the ideal configuration for pushing the age boundary in which we can identify a transit. Here, we report the detection and characterization of the transiting planet IRAS 04125+2902 b. The planet has a period of 8.83 days, a radius 10 times the size of Earth, and a 95% upper mass limit of 90 Earth masses, making it a precursor of the common super-Earths or sub-Neptunes. With an age of 3 Myr, this system sets the earliest evidence of giant planet migration and offers a rare opportunity to study a planet so soon after formation and in a system still harboring a protoplanetary disk. If such disk warps are common, there may be a significant population of undiscovered transiting planets around stars still harboring disks.

Mentor: Andrew Mann, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
Undergraduate – Senior, Astronomy and Astrophysics
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Author(s): Salem Burtner

Unraveling the age of AB Doradus moving group through multi-method analysis

Young stellar associations and moving groups are collections of stars that formed from a common molecular cloud, and hence have the same age and metallicity. This makes them powerful tests of stellar evolution, since we can control for age across a wide range of stellar masses. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of one of the nearest groups, AB Doradus Moving Group (ABDMG), with a focus on determining its age. Past literature reports a wide range of ages for ABDMG, creating a difficulty in placing it in context with other nearby clusters. We begin with a sample of 996 ABDMG stars taken from a Bayesian analysis tool, BANYAN, and cross matched with the TIC database. We employ data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to derive rotation rates for 872 stars. Because of the well known rotation patterns of each spectral type, this is a useful indicator for age. Using ESO spectra, we find 71 of the stars have spectra capturing both the H-alpha line as well as the lithium spectral line at 6708 Angstroms. Lithium is only present in young stars due to a chemical process that destroys the element as a star ages. Finally, we compare three isochrones on a color-magnitude diagram to the data. Our findings show that ABDMG is approximately 120 Myo, which aligns very closely to the age of the Pleiades. 

Mentor: Andrew Mann, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduate – Ph.D., Physics
Author(s): Dylan Dutton

A multi-messenger measurement of the Hubble Constant

The binary neutron star merger (GW 170817) discovery marked the beginning of “multi-messenger” astronomy, allowing for new opportunities to understand our universe in ways previously unavailable. In particular, there has been a growing discrepancy (currently 4.4 sigma) between global measures of the rate at which the universe is currently expanding (i.e., Hubble’s constant), from, e.g., the cosmic microwave background (CMB), vs. higher ones from comparably local, Type Ia Supernovae. Or to put it another way, measurements of the current expansion rate inferred from early universe sources do not agree with those from more recent events.

To resolve this growing “tension,” we propose: (1) to utilize our global robotic telescope network, Skynet, to perform search and discovery observations for binary neutron star merger events, (2) to maintain and improve Skynet’s new observing mode that autonomously schedules images and scales exposure lengths to acquire the best possible data from all telescopes; and (3) to deploy numerical and analytic models for off-axis, structured jets of short-duration gamma-ray burst (sGRB) afterglows, to measure viewing angles and to characterize their systematics.

In addition to informing us about the most fundamental properties of our universe, such as its age and size, this work will further our understanding of the nature of gravitational-wave events and of the equation of state for neutron stars.

Mentor: Dan Reichart, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduate – Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy
Author(s): Matthew Fields

How often do planets form misaligned with their host stars

Many exoplanets have been discovered misaligned with their host stars, such that the planetary orbital axis is offset from the stellar spin axis. Most studies assume misalignments occur after the formation of the planets. However, it is possible for protoplanetary disks to become quickly misaligned from their host stars due to wide binary companions, stellar flybys, and/or turbulence within the local star-forming cloud. If we assume misaligned disks produce misaligned planets, this raises the question: how often do planets form misaligned with their host stars? Here, I present a method to measure the statistical alignment distribution between the inclination angles of protoplanetary disks and their host stars for a large population of systems. The method incorporates several techniques for measuring stellar properties with high-resolution images of protoplanetary disks to obtain the inclination angles of the star and the disk, respectively. The inclination measurements for all systems are combined in a hierarchical Bayesian model (HBM) which simultaneously finds the best-fit alignment for each system and the underlying alignment distribution for the entire population. This method will be used to measure disk-star alignments in Ophiuchus (3 Myr), Upper Scorpius (10 Myr), and other nearby populations of young stars with protoplanetary disks. A statistical picture of disk-star alignment in nearby young stellar associations will add important context to the many observations of planet-star misalignments in mature exoplanetary systems.

Mentor: Andrew Mann, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Undergraduate – Junior, Atmospheric Science
Author(s): Abby Grulick

Sustaining liquid water on Earth-like planets: the importance of star-planet interactions

It was first assumed that our solar system was alone, but current research indicates that nearly every star in the Milky Way is likely to have at least one planet orbiting it. There are many different types of planets, but since Earth is the only one that has confirmed life, researchers tend to place a special emphasis on Earth-like or Terrestrial planets when it comes to examining habitability. Currently, the key habitability indicator is water vapor. The presence of water vapor within a star-planet system is determined through the habitable zone which is the region around a star where a planet can support a surface temperature consistent with liquid-water survival. However, this does not mean that planets in the habitable zone automatically have surface water. Many more factors go into liquid water survival other than orbital distance. Important stellar properties include luminosity, mass, rate and intensity of magnetic activity, and spectral type. Vital planetary features consist of a planetary magnetic field and magnetosphere, atmospheric composition, interior structure, and tectonic plate movement. Atmospheres play a major role in maintaining a livable environment and can be greatly affected by stellar planetary parameters. In order to fully examine all of these stellar and planetary properties, I will create a set of test planets that will serve as habitable planet candidates. These planets will be used to determine the optimal combination of these conditions. Afterward, I will compare my test planets with confirmed exoplanets from NASA’s exoplanet archive. With this comparison, I will be able to calculate the likelihood of surface water existing on these planets. This research expands the criteria of habitability by progressing NASA’s Astrobiology goals forward and providing a list of potential planets that should be followed up on for habitability.

Mentor: Christene Lynch, University of North Carolina at Asheville

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduate – Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy
Author(s): Zackary Hutchens, Sheila Kannappan, Kelley Hess, Andrew Baker, Ming Sun, Derrick Carr, Kathleen Eckert, David Stark

The relationship between cold and hot gas in RESOLVE and ECO Galaxy groups

Galaxies are grouped in sets from isolated singles up to clusters with hundreds of galaxies. Previous work has shown that shock-heated intragroup gas may starve galaxies of the cold gas necessary for star formation, either by preventing cold gas replenishment or by directly removing it from galaxies. To better understand the processes driving intragroup gas heating and its influence on group evolution, we present recent results connecting cold and hot gas in groups. To assess X-ray emission and hot gas masses, we reprocess and stack archival ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) imaging for RESOLVE (REsolved Spectroscopy Of a Local VolumE) and ECO (Environmental COntext). These surveys offer a complete census of >6,900 present-day galaxy groups, spanning scales from isolated dwarf galaxies up to massive galaxy clusters, with uniquely comprehensive cold gas data for comparison. Together, these data sets enable us to examine the dependence of X-ray luminosity and hot gas mass on fundamental group properties, including group mass, group evolutionary phase, large-scale cosmic density, and group cold gas content. This research has been supported by a NC Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship and National Science Foundation grant AST-18114486.

Mentor: Sheila Kannappan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduate – Ph.D., Astrophysics
Author(s): Sophia Kressy

Minimal 3D magnetic field reconstruction from polarimetry and Zeeman Observations

Stars form under complex circumstances, involving many astro- physical processes. The rate at which stars form in our galaxy is lower than simple theoretical estimates would predict, suggesting more is at work than simple gravitational in-fall. Magnetic fields have long been considered a possible explanation for the observed star formation rate as they affect interstellar clouds from diffuse to dense regions. The exact role magnetic fields play in star formation is not fully under- stood. Magnetic field structure and geometry is mainly inferred from two-dimensional polarization maps. To fully understand the role of magnetic fields the third dimension is needed. The project’s goal is to reconstruct magnetic field geometry in three dimensions from two- dimensional observations, under minimal assumptions. Since this is generally an ill-posed problem, it will include regularization via additional constraints (polarization degree, Zeeman measurements) and a restriction to lower resolution.

Mentor: Fabian Heitsch, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Elon University
Undergraduate – Junior, Astrophysics
Author(s): Julianna Levanti, Chris T. Richardson, Kristen Garofali, Jordan Wells

Distinguishing between spectral signatures of AGN and HMXBs in dwarf galaxies

Intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs) remain elusive, in comparison to their supermassive or stellar-mass counterparts, but are essential for understanding galaxy – black hole co-evolution. Identifying actively accreting IMBHs in dwarf galaxies, known as dwarf active galactic nuclei (AGN), helps establish a lower limit to the occupation fraction of IMBHs in low mass galaxies. However, distinguishing between the spectral signatures of IMBHs and high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) in dwarf galaxies is notoriously difficult, especially at low metallicities. We present model spectral energy distributions covering 0.01-1.0 Z_solar that include fully self-consistent contributions of IMBHs as a function of metallicity and HMXBs as a function of both metallicity and stellar age. Our preliminary analysis shows that at solar metallicity, an AGN contribution of 4% is enough to completely erase any HMXB signature at energies >54 eV. Conversely, at low metallicities, HXMBs continue to contribute to ionizing spectrum at >54 eV until the AGN contribution reaches 16%, however this result is also weakly dependent on stellar age. These results have implications for using emission line diagnostics sensitive to high energy photons, like He II and O I, for separating IMBH and HMXB contributions at various metallicities in dwarf galaxies.

Mentor: Chris Richardson, Elon University

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Undergraduate – Senior, Physics
Author(s): Riley McBride, David Wake

Motion of satellite galaxies relative to rotation axes of parent galaxies

Using data from MaNGA, a thorough survey of galaxies, we searched for a correlation between the rotation axis of a large parent galaxy in relation to the direction of motion of their smaller satellites. If such a relationship was found, it would be an indication that the parent galaxy’s rotation is related to the local galactic environment that is capable of influencing the motion of its satellites. To make this measurement, stellar velocity data was taken from the MaNGA data for each of the 5001 parent galaxies and compared to the motion, which was calculated based on relative redshift, and the position of the satellite by comparing the position angle between the parent galaxy’s rotation and the satellite’s position angle relative to the parent galaxy. The data for the satellites, of which there were 8263, came from the Yang catalog which is based on the SDSS. For satellite galaxies within 200 kpc, a 7.20 +/- 15.79 km/s average velocity for satellites on the approaching side, and a 3.71 +/- 16.29 km/s average velocity for satellites on the receding side of their parent galaxy. The averages are higher when looking at only the closest satellites, but the error similarly increases, and looking at all the satellites within 30Mpc of the parent galaxy, the error is relatively low, but no significance is seen. These results are roughly in line with similar research done by a group using a smaller galaxy survey, SAMI, which showed marginal significance between the motion of satellites and the rotation of their parent galaxy.

Mentor: David Wake, University of North Carolina at Asheville

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Undergraduate – Junior, Physics
Author(s): Donovan Schlekat, Megan Dubay, Ruide Fu, John Torian, Andreas Buzan, Reece Clark, Joshua Haislip, Daniel Reichart

Skynet 2: Expansion and improvement of the skynet robotic telescope network

The Skynet Robotic Telescope Network (Skynet RTN) was originally built in 2004 with the goal of carrying out rapid, multi-wavelength observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) within seconds of their detection. Originally only containing six telescopes, today Skynet has expanded in both scale and mission, growing to contain ~20 optical telescopes as well as one radio telescope, and evolving into both a scientific and educational platform for doing astronomy. Skynet currently serves professional astronomers as a data collection tool as well as educators and their undergraduate students taking introductory astronomy courses around the country. We sought to completely overhaul Skynet’s website, or user interface (UI), applied programming interface (API), and database design, in order to significantly expand the network with additional telescopes. These enhancements are designed to streamline the process of telescope integration, allowing observatory owners greater control over their instruments while improving the overall user experience. The overhaul will also allow previously incompatible instruments to be added to Skynet, such as optical polarimeters, and allow the integration of at least three additional radio telescopes into the network. These new telescopes will transform the scientific and educational capabilities of the network, allowing new astronomical research and supporting a newly developed undergraduate course “The Multi-Wavelength Universe!” So far, we have made significant progress on the overhaul of the database, API, and UI, upgrading Skynet to be more user-friendly, modern, powerful, and capable. We have also made a maintenance trip to our telescopes at Siding Springs Observatory, Australia, deploying some of the first CMOS cameras on our network and working to increase the number of telescopes available to Skynet users.

Mentor: Daniel Reichart, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
Community College, Biology
Author(s): Catori Wilkie

Comparative analysis of DSLR cameras in astro-imaging: Impact of IR and anti-aliasing filters

This research project aims to assess the influence of infrared (IR) and anti-aliasing filters on astronomical data collection. We compared imagery from a Canon T7 DSLR camera and the same camera after removal of the camera’s native IR and anti-aliasing filters. The primary goal is to assess the impact of these filters on astronomical data quality, specifically focusing on signal saturation, signal-to-noise ratio, and calculation of fixed star magnitude. The outcomes will contribute to a nuanced understanding of how these modifications influence key astronomical data parameters, offering practical insights for researchers engaged in astronomical observations and data analysis.

Mentor: Denise Williams, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
Duke University
Undergraduate – Sophomore, Neuroscience and English
Author(s): Rebecca Arian, Hala Awada, Minjun Kim, Estrella Passerat de la Chapelle, Wonjae Lee, François Paris, Egle Cekanaviciute, Sylvain V. Costes

53BP1 as a biosensor to track ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage and repair using live-cell imaging

Exposure to ionizing radiation represents a central challenge for human space exploration, in part because it induces cytotoxic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that may contribute to carcinogenesis. P53-binding protein-1 (53BP1) plays a crucial role in maintaining genomic integrity. Briefly, during DSB repair, 53BP1 is recruited at the site of lesions in the cellular nuclei and forms distinct clusters. These clusters can be visualized using immunofluorescence and have been used as a standard metric of DNA damage and repair in both fixed and live cells. To improve upon current models, we have developed an approach to utilize 53BP1 as a noninvasive biomarker of DNA damage and repair for live cell imaging, removing the need to fix cultures at individual time points. To generate a fluorescent 53BP1-based biomarker, we purified a 53BP1-GFP AAV2 plasmid vector from expression in E. coli. We validated the plasmid by transducing a Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) cell line and then quantified 53BP1-GFP expression for 5 days after exposure to 5 Gy X-ray ionizing radiation. Sham irradiation was used as a control. We plan to incorporate this live-cell system, which serves as a monitoring tool for DNA damage and repair, into a glioblastoma-on-a-chip to further explore 53BP1 functionality in a tumor microenvironment and investigate dose-response of cellular damage induced by either low- or high-LET. Our ultimate goals are to adapt this tool to improve tumor-killing efficiency in radiotherapy and to characterize cancer progression after exposure to space radiation.

Mentor: Egle Cekanaviciute, NASA Ames Research Center

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
Winston-Salem State University
Undergraduate – Senior, Biology
Author(s): Michelle Bruno-Garcia, A’nya Buckner, Kayari Harris, Rafael Loureiro

UNEARTH (lUNar rEgolith trAnsfoRmation Technique)

Establishing a sustainable agricultural system is one of many goals during space missions to the moon. Specifically, the challenges for plant growth in Lunar regolith stem from the lack of missing nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are major elements required for plant growth. Additionally, Lunar regolith water retention is low compared to other soils. The UNEARTH project investigated the potential benefits of using biochar from produced crops in combination with Lunar Highland Regolith simulant (LHS-1) in varying concentrations to promote plant growth. The experiment was conducted with lettuce and radish grown in varying biochar and LHS-1 concentrations. The biochar to LHS-1 concentrations were 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% per plant species. The same concentrations were prepared with biochar and soil per plant species as controls. Each treatment was replicated ten times in controlled conditions. Plant growth was assessed by analysis of root architecture, plant morphology, and the production of stress indicators. The UNEARTH project could contribute to a better understanding of biochar’s potential as a lunar regolith amendment. Additionally, could identify sustainable space agricultural practices and development of soil management, and provide a scientific reference for biochar application. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the potential benefits of using biochar in combination with martin regolith simulant for optimal plant growth in extraterrestrial environments.

Mentor: Rafael Loureiro, Winston-Salem State University

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Recent Graduate, Microbiology/Microbial Pathogenesis
Author(s): Mizpha C Fernander, Kelyah Spurgeon, Jada Graves Wynter Guess, Jordan Miller, Chanell Mangum, Joseph L. Graves Jr., Misty Thomas

Investigating genotypic and phenotypic co-adaptation of simulated microgravity and silver on Streptococcus mutans using experimental evolution

Investigating life on extended missions in space is a priority for NASA. The immune system of Space travelers undergoes aberration, causing susceptibility to opportunistic infections. Reduced saliva flow and low bone density increase infections by dental caries and plaque causing Streptococcus microorganism. NASA proposes to switch to silver into PWD on the ISS. S. mutans are well studied on earth, however not studied on extended space exploration. This research study examined the evolutionary genotypic and phenotypic co-adaptation of S. mutans under simulated microgravity (sMG5-8) and silver (sMGAg1-4). The study assessed if (100-day) exposure leads to a virulent strain of S. mutans. S. mutans populations were propagated (x4) under both (sMG5-8) and (sMGAg1-4) biological replicates using High Aspect Ratio Vessels (HARVs’) to simulate co-adapted populations. Virulence was assessed using phenotypic assays including; MIC silver assays for antibiotic resistance, susceptibility, acid stress tolerance, and adherence/biofilm assays. Adhesion/biofilm results showed increased variance among co-adapted populations after 24- and 48-hours. Evolved populations showed tolerance to acid stress after 20 minutes. MIC AgNO3 analysis showed a slight increase in resistance in co-adapted populations as well as susceptibility in assessed antibiotics. Genetic adaptations of S. mutans were evaluated using DNA sequencing. Identified mutations included (SMU_1307c and SMU_399), Domain Containing Protein (DQM59_RS04335→) involved in metal resistance; and two component response ciaH/R gene mutations involved in biofilms, and acid stress were identified. gorA mutations function in catalytic activity; PBP1a, and trkA/trkB mutations were also identified. Data represents co-adaptation of planktonic populations undergoing (sMG5-8) and (sMGAg1-4). Examining biofilm communities in the HARVs could provide different phenotypes and insight into the pathogenic state of the S. mutans organism using sucrose and hydroxyapatite (HA) discs. By 2025-2030 NASA aims to conduct lunar surface missions therefore, S. mutans adaptation to lunar regolith will give an informative insight to astronauts’ oral microflora.

Mentor: Misty D. Thomas, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

North Carolina State University
Graduate – Ph.D., Biochemistry
Author(s): Blake Horton, Joseph Tolsma, Kanjana Laosuntisuk, Jacob Torres, Jeff Richards, Imara Y. Perera, Colleen J. Doherty

The disruption of the Arabidopsis thaliana circadian clock in simulated microgravity

For future long-term spaceflight, it is crucial to understand plant growth and the response to altered gravity. In microgravity, fluid dynamics is altered, and biochemical processes that depend on processes like diffusion may also be disrupted. One biochemical process that is highly dependent on precise kinetics is the circadian clock. This endogenous timekeeping mechanism is responsible for the precise coordination of a plant’s internal biochemical and molecular processes with the external environment that surrounds it. The plant’s anticipation and response to the changes in its environment tied to the 24-hour day/night cycle are beneficial for optimal performance and survival. The circadian clock’s tightly regulated network of transcriptional and translational feedback loops rely on precise diffusion and kinetics making it an ideal model for studying the effects of microgravity on biological processes. Therefore, we wanted to ask whether reduced gravity affects the circadian clock?

To examine the effect of microgravity on the circadian clock, we utilized the Random Positioning Machine (RPM) to simulate microgravity. A time course was carried out utilizing the RPM to harvest Arabidopsis root and shoot samples every 2 hours for 48 hours, allowing the observation of the transcriptional response of circadian genes to simulated microgravity. RNA isolated from shoot tissue from each time point was used for transcriptional analysis to observe the effect of microgravity on the core circadian clock genes and downstream clock-related targets. RNA-seq analysis of this time course provides a comprehensive observation of the molecular effects of the plant’s response to simulated microgravity. We observe disruption of the normal rhythmic expression of core circadian clock components such as CCA1 and LHY, which exhibit an altered phase of expression. Consequently, downstream clock-controlled genes also show disrupted expression. Transcriptome analysis shows a global shift in circadian rhythmicity in response to simulated microgravity.

Mentor: Colleen Doherty, North Carolina State University

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
Winston-Salem State University
Undergraduate – Senior, Biology
Author(s): Sarah Lang, Rafael Loureiro, Luke Concollato, Annie Shelton, Chad Vanden Bosch, Amanda Guedes, Sam Humphrey

IGOR

IGOR will integrate environmental growth chamber sensor data with plant omics and plant morphology datasets generated by hyperspectral cameras, enabling researchers to analyze plant growth and development under various environmental conditions. The anticipated outcomes of this research include the creation of a user-friendly platform that will serve as a central repository for data generated from different experiments in plant science. IGOR will empower researchers to conduct integrated plant growth and development analyses, considering diverse environmental factors. By enabling the seamless integration of multiple datasets, this platform will facilitate a deeper understanding of plant biology and support the development of more effective plant breeding and cultivation practices. This project represents a significant step towards enhancing the tools available for plant science research. By providing researchers with a robust and user-friendly data curation, storage, and analysis platform, IGOR will contribute to advancements in understanding plant growth and development. Ultimately, these advancements will pave the way for improved plant breeding and cultivation practices, enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability in space and beyond.

Mentor: Rafael Loureiro, Winston-Salem State University

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
North Carolina State University
Graduate – Ph.D., Microbiology
Author(s): Micaela Robson

Biomaterials for space missions- Evaluating nitrogen cycling of microbially induced carbonate precipitation in lunar soil simulant

Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is of interest from both a fundamental knowledge and translational research perspective because of its use in bio-cement production and soil stabilization applications for sustainable infrastructure. The most common MICP mechanism is urea hydrolysis, driven by the bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii. This mechanism of rapid cementation may provide a sustainable method for generating building materials in outer space due to its minimal input requirements. One of the major limitations preventing urea hydrolysis-based MICP from being used in large-scale applications on Earth is the high concentrations of ammonia that accumulate as a by-product. Thus, a sustainable and effective method to remove the ammonia without disrupting the carbonate precipitation is needed. Fortunately, there is an alternative microbial metabolism that can be harnessed to remove ammonia generated during the ureolysis-based MICP process that is performed by heterotrophic nitrifying-aerobic denitrifying (HNAD) bacteria. HNAD bacteria are capable of performing simultaneous ammonia (NH4+) oxidation and denitrification to completely convert NH4+ from the surrounding environment to N2(g). This research seeks to explore the application and sustainability of MICP for space-based missions by characterizing MICP in Lunar soil simulant with synthetic urine as the urea/nutrient source and determining the potential for HNAD bacteria to provide the critical nitrogen cycling required for scaling the process. Preliminary experiments demonstrate that S. pasteurii is able to maintain sufficient urea hydrolysis for MICP when provided synthetic urine as the sole source of urea and calcium. A putative HNAD-capable bacterium from our laboratory environmental isolate collection has been shown to remove >95% ammonia under standard conditions in pure culture, and survive in concentrations of ammonia >450mM. Column experiments with Lunar soil simulant are ongoing and co-culture experiments are planned.

Mentor: Amy Grunden, North Carolina State University

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Western Piedmont Community College
Community College, Associate in Science
Author(s): Hollan Cline

Exercise and muscle fiber composition

This research study was undertaken to determine the effects of muscle fiber composition and whether muscle fiber composition can be altered through exercise. I utilized a non-invasive means to determine the percentages of fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers and correlated that with weight lifting and running schedules of participants, using a 6 question survey. With the correct technique, participants performed a 1RM protocol to determine the maximal load they could lift on the leg press. Then we took 80% of their 1RM and see how many repetitions they performed. Reps 1-6 indicate fast-twitch muscle fibers, reps 7-12 indicate approximately a 50-50 ratio of slow-twitch fibers to fast-twitch fibers, and reps 12-17 indicate slow-twitch muscle fibers. We compared the survey results with those from the lifting data. Based on background research, weight lifters should have a higher percentage of fast-twitch fibers and runners have a higher slow twitch percentage. I wanted to study this to see if you could change the muscle composition over a relatively short, nine week period.

Mentor: Jessica Howells, Western Piedmont Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Western Piedmont Community College
Community College, Biology
Author(s): Camden Cook

Inferring characteristics from the skull morphology of Andrewsarchus mongoliensis

Andrewsarchus mongoliensis is an enigmatic Eocene mammal known only from a partially complete skull unearthed in Inner Mongolia, China in 1923. This skull, which measured 83.4 cm in length, is believed to belong to a large Artiodactyl (hooved mammal) with controversial taxonomic affinities. Despite such limited fossil material to examine, there are many biological characteristics that can be inferred by inspecting the known skull morphology. Various features such as dentition, orbit placement, snout proportions and extent of the sagittal crest are important indicators of diet and lifestyle. Using the original 1924 sketches of the holotype, we compared the skull structure of A. mongoliensis to that of modern species to better understand the adaptations of this mysterious Mongolian mammal. We concluded that Andrewsarchus was most likely a generalist omnivore based on their large canines, extended sagittal crest, forward facing orbits and dental formula.

Mentor: Jessica Howells, Western Piedmont Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Wake Technical Community College
Community College, Computer Science
Author(s): Geetika Lakhmani

Mosquito diversity on Wake Tech campuses

Mosquitoes are disease vectors responsible for transmitting diseases like dengue fever and malaria, affecting billions of people worldwide, making their control important for public health. Knowledge of how different environments affect mosquito populations can help in planning mosquito control strategies, especially in regions prone to mosquito-borne diseases. This research was held for understanding how both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) factors impact the distribution and abundance of mosquito species. Mosquito and egg traps were put out during Fall 2023 throughout three wake tech campuses. 4 CDC Miniature Light Traps, Model 512 Adult mosquitoes were brought back to our lab where they were identified, sorted and counted. The results may help us conclude that mosquito abundance is positively influenced by the presence of humidity and presence of water. The result may also help us conclude that mosquitoes like to lay eggs only in favorable conditions.

Mentor: Racheal Katz Walsh, Wake Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Western Piedmont Community College
Community College, Biochemistry
Author(s): Cheongrok Lee, Panha Ponn

Relationship between lifestyle and Per3 gene

This research project was undertaken to explore the effects of genetics on sleep cycles and preferences. I specifically wanted to explore if variations in variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) areas of the Per3 gene might influence circadian clocks and sleep cycles. One allele of the Per3 gene has 4 repeats of a 54 base pair sequence, and another allele has 5 repeats of that same sequence. Some studies have associated the Per3 allele with 5 repeats with individuals that preferred waking earlier in the morning. My study was designed to determine if there was a correlation between sleep preferences and the type of Per3 allele present. Participants in this study were science club student members and BIO 112 class members and they were asked to take some samples of their inner cheek cells in the classroom. Also, the participants were asked to complete a survey about their sleep preferences. Numbers were assigned to the samples, and they were randomized. I extracted DNA from the cells, performed Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to amplify the DNA, then separated fragments with gel electrophoresis to target the Per3 gene. The Per3 gene has been associated with the human circadian clock. I compared the results of the survey with the results from the genetic test to see if this gene affects human lifestyles.

Mentor: Jessica Howells, Western Piedmont Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Durham Technical Community College
Community College, Biology
Author(s): Kieran Murthy

Isolating bacteriophages of Gordonia: Exploring the impact of incubation time on lytic and lysogenic phage yield in Gordonia enriched isolation cultures

Bacteriophages, also known as “phages”, are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. Phages can be used to control populations of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in clinical or industrial contexts. All bacteriophages are categorized into two groups – lytic phages and lysogenic phages – that exhibit different life cycles and can usually be identified by the turbidity of the plaques they form. Gordonia is a genus of actinobacteria that has potential biotechnological applications and is closely related to pathogenic bacteria in the genus Mycobacterium. In order to isolate Gordonia phages, an enriched isolation protocol that requires incubation for several days is used. The SEA-PHAGES Phage Discovery Guide suggests incubating for 2 to 5 days. This is an imprecise suggestion, and unpublished data suggest the relationship between yield and incubation time differs in lytic and lysogenic phages. This project aims to determine how that relationship differs. To do so, enriched isolation cultures are incubated with different combinations of lytic and lysogenic phages. Phage samples are isolated from the cultures at standardized timepoints over the course of incubation. Plaque assays are plated for each sample and the numbers of clear and cloudy plaques are counted. Understanding the effects of incubation time on the type and quantity of phages yielded from enriched isolation will help optimize phage isolation protocols that intend to maximize discovery of lytic or lysogenic phages. Additionally, data on inter-phage competition may pave the road to answering other questions about the life cycles of phages and how they interact with each other.

Mentor: Alex Broussard, Durham Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Durham Technical Community College
Community College, Biology
Authors: Torrent Murthy

In pursuit of mycobacteriophage gene functions: The successful cloning of 2 genes

A bacteriophage is a virus that infects and kills bacteria. Antibiotic resistant bacteria infect over 2.8 million people each year in the USA alone. Bacteriophage therapy can be used to treat antibiotic resistant infections. I cloned 2 bacteriophage genes from phage Mabel to determine their function. The first step in determining function is an overexpression assay to determine the lethality of a particular gene. I cloned 2 viral genes through amplification, isothermal assembly, transformation into E. coli, and finally plasmid extraction. The result is purified plasmid DNA that can be used to transform the strain Mycobacterium smegmatis mc²155 to observe the phenotype of the host after expression, and identify virulence genes. My first attempt at transformation was unsuccessful, but further research will allow us to characterize the other genes in the genome, providing insights into the nature of bacteriophages, and phage therapy.

Mentor: Catherine Ward, Durham Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
Community College, Biology
Author(s): Elijah Nash, Emma Clark, Morgan Brown, Maddox Estes

Inheritance patterns of chloroplast genomes in intergeneric hybrid orchids: Insights from DNA barcoding

Chloroplasts are maternally inherited in most plants, but the mode of chloroplast inheritance in orchids remains underexplored. DNA barcoding has become a widely utilized method for identifying plant species by comparing the chloroplast gene rbcL to known sequences in GenBank. Our project aimed to answer two questions: 1) Can DNA barcoding be used to determine the mode of chloroplast inheritance in orchids, and if so, 2) What is the mode of chloroplast inheritance in orchids? We sequenced a 680 base pair region of the rbcL gene from four diverse intergeneric hybrid orchids of known ancestry and compared them to sequences of their wild ancestors stored on GenBank. Our findings reveal that the chloroplast genome matched the maternal ancestor in all four cases, while matching the non-maternal ancestors no more closely than expected based on phylogenetic relatedness. Our study provides compelling evidence that DNA barcoding is a reliable method for determining ancestry in these intergeneric hybrid orchids and that chloroplast genomes in these plants are inherited exclusively through the maternal parent.

Mentor: Denise Williams, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Central Piedmont Community College
Community College, Information Technology
Author(s): Rosario Sanchez, Houda Yahyaoui, Nandi Kuuya, Damian Tillman

Nourishing minds: enhancing campus health through AI-powered vending machines

People on campus are often caught in the whirlwind of daily activities, facing energy slumps and lacking access to nutritious options. To address this, we propose installing vending machines stocked with healthy alternatives on each campus. Our primary question is: How can providing healthier options in vending machines influence the dietary habits of students, faculty, and staff?

Our project targets a longstanding issue: the scarcity of convenient, healthy food choices in high-stress academic environments. By leveraging AI, we aim to revolutionize campus nutrition. Our methods involve installing vending machines stocked with nutritious options like ashwagandha-infused smoothies and monitoring purchasing patterns.

This initiative impacts everyone on campus, from students to faculty and staff, addressing a persistent problem with far-reaching consequences. Without healthy options readily available, individuals resort to unhealthy choices, perpetuating a cycle of poor dietary habits and potential health risks.

Continuing without a solution exacerbates these issues, risking long-term health consequences for students and the broader campus community. Through AI-generated smoothies providing sustained energy without the crash, we offer a solution that not only addresses immediate needs but also promotes long-term wellness.

By bringing accessible, nutritious choices to campus, we empower individuals to make healthier decisions, fostering a culture of well-being and vitality in our academic community.”

Mentor: Markus Moore, Central Piedmont Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Durham Technical Community College
Community College, Biochemistry
Authors(s): Lorelei Schreiner, Amandine Lambert

SEA-PHAGES

As a part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Student Education Alliance – Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program, we isolated, purified, analyzed, and sequenced the bacteriophage ModicumRichard, which utilizes the bacterial host Gordonia rubripertincta. We performed direct isolation to obtain phage from a compost sample from Yanceyville, NC. Viral presence was detected as the host was cleared in a spot test. We enriched the isolated sample with the host bacteria and then purified the phage culture by repeated culture from isolated plaques. The series of assays we performed allowed us to grow our cultures to a high phage titer and harvest the final lysate. This lysate is archived at the University of Pittsburgh. UNC utilized a transmission electron microscope, allowing us to study its structure. We then extracted the DNA for sequencing. We plan to annotate ModicumRichard’s genome this semester through DOGEMS.

Mentor: Marie Fogarty, Durham Technical Community College and Alexander Broussard, Durham Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Durham Technical Community College
Community College, Associate in Science
Author(s): Kalli Simmons, Messiah King

Discovery of the bacteriophage PotPie

As viruses that infect and hijack bacterial hosts, bacteriophages (phages) present exciting alternative treatments in rising cases of antibiotic resistance. As a part of the SEA-PHAGES program, this study aimed to isolate, purify, and characterize a novel bacteriophage, using Gordonia rubripertincta NRRL B-16540 as a host bacteria. Following enriched isolation methods, including spot tests to determine phage presence, a phage population was purified through three rounds of plaque assays, resulting in a consistent plaque morphology of clear plaques 0.75-1 mm in size. Two concentrated liquid phage samples, or lysates, were then collected. Full plate titers were performed, so the titer for each lysate was calculated. Phages were also viewed through the transmission electron microscope (TEM) at UNC Chapel Hill, allowing us to calculate average phage head and tail size. Phage DNA was then isolated via Phenol-Chloroform DNA extraction. A restriction digest using 5 different restriction enzymes was performed, and cut DNA was viewed through gel electrophoresis to gain a preliminary genetic fingerprint. Information for our phage, which we named PotPie, is in the Actinobacteriophage Database (phagesdb.org). PotPie’s genome was sequenced and is currently being annotated for publication in GenBank.
Mentor: Marie Fogarty, Durham Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Wake Technical Community College
Community College, Biology
Author(s): Aryanah Smith, Nam Phan

Environmentally friendly biomaterials for photovoltaic cells

Photovoltaic cells, commonly known as solar cells, are semiconductor devices that convert

sunlight directly into electricity. Solar cells are crucial in solar power systems, which use clean and renewable energy sources. Photovoltaic cells operate on the principle of the photovoltaic effect. When photons from sunlight strike the semiconductor material within the cell, they excite electrons, creating an electric current. This current can be harnessed and used as electrical energy. Photovoltaic cells are used in various applications, from small-scale solar chargers and residential rooftop installations to large utility-scale solar farms. They can provide electricity for homes, businesses, and even off-grid locations. The project was designed to develop a solar cell based on a natural dye as the light absorbing source. Three different types of natural anthocyanin dyes including blackberry, raspberry and hibiscus will be analyzed and found the most effective dye for a low-cost, efficient solar cell.The solar cell is built on TiO2 coated conductive glass plates.The voltage and current of the blackberry dye based solar cell are measured and analyzed with raspberry and hibiscus. HOMO-LUMO gap studies will be also employed to identify a natural dye which absorbs light at longer wavelengths.

Mentor: Kumudu Peiris, Wake Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Durham Technical Community College
Community College, Associate in Science
Author(s): Claire Stafford

Cloning and determining the function of bacteriophage genes

Research into alternative solutions to bacterial antibiotic resistance, such as harnessing virus’ ability to target and kill bacteria, is critical to protect global human health. As a part of the Science Education Alliance Gene-function Elucidation by a Network of Emerging Scientists (SEA GENES), I worked towards characterizing gene functions of bacteriophages (or phages), which are viruses that kill bacteria. Our goal is to determine the function of all genes of the phage Mabel, which kills the bacteria Mycobacterium smegmatis. I used PCR to clone the genes, isothermal assembly to create an artificial plasmid that contained the gene, and chemical transformations to insert the plasmid into lab E. coli. After optimizing the protocol for transforming electrocompetent M. smegmatis, I will perform phenotypic assays to determine if each gene is lethal when overexpressed. I have four unique genetically modified plasmids, one for each gene that I successfully cloned.

Mentor: Catherine Ward, Durham Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Western Piedmont Community College
Community College, Associate in Science
Authors: Emma Whisnant, Emmaline Phipps

Population dynamics of American ginseng

Panax quinquefolius, otherwise known as American Ginseng, is a perennial herb native to North America, and is primarily found in the mountainous Appalachian and Ozark regions. It has progressively disappeared across its native range due to overharvesting and destruction of its habitat, but this population of ginseng that we have discovered thrives in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. This ginseng population recently became protected as a registered NC Natural Heritage Site. We continue to perform quantitative and qualitative assessments of the abundance of this population of ginseng for our third consecutive year, which has allowed us to gain insight into the companion organisms and environmental conditions that might be promoting and hindering its successful growth. This is precisely what we aim to discover: What is the most crucial factor influencing the annual population dynamics of Panax quinquefolius? This research project focuses on understanding the current status of this ginseng population, identifying threats to its survival, and proposing conservation strategies to ensure its long-term sustainability. Last year’s results led us to believe that there were significant disturbances in the area in 2022 that led to a majority of the matured plants reverting to a previous maturity stage the following year (2023). We have placed cameras near populated sites to identify and study any future disturbances in the areas, such as ones caused by poachers, companion organisms, etc. We plan to continue observing the plants once they return in the spring, documenting the abundance of each maturity-level plant to determine if the previous trend continues.

Mentor: Jessica Howells, Western Piedmont Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
Community College, Biochemistry
Author(s): Abigail Williams, Garrett Goudas, Kaley LeFever

Investigation of ade1 yeast mortality and mutation rates under extreme high-altitude balloon flight conditions

This research project aims to study the impact of extreme conditions experienced during high-altitude balloon flights—such as extreme temperatures, low pressure, and intense UV radiation—on the mortality and mutation rates of ade1 yeast. Ade1 yeast serves as an ideal model organism to explore the impact of environmental stressors on mutation rates due to its unusual characteristic of changing colony color when mutated. Ade1 yeast have been flown on high-altitude balloons with the intent of studying UV-induced mutation rates, but many flights end with 100% mortality of the yeast. Our goal is to engineer a protective container for yeast exposure on balloon flights, allowing controlled UV exposure while mitigating the influence of other environmental stressors. This research project provides a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of extreme high-altitude conditions on ade1 yeast and to develop an innovative solution for controlled UV exposure.

Mentor: Denise Williams, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Western Piedmont Community College
Community College, Fisheries Science
Author(s): Solomon Yang

Mark-recapture population estimate of general Lepomis species and water quality comparison of an unmanaged and managed pond

This study focuses on the mark-recapture analysis of Lepomis species, a species with high reproductive potential, in both Western Piedmont Community College’s (WPCC) pond and a privately owned pond. The analysis was made to estimate the population of fish and determine the water quality of the ponds and whether pond management enhances or is deleterious to sunfish. WPCC’s pond is an example of a consistently managed pond due to its introduction of sterile grass carp in May 2018 to control hydrilla. Additional management of algae and aquatic plants is maintained by Foster Lake & Pond Management, so liquid chelated copper is also sometimes sprayed for algae. The private pond has been unmanaged for several years and has an abundance of hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant. Additionally, water quality tests were conducted for a comprehensive basis when comparing the results of the population estimate. I wanted to determine the impact of pond management on Lepomis populations by analyzing fish populations and water quality at both locations.

The research involved capturing individuals on hook and line using artificial and natural baits, marking the specimen by partially clipping the anal fin, releasing the captured individuals, allowing them to disperse for a week, and lastly catching new individuals and recapturing previously marked individuals. The total amount of fish captured in each trip was used to calculate the catch per unit effort (CPUE). A modified version of the Lincoln-Petersen method by George Seber was used in order to formulate an unbiased population estimate. A comparative analysis of fish populations and water quality data from two ponds was completed to evaluate whether the management practices targeting hydrilla and algae had a beneficial, detrimental, or neutral effect on Lepomis spp. populations. 

Mentor: Stacey Johnson, Western Piedmont Community College 

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
Duke University
Graduate – Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering
Author(s): Samantha Holmes, Alexander Magnus, Baiyu Zhang, Victoria Ravel, Aaron D. Franklin

Characterization of ion beam-modified contact interfaces in WS2 field-effect transistors

For the continued advancement of space exploration, there is a need to improve the performance of radiation-hard electronic devices that can be used as sensors to measure various parameters on missions. Due to their ultrathin structure, 2D materials, such as semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), offer resilience to radiation effects while also providing improved performance and scalability in field-effect transistors (FETs). However, such 2D FETs continue to have challenges with high contact resistance arising from the unique metal interface to the 2D semiconductor. In this study, we explore the use of ion beams to modify the contact regions of tungsten disulfide (WS2) FETs to facilitate improved bonding and thus transport at the metal-semiconductor interface. The FETs are designed by mechanical exfoliation of WS2, followed by fabrication of control (unmodified) devices and ion beam-modified devices on one multi-layered WS2 flake. For the modified devices, the ion beam bombardment and the contact metal deposition occur sequentially, in the same vacuum chamber under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, making this an in-situ process. Initial results show that ion beam modification of the contact regions yields WS2 FETs with a maximum on/off-current ratio of 106 and ambipolar characteristics. The ambipolarity is unexpected for WS2 FETs, which typically have a dominant n-branch. This work further expands on these initial results by fabricating additional sets of devices that undergo more extensive material and electrical characterization to ascertain the source of the performance shift. Techniques including atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used to determine if the ambipolarity is a result of contact material modification or damage to the underlying 2D semiconductor. Given the importance of improving the contact interface to 2D FETs, this investigation provides valuable insights into use of in-situ ion beam modification for altering the metal-semiconductor contact effects.

Mentor: Aaron D. Franklin, Duke University 

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
Fayetteville State University
Undergraduate – Senior, Computer Science
Author(s): Garrett Davis

Autonomous detection and location of objects of interest with Turtlebot

My research focuses on developing autonomous robotics software for locating potential objects of interest. The program allows the user to designate a particular color (Blue, Green, etc.) which will indicate if something is an object of interest. 

The primary hardware of the first robot, ROBOTIS TurtleBot3 (waffle-pi), includes a Raspberry Pi 4, a Raspberry Pi camera for visual data, and a LiDAR scanner for object-avoidance. ROS2(Robotics Operating Software) is used to control the robot and data, with a Python library enabling LiDAR data parsing, autonomous movement, and obstacle avoidance. Combining this with the ROS2 SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) package, the TurtleBot autonomously navigates and builds a map that is shareable over a network. For object recognition, OpenCV’s Python library is used to search the TurtleBot’s visual data for pixels that are similar to the user-designated color. If detected, the TurtleBot turns towards the potential object, captures an image, and records the location that it captured the image from. 

Replicating the setup on another TurtleBot involved upgrading components by replacing the Raspberry Pi 4 with a Jetson Nano and the camera with a ZED 2i camera. This upgrade enhances object-detection capabilities. Using map data and recorded locations, the Nano-equipped TurtleBot can travel to previously detected objects for further inspection.

While these robots are capable of mapping a room and identifying potential objects of interest, it’s worth noting that the LiDAR sensor may encounter issues with reflective or rounded surfaces, as the laser-based LiDAR struggles to measure intensity on such surfaces. The Nano-equipped TurtleBot can run ZED object detection models out of the box, although I did not attempt to train a custom model for this research.

Mentor: Sambit Bhattacharya, Fayetteville State University

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
Community College, Electrical Engineering
Author(s): Lillian Sebastian

Development of a portable, reconfigurable 433 MHz antenna array for radio beacon location

This research project aims to develop a portable antenna array optimally tuned to 433 MHz, leveraging the principles of a reconfigurable wide-beam base antenna technology designed for 3G/4G/LTE applications. The primary goal is to create an efficient and portable solution for accurately locating radio beacons in the field, enhancing the capabilities of radio frequency (RF) signal tracking in a compact and versatile form factor. The resulting portable antenna could find applications in tracking high-altitude balloons, search and rescue operations, wildlife monitoring, and other scenarios where precise radio beacon location is critical.

Mentor: Lucas McGuire, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Wake Technical Community College
Community College, Engineering
Author(s): Gage Bledsoe

Spin-coating automation and design

This project explores the design behind automating the process of spin-coating with a controller box for educational purposes. This project strives to answer the question: “how can spin-coating be automated for an interactive experience with the audience in a way that allows them to learn?” Exploring this question, we discovered methods of mini-computer incorporation, specifically the Raspberry Pi and Arduino, Python coding, and digital/analog system design to serve as a productive answer. Providing a hands-on experience for the audience, this research finds that given the speed and solution input, through the choice of knob and button selections, this design can register that information and give an appropriate output. The highlights of this project include 3D SOLIDWORKS modeling, Python programming, circuit design, and hardware assembly; this results in an educational experience for the user to witness and learn about the spin-coating process.

Mentor: Jason Howard, Wake Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Central Piedmont Community College
Community College, Information Technology
Author(s): Stephanie Perez, Joseph Posas, Madeline Ly, Eric Tang, Nicholas Vallanat

Bridge

By centralizing and simplifying access to necessary information and services, does the Bridge app help college students become better at managing their academic and administrative tasks?

In a world where technology is at the forefront of our society, it has become increasingly apparent that our lives are intertwined with this growing innovation. The college system is no exception to this change. Although such technology has made several tasks easier, it also has drawbacks.

Nowadays, the process of accomplishing most students’ needs is done online. This forces students and families to be more independent when solving these issues since getting in-person guidance is now more difficult. In college, several matters must be dealt with for every student, including class registration, financial aid/obstacles, finding internships, housing, and much more. 

Each task requires students to go to different places, which can quickly become difficult to juggle. We aim to address these issues by bringing them all together in one common place. We plan on doing this by developing Bridge. Bridge is an app that provides a streamlined search tool for anyone accessing student-related information and needs.

For this reason, our slogan is “Bridges Connect Us Daily.” Bridge is designed to allow students direct and easy access from one point to another. For example, a transfer student is trying to determine which classes will transfer over and satisfy their major requirements. Through Bridge, this student can select the institution they want to transfer over to. Then, there will be a list that shows courses at their current institution and the equivalent course at the new institution. In general, it’s common for students to misunderstand how their courses transfer over, and mistakes are often made. Bridge will give them a much clearer idea of the most optimal route to take to stay on track with their academic goals.

2023-2024 NC Space Grant – NC Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Graduate – Ph.D., Applied Coastal and Ocean Sciences
Author(s): Colleen Brown, Michael A. Mallin, Lawrence B. Cahoon, Yang Song

Application of machine learning to assess the relationship between CAFO expansion and long-term water pollution in coastal North Carolina

The density and growth of poultry concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is a high-priority research need to understand and address the chronic water pollution in several of North Carolina’s (NC) largest watersheds. The lower Cape Fear River watershed in eastern NC hosts one of the highest concentrations of hog CAFOs in the world and a rapidly growing poultry industry producing hundreds of millions of chickens each year. The goal of this research was to determine if recently calculated long-term significant temporal increases in nutrient and fecal bacteria concentrations in waterways of the lower Cape Fear River watershed were driven by the rapid increase and concentration of poultry CAFOs. To address this question, a temporally and spatially resolved dataset of poultry CAFO locations in NC needed to be created as the publicly available geospatial data only included hog CAFOs and not poultry. To determine the location of poultry CAFOs over time in NC, a machine learning model was created and applied to collections of National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial imagery (0.5-2m resolution) from 2004 to 2022. Google Colaboratory environment was used for all machine learning processes. A binary image classification model was built, which is a supervised learning algorithm that categorizes image observations into two classes (‘poultry CAFO’ or ‘not CAFO’). Training and validation datasets of labeled NAIP images (~15,000) were used to create and train the model with 95% accuracy. This work is ongoing, and we are applying NAIP images from 2004 to 2022 to the model which will result in identified poultry CAFO locations and their concentrations over time. Spatiotemporal analyses of identified poultry CAFOs and long-term water quality datasets for the lower Cape Fear River watershed will then be used to determine the potential influence of poultry CAFO concentrations on water pollution at sub-watershed and watershed scales.

Mentor: Michael A. Mallin, University of North Carolina at Wilmington

2023 NASA DEVELOP Intern
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Undergraduate – Senior, Earth Science
Author(s): Abby Sgan, Greta Bolinger, Tallis Monteiro, Cristina Villalobos-Heredia, Taylor West, Katie Caruso, and Molly Woloszyn

Monitoring trends in air quality during a drought case study to improve public health response to drought threats

Drought has been an area of distinct concern in the Pacific Northwest since the mid-2010s. Recent studies have documented a correlation between air quality and drought in the United States, which is often observed in increased aerosols including airborne particulate matter (PM). This study partnered with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to evaluate trends in air quality in the Pacific Northwest during the evolution of drought conditions using aerosol optical depth (AOD) observations collected by NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. These satellite data were analyzed in conjunction with ground-based PM2.5 and PM10 data sourced from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality System (AQS)’s network of ground-based monitors and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) drought index. Based on recommendations by local health departments, this study examined air quality trends between 2015 and 2022 in 12 counties within Oregon and Washington that reflected diversity in population density, drought exposure, rural and urban status, and data availability from EPA AQS monitors. The findings from this study provided supplemental information to the ongoing efforts by community health stakeholders to study the public health impacts of drought and support public health responses to future drought events.

Mentor: Kathryn Caruso, NASA DEVELOP National Program

North Carolina Central University
Graduate – Masters, Earth, Environmental, and Geospatial Sciences
Author(s): Michael Berryann

Integration of machine learning and unmanned aerial vehicles for enhanced object detection and impact of natural hazards

Railroad infrastructure plays a vital role in modern transportation. Efficient methods for object detection and inspection to ensure safety and continuing operations is critical. This project explores the relationships between Machine Learning (ML) algorithms and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for the purpose of object detection and inspection processes in railroad environments. 

The project begins by developing an ML-based object detection model capable of identifying and classifying various objects relevant to railroad infrastructure, such as defects, anomalies, hazard impacts. To operationalize the ML model, UAVs equipped with high-resolution cameras are deployed for aerial surveillance of railroad tracks and adjacent areas. The UAVs provide a dynamic and flexible platform for efficient coverage of large stretches of rail networks. Using ArcGIS Pro and Drone2Map applications to use the imagery from the UAVs to create maps and detailed orthomosaic to inspect railroad conditions.

The benefits of this integrated approach can be enhanced with different sensors already available in the field such as LiDAR sensors. The ML model enhances the accuracy and speed of object detection. The UAVs, with their ability to access challenging terrains and remote locations, enhance the coverage and frequency of inspections, thereby improving the overall reliability of railroad infrastructure. Most important and germane to this project is these techniques can detect the absence of railroad tracks where there should be related to natural hazards and flooding events. 

This project contributes to the growing body of research at the intersection of ML and UAV applications in infrastructure inspection and further advances the NASA mission of earth observation and in particular the assessment of evaluation of the impacts of flood events on the natural and human landscape. 

Mentor: Timothy Mulroney, North Carolina Central University

North Carolina State University
Graduate – Ph.D., Natural Resources
Author(s): Rebecca Composto, Mirela G. Tulbure, Varun Tiwari, Mollie D. Gaines, Júlio Caineta

Quantifying flood extent using satellite imagery and machine learning after Hurricane Ida in Pennsylvania

Floods are a prominent hazard that can have devastating and destructive impacts. They cause many types of harm including economic losses, damage to infrastructure, disruption to daily life, and in the most dangerous circumstances, loss of life. Climate change—which warms ocean temperatures, stalls hurricanes, and increases precipitation—is increasing the risk of flooding from hurricanes. Hurricane Ida was a category 4 hurricane that landed in August 2021 and stalled in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, bringing unprecedented rainfall. It caused extensive damage and was the costliest hazard in 2021 at $80.2 billion. Machine learning analysis of satellite imagery is a reliable method to map flood extents. However, this method is less effective in urban environments due to tall buildings and shadows, and it typically relies on a known flood extent, which is often not available for an event.

Our study aims to improve the Random Forest method for detecting flood extents in urban areas by using high-resolution satellite imagery and social media data. We used flooding from Hurricane Ida as a case study across four counties in Pennsylvania, including the city of Philadelphia. We used Sentinel-2 imagery (10 m), derived indices, elevation, and land cover data, as inputs to a Random Forest model to map Hurricane Ida floods in the study area. The model was trained and validated with a dataset created with input from PlanetScope imagery (3 m) and social media posts (GlobalFloodMonitor.org) related to the flood event. The overall accuracy of the model is 99%, and the flood class had a user’s and producer’s accuracy each over 99%. As natural hazards such as hurricanes and floods increase, effective methods for creating flood maps will help stakeholders with future response and mitigation efforts.

Mentor: Mirela Tulbure, North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University
Graduate – Ph.D., Atmospheric Sciences
Author(s): Ajmal Rasheeda Satheesh, Markus D.Petters, Nicholas Meskhidze

Aerosol vertical turbulent mass flux retrievals through novel remote sensing algorithm

Integrated measurements of aerosol, radiation, cloud, and turbulent transport in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) are essential for understanding and modeling climate and air quality. Here, we developed a new technique for the identification of convective turbulent regions and deriving the vertical distribution of aerosol turbulent mass fluxes within PBL. The algorithm uses retrievals from coherent Doppler lidars and a High Spectral Resolution Lidar. The technique is applied to study particle mass fluxes over a two-month course during the campaign conducted at the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Lamont, Oklahoma. The algorithm developed here is capable of continuously deriving vertically resolved (curtains) aerosol mass fluxes. Our data analysis shows that at the site, the 30-minute averaged fluxes at 135m above the surface were mainly positive (upward) at ~1 μg m-2 s-1, suggesting that the surface is the primary source of the particle mass supplied to the boundary layer at the SGP site. Analyses of the individual case studies have revealed that not all the derived fluxes can be linked to surface emissions. Both positive and negative values in a range of ±5 μg m-2 s-1 can be caused by convective thermals interacting between the residual layer and the mixed layer and by rotation of the horizontal wind with the height. Large erroneous negative fluxes can also be caused by drizzling/precipitating clouds. We anticipate that the application of the current technique will lead to a more realistic representation of aerosol mass budgets and bidirectional mixing rates.

Mentor: Nicholas Meskhidze, North Carolina State University

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Pitt Community College
Community College, Engineering
Author(s): Christian Knobel, Samantha Corbett, Linsey Gifford, Carol Bellamy, Gloria Bellamy, Brian Gray

Chemostratigraphy of the Flanner Beach formation (Middle Pleistocene) in Beaufort County, NC

The Flanner Beach Formation (Middle Pleistocene) was deposited approximately 200,000 ybp during a sea level high stand in east-central North Carolina. Previous work indicated that it is divided into three members: 1) lower Hills Point Member composed of mud deposited in a well-protected, low salinity, lagoonal or river-estuary environment; 2) the upper Mauls Point Member composed of mixed sands and muds deposited in a more open lagoonal environment, and 3) an Unnamed Member composed of sand deposited in an outer lagoonal environment. The Flanner Beach Fm. unconformably overlies pre-Flanner Beach Fm. fluvial sands and sandstones deposited approximately 700,000 ybp.

The previous work involved measuring/describing sections, formally naming the Hills Point Mbr. (type section), but focused largely on faunal ecology. Later work by PCC (2023) showed that the Hills Point Mbr. Could be subdivided based on lithology, gamma-ray signature, and magnetic susceptibility. This project takes the previous work of one of the sections and looks at the chemostratigraphy by using a hand-held x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer and obtaining the elemental signature of the sediments. 

The findings of this investigation include: 1) matching the divisions of the Mauls Point Mbr. into chemical signatures; 2) identifying unseen trends/divisions in the Mauls Point Mbr. and the Hills Point Mbr., and 3) matching chemical signatures with sedimentology and mineralogy.

Mentor: Brian Gray, Pitt Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Forsyth Technical Community College
Author(s): Brittney Frazier, Nathan McPherson, Skyler Pitts, Jennifer Perez

Insecticide compounds from Talis leaves from Papua New Guinea revealed by high-resolution mass spectrometry

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) is the Halyomorpha halys species of stink bugs commonly found in North America and are considered invasive. They appeared in the mid-1990s on shipping containers from Asia. The BMSB infests around 60 plant species, including numerous vegetable crops, fruit trees, and ornamental plants. They also invade our homes. We are researching chemical insecticidal properties from Talis leaves from the tree Terminalia catappa using high-performance liquid chromatography and quantitative time of flight (HPLC -Q-TOF) mass spectrometry, to identify chemical compounds that exterminate BMSB.

The Talis leaves were donated by Amy Greeson, Co-Founder of National Discoveries, who received them from the people of Papua New Guinea. Talis leaves are used by several groups in the region for medicinal purposes1. We selected our sample based on the information from Functional Assay Extermination Experiments performed by Syngenta, which used Diamond Back Moths (Plutella xylostella) and had an 80% mortality rate. Since BMSB and the Diamond Back Moth share the same phylum, we sought to test whether compounds in the Talis leaves can be used to exterminate the stink bugs. 

Mapping the QTOF data to an Agilent library, found the compound n-methylnicotinium, a common insecticide in nicotine leaves2 with 99.68% mapping accuracy. The results from this study could be a foundation for enhancing effectiveness of different pesticides against the BMSB. This could lead to a more natural pest control methods that can protect crops from invasive species. The information will be invaluable in developing targeted and efficient strategies to combat the threat of the BMSB, therefore, benefiting farmers, the worldwide food supply chain and everyday people.

Mentor: Tandeka Boko, Forsyth Technical Community College

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
Duke University
Graduate – Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
Author(s): Charles Cervi, Lawrence Virgin

An experimental study assessing the effect of a global initial geometric imperfection on cylinder buckling

Cylindrical shells are ubiquitous in society ranging in uses from soda cans to submarines to water towers. Their high strength to weight ratio allows them to support a large axial load while minimizing material cost. However – these shells are incredibly sensitive when it comes to buckling – tiny imperfections dramatically reduce the buckling load of these structures. To make matters worse, this type of buckling occurs suddenly and catastrophically – leading to serious consequences in the case of failure. These shells are currently constructed based on overconservative guidelines created many years ago when manufacturing conditions were not as precise as they are today, which has motivated a desire to understand how these imperfections affect the structure.

Recent work has looked at the effects of small, localized imperfections in the structure to analyze how those affect the buckling load and stability of the cylinder. However, traditional manufacturing techniques limit what can be physically studied. The rise in additive manufacturing allows a unique way of adding imperfections to cylinders. Large, global imperfections can be precisely built into the structure and manufactured to allow for numerous test specimens that are almost identical. This work focuses on the addition of a cosine-like imperfection in the longitudinal direction, transforming the pristine cylinder into either a barrel-like or hourglass-like shape. Trends in the buckling load because of this imperfection are gathered for both a finite element model as well as experimental data. Lastly, by performing modal analysis in Ansys, an understanding of the lowest buckling mode shapes was uncovered. Utilizing this information, a method of experimentally obtaining higher-ordered buckling modes is performed by restricting the central deflection.

Mentor: Lawrence Virgin, Duke University 

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
Duke University
Graduate – Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
Author(s): Ian Eldridge-Allegra, Derrick Roseman, Earl Dowell

Comparison of transonic buffet over several airfoil geometries using URANS

In this study, we apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to compare transonic buffet over several airfoil geometries and flow conditions. Transonic buffet is a fluid instability in which a recompression shock oscillates over the upper surface of an airfoil. Buffet shows significant sensitivity to both numerical models and parameters as well as physical conditions — this work explores sensitivities to geometry and operating conditions. We look at trends with respect to angle of attack, Reynolds number, and Mach number over a NACA0012, OAT15A, and RA16SC1, chosen for the availability of experimental data. We expand on this comparison by modifying the thickness and camber of an airfoil incrementally to produce a trend in buffet onset point with respect to thickness and camber. We approach the problem in ANSYS Fluent with an Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) model, using the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence closure. This study draws comparisons among the airfoils’ results and also between our computations and the literature.

Mentor: Earl Dowell, Duke University 

2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellow
Wake Forest University
Graduate – Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering
Author(s): Benjamin Hezrony

Inverse homogenization efficacy and material decisions

In recent years, much of the literature on mechanical mimicry of physical structures relies on: (Stage 1) imaging (i.e., high resolution computed tomography (HR-CT) scanning); (Stage 2) spatially variate modeling of the design domain via discretization as parametric unit cells; and (Stage 3) fabrication via additive manufacturing (AM) methods ​(Jia et al., 2017; Morelli, Canfield and Tech, 2019; Park, Zobaer and Sutradhar, 2021)​. In general, modern techniques are limited in that efficient methods for replicating spatially variate generalized 3D linear elastic anisotropy (SV-G3LEA) do not exist ​(Sigmund, 1994; Wang et al., 2014)​. Examples of these structures include naturally occurring stiff mineral-based composites such as dense earth and bone, where anisotropic spatial microstructural variability is of great importance.

We developed a Wendland based rapid anisotropic elasticity inverse homogenization (IH) procedure, independent of foundational prior work on convolutional level set collocation and 3D level set cellular design ​(Unser, Aldroubi and Eden, 1993b, 1993a; Fomel, 2000; Morse et al., 2001; Wang et al., 2019)​. The algorithm was evaluated on a set of 144 unique skeletal microstructures from 24 cadaveric femoral specimens segmented into 6 sub-femoral regions ​(Cui et al., 2008)​. The primary metric of success is constraint satisfaction, a binary outcome. IH was performed on the microstructures in 20 different materials, yielding insight into the effect of Elastic Modulus (E) on algorithm performance. In materials with E between 2.98 GPa and 36.6 GPa, there is at least 99% confidence in an 80% probability of constraint satisfaction. This spans a broad range of materials that can be additively manufactured, from standard photopolymers to glass filled composites. Ultimately, this work will lend insight into the considerations necessary when designing 3D microstructures that mimic tensorial properties present in continuum mechanics. Undoubtedly, this has implications on considerations for microstructural design in aeronautical engineering.

Mentor: Philip Brown, Wake Forest University 

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
Duke University
Undergraduate – Junior, Mechanical Engineering
Author(s): Sage Cooley

3-D printing and imperfection-sensitive buckling: Methodologies for multi-walled shells

Cylindrical and multi-sided thin shells are common geometries used in engineering applications. They exhibit high stiffness-to-weight ratios, making them ideal for aerospace structures. However, as their thickness decreases, the stochastic nature of their buckling increases. As a result, it is challenging to characterize their failure mode; engineers need experimental data on thin shells in order to understand and improve their design. Cylindrical shells have garnered considerable interest, but their multi-sided counterparts remain largely unexplored experimentally. Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the study of such complex shapes which the present research investigates: where does the bifurcation behavior transition from yielding as seen in panels, for example, to the sudden (and often catastrophic) buckling observed in the cylindrical shell? AM thermoplastic cylindrical and multi-sided shells were created using fused deposition modeling (FDM) printing techniques. Results from initial tests on various polygon cross-sections qualitatively exhibit theoretical bifurcation behaviors among geometrically complicated thin shells.

Mentor: Lawrence Virgin, Duke University

2023 Collier Aerospace Corporation Interns
North Carolina State University
Undergraduate – Senior, Civil Engineering
Author(s): Anand Bhatt, Aidan Kibler, Nate VanDermark

An analysis of the work done in a small-scale engineering consulting business

Working directly with the employees at Collier and with the assistance of the North Carolina Space Grant, we have been able to gain a better understanding of the ways in which structures can be designed using design techniques and industry standards. We had the privilege this summer of being able to spend our time on numerous different projects, working with many different individuals to meet the needs of our clients and engineering team. 

Through these research oriented tasks, we were able to see how the engineering principles that we have spent our academic career studying at NC State are being utilized in the design of real Aerospace structures. We were then able to partake in the design of complex structures by applying our understanding of those engineering principles.

Getting to work at a small, dynamic company meant that we were right in the mix of the work there and, with no industry experience, our skills were virtually untested outside of academics. Before we started, we were entirely unsure of our ability to perform even the most basic tasks in our new environment, but the way we were presented with challenging problems allowed us to build up confidence in our abilities and grow into the positions that were laid out in front of us. Now that we have this experience under our belt, we can feel confident stepping out of our careers as students and into a new and exciting career within the industry.

Mentor: James Ainsworth, Collier Aerospace

2023 NASA Langley Research Center Intern
North Carolina State University
Undergraduate – Senior, Aerospace Engineering
Author(s): Jack Lance

Fundamentals of boron nitride nanotube composites and their potential applications

A characterization of boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) composite thin films was conducted with the goal of addressing the feasibility of BNNTs and their inherent piezoelectric nature for potential space or terrestrial applications, especially for sensor technology and structural health monitoring purposes. The mechanical, thermal, electrical, and spectroscopic properties of (β CN)APB/ODPA polyimide (PI) thin films with varying BNNT content were studied in order to understand how the addition of BNNTs to high performance polymers affects the properties of the composite, and to provide insight as to how other BNNT composites might behave. Tensile testing, ferroelectric testing, dielectric testing, cantilever beam piezoelectric response testing, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy were performed on samples with varying BNNT concentrations, including 0% (pure PI), 2%, and 4% by weight. Samples were fabricated using in-situ polymerization methods from a solution of BNNTs, (β CN)APB/ODPA, and dimethylacetamide solvent. Characterization tests were performed multiple times to help ensure the accuracy of gathered data, and tests performed on the pure polyimide film were used to establish a baseline control group. Results from tensile testing showed that the 2% BNNT/PI film resulted in an increase in Young’s modulus of 52.8% over the pure PI film, and results from DSC tests showed that the glass transition temperature of 2% BNNT/PI film was 4.3% higher than that of pure PI film. This improvement was not continued in the 4% BNNT/PI film, which showed only a 51.7% increase in Young’s modulus and a 2.4% increase in glass transition temperature over the pure PI film. This behavior was not seen in TGA tests, which showed a steadily increasing degradation temperature, indicating potential issues with BNNT dispersal. Significant delays prevented adequate electrical testing, which should be a strong focus in future work.

Mentor: Cheol Park, NASA Langley Research Center

2023 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Intern
North Carolina State University
Undergraduate – Junior, Aerospace Engineering
Author(s): Trevor Larsen

Roman Space Telescope propulsion integration & test

The Roman Space Telescope, formerly known as the Wide Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST), is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, famous for its astonishing visuals and contributions to astronomy. Roman will complement the James Webb Space Telescope, possessing a field of view one hundred times larger than Hubble. Roman will investigate dark matter, dark energy, exoplanets, and the constant expansion of our universe. To achieve its mission, Roman must be equipped with an onboard propulsion system to execute in-space maneuvers related to attitude corrections and orbit insertion. The propulsion module consists of a blowdown-style hydrazine propellant system with attitude control and orbit correction thrusters. The integration and testing of the propulsion system are meticulous processes that require careful attention to detail and knowledge of spacecraft propulsion. The process involves executing procedures, installing thermal hardware, conducting X-ray weld inspections, and operating in an ISO Class 7 cleanroom. Once the assembly of the propulsion system is complete, it will be mated with the main spacecraft bus to undergo final assembly and environmental testing before launch on a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle to Lagrange point two, where it will conduct its mission to benefit the progression of astronomy and space sciences.

Mentor: Wanyi Ng, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

North Carolina State University
Undergraduate – Junior, Mechanical Engineering
Author(s): Aidan Hannon, Jong Eun Ryu

Mechanical characterization of sintered lunar regolith simulants for extraterrestrial construction

The construction of a moon base is an imperative step in humanity’s evolution in space exploration. Such a base not only serves as a precursor to future extraterrestrial colonization but also offers numerous benefits, including reduced gravity for launches and opportunities for extensive lunar exploration. In situ resource utilization addresses a major challenge in space missions: the impracticality of transporting all construction materials from Earth due to weight limitations of spacecraft. We propose using lunar resources, specifically regolith, for building, leveraging binder jet printing (BJP) and sintering techniques. In this study, we aim to determine how binder jet printing and different sinter conditions influence the impact resistance and tensile strength of produced structures. Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) we will first determine both the glass transition temperature and the melting temperature of the simulants. This data will allow us to form hypotheses of the optimal sinter conditions. The regolith simulants, blended with a commercial BJP system’s binder, undergo molding, oven-drying, and subsequent sintering to form the samples. Tensile (ASTM C1273-18) and impact testing of the finished samples will provide insight into the performance of the simulants and the different sinter cycles. This study contributes to the broader vision of space exploration by leveraging in-situ resources for construction purposes.

Mentor: Jong Eun Ryu, North Carolina State University

Duke University
Graduate – Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
Author(s): Luisa Piccolo Serafim, John Smalley, Josh Kramer, Earl Dowell

​​Unsteady pressure wind tunnel experimental study on a NACA 0012 Airfoil

The unsteady pressure distribution over a NACA 0012 airfoil is measured in a low-speed wind tunnel for a pitching airfoil and control surface configuration. The experimental protocol is to give a step change in the airfoil angle of attack and the control surface deflection angle to capture the time history of the flow given this excitation. One question that this research explores is the possibility to develop an experimental setup that mimics the analytical definition of a time step as the enforced motion of the angle of attack or control surface, followed by a study on the unsteady aerodynamics in both configurations. The data is then used to compute the kernel functions for a Reduced-Order Modeling (ROM) using linear and nonlinear methods (Volterra Series) of an aeroelastic system using experimental data of enforced oscillations instead of computational results. As the enforced frequency oscillation increases, so does the flow unsteadiness and nonlinearities. The method will be validated by implementing the experimental kernels to reconstruct the measured oscillatory airfoil pressure distribution, in the time and frequency domain.

Mentor: Earl Dowell, Duke University 

2023-2024 Undergraduate Research Scholar
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
Undergraduate – Senior, Chemistry
Author(s): Kyndal Williams-McCord, Peng He

Polymerization-mediated amplification in biosensing for degenerative disease-related protein detection

Polymerization-Mediated Amplification (PMA) has been developed to be a frequently practiced technique that involves a polymerization reaction atop a biomolecular binding to generate polymer brushes tethered to a solid support. As a result, a formed thin layer of polymer film is readily distinguishable by the naked eye as an opaque spot on the surface. In nature, the strongest noncovalent binding affinity is between biotin and streptavidin, which is widely used in protein-ligand interactions. The current research project aims to utilize the technique for protein detection of the protein related in Parkinson’s Diseases (PD), the DJ-1 protein. DJ-1 protein is a suitable biomarker. For early stages of examining PD, the sandwich immunoassay between Bovine Serum Albumin, biotin, and streptavidin (BSA-biotin-SAV) is used as a model. PMA of different model systems will be replicated with prospective primary and secondary antibodies that can demonstrate a proof-of-concept for the visual detection of DJ-1 protein. Using PMA as a scientific approach for the detection of DJ-1 proteins in human plasma will provide a system to monitor the protein biomarker response levels in a portable point-of-care sensing device accessible to those at high risk of a significant increase in DJ-1 protein.

Mentor: Peng He, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University 

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Durham Technical Community College
Community College, Biology
Author(s): John Bradford, Mariela Pacheco

Repurposing of wastewater via microbial fuel cell technology

The global water and wastewater treatment market is expected to reach a net worth of nearly $675 billion by 2025. Waste generated by the brewing industry translates to a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) on the order of 60,000 mg per liter. Preliminary data has indicated that microbial fuel cell technology (MFC) may offer an affordable and environmentally friendly means for treating wastewater while generating reusable fuel. It has been observed that the metabolic machinery of the yeast in wastewater can be manipulated anaerobically to generate an electrical potential.

Using a microbial fuel cell, the objective of this research is to observe the electrical potential generated by the wastes from different brew processes. A microbial fuel cell, constructed by this lab, was inoculated individually with wastewater from the preparation of two distinct brews: (1) stouts/dark beers and (2) IPA pale ales. Glucose at 1.0 M concentration was the fuel metabolized by the yeast in each sample of wastewater. To achieve peak voltage, optimum environmental conditions were established for the yeasts in each wastewater sample. The yeast from the stout/dark beer was capable of generating a maximum average potential of 440 mV over a 30-minute period before rapidly declining. By contrast, yeast from the IPA pale ale maintained a maximum potential of 120 mV for 120 minutes.

Early proof-of-concept data indicate that MFC technology is capable of generating clean, reusable energy. In addition to wastewater treatment, it may also address issues involving sustainability, energy security and global warming. 

Mentor: Darryl Bing, Durham Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Wake Technical Community College
Community College, Engineering
Author(s): Adriana Lara, Narasimhan Sujatha, Bhoj R Gautam

Etching condition dependence on X-ray patterns in two-dimensional MXenes

In this work, we investigated etching conditions on X-ray patterns in two dimensional MXenes. We synthesized different batches of Ti3C2TX MXenes by tuning temperature. We observed the shift in 002 peak of Ti3C2TX to lower angle side when it is synthesized with elevated temperature. This indicates that interlayer spacing can be tuned by change in temperature.

Mentor: Narasimhan Sujatha, Wake Technical Community College

2023-2024 Community College Research Pathways Program
Wake Technical Community College
Community College, Associate in Science
Author(s): Nam Phan

Low-cost dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell developed with Hibiscus sp., 

This study presents a quantitative analysis of the potential usage of hibiscus dye-sensitized solar cells as an alternative solution to silicon-based solar cells. The low-cost, dye-sensitized solar cells are prepared using TiO2-coated transparent conductive glass plates. The dye efficiency is analyzed using the measurements of the HOMO/LUMO gap and the power produced by the TiO2 Hibiscus dye solar cell. Afterward, the efficiency of TiO2 Hibiscus dye solar cells is compared with two other natural dye-sensitized solar cells. The most effective natural dye-sensitized solar cell can be a possible source to power Wake Technical Community College’s northern campus. The open-circuit voltage (Voc) produced by this dye-sensitized solar cell should be between 0.268 and 0.65V based on the current research done using hibiscus dye.

Mentor: Kumudu Peiris, Wake Technical Community College and Ryan Chiechi, North Carolina State University

Campbell University Human Exploration Rover Team, competing in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC), faculty advisor: Lee Rynearson

Presenting: Ethan Kessler, Josh Terrio and Cody Brown

Campbell University Human Exploration Rover Team

The Campbell University Human Exploration Rover Team (HERT)is a competition team in the School of Engineering that competes in the HumanExploration Rover Challenge (HERC). The HERC competition is sponsored by NASA,requiring a proposal, acceptance into the competition, reports, public outreach, and building an entirely human-powered rover. Each year, our team goes to Huntsville, Alabama, to compete against approximately 50 other international universities. Our team will present our 2024 competition rover (R5) and the science task tool at the symposium. Our work goes through design options, decision matrixes, and ANSYS to make optimal choices for the rover. Every year, our team assesses previous years’ performance to improve from the foundational knowledge of successes and mistakes. After the optimization, the rover is built through in-house fabrication and off-the-shelf parts are assembled to make the rover and science task tool. Once constructed, the rover is tested for compatibility and performance in preparation for the competition. For the 2024 competition, our team is dedicated to securing a podium placing to win the competition and place 1st overall. 

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Space Exo-ploration team, competing in the Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge, faculty advisor: Kristen Dellinger

Presenting: Anjali Kumari, Evan McDowell, Nakiyah Odom and Morgan Johnson

A Novel Device Design to Study Morphological and Molecular Changes in Cell When Exposed to Microgravity

Astronaut health is a critical concern for space missions, given the challenging space environment characterized by radiation exposure and zero gravity. Investigating the impact of microgravity on cellular communication provides a molecular-level understanding of how cells adapt to space conditions. This knowledge is essential to identify and understand the primary protein pathways activated by cells to ensure survival in drastic environmental changes. Moreover, the insights gained from studying microgravity-induced changes can be applied to understanding complex diseases, such as cancer, where cells undergo rapid alterations in expression and communication to adapt to hypoxic environments and sustain uncontrolled proliferation.

Conventional in-vitro microgravity studies employ high aspect ratio vessels (HARVs) as simulation devices, acting as bioreactors, to assess the effects of microgravity on cells. In our project, two adherent human cell types were studied using a novel HARV design to observe morphological and physiological changes induced by microgravity. The project focused on facilitating cellular communication through small molecules, with adherent cells confined to designated areas connected by a separation membrane. This approach not only enhances our understanding of space-induced cellular changes but also holds broader applications in assessing short and long-term astronaut health during space missions. The research contributes not only to optimizing space missions but also provides valuable insights applicable on Earth for evaluating mechanisms underlying disease progression.

NC State University’s Wolfeye team, competing in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Design-Build-Fly challenge, faculty advisor: Jack Edwards

Presenting: Emily Hayman, Alex Elchik, Rishi Ghosh, Ajay Pandya, Nathan Baker, Maya Keele, and Aaron Hart

Wolf Airlines: Urban Air Mobility Vehicle for Passenger and Medical Transport

The 2023-2024 AIAA Design, Build, Fly competition has the need for an Urban Air Mobility aircraft that can perform a medical or passenger transport flight. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is gaining popularity within the commercial air transportation industry. For UAM vehicles to be successful and compatible with an urban environment, they must have short take-off and landing (STOL) or vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability alongside high maneuverability. The challenge of this competition is to push the boundaries of current technology, allowing for the innovation of UAM and STOL vehicles.

The purpose of this project, funded as a Team Competition NC Space Grant award, is to design and manufacture a fixed-wing, STOL Urban Air Mobility Vehicle that can be utilized for both medical transport and passenger transport missions. The team’s aircraft, dubbed The Wolfline, will be constructed to have a highly versatile and interchangeable cabin, as it must carry 2 emergency medical technicians (EMTs), a gurney with a patient, and a medical cabinet for the medical transport mission as well as carry a minimum of 8 passengers for the passenger transport mission. The Wolfline will always have a flight crew of two members, each seated forward of the cabin bulkhead. 

The design solution developed to meet the requirements outlined by the 2024 AIAA DBF competition is a high wing, T-tail aircraft with a single engine in a tractor configuration. The wing is rectangular and has a span of 55 inches and a chord length of 10 inches. There is no taper, sweep, or twist on the wing. The aspect ratio of the main wing is 5.5, allowing for a high lift wing while not creating a lot of drag seen by lower aspect wings. Theoretical and experimental analysis, conducted through simulations and evaluations, occurs prior to manufacturing The Wolfline.

NC State University High-Powered Rocketry Club, competing in the NASA Student Launch Challenge, faculty advisor: Felix Ewere

Presenting: Hanna McDaniel, Cameron Brown, and Michael Wax

NASA Student Launch 2024 Launch Vehicle and Payload Design

The 2024 NASA Student Launch (SL) Competition requires university teams to design, build, and fly a subscale and full-scale launch vehicle as well as a payload that adheres to the year’s specific challenge requirements. The 2024 payload challenge required the design of a lander that is capable of retaining 4 unique STEMnauts inside of it, and that can be ejected from the launch vehicle during descent and land safely, in a predetermined orientation, without the use of parachutes or streamers. North Carolina State University’s NASA SL team, led by 8 aerospace engineering seniors who are a part of the High-Powered Rocketry Club, designed a lander that utilized a pair of contra-rotating propeller blades to generate enough thrust to slow the descent of the STEMnauts contained within and land on spring-deployed landing legs, as well as a launch vehicle with a target apogee of 4050 feet to propel the payload. Survivability metrics for the STEMnauts were also devised to ensure their safety on the way down.

NC State University Aerial Robotics Club, competing in the Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) Competition, faculty advisor: Felix Ewere

Presenting: James Sorber, Max Shipp and Hailey Schmidt

Developing Simple, Search and Rescue Capable Autonomous UAVs – An Exploration of Fabrication Methods

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is rapidly expanding in many fields ranging from farming to power line management. UAVs have the potential to dramatically simplify many tasks which are currently very time or labor-intensive, however, specialized UAVs are typically very complex, expensive, and difficult to maintain. Our team’s research project has the goal of making the construction of sophisticated UAVs more accessible.

The Aerial Robotics Club at NC State University was founded in 2002 with the mission of building unmanned aerial systems to compete in international competitions. The Aerial Robotics Club currently competes in the annual Student Unmanned Aerial Systems Competition hosted by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The Club is the only team to have completed and flown in the SUAS competition every year since its inception and consistently ranks among the top teams in the world. Our team now uses the competition objectives as a benchmark for our UAVs.

This year, our objective is to develop a fully autonomous UAV that can complete simulated real-world applications. Our requirements are fully autonomous flight, dynamic obstacle avoidance, aerial imagery and mapping, automatic detection and classification of ground targets from aerial imagery, and soft landing of a payload within 20’ of an identified ground target.

Our team has constructed a completely new fixed-wing aircraft and significantly renovated our software systems this year. Our aircraft uses carbon composite and wood construction, electric propulsion, and a custom machine learning model for ground target recognition to meet our objectives. We will compete in the 22nd Annual SUAS competition in Maryland on June 25-27th 2024 and expect to once again prove our world ranking reputation.

UNC Charlotte 49er Miners, competing in the NASA Lunabotics Challenge, faculty advisor: Browne Aiden

Presenting: Connor Babcock, Katelyn Fennell, Jordan Fowler, Jose Maldonado, Trent Zuber and Christopher Schultz

Autonomous Rover for Lunar Excavation

We are the UNC Charlotte Astrobotics Team working on designing a lunar rover for competition in NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge. 

The challenge includes, but is not limited to, designing a rover that can navigate across simulated lunar terrain, excavate that material, and transport it to a designated construction site where a berm of material must be created. The rover must navigate around randomly placed obstacles such as rocks and craters, with a focus on maximizing the rover’s autonomy through incorporating new onboard computing systems. This team has a new mission directive from NASA that will require an analysis on the systems already built for a previous mission. We are taking the rover from last year’s competition and optimizing and improving the design to adapt to this year’s challenge of constructing a berm. 

To improve the previous design, we researched how the unique lunar surface simulants behaved through both physical examination and through referencing literature. From that research, we did a redesign with an emphasis on our new mission directive. This led to an improvement of the efficiency of the excavation system to collect material, an increase in the overall containment capacity of the rover, a reimagining of how the off-loading conveyor belt was designed, and an overhaul to the computing systems. The mechanical and computational elements of the rover will be designed, fabricated, and developed in accordance with the research we conducted and the new mission directive of the NASA Lunabotics challenge. There were many factors and obstacles that influenced our decisions, ranging from the unique properties of the lunar simulant to managing the complex interfaces between systems. Through the use of engineering tools such as system hierarchies and FMEA, we are able to mitigate risk and build a rover capable of competing in NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge.

UNC Charlotte 49er Rocketry Team, competing in the NASA Student Launch Challenge, faculty advisor: Arun Vishnu Suresh Babu

Presenting: Austin Clavijo and Kathleen Arrington

Design and Testing of a High-power Rocket and Payload for the 2024 NASA Student Launch Initiative

The 2023-2024 49er Rocketry Team has set an ambitious mission to design, build, test, and launch a high-power rocket that can carry the payload to an altitude of 4,200 ft. The payload is called G-FORCE which stands for Guided Flight Operations and Recovery Capsule Experiment, where the team aims to design, build, and test a system that can autonomously deploy and safely return four STEMnauts to earth without the use of a parachute or streamer.

The payload team’s primary mission is to design and build a payload that can safely house and recover a group of four STEMnauts in an independent lander that must be deployed during vehicle recovery. STEMnauts are representations of humans that would mimic human astronaut survivability conditions using sensors. The payload will have a unique, predetermined, landing orientation that would allow extraction and safe recovery of the STEMnauts. All of these tasks will be completed without the use of parachutes or streamers as well as complying to any rules and regulations set by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), RSO, NASA, or any legal requirements and adhere to the intent of the challenge.

The team will also face challenges such as designing a system that can withstand the harsh conditions of rocket launch and landing while meeting the size, weight, and power requirements.

In addition to the technical aspects of this project, the 49er Rocketry Team is involved in many outreach events throughout the course of the project. From demonstrations of launches to STEM activities, the Team is dedicated to encouraging young people to pursue clubs, classes, and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Overall, the 49er Rocketry Team’s mission showcases the team’s dedication to contributing to the field of aerospace engineering, as well as inspiring the next generation of engineers and rocket scientists.