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Browse project ideas by Polygence mentors
Build Your Own Wearable Breathing Monitor - With Pencil and Paper
Flexible electronics and sensors lie at the heart of revolutionary wearable device technology, enabling everything from implantable medical devices and skin patches to smart contact lenses with in-built micro-displays and smart clothing. Integration of these devices with Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises new possibilities for early disease detection through real-time physiological signal monitoring, as well as personalized feedback and recommendations, such as personalized exercise plans. Advances in flexible electronics and sensors continue to be made by innovations in thin, lightweight electronic materials that maintain their functionality while subjected to continuous and cyclic mechanical stresses, including stretching, bending and folding. In this project, the student and I will work together to build a wearable respiratory monitor using nothing more than pencil and paper, to gain a deeper appreciation for the role that materials play in wearable device technology. The student will investigate the relationship between the structure and composition of pencil lead with its electrical resistance, prototype various circuit geometries on flexible substrates to optimize sensitivity, and analyze the ability of the device to withstand continuous stresses. Potential outcomes for this project could be a research paper detailing the device design and materials investigations, a video that documents the research process or even a podcast episode discussing project learnings.
Engineering, Physics
Decoding Polymer Secrets
From structural aircraft components and battery electrolytes to drug-delivery systems and wearable sensors for monitoring health data, polymers continue to play a pivotal role in many technological innovations that shape our modern world. The versatility and broad set of properties of this class of materials stem from its unique structure and diverse chemical make-up. Fundamentally, polymers are made up of large molecules, so-called polymer chains, each comprising many repeating units of a smaller molecule, a monomer. Unlike orderly atomic arrangements in crystalline materials, like metals and ceramics, polymer chains tend to arrange into a spectrum of semi-crystalline or even amorphous structures. In this project, the student and I will work together on a hands-on exploration of polymer's properties and structure. The student will identify key experimental parameters, construct a custom-built thermal system from inexpensive items, and perform a series of controlled experiments to collect relevant data from paraffin wax samples. The student will then analyze the data against a simple thermodynamic model and interpret the findings. Potential outcomes of this project could be a research paper that will be published in a high school journal or a short video that discusses the experiments, methods and learnings.
Engineering, Physics
Microbiology in your community
Microbiology is everywhere- from the city to the country side. Learn how to research microbiological issues in your neck of the woods and see if you can develop innovative ideas on how to tackle issues the impact you and your community. This is more of a literature review on topics that you find interesting and connect to microbiology e.g. antimicrobial resistance, bioremediation, sustainable engineering, and so much more!
Public Health, Biology
Gen Z and Microbiology
Inspired by a wild TikTok one of my students mentioned, this project would create a podcast or other media focusing on current topics in popular culture and their unlikely intersection with Microbiology. You'll get experience connecting everyday life with groundbreaking microbiology research or interesting historical connections rooted in science!
Public Health, Biology
Using Citizen Science Data to Investigate Local Biodiversity, and Teach It
How does where we live shape the biodiversity around us, and how can we use real scientific data to teach others about it? In this project, you will investigate patterns of local biodiversity using real-world citizen science data from open databases such as iNaturalist. You will ask an ecological research question (for example, how biodiversity differs across urban, suburban, and green-space locations), analyze authentic datasets, and visualize patterns in species distribution. What makes this project unique is that you won’t stop at analysis. You will also translate your scientific findings into an NGSS-aligned mini-lesson designed for a high school biology or environmental science classroom. This project is ideal for students interested in biology, ecology, data science, environmental science, or STEM education. Students will use citizen science databases and common data analysis and presentation tools to build skills in data literacy, scientific reasoning, visual communication, and the design of classroom-ready STEM lessons and assessments.
Neuroscience
Impact of climate change on companion animal parasite prevalence
Describe how warming temperatures affect ticks, fleas, and heartworm distribution, resulting in increased prevalence of related diseases in animals. This could be done at the state level or country level. Learn how to use free, online public resources to write a research paper describing these changes.
Public Health
Comparative oncology: similarities in tumor biology between dogs and humans
Literature review of cancer types that are shared between dogs and humans. Learn how to find scientific resources on the internet and write a paper describing your findings. This could also include treatments that can be translated between dogs and humans.
Public Health
Plant-based psychedelics for in Treatment-Resistant Depression
Plant-based psychedelics have historical use as medicinal products and more recently have emerged as innovative therapies for the treatment of mood disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this review, we will explore the neuroscience behind the mechanism of action for such therapies and neuroimaging reported outcomes.
Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Biology, Psychology, Chemistry
Data from everyday life
There is a common misconception that data exists only in numerical form. In reality, data can be quantitative or qualitative, can describe many aspects of everyday life, and can be used to uncover meaning both in research and in our personal experiences. In this project, students will choose an aspect of their own lives that they are curious about and systematically track a form of data related to it. Together, we will transform this data into a meaningful visualization and interpretation, exploring what was tracked, what patterns emerged, and why those patterns matter to the student. This project emphasizes creativity, reflection, and the power of data as a tool for understanding the world. To get inspired, I recommend seeing this TED Talk and the Dear Data project: TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFIDCtRX_-o Dear Data: https://www.dear-data.com/theproject
Social, Psychology, Cognitive
Writing a research proposal
Strong research ideas often emerge at the intersection of personal curiosity and gaps in the existing literature. In this project, students will begin by identifying a research topic they are genuinely interested in. For example, how social media affects teenagers, especially whether using social media before bed changes how teens feel about themselves or interact with others. Then they will conduct a targeted literature review. Together, we will then pinpoint open questions or limitations in prior work and develop a novel, testable research question. The project will culminate in writing a scientific-style research proposal. Through this project, students will learn how to: - Conduct an effective literature review - Read scientific articles and identify gaps and limitations in existing research - Write clearly and persuasively for a research audience - Articulate why their research questions matter and demonstrate the significance of their proposed study
Social, Psychology, Cognitive