Last Post

      With the school year drawing to a close so comes the end of this project. I'm writing this post after my presentation to my Anat/Phys class and possibly past its deadline. The finished hypothetical product I presented to the class is a highly genetically modified species of Green Algae that can symbiotically live within the human host blood stream, using photonic energy absorbed through the host’s skin and waste CO2 to produce usable O2 for the host. This was quite a mouthful to explain and I stammered a lot unfortunately during the presentation.

On the other hand most of the presentation I talked about the lessons of being resourceful and patient when it comes to studying for a project like this. This made the presentation easier to explain and in my opinion more important to listen to. It has been a long, exhausting, and even maddening project but in the end I enjoyed the challenge, the chance to learn, and the opportunity to take an idea that was nothing more than an interest and make it a possibility. 

My Third Post: Continued research

(Technically my fourth, thanks Senioritis)

            The hardest part about researching a complicated 20time project for a high school class is the never ending research. The hours tick by slowly, your back aches, your eyes are strained, and your mind is desperate for that one set of words or sentences that will finally take your research in the right direction; making the hours of pain finally worth it. Strangely enough I find this activity quite interesting because most of life, especially in a scientific field of study, will be spent digging through the raw input of our senses for that one little gold nugget of success.

            Well on to the few gold nuggets I’ve found these past few weeks. First off I’ve had to correct one of my previous posts stating that humans consume 23 litres of O2 a day. According to what I could find on the NASA website its closer to 0.84 kg which makes up under a litre although the litre isn’t a reliable unit in this case.

            Second I have done a lot of research into the symbiosis of current forms of algae. The two more prominent specimens I’ve discovered, that relate to this project, are Dinoflagellates in coral, which help produce nutritional substances for the host, and green algae in tape worms, which do exactly what I want the lung replacement version to do: turn the host’s CO2 into breathable O2 (although this green algae still uses photons from the sun in its photosynthesis).

            Lastly I had a nice chat with a lovely woman who works in the astrobiology department at Ames Research Center in Moffett field in northern California. When proposing my idea to her she suggested that I focus my research on double photon absorption instead of a thermal replacement for photons in photosynthesis. I’ve done a little research on this subject but its applications thus far are difficult to find. As per usual, more research is required. 

My Second Post: Early Progress

My Second Post: Early Progress

    So far these past few weeks my main short term goal has been to tackle the biggest obstacle in the way of this idea: is the science behind a photosynthetic species of algae, that relies on heat energy instead of light energy, possible? So far in my research the results have been mixed but ultimately progressive.

    The first part of the photosynthesis process starts with chlorophyll attracting photons from the sun which are then used to break down H2O molecules into both O2 and H. The H molecules are then used by the plant to produce ATP in another complicated process. The issue is whether or not simple thermal energy can be used in place of photons to break down the H2O molecules subsequently making the sunlight obsolete in the whole process. If I can discover a way for this process to work then this idea can become more than just an idea, it could become a possibility! 

   I'v also gone into researching the logistics behind daily O2 consumption which has also been pretty mixed. From what I've gathered so far the average human being consumes 23 liters of O2 a day when resting. More research will be needed of course.

1st Post: Algae and its Possibilites

Algae and its Possibilities

For the remainder of this semester in Anatomy and Physiology I have been tasked with researching, developing, and presenting a genius idea for our “20time” project. 20time is a philosophy used in classrooms and working environments to increase productivity and creativity for those involved. The philosophy urges the assignment of 20% of all schooling and work hours towards developing independent projects that could benefit the class or workplace when completed. Gmail, the arguably but extremely helpful electronic mail tool, was created as a result of this activity.

For my 20time project I've decided to focus my interests in bio-medical engineering into developing a theoretical, genetically engineered species of algae that could benefit the human body in a multitude of ways. My favorite possible health benefit that I've chosen to peruse research in is the possibility of designing the algae to use the natural body heat created in the human body as an energy source in photosynthesis to convert CO2 into O2 without the need for sunlight.

My personal goal of this project is to simply see what doors this path of study will open for me. I've spent most of my life fascinated by medical science and this project will give me the ability to not only create something with the knowledge I've already acquired but to learn so much more. There are obstacles ahead of me of course that will slow me down when researching this idea, such as the efficiency of thermal energy replacing photons or the actual logistics of O2 produced per unit of algae compared to O2 consumed by host. My achievement will not only be measured by the pursuit of this study or the solving of each issue but also the gaining of new ideas, and new possibilities.