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70 Best High School Science Fair Projects in Every Subject

Fire up the Bunsen burners!

Collage of high school science fair projects, including 3D printed cars and a DIY vacuum chamber

The cool thing about high school science fair projects is that kids are old enough to tackle some pretty amazing concepts. Some science experiments for high school are just advanced versions of simpler projects they did when they were younger, with detailed calculations or fewer instructions. Other projects involve fire, chemicals, or other materials they couldn’t use before.

Note: Some of these projects were written as classroom labs but can be adapted to become science fair projects too. Just consider variables that you can change up, like materials or other parameters. That changes a classroom activity into a true scientific method experiment!

To make it easier to find the right high school science fair project idea for you, we’ve rated all the projects by difficulty and the materials needed:

Difficulty:

Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much anytime
Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort
Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete
Biology and Life Sciences High School Science Fair Projects

Chemistry High School Science Fair Projects

Physics high school science fair projects, engineering high school stem fair projects, biology and life science high school science fair projects.

Explore the living world with these biology science project ideas, learning more about plants, animals, the environment, and much more.

Extract DNA from an onion

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

You don’t need a lot of supplies to perform this experiment, but it’s impressive nonetheless. Turn this into a science fair project by trying it with other fruits and vegetables too.

Re-create Mendel’s pea plant experiment

Gregor Mendel’s pea plant experiments were some of the first to explore inherited traits and genetics. Try your own cross-pollination experiments with fast-growing plants like peas or beans.

Make plants move with light

By this age, kids know that many plants move toward sunlight, a process known as phototropism. So high school science fair projects on this topic need to introduce variables into the process, like covering seedling parts with different materials to see the effects.

Test the 5-second rule

We’d all like to know the answer to this one: Is it really safe to eat food you’ve dropped on the floor? Design and conduct an experiment to find out (although we think we might already know the answer).

Find out if color affects taste

Just how interlinked are all our senses? Does the sight of food affect how it tastes? Find out with a fun food science fair project like this one!

See the effects of antibiotics on bacteria

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced

Bacteria can be divided into two groups: gram-positive and gram-negative. In this experiment, students first determine the two groups, then try the effects of various antibiotics on them. You can get a gram stain kit , bacillus cereus and rhodospirillum rubrum cultures, and antibiotic discs from Home Science Tools.

Learn more: Antibiotics Project at Home Science Tools

Witness the carbon cycle in action

Test tubes filled with plants and green and blue liquid

Experiment with the effects of light on the carbon cycle. Make this science fair project even more interesting by adding some small aquatic animals like snails or fish into the mix.

Learn more: Carbon Cycle at Science Lessons That Rock

Look for cell mitosis in an onion

Cell mitosis (division) is actually easy to see in action when you look at onion root tips under a microscope. Students will be amazed to see science theory become science reality right before their eyes. Adapt this lab into a high school science fair project by applying the process to other organisms too.

Test the effects of disinfectants

Petri dish divided in half with bacteria and paper disks on the surface

Grow bacteria in a petri dish along with paper disks soaked in various antiseptics and disinfectants. You’ll be able to see which ones effectively inhibit bacteria growth.

Learn more: Effectiveness of Antiseptics and Disinfectants at Amy Brown Science

Pit hydroponics against soil

Growing vegetables without soil (hydroponics) is a popular trend, allowing people to garden just about anywhere.

More Life Sciences and Biology Science Fair Projects for High School

Use these questions and ideas to design your own experiment:

Explore ways to prevent soil erosion.
What are the most accurate methods of predicting various weather patterns?
Try out various fertilization methods to find the best and safest way to increase crop yield.
What’s the best way to prevent mold growth on food for long-term storage?
Does exposure to smoke or other air pollutants affect plant growth?
Compare the chemical and/or bacterial content of various water sources (bottled, tap, spring, well water, etc.).
Explore ways to clean up after an oil spill on land or water.
Conduct a wildlife field survey in a given area and compare it to results from previous surveys.
Find a new use for plastic bottles or bags to keep them out of landfills.
Devise a way to desalinate seawater and make it safe to drink.

Bunsen burners, beakers and test tubes, and the possibility of (controlled) explosions? No wonder chemistry is such a popular topic for high school science fair projects!

Break apart covalent bonds

Break the covalent bond of H 2 O into H and O with this simple experiment. You only need simple supplies for this one. Turn it into a science fair project by changing up the variables—does the temperature of the water matter? What happens if you try this with other liquids?

Learn more: Covalent Bonds at Teaching Without Chairs

Measure the calories in various foods

Are the calorie counts on your favorite snacks accurate? Build your own calorimeter and find out! This kit from Home Science Tools has all the supplies you’ll need.

Detect latent fingerprints

Fingerprint divided into two, one half yellow and one half black

Forensic science is engrossing and can lead to important career opportunities too. Explore the chemistry needed to detect latent (invisible) fingerprints, just like they do for crime scenes!

Learn more: Fingerprints Project at Hub Pages

Use Alka-Seltzer to explore reaction rate

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Easy

Tweak this basic concept to create a variety of high school chemistry science fair projects. Change the temperature, surface area, pressure, and more to see how reaction rates change.

Determine whether sports drinks provide more electrolytes than OJ

Are those pricey sports drinks really worth it? Try this experiment to find out. You’ll need some special equipment for this one; buy a complete kit at Home Science Tools .

Turn flames into a rainbow

You’ll need to get your hands on a few different chemicals for this experiment, but the wow factor will make it worth the effort! Make it a science project by seeing if different materials, air temperature, or other factors change the results.

Discover the size of a mole

Supplies needed for mole experiment, included scale, salt, and chalk

The mole is a key concept in chemistry, so it’s important to ensure students really understand it. This experiment uses simple materials like salt and chalk to make an abstract concept more concrete. Make it a project by applying the same procedure to a variety of substances, or determining whether outside variables have an effect on the results.

Learn more: How Big Is a Mole? at Amy Brown Science

Cook up candy to learn mole and molecule calculations

Aluminum foil bowl filled with bubbling liquid over a bunsen burner

This edible experiment lets students make their own peppermint hard candy while they calculate mass, moles, molecules, and formula weights. Tweak the formulas to create different types of candy and make this into a sweet science fair project!

Learn more: Candy Chemistry at Dunigan Science on TpT

Make soap to understand saponification

Colorful soaps from saponification science experiments for high school

Take a closer look at an everyday item: soap! Use oils and other ingredients to make your own soap, learning about esters and saponification. Tinker with the formula to find one that fits a particular set of parameters.

Learn more: Saponification at Chemistry Solutions on TpT

Uncover the secrets of evaporation

Explore the factors that affect evaporation, then come up with ways to slow them down or speed them up for a simple science fair project.

Learn more: Evaporation at Science Projects

More Chemistry Science Fair Projects for High School

These questions and ideas can spark ideas for a unique experiment:

Compare the properties of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Explore the impact of temperature, concentration, and seeding on crystal growth.
Test various antacids on the market to find the most effective product.
What is the optimum temperature for yeast production when baking bread from scratch?
Compare the vitamin C content of various fruits and vegetables.
How does temperature affect enzyme-catalyzed reactions?
Investigate the effects of pH on an acid-base chemical reaction.
Devise a new natural way to test pH levels (such as cabbage leaves).
What’s the best way to slow down metal oxidation (the form of rust)?
How do changes in ingredients and method affect the results of a baking recipe?

When you think of physics science projects for high school, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the classic build-a-bridge. But there are plenty of other ways for teens to get hands-on with physics concepts. Here are some to try.

Remove the air in a DIY vacuum chamber

DIY vacuum chamber made from a jar and large hypodermic needle

You can use a vacuum chamber to do lots of cool high school science fair projects, but a ready-made one can be expensive. Try this project to make your own with basic supplies.

Learn more: Vacuum Chamber at Instructables

Put together a mini Tesla coil

Looking for a simple but showy high school science fair project? Build your own mini Tesla coil and wow the crowd!

Boil water in a paper cup

Logic tells us we shouldn’t set a paper cup over a heat source, right? Yet it’s actually possible to boil water in a paper cup without burning the cup up! Learn about heat transfer and thermal conductivity with this experiment. Go deeper by trying other liquids like honey to see what happens.

Build a better light bulb

Emulate Edison and build your own simple light bulb. You can turn this into a science fair project by experimenting with different types of materials for filaments.

Measure the speed of light—with your microwave

Grab an egg and head to your microwave for this surprisingly simple experiment. By measuring the distance between cooked portions of egg whites, you’ll be able to calculate the wavelength of the microwaves in your oven and, in turn, the speed of light.

Generate a Lichtenberg figure

Lichtenberg figure generated on a sheet of Plexiglass

See electricity in action when you generate and capture a Lichtenberg figure with polyethylene sheets, wood, or even acrylic and toner. Change the electrical intensity and materials to see what types of patterns you can create.

Learn more: Lichtenberg Figure at Science Notes

Explore the power of friction with sticky note pads

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic

Ever try to pull a piece of paper out of the middle of a big stack? It’s harder than you think it would be! That’s due to the power of friction. In this experiment, students interleave the sheets of two sticky note pads, then measure how much weight it takes to pull them apart. The results are astonishing!

Build a cloud chamber to prove background radiation

Ready to dip your toe into particle physics? Learn about background radiation and build a cloud chamber to prove the existence of muons.

Measure the effect of temperature on resistance

A beaker with a tungsten rod, connected to a multimeter

This is a popular and classic science fair experiment in physics. You’ll need a few specialized supplies, but they’re pretty easy to find.

Learn more: Temperature and Resistance at Science Project

Launch the best bottle rocket

A basic bottle rocket is pretty easy to build, but it opens the door to lots of different science fair projects. Design a powerful launcher, alter the rocket so it flies higher or farther, or use only recycled materials for your flyer.

More Physics Science Fair Projects for High School

Design your own experiment in response to these questions and prompts.

Determine the most efficient solar panel design and placement.
What’s the best way to eliminate friction between two objects?
Explore the best methods of insulating an object against heat loss.
What effect does temperature have on batteries when stored for long periods of time?
Test the effects of magnets or electromagnetic fields on plants or other living organisms.
Determine the best angle and speed of a bat swing in baseball.
What’s the best way to soundproof an area or reduce noise produced by an item?
Explore methods for reducing air resistance in automotive design.
Use the concepts of torque and rotation to perfect a golf swing.
Compare the strength and durability of various building materials.

Many schools are changing up their science fairs to STEM fairs, to encourage students with an interest in engineering to participate. Many great engineering science fair projects start with a STEM challenge, like those shown here. Use these ideas to spark a full-blown project to build something new and amazing!

Solve a current environmental issue

A science fair project can also be an entry into the Slingshot Challenge . Students produce a 1-minute video with a solution to a current environmental problem (think: uniting creative waste reducers on social media or rehabilitating forests affected by fire) for the chance to receive up to $10,000 in funding.

Construct a model maglev train

Maglev model train built from magnets and wood craft sticks on green felt

Maglev trains may just be the future of mass transportation. Build a model at home, and explore ways to implement the technology on a wider basis.

Learn more: Maglev Model Train at Supermagnete

Design a more efficient wind turbine

Wind energy is renewable, making it a good solution for the fossil fuel problem. For a smart science fair project, experiment to find the most efficient wind turbine design for a given situation.

Re-create Da Vinci’s flying machine

Da Vinci flying machine built from a paper cup and other basic supplies

Da Vinci sketched several models of “flying machines” and hoped to soar through the sky. Do some research into his models and try to reconstruct one of your own.

Learn more: Da Vinci Flying Machine at Student Savvy

Design a heart-rate monitor

Smartwatches are ubiquitous these days, so pretty much anyone can wear a heart-rate monitor on their wrist. But do they work any better than one you can build yourself? Get the specialized items you need like the Arduino LilyPad Board on Amazon.

Race 3D printed cars

Simple 3-D printed race cars with vegetables strapped to them (Science Experiments for High School)

3D printers are a marvel of the modern era, and budding engineers should definitely learn to use them. Use Tinkercad or a similar program to design and print race cars that can support a defined weight, then see which can roll the fastest! (No 3D printer in your STEM lab? Check the local library. Many of them have 3D printers available for patrons to use.)

Learn more: 3D Printed Cars at Instructables

Grow veggies in a hydroponic garden

Vertical hydroponic garden made from PVC pipes and aluminum downspouts

Hydroponics is the gardening wave of the future, making it easy to grow plants anywhere with minimal soil required. For a science fair STEM engineering challenge, design and construct your own hydroponic garden capable of growing vegetables to feed a family. This model is just one possible option.

Learn more: Hydroponics at Instructables

Grab items with a mechanical claw

KiwiCo hydraulic claw kit (Science Experiments for High School)

Delve into robotics with this engineering project. This kit includes all the materials you need, with complete video instructions. Once you’ve built the basic structure, tinker around with the design to improve its strength, accuracy, or other traits.

Learn more: Hydraulic Claw at KiwiCo

Construct a crystal radio

Homemade crystal radio set (Science Experiments for High School)

Return to the good old days and build a radio from scratch. This makes a cool science fair project if you experiment with different types of materials for the antenna. It takes some specialized equipment, but fortunately, Home Science Tools has an all-in-one kit for this project.

Learn more: Crystal Radio at Scitoys.com

Build a burglar alarm

Simple electronic burglar alarm with a cell phone

The challenge? Set up a system to alert you when someone has broken into your house or classroom. This can take any form students can dream up, and you can customize this STEM high school science experiment for multiple skill levels. Keep it simple with an alarm that makes a sound that can be heard from a specified distance. Or kick it up a notch and require the alarm system to send a notification to a cell phone, like the project at the link.

Learn more: Intruder Alarm at Instructables

Walk across a plastic bottle bridge

Students sitting on a large bridge made of plastic bottles

Balsa wood bridges are OK, but this plastic bottle bridge is really impressive! In fact, students can build all sorts of structures using the concept detailed at the link. It’s the ultimate upcycled STEM challenge!

Learn more: TrussFab Structures at Instructables

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Explore high school science fair projects in biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and more, from easy projects to advanced ideas.

The Big List of Science Fair Project Ideas, Resources, and More

Options for every age, interest, and skill level! Continue Reading

Awesome STEM Projects for High School Biology (From 30 min to 2 Weeks!)

When choosing a STEM activity for your high school Biology students, it can be a fine line between fun and corny. You’ll want to ensure you are meeting NGSS standards, but you also want your students to be engaged, informed, and most importantly, to have fun.

To help you achieve this goal, we have pulled together some ideas for STEM projects for high school biology that we have used with students that were a success – organized by how much time you may be trying to fill.

Related post: Biology Science Fair Projects for 10th Grade

Here’s how you can get your students engaged in Biology while meeting the goals of your curriculum and NGSS.

I Only Have 30 Minutes for the STEM Project!

If you only have 30 minutes for an activity, you’ll want that activity to really “wow” your students. So how about making it a hands-on lab with minimal setup or cleanup?

Our favorite is a Genetics activity that students really go crazy over where they discover what a SuperTaster is, and whether or not they carry the SuperTaster Gene. This activity leads to discussions about the Survival of the Fittest, Punnett Squares, and family pedigrees.

Here’s how it’s done: Students are given 4 small paper tabs (one at a time) containing either Control, PTC, Sodium Benzoate, and Thiourea. Each student should keep track of what each tastes like on a chart, as well as how it tastes for the entire class. Some students may find the paper’s taste strong (very bitter!) or like nothing at all. Hilarity ensues in the Genetics lab. You can purchase your own Supe rTaster Genetics Lab Kit and have fun with Genetics!

I Have 3 Days for the Biology Project

If you have three days to run your Biology project, we’ve found it’s best to start telling a story that carries students from day to day and gets them excited about what could happen tomorrow.

What’s more exciting than a mystery? By teaching students about Forensics, methods in Forensic Science such as Fingerprinting (fingerprint your students!), DNA, and PCR, your students will discover how scientists use Forensics in the real world.

On Day 2, have your students figure out what type of fingerprints they all have, and make a class chart (this is important for Day 3). They should also learn how to read DNA Electrophoresis Bands, and practice with a worksheet .

On Day 3, before class, you will need to contact one of your students ahead of time (in each class) and ask them to help you by providing clues for a mystery. Tell them that they have been chosen to be the “guilty” student, but they can’t give it away no matter what. They will provide you with:

Their fingerprint type – you can either take actual samples of their fingerprint or a fake printout of their type of fingerprint
Shoe print or shoe tracing on paper
Strand of their hair taped to paper

Strategically place each of the clues around the room and before the students come in, remove something obvious from the room like the flag and the like. In our class, we removed a beloved taxidermied duck.

Tell the students that one of their classmates is suspected to have stolen this item, but you need their help to figure out who. See if they can find the clues and guess who the guilty person is. They will need to compare the fingerprint to their class list to narrow it down, compare the hair sample to others in the class under a microscope, and look at the shoe print compared to all of the shoes students are wearing.

I’ve also had a surprise DNA sample as a tie-breaker to throw into the mix that lists multiple students in the class and they need to compare it to the known sample at the scene. In the past, students have really gotten into this, and have even turned the activity into a full-court trial with expert witnesses.

Have fun with it – the kids might surprise you!

Ooh, I Have a 4th Day for my STEM Project in High School Biology!

Awesome, you are in for a treat!

You and your students should take what you started with Forensics a step farther and extract DNA from your own human cheek cells. The process for this can be a little tricky and the experiment is a little finicky, but when it works, it’ll be AMAZING!

We’ve done this with mixed results and can attest that when they say your Ethanol needs to be cold, they aren’t kidding. It needs to be on ice the whole time! Also, you know your students. If you have students who aren’t the best at following directions exactly, then the strawberry or banana DNA extraction might be for you since they are a little more forgiving.

Think of the awe and admiration your students will have for you when you show them their DNA. Go for it, you amazing science wizard!

I Have 2 Weeks for this High School Biology Project!

The best way that we’ve seen to get students to really remember content, is by making a movie about it. Not just any movie, but a stop motion animation video. Using iMovie, it’s really easy to make these, so hopefully, your students have iPads or iPhones.

If you haven’t made a stop motion animation video in iMovie before, there are lots of tutorials out there. But the basics are to make sure in iMovie after you drop your photos, get rid of Ken Burns Effect on all images, delete fade between pictures, and shorten all of the transitions in between pictures to the shortest time possible by selecting and dragging smaller.

If you can’t figure it out, don’t worry, your students will teach you. With our students, we’ve made stop motion videos on topics ranging from Protein Synthesis to Mitosis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can i get materials for these stem activities.

That varies depending on the activity. It also depends on where your school orders supplies for science. Carolina Biological Supply , Fisher Scientific , and even Amazon all have great Biology supplies at good prices.

These STEM activities are awesome! How can I find more like these?

There are so many amazing things to do out there. For more great resources, try going to SciStarter to find a Citizen Science project for your students. There are also some content-specific full curriculum resources such as this fantastic Climate Change Curriculum from Stanford University.

My school doesn’t have a lab or a very big budget. How can I do cool Biology projects without spending much money?

We’ve been there. In a deep ocean lesson, we have taught students about the decomposition of marine organisms on the seafloor by having them make a “slimy whale goo”. It was just cornstarch, water, and green food coloring, but they LOVED it. Doing any science, including Biology doesn’t have to cost a ton of money, it’s all about being creative. We have students draw… a lot. We also utilize full class projects, breaking up student tasks toward one goal which minimizes the total amount of needed materials!

Mark is the driving force behind STEM Geek. With 20 years of experience in chemistry education and research, and 3 willing children as guinea pigs, Mark has a passion for inspiring kids and adults to combine fun and learning with STEM Toys!

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70+ Advanced Higher Biology Project Ideas: Dive into Discovery

Post author By admin
November 3, 2023

Unlock a world of possibilities with our curated list of Advanced Higher Biology Project Ideas. Discover diverse topics and embark on exciting research journeys in the realm of biology.

Hey there, biology enthusiast! Welcome to the thrilling world of Advanced Higher Biology, where we get to unravel the secrets of life.

But you know what makes this journey even cooler? The Advanced Higher Biology project – it’s like our chance to be scientific detectives and explore the stuff we’re truly passionate about.

In this article, we’re going to serve up a buffet of exciting project ideas. These Advanced Higher Biology project ideas are not just informative; they’re the kind of projects that make biology feel like an amazing adventure. Let’s jump in!

Table of Contents

Advanced Higher Biology Project Ideas

Check out some of the best advanced higher biology project ideas:-

Genetic Engineering and Crop Improvement

Developing Disease-Resistant Crops
Enhancing Nutrient Bioavailability in Crops
Genetic Modification for Improved Drought Tolerance
Investigating Genetic Solutions to Reduce Pesticide Use
Enhancing Crop Yield Through Genetic Engineering
Crop Plant Metabolic Engineering for Enhanced Productivity
Genetic Modifications for Enhanced Pest Resistance
Investigating the Role of Epigenetics in Crop Development
Genetic Engineering for Allergen-Free Crops
Enhancing Crop Shelf Life through Genetic Modification
Investigating Genes Responsible for Flavor and Aroma in Crops
Genetic Modification for Increased Crop Adaptation to Climate Change
Enhancing Crop Nutritional Content Through Genetic Engineering
Investigating the Impact of GMOs on Soil Microbiota
Genetic Engineering for Reducing Food Waste in Agriculture

Biodiversity Conservation

Ecological Impact Assessment of Human Activity on Local Biodiversity
Habitat Restoration and Native Species Reintroduction
Studying the Effects of Invasive Species on Local Ecosystems
The Impact of Urbanization on Biodiversity
Wildlife Conservation through Habitat Preservation
Monitoring Bird Migration Patterns and Conservation Strategies
Examining the Role of Ecotourism in Biodiversity Conservation
Conservation of Endangered Marine Species
Restoring Riparian Zones for Improved Ecosystem Health
Conservation of Coral Reefs and Their Importance
Studying the Impact of Climate Change on Wildlife Behavior
The Role of Protected Areas in Biodiversity Conservation
Investigating the Impact of Pollution on Local Ecosystems
The Conservation of Amphibians and Their Importance in Ecosystems
Reintroducing Predators to Control Herbivore Populations

Neuroscience and Cognitive Studies

Memory Formation and Aging
Neural Mechanisms of Addiction
Investigating the Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Function
The Role of Genetics in Neurodegenerative Diseases
The Impact of Sleep on Memory and Cognitive Abilities
Examining the Effects of Meditation on Brain Function
Studying the Neurobiology of Decision-Making
Investigating Brain Plasticity in Response to Learning
The Role of Stress on Cognitive Performance
Neural Mechanisms of Pain Perception
The Influence of Nutrition on Brain Health
Exploring the Link between Mental Health and Neurobiology
Investigating the Role of Hormones in Memory and Cognition
The Neurobiology of Learning Disorders
The Impact of Technology on Brain Development and Function

Evolutionary Biology

Evolution of Camouflage in Different Species
Investigating Coevolution between Predators and Prey
The Role of Sexual Selection in Species Evolution
Investigating Speciation in Isolated Populations
The Evolution of Mimicry in Nature
Coevolution of Parasites and Hosts
Investigating Hybridization and its Role in Evolution
The Evolution of Social Behavior in Animals
Studying the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
Investigating the Role of Genetic Drift in Evolution
The Evolution of Parental Care in Birds
Investigating the Role of Migration in Species Adaptation
The Evolution of Flowering Plants and Their Pollinators
Exploring the Evolution of Communication in Animals
Investigating the Role of Symbiosis in Evolution
focusing on co-evolutionary patterns.

Choosing the Right Project

Picking the perfect Advanced Higher Biology project is like choosing an adventure you’ll embark on in the realm of science.

It’s a decision that can shape your learning experience and research journey in exciting ways. Let’s make this choice fun and engaging. Here’s how:

Follow Your Passion

Start by thinking about what makes your biology-loving heart beat a little faster. The project you choose should be something that genuinely gets you excited.

We’re talking about that topic that makes you want to shout, “I can’t wait to explore this!”

Assess Available Resources

Take a look at what’s in your toolbox. What equipment, labs, or experts do you have access to? Your ideal project should be like a puzzle piece that fits into your resources seamlessly.

Consult with Educators

Don’t hesitate to have a chat with your teachers, professors, or mentors. They’re like your biology Yodas, full of wisdom. They can suggest some amazing project ideas and help you fine-tune your plan.

Consider Real-World Impact

Think big! How can your project contribute to our understanding of biology or even solve some real-world problems? Go for those projects that can make a difference, no matter how small.

Review Project Guidelines

You know those project guidelines your school or institution has? Be sure to give them a good read. Your project should follow these rules and regulations.

Balance Complexity

We all love a challenge, but your project shouldn’t feel like climbing Everest without training. Choose a project that’s just challenging enough to keep you engaged without overwhelming you.

Collaboration

Teamwork makes the dream work. If it’s an option, consider a group project. It can be a blast to brainstorm with peers, divide and conquer tasks, and celebrate together.

Pilot Study

Before you commit, try dipping your toes in the water. A small pilot study or some background reading on your chosen topic can give you a sneak peek of what’s ahead.

Long-Term Interest

Think about the bigger picture. How does your project fit into your long-term goals? The ideal project should be like a stepping stone that gets you closer to where you want to be.

Innovation and Originality

Go for gold in the creativity department. Aim for a project that’s not just a rerun of what’s been done before. Original ideas are like treasures waiting to be discovered.

Ethical Considerations

We’ve got to play fair in the world of science. If your project involves living creatures or humans, be sure to mind your ethics. No shortcuts here!

Flexibility

Keep in mind that your project may change and evolve as you dig deeper. Be open to unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes, it’s the detours that lead to the most exciting discoveries.

So, don’t stress it too much. The right project is like a story waiting to be written, an adventure ready to unfold.

It’s not just science; it’s your chance to explore, learn, and maybe even change the world a little. Get ready for an amazing journey!

What are the top 10 science fair projects high school biology?

Check out the top 10 science fair projects high school biology:-

Green Thumbs Unite

Exploring the Secret of Plant Growth Investigate how different environmental factors, like light, temperature, humidity, or fertilizer, impact plant growth. Get your hands dirty and discover what makes your plants thrive.

Dining Habits

The Food-Animal Connection Dive into the world of animal behavior and health by exploring how different diets, feeding schedules, or water quality affect our furry or feathered friends. It’s a dinner party for science!

Unraveling Genetic Mysteries

The DNA of Life Take a journey into the genes of a particular organism. Delve into the world of inheritance and mutations, and unlock the secrets hidden in the strands of DNA.

Nature’s Drama

Predator vs. Prey, Host vs. Parasite Become a biologist detective and study the intricate relationships between organisms. Investigate how predators and prey interact, or how hosts and parasites co-evolve. It’s like watching a real-life nature documentary.

Chemical Chronicles

Substances and Living Things Test the effects of various chemicals or drugs on living organisms. From plants to animals to cells, discover how different substances can change the game in biology.

Life’s Journey

Organisms and Development Embark on a journey of growth and development. Chart the path from embryo to full-fledged organism or follow the progression of a disease in an animal model. It’s a life story in biology.

Survival in a Changing World

The Impact of Environmental Stress Study how living organisms adapt to environmental challenges like pollution, climate change, or habitat loss. See how physiology and behavior transform in the face of adversity.

Healing Hands

Innovations in Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Get inventive and develop a new method for diagnosing or treating a specific disease.

Whether it’s a cutting-edge blood test, imaging technique, or drug delivery system, you’re the healthcare pioneer.

Crunching Data

Computational Biology Unleashed Enter the world of computational biology. Use computer models to simulate the behaviors of cells, tissues, or organs, or analyze colossal datasets of biological information. It’s biology meets technology.

The Clinical Quest

Testing New Medicines and Devices Roll up your sleeves and design a clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of a new drug or medical device. This project requires teamwork with medical professionals, and it’s a real-world test of innovation.

Remember, when choosing your science fair project, pick something you’re passionate about and suited to your experience level. Consider the resources you’ll need and prepare to embark on a fascinating scientific journey. Good luck, young biologist!

What is the best project in biology?

Choosing the ideal biology project is a bit like embarking on an exciting expedition. It should be captivating, challenging, and achievable within the resources and time at your disposal.

Whether you’re a lone explorer or part of a small team of students, the right project can be a ticket to scientific adventure.

Here are some intriguing biology project ideas to get your scientific gears turning:

Unveiling Nature’s Secrets

Environmental Factors and Plant Growth Dive into the world of flora and explore how different environmental factors, such as light, temperature, humidity, or fertilizer, impact the growth of plants. It’s a green-thumbed detective story waiting to be unraveled.

Food for Thought

Diets and Animal Life Investigate how the dietary choices we make affect animal behavior and health. Experiment with different types of food , feeding schedules, or water quality, and observe the impact on our animal friends.

Cracking the Genetic Code

The DNA Puzzle Delve into the genetic makeup of a specific organism. Study the inheritance of traits or the intriguing effects of mutations. It’s a genetic journey into the blueprint of life.

Nature’s Drama Unleashed

Predator vs. Prey, Host vs. Parasite Explore the dynamic interactions between different organisms, like predator and prey or host and parasite.

Observe how their populations interact or adapt in response to each other, akin to watching a thrilling ecological soap opera.

Substances and Living Beings Venture into the world of chemicals and their impact on living organisms. Whether it’s plants, animals, or cells, test the effects of different substances, such as pesticides, antibiotics, or other compounds.

Life’s Unfolding Story

Development of Organisms and Diseases Take a front-row seat to the development of organisms or the progression of diseases.

Chart the journey from embryo to maturity or study the course of a disease in an animal model. It’s like narrating a biological epic.

Organisms and Environmental Stress Observe how living organisms adapt to environmental challenges like pollution, climate change, or habitat loss.

Witness how their physiology and behavior transform as they navigate a changing world.

Innovations in Health

Diagnosing and Treating Diseases Put on your inventor’s cap and develop a groundbreaking method for diagnosing or treating a specific disease.

Whether it’s a novel blood test, a cutting-edge imaging technique, or an innovative drug delivery system, you’re the health pioneer of tomorrow.

Biology in the Digital Age

Computational Insights Harness the power of computational biology to explore a specific biological system or process.

Use computer models to simulate the intricate dance of cells, tissues, or organs, or dive into vast datasets of biological data.

Clinical Trials Unveiled

Testing New Frontiers in Healthcare Roll up your sleeves and design a clinical trial to assess the safety and effectiveness of a new drug or medical device.

This mission requires close collaboration with medical experts, as you venture into the realm of cutting-edge healthcare.

If you find yourself at a crossroads and need guidance, don’t hesitate to seek the wisdom of your biology or science teacher.

They can be your compass, helping you brainstorm ideas and tailor a project that aligns with your expertise and passions.

Once you’ve set your course, dive into extensive research, consult with experts, and craft a precise research question and hypothesis.

Design an experiment that is well-controlled and meticulously conducted. Your journey to scientific discovery is on the horizon. Best of luck with your biology project!

What is the best topic for biology exhibition?

Selecting the right topic for your biology exhibition is like picking the star of a show—it should be intriguing, captivating, and hold the potential to enlighten your audience.

What’s more, it should be a topic that sets your heart racing with passion and allows for a deep dive into exploration.

Here are some exciting biology exhibition topic ideas to get your gears turning:

Biology’s Next Frontier

Unmasking Emerging Technologies Dive into the world of game-changing biology technologies like CRISPR gene editing, synthetic biology, and more.

You can take a deep dive into one of these innovations or venture into the thrilling arena of their societal impacts.

The Tiny Heroes Within Us Embark on an adventure through the intriguing realm of the human microbiome. These trillions of microorganisms have a say in our health.

Explore the latest research in this microbial universe or journey into the realm of how we can harness it to supercharge well-being.

Biology and the Climate Crisis

Adapting to a New Reality Investigate how climate change is rewriting the rules of biology, from reshaping plant and animal populations to influencing human health.

Focus on a particular biological system affected by climate change or uncover strategies to help biology weather the climate storm.

The Avengers of Health Uncover the power of One Health, a holistic approach that connects human, animal, and environmental well-being. You can champion the importance of One Health or venture into a specific mission where it tackles a real health challenge.

Health, Tailored for You

The Marvel of Personalized Medicine Step into the world of personalized medicine, where treatments are custom-crafted for each patient based on their unique genetic makeup.

Discuss the latest breakthroughs in this field or dive deep into the ethical questions it raises.

These are just the opening act, and the main event is your passion. So, follow your heart and pick the topic that makes your inner scientist do a happy dance.

Once you’ve chosen your star, prepare for a thrilling journey of research and an engaging presentation that will dazzle your audience.

What is the best topic for biology project class 10?

Picking the right biology project for your class in 10th grade is like choosing an exciting journey. It should be intriguing, captivating, and well-suited to your level of experience and the resources available to you.

Moreover, your chosen topic should be one that you can thoroughly research and present with clarity.

Here are some captivating biology project ideas that are well-suited for students in the 10th grade:

Unveiling the Green Secret

How Environmental Factors Influence Plant Growth Embark on a plant adventure and explore the effects of different environmental factors, such as light, temperature, humidity, or fertilizer, on plant growth. Watch your green friends respond to nature’s cues.

Dining with the Animals

The Impact of Diets on Behavior and Health Dive into the world of animal behavior and health by testing the effects of various diets, feeding schedules, or water quality on different animals. It’s like serving up a buffet of experiments for your animal friends.

Genetic Whodunnit

Unraveling the Inheritance of Traits Become a genetics detective and study how traits, like eye color or hair color, are inherited in plants or animals. Discover the genetic mysteries that make us who we are.

Mutation Exploration

Unearthing the Effects of Genetic Changes Delve into the world of mutations and explore how they impact organisms. Research different types of mutations and how they can create changes in the world of biology.

Nature’s Partnerships

The Dance Between Different Organisms Study the intriguing relationships between different organisms, be it predator and prey, host and parasite, or competitors for limited resources. Witness the intricate connections that keep the biological world spinning.

Impact of Substances on Living Beings Uncover the influence of various chemicals or drugs on living organisms, from plants to animals to cells. Experiment with pesticides, antibiotics, and other substances to witness their effects.

Life’s Progression

Organism Development and Disease Follow the journey of an organism’s development or trace the progression of a disease in an animal model. It’s a narrative of life in the world of biology.

Surviving Environmental Stress

Adapting to Change Research the effects of environmental stressors such as pollution, climate change, or habitat loss on plants, animals, or even humans. Discover how living organisms adapt in the face of adversity.

Biotechnology’s Impact

From the Lab to Our Lives Explore the various ways biotechnology is transforming agriculture, medicine, and industry. Learn how scientific innovation is improving our daily lives.

Ethical Frontiers in Biology

Navigating the Morality Maze Engage in discussions about the ethical challenges brought forth by recent advances in biology, such as gene editing and cloning. Dive into the moral dilemmas surrounding these innovations.

If you’re uncertain about where to begin, don’t hesitate to reach out to your biology teacher or another science teacher. They can help you brainstorm ideas and create a project that suits your experience level and personal interests.

Once you’ve chosen your topic, delve into extensive research and seek advice from experts. This will ensure you develop a crystal-clear research question and hypothesis and design an experiment that’s tightly controlled.

In a nutshell, the world of advanced higher biology projects is like a treasure chest of exciting possibilities. From playing with genes to understand plant resilience, to untangling the mysteries of who-eats-who in nature, and even deciphering the genetic code, these projects are your chance to explore biology in action.

Think of it as your backstage pass to the greatest show on Earth – the show of life itself! But here’s the secret: these projects aren’t just schoolwork; they’re your ticket to making a real impact, whether it’s making crops hardier, protecting wildlife, or finding clues to human health.

The key is to pick a project that truly fires up your curiosity. It should be a topic that’s like a magnet, pulling you in and making you want to know more. It should be challenging but exciting, like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

So, as you dive into your advanced higher biology project, remember that you’re not just studying life – you’re actively uncovering its secrets. Your project isn’t just a school task; it’s your chance to be a scientist in action.

With this spirit in mind, go forth into your advanced higher biology project. It’s an adventure where you get to ask questions, run experiments, and make discoveries. Ready to start your journey in the incredible world of biology? Here’s to your next scientific adventure!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i conduct an advanced higher biology project independently.

Yes, you can work on your project independently, but it’s advisable to seek guidance from educators or experts.

How do I access resources for my chosen project?

Utilize your school’s library, online databases, and seek guidance from teachers and professors for resource access.

What is the significance of an Advanced Higher Biology project?

It allows students to apply their knowledge, engage in research, and contribute to the field of biology.

Are there any age restrictions for participating in such projects?

Generally, these projects are designed for students at an advanced level of their biology studies.

Can I choose a project outside the suggested topics?

Absolutely! Feel free to explore unique and unconventional project ideas, but ensure they align with your educational goals and resources.

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Department of Biological Engineering

The mission of the Department of Biological Engineering (BE) is to educate next-generation leaders and to generate and translate new knowledge in a new bioscience-based engineering discipline fusing engineering analysis and synthesis approaches with modern molecular-to-genomic biology. Combining quantitative, physical, and integrative principles with advances in mechanistic molecular and cellular bioscience, biological engineering increases understanding of how biological systems function as both physical and chemical mechanisms; how they respond when perturbed by factors such as medical therapeutics, environmental agents, and genetic variation; and how to manipulate and construct them toward beneficial use. Through this understanding, new technologies can be created to improve human health in a variety of medical applications, and biology-based paradigms can be generated to address many of the diverse challenges facing society across a broad spectrum, including energy, the environment, nutrition, and manufacturing.

The department's premise is that the science of biology is as important to the development of technology and society in the 21st century as physics and chemistry were in the 20th century, and that an increasing ability to measure, model, and manipulate properties of biological systems at the molecular, cellular, and multicellular levels will continue to shape this development. A new generation of engineers and scientists is learning to address problems through their ability to measure, model, and rationally manipulate the technological and environmental factors affecting biological systems. They are applying not only engineering principles to the analytical understanding of how biological systems operate, especially when impacted by genetic, chemical, physical, infectious, or other interventions; but also a synthetic design perspective to creating biology-based technologies for medical diagnostics, therapeutics, and prosthetics, as well as for applications in diverse industries beyond human health care.

Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering (Course 20)

Minor in biomedical engineering, minor in toxicology and environmental health, undergraduate study.

The Department of Biological Engineering (BE) offers an undergraduate curriculum emphasizing quantitative, engineering-based analysis, design, and synthesis in the study of modern biology from the molecular to the systems level. Completion of the curriculum leads to the Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering and prepares students for careers in diverse fields ranging from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to materials, devices, ecology, and public health. Graduates of the program will be prepared to enter positions in basic research or project-oriented product development, as well as graduate school or further professional study.

The required core curriculum includes a strong foundation in biological and biochemical sciences, which are integrated with quantitative analysis and engineering principles throughout the entire core. Students who wish to pursue the Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering are encouraged to complete the Biology General Institute Requirement during their first year and may delay completion of Physics II until the fall term of sophomore year if necessary. The optional subject Introduction to Biological Engineering Design, offered during the spring term of the first year, provides a framework for understanding the Biological Engineering SB program.

Students are encouraged to take the sophomore fall-term subject 20.110[J] Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems . This subject also fulfills an SB degree requirement in Biology. Students are also encouraged to take Organic Chemistry I and Differential Equations during their sophomore year in order to prepare for the introductory biological engineering laboratory subject that provides context for the lecture subjects and a strong foundation for subsequent undergraduate research in biological engineering through Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program projects or summer internships.

The advanced subjects required in the junior and senior years introduce additional engineering skills through lecture and laboratory subjects and culminate in a senior design project. These advanced subjects maintain the theme of molecular to systems–level analysis, design, and synthesis based on a strong integration with biology fundamentals. They also include a variety of restricted electives that allow students to develop expertise in one of six thematic areas: systems biology, synthetic biology, biophysics, pharmacology/toxicology, cell and tissue engineering, and microbial systems. Many of these advanced subjects are jointly taught with other departments in the School of Engineering or School of Science and may fulfill degree requirements in other programs.

An interdepartmental Minor in Biomedical Engineering is available to all undergraduate students outside the BE (Course 20) major, described in detail under Interdisciplinary Programs.

The Department of Biological Engineering offers an undergraduate Minor in Toxicology and Environmental Health. The goal of this program is to meet the growing demand for undergraduates to acquire the intellectual tools needed to understand and assess the impact of new products and processes on human health, and to provide a perspective on the risks of human exposure to synthetic and natural chemicals, physical agents, and microorganisms.

Given the importance of environmental education at MIT, the program is designed to be accessible to any MIT undergraduate. The program consists of three required didactic core subjects and one laboratory subject, as well as one restricted elective. The prerequisites for the core subjects are 5.111 / 5.112 Principles of Chemical Science or 3.091 Introduction to Solid-State Chemistry plus Introductory Biology ( 7.012 / 7.013 / 7.014 / 7.015 / 7.016 ).

Core Subjects
	Metakaryotic Stem Cells in Carcinogenesis: Origins and Cures	12
	Environmental Cancer Risks, Prevention, and Therapy	12
	Applied Microbiology	12
Laboratory Core
Select one of the following:		12-18
	Laboratory Chemistry
	Laboratory Fundamentals in Biological Engineering
&	Fundamentals of Experimental Molecular Biology and Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory
Restricted Electives
Select one of the following:		12
	Environmental Chemistry
	Earth's Microbiomes
	Introduction to Biological Chemistry
	General Biochemistry
	Cell Biology
	Molecular Biology
	Undergraduate Research Opportunities
	Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation
Total Units		60-66

For further information on the undergraduate programs, see the Biological Engineering website or contact the BE Academic Office , Room 16-267, 617-452-2465.

Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering

Doctoral Program in Biological Engineering

Graduate Study

Graduate students in the Department of Biological Engineering can carry out their research as part of a number of multi-investigator, multidisciplinary research centers at MIT, including the Center for Biomedical Engineering, the Center for Environmental Health Sciences , the Division of Comparative Medicine , and the Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center . These opportunities include collaboration with faculty in the Schools of Engineering and Science , the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research , the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research , and the Broad Institute , along with the Harvard University School of Medicine, Harvard University School of Dental Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health, and Boston University School of Medicine.

The Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering (MEBE) program is a five-year program leading to a bachelor's degree in a science or engineering discipline along with a Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering. The program emphasizes the fusion of engineering with modern molecular-to-genomic biology, as in our SB and PhD degree programs. Admission to the MEBE program is open only to MIT undergraduate students, and requires candidates to demonstrate adequate quantitative and engineering credentials through their undergraduate coursework.

In addition to satisfying the requirements of their departmental program, candidates also are expected to complete the following:

	Differential Equations	12
	Organic Chemistry I	12
	Introduction to Biological Chemistry	12
or	General Biochemistry
Select one of the following:		12
	Thermal-Fluids Engineering I
	Electrical Circuits: Modeling and Design of Physical Systems
Select two of the following:		24
	Probability and Causal Inference
	Numerical Computation for Mechanical Engineers
	Introduction to Probability
	Introduction to Probability and Statistics

Applications to the MEBE program are accepted from students in any of the departments in the School of Engineering or School of Science. Students interested in applying to the MEBE program should submit a standard MIT graduate application by the end of their junior year; they are informed of the decision by the end of that summer.

Additional information on application procedures, objectives, and program requirements can be obtained by contacting the BE Academic Office , Room 16-127.

Program Requirements

In addition to thesis credits, at least 66 units of coursework are required. At least 42 of these subject units must be from graduate subjects. The remaining units may be satisfied, in some cases, with advanced undergraduate subjects that are not requirements in MIT's undergraduate curriculum. Of the 66 units, a minimum distribution in each of three categories is specified below.

Bioengineering Core
Select two of the following:		24
	Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Biomechanics
	Principles of Molecular Bioengineering
	Fields, Forces, and Flows in Biological Systems
Biomedical Engineering Electives
Select 24 units from a selection of graduate subjects from various departments in the School of Engineering, including HST.		24
Bioscience Elective
Select one biological science subject in addition to organic chemistry and biochemistry. This must be a laboratory subject if one was not taken as part of the student’s undergraduate curriculum		18
Total Units		66

, Room 16-267.

The student is required to complete a thesis that must be approved by the program director. The thesis is an original work of research, design, or development. If the supervisor is not a member of the Department of Biological Engineering, a reader who belongs to the BE faculty must also approve and sign the thesis. The student submits a thesis proposal by the end of the fourth year.

Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Science in Biological Engineering

The Department of Biological Engineering offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Science (ScD) in Biological Engineering; the program is the same for both degrees. The Biological Engineering doctoral program educates students to use engineering principles in the analysis and manipulation of biological systems, allowing them to solve problems across a spectrum of important applications. The curriculum is inherently interdisciplinary in that it brings together engineering and biology as fundamentally as possible and cuts across the boundaries of the traditional engineering disciplines.

The written part of the doctoral qualifying examinations—focused on the core curriculum—is taken after the second term. The student selects a research advisor, typically by the start of the spring term in the first year, and begins research before the end of that year. The oral part of the doctoral qualifying examinations, which focuses on the student's area of research, is taken prior to December 1 of the third year. A total of approximately five years in residence is needed to complete the doctoral thesis and other degree requirements. Upon successful completion of the program, students are awarded either the PhD or ScD in biological engineering.

Students admitted to the Biological Engineering doctoral program typically have a bachelor's or master's degree in science or engineering. Foundational coursework in biochemistry and molecular cell biology is required, either prior to admission or during the first year of graduate study. Students who have not taken biochemistry previously should take 7.05 General Biochemistry or 5.07[J] Introduction to Biological Chemistry , and those who have not taken cell biology previously should take 7.06 Cell Biology , prior to taking the core classes. During their first year, students pursue a unified core curriculum in which engineering approaches are used to analyze biological systems and technologies over a wide range of length and time scales. The subjects in the unified core bring central engineering principles to bear on the operation of biological systems from molecular to cell to tissue/organ/device systems levels. These are then supplemented by electives in the biological sciences and engineering to enhance breadth and depth.

Faculty members associated with the program possess a wide range of research interests. Areas in which students may specialize include systems and synthetic biology; biological and physiological transport phenomena; biological imaging and functional measurement; biomolecular engineering; cell and tissue engineering; computational modeling of biological and physiological systems; bioinformatics; design, discovery, and delivery of molecular therapeutics; molecular, cell, and tissue biomechanics; development of in vitro models of the immune system and lymphoid tissue; development of molecular methods for direct measurement of mutations in humans; metabolism of foreign compounds; genetic toxicology; the molecular aspects and dosimetry of interactions between mutagens and carcinogens with nucleic acids and proteins; molecular mechanisms of DNA damage and repair; design and mechanisms of action of chemotherapeutic agents; environmental carcinogenesis and epidemiology; molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis; cell physiology; extracellular regulation and signal transduction; molecular and pathologic interactions between infectious microbial agents and carcinogens; and new tools for genomics, proteomics, and glycomics.

Interdisciplinary Programs

The 24-month Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program combines graduate degrees in engineering and management for those with previous postgraduate work experience and strong undergraduate degrees in a technical field . During the two-year program, students complete a six-month internship at one of LGO's partner companies, where they conduct research that forms the basis of a dual-degree thesis. Students finish the program with two MIT degrees: an MBA (or SM in management) and an SM from one of seven engineering programs, some of which have optional or required LGO tracks. After graduation, alumni lead strategic initiatives in high-tech, operations, and manufacturing companies.

The Program in Polymers and Soft Matter (PPSM) offers students from participating departments an interdisciplinary core curriculum in polymer science and engineering, exposure to the broader polymer community through seminars, contact with visitors from industry and academia, and interdepartmental collaboration while working towards a PhD or ScD degree.

Research opportunities include functional polymers, controlled drug delivery, nanostructured polymers, polymers at interfaces, biomaterials, molecular modeling, polymer synthesis, biomimetic materials, polymer mechanics and rheology, self-assembly, and polymers in energy. The program is described in more detail under Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.

For further information on the graduate programs, see the Biological Engineering website or contact the BE Academic Office , Room 16-267, 617-253-1712.

Faculty and Teaching Staff

Christopher A. Voigt, PhD

Wang Professor

Professor of Biological Engineering

Head, Department of Biological Engineering

Scott R. Manalis, PhD

David H. Koch Professor in Engineering

Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Associate Head, Department of Biological Engineering

Eric J. Alm, PhD

Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Mark Bathe, PhD

(On leave, spring)

Angela M. Belcher, PhD

James Mason Crafts Professor

Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Edward S. Boyden III, PhD

Y. Eva Tan Professor in Neurotechnology

Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences

Professor of Media Arts and Sciences

(On sabbatical, fall)

Laurie Boyer, PhD

Professor of Biology

Christopher B. Burge, PhD

James J. Collins, PhD

Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering and Science

Core Faculty, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science

Peter C. Dedon, MD, PhD

Underwood-Prescott Professor

Professor of Toxicology and Biological Engineering

Bevin P. Engelward, DSc

John M. Essigmann, PhD

Professor Post-Tenure of Toxicology and Biological Engineering

Professor Post-Tenure of Chemistry

James G. Fox, DVM

Professor Post-Tenure of Biological Engineering

Ernest Fraenkel, PhD

Linda G. Griffith, PhD

School of Engineering Professor of Teaching Innovation

Jongyoon Han, PhD

Professor of Electrical Engineering

Darrell J. Irvine, PhD

Professor of Materials Science

Alan P. Jasanoff, PhD

Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Roger Dale Kamm, PhD

Cecil H. Green Distinguished Professor Post-Tenure

Professor Post-Tenure of Mechanical Engineering

Amy E. Keating, PhD

Jay A. Stein (1968) Professor

Head, Department of Biology

Robert Langer, ScD

David H. Koch (1962) Institute Professor

Professor of Chemical Engineering

Affiliate Faculty, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science

Douglas A. Lauffenburger, PhD

Ford Foundation Professor

Harvey F. Lodish, PhD

(On leave, fall)

Jacquin Niles, MD, PhD

Whitaker Professor

Katharina Ribbeck, PhD

Andrew (1956) and Erna Viterbi Professor

Ram Sasisekharan, PhD

Alfred H. Caspary Professor

Peter T. C. So, PhD

Steven R. Tannenbaum, PhD

Underwood-Prescott Professor Post-Tenure

William G. Thilly, ScD

Bruce Tidor, PhD

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Ron Weiss, PhD

Forest M. White, PhD

Ned C. and Janet Bemis Rice Professor

Karl Dane Wittrup, PhD

Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering

Michael B. Yaffe, MD, PhD

David H. Koch Professor in Science

Feng Zhang, PhD

James and Patricia Poitras (1963) Professor of Neuroscience

(On sabbatical, spring)

Associate Professors

Michael Birnbaum, PhD

Class of 1956 Career Development Professor

Associate Professor of Biological Engineering

Paul C. Blainey, PhD

Bryan Bryson, PhD

Angela N. Koehler, PhD

Kelly Ann Metcalf Pate, DVM, PhD

Dorothy W. Poitras Associate Professor of Biological Engineering

Assistant Professors

Anders Hansen, PhD

Underwood-Prescott Career Development Professor

Assistant Professor of Biological Engineering

Senior Lecturers

Maxine Jonas, PhD

Senior Lecturer of Biological Engineering

Noreen L. Lyell, PhD

Steven Wasserman, MS

Justin Buck, PhD

Principal Lecturer of Biological Engineering

Sean Aidan Clarke, PhD

Rebecca Meyer, PhD

Lecturer of Biological Engineering

Chiara Ricci-Tam, PhD

Technical Instructors

Kevin Ly, BS

Technical Instructor of Biological Engineering

Jaime Zhan, MS

Research Staff

Principal research scientists.

Michal Caspi Tal, PhD

Principal Research Scientist of Biological Engineering

Research Engineers

Mark Coughlin, PhD

Research Engineer of Biological Engineering

Research Scientists

Swapnil Chhabra, PhD

Research Scientist of Biological Engineering

Robert G. Croy, PhD

Michael S. DeMott, PhD

Aneesh Donde, PhD

David B. Gordon, PhD

Elena V. Gostjeva, PhD

Beth Pollack, MS

Jifa Qi, PhD

Rahul Raman, PhD

Zhengpeng Wan, PhD

Kelsey Morgan Wheeler, PhD

Yu-Xin Xu, PhD

Professors Emeriti

C. Forbes Dewey Jr, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering

Professor Emeritus of Biological Engineering

Alan J. Grodzinsky, ScD

Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering

Alexander M. Klibanov, PhD

Novartis Professor Emeritus

Professor Emeritus of Chemistry

Professor Emeritus of Bioengineering

Leona D. Samson, PhD

Uncas (1923) and Helen Whitaker Professor Emerita

Professor Emerita of Biological Engineering

Professor Emerita of Biology

20.001 Introduction to Professional Success and Leadership in Biological Engineering

Prereq: None U (Fall) 1-0-2 units

Interactive introduction to the discipline of Biological Engineering through presentations by alumni practitioners, with additional panels and discussions on skills for professional development. Presentations emphasize the roles of communication through writing and speaking, building and maintaining professional networks, and interpersonal and leadership skills in building successful careers. Provides practical advice about how to prepare for job searches and graduate or professional school applications from an informed viewpoint. Prepares students for UROPs, internships, and selection of BE electives. Subject can count toward the 6-unit discovery-focused credit limit for first-year students.

L. Griffith

20.005 Ethics for Engineers

Subject meets with 1.082[J] , 2.900[J] , 6.9320[J] , 6.9321 , 10.01[J] , 16.676[J] , 22.014[J] Prereq: None U (Fall, Spring) 2-0-7 units

Explores how to be an ethical engineer. Students examine engineering case studies along with foundational ethical readings, and investigate which ethical approaches are best and how to apply them as engineers. Topics include justice, rights, cost-benefit analysis, safety, bias, genetic engineering, climate change, and the promise and peril of AI. Discussion-based. All sections cover the same core ethical frameworks, but some sections have a particular focus for engineering case studies, such as Computer Science or Bioengineering. Students are eligible to take any section of the course, regardless of their registered course number. The subject is taught in separate sections. For 20.005 , students additionally undertake an ethical-technical analysis of a BE-related topic of their choosing.

D. Lauffenburger, P. Hansen

20.010 Introduction to Experimentation in BE

Teaches students to ask research questions and use the steps in the experimental method to test hypotheses. Introduces best practices in basic data analysis and interpretation. Additional topics include exploring experimental failures, unexpected results, and troubleshooting. Goal is to prepare students for undergraduate research opportunities and laboratory-based coursework. This is a discussion-based subject and is dependent on group participation. Preference to first- and second-year students.

20.020 Introduction to Biological Engineering Design Using Synthetic Biology

Prereq: None U (Spring) 3-3-3 units

Project-based introduction to the engineering of synthetic biological systems. Throughout the term, students develop projects that are responsive to real-world problems of their choosing, and whose solutions depend on biological technologies. Lectures, discussions, and studio exercises introduce components and control of prokaryotic and eukaryotic behavior; DNA synthesis, standards, and abstraction in biological engineering; and issues of human practice, including biological safety, security, ethics and ownership, sharing, and innovation. Students may have the option to continue projects for participation in the iGEM competition. Preference to first-year students.

20.051 Introduction to NEET: Living Machines

Prereq: Biology (GIR) , Calculus II (GIR) , Chemistry (GIR) , and Physics I (GIR) U (Fall, Spring) 2-3-4 units

Focuses on physiomimetics: transforming therapeutic strategy and development. Overview of development of therapies for complex diseases, including disease mechanisms in heterogeneous patient populations, developing therapeutic strategies, modeling these in vitro, and testing the therapies. Explores the five essential technological contributions to this process: computational systems biology, synthetic biology, immuno-engineering, microphysiological systems devices/tissue engineering, and microfluidic device engineering for in vitro models and analysis. Introduces disease modeling, patient stratification, and drug development processes, includes extensive examples from industry, and provides context for choosing a concentration track in the Living Machines thread. Weekly lectures from experts in the field supplemented with structured, short projects in each topic area. Limited to 24; preference to students in the NEET Living Machines thread.

L. Griffith, M. Salek

20.054 NEET - Living Machines Research Immersion

Prereq: 20.051 U (Fall, Spring) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

A structured lab research experience in a specific Living Machines track. Students identify a project in a participating research lab, on a topic related to the five tracks in the NEET Living Machines program, propose a project related to the drug development theme, and prepare interim and final presentations and reports while conducting the project. Links to industry-sponsored research projects at MIT are encouraged. Project proposal must be submitted and approved in the term prior to enrollment. Limited to students in the NEET Living Machines thread.

L. Griffith, E. Alm, M. Salek

20.101 Metakaryotic Biology and Epidemiology

Subject meets with 20.A02 Prereq: None U (Fall) 2-0-4 units

Introduces non-eukaryotic, "metakaryotic" cells with hollow bell-shaped nuclei that serve as the stem cells of human fetal/juvenile growth and development as well as of tumors and atherosclerotic plaques. Studies the relationship of lifetime growth and mutations of metakaryotic stem cells to age-specific death rates. Considers the biological bases of treatment protocols found to kill metakaryotic cancer stem cells in vitro and in human pancreatic cancers in vivo .

W. G. Thilly

20.102 Metakaryotic Stem Cells in Carcinogenesis: Origins and Cures

Subject meets with 20.215 Prereq: Biology (GIR) , Calculus II (GIR) , and Chemistry (GIR) U (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Metakaryotic stem cells of organogenesis, wound healing, and the pathogenic lesions of cancers and atherosclerotic plaques. Metakaryotic cell resistance to x-ray- and chemo-therapies. Common drug treatment protocols lethal to metakaryotic cancer stem cells in vivo first clinical trial against pancreatic cancer. Application of a hypermutable/mutator stem cell model to the age-specific mortality from clonal diseases, and the expected responses to metakaryocidal drugs in attempted cure and prevention of tumors or atherosclerotic plaques. Students taking 20.215 responsible for de novo computer modeling.

E. V. Gostjeva, W. G. Thilly

20.104[J] Environmental Cancer Risks, Prevention, and Therapy

Same subject as 1.081[J] Prereq: Biology (GIR) , Calculus II (GIR) , and Chemistry (GIR) U (Spring) 3-0-9 units

Analysis of the history of cancer and vascular disease mortality rates in predominantly European- and African-American US cohorts, 1895-2016, to discover specific historical shifts. Explored in terms of contemporaneously changing environmental risk factors: air-, food- and water-borne chemicals; subclinical infections; diet and lifestyles. Special section on occupational risk factors. Considers the hypotheses that genetic and/or environmental factors affect metakaryotic stem cell mutation rates in fetuses and juveniles and/or their growth rates of preneoplastic in adults.

W. Thilly, R. McCunney

20.106[J] Applied Microbiology

Same subject as 1.084[J] Prereq: Biology (GIR) and Chemistry (GIR) U (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units

Introductory microbiology from a systems perspective - considers microbial diversity and the integration of data from a molecular, cellular, organismal, and ecological context to understand the interaction of microbial organisms with their environment. Special emphasis on specific viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic microorganisms and their interaction with animal hosts with focus on contemporary problems in areas such as vaccination, emerging disease, antimicrobial drug resistance, and toxicology.

J. C. Niles, K. Ribbeck

20.109 Laboratory Fundamentals in Biological Engineering

Prereq: Biology (GIR) , Chemistry (GIR) , 6.100B , 18.03 , and 20.110[J] U (Fall, Spring) 2-8-5 units. Institute LAB

Introduces experimental biochemical and molecular techniques from a quantitative engineering perspective. Experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication form the underpinnings of this subject. In this, students complete discovery-based experimental modules drawn from current technologies and active research projects of BE faculty. Generally, topics include DNA engineering, in which students design, construct, and use genetic material; parts engineering, emphasizing protein design and quantitative assessment of protein performance; systems engineering, which considers genome-wide consequences of genetic perturbations; and biomaterials engineering, in which students use biologically-encoded devices to design and build materials. Enrollment limited; priority to Course 20 majors.

N. Lyell, A. Koehler, B. Engelward, L. McClain, B. Meyer, S. Clarke, P. Bhargava

20.110[J] Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems

Same subject as 2.772[J] Prereq: ( Biology (GIR) , Calculus II (GIR) , Chemistry (GIR) , and Physics I (GIR) ) or permission of instructor U (Fall) 5-0-7 units. REST

Equilibrium properties of macroscopic and microscopic systems. Basic thermodynamics: state of a system, state variables. Work, heat, first law of thermodynamics, thermochemistry. Second and third law of thermodynamics: entropy and its statistical basis, Gibbs function. Chemical equilibrium of reactions in gas and solution phase. Macromolecular structure and interactions in solution. Driving forces for molecular self-assembly. Binding cooperativity, solvation, titration of macromolecules.

M. Birnbaum, C. Voigt

20.129[J] Biological Circuit Engineering Laboratory

Same subject as 6.4880[J] Prereq: Biology (GIR) and Calculus II (GIR) U (Spring) 2-8-2 units. Institute LAB

Students assemble individual genes and regulatory elements into larger-scale circuits; they experimentally characterize these circuits in yeast cells using quantitative techniques, including flow cytometry, and model their results computationally. Emphasizes concepts and techniques to perform independent experimental and computational synthetic biology research. Discusses current literature and ongoing research in the field of synthetic biology. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication provided. Enrollment limited.

T. Lu, R. Weiss

20.200 Biological Engineering Seminar

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, Spring) 1-0-2 units Can be repeated for credit.

Weekly one-hour seminars covering graduate student research and presentations by invited speakers.

B. Engelward

20.201 Fundamentals of Drug Development

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, Spring) 4-0-8 units

Team-based exploration of the scientific basis for developing new drugs. First portion of term covers fundamentals of target identification, drug discovery, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, regulatory policy, and intellectual property. Industry experts and academic entrepreneurs then present case studies of specific drugs, drug classes, and therapeutic targets. In a term-long project, student teams develop novel therapeutics to solve major unmet medical needs, with a trajectory to a "start-up" company. Culminates with team presentations to a panel of industry and scientific leaders.

P. C. Dedon, R. Sasisekharan

20.202 In vivo Models: Principles and Practices

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 1-1-4 units

Selected aspects of anatomy, histology, immuno-cytochemistry, in situ hybridization, physiology, and cell biology of mammalian organisms and their pathogens. Subject material integrated with principles of toxicology, in vivo genetic engineering, and molecular biology. A lab/demonstration period each week involves experiments in anatomy (in vivo), physiology, and microscopy to augment the lectures. Offered first half of spring term.

J. G. Fox, B. Marini, M. Whary

20.203[J] Neurotechnology in Action

Same subject as 9.123[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) 3-6-3 units

See description under subject 9.123[J] .

A. Jasanoff

20.205[J] Principles and Applications of Genetic Engineering for Biotechnology and Neuroscience

Same subject as 9.26[J] Prereq: Biology (GIR) Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring) 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 9.26[J] .

20.213 Genome Stability and Engineering in the Context of Diseases, Drugs, and Public Health

Prereq: 5.07[J] , 7.05 , or permission of instructor U (Spring; second half of term) 4-0-5 units

Studies how DNA damage leads to diseases, and how DNA repair modulates cancer risk and treatment. Also covers how DNA repair impacts genetic engineering, whether by targeted gene therapy or CRISPR-mediated genetic changes. Students gain a public health perspective by examining how DNA-damaging agents in our environment can lead to downstream cancer. Explores the underlying chemical, molecular and biochemical processes of DNA damage and repair, and their implications for disease susceptibility and treatment.

B. P. Engelward

20.215 Macroepidemiology, Population Genetics, and Stem Cell Biology of Human Clonal Diseases

Subject meets with 20.102 Prereq: Calculus II (GIR) and 1.00 G (Fall) 3-0-15 units

Studies the logic and technology needed to discover genetic and environmental risks for common human cancers and vascular diseases. Includes an introduction to metakaryotic stem cell biology. Analyzes large, organized historical public health databases using quantitative cascade computer models that include population stratification of stem cell mutation rates in fetal/juvenile tissues and growth rates in preneoplastic colonies and atherosclerotic plaques. Means to test hypotheses (CAST) that certain genes carry mutations conferring risk for common cancers via genetic analyses in large human cohorts. Involves de novo computer modeling of a lifetime disease experience or test of a student-developed hypothesis.

20.219 Selected Topics in Biological Engineering

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Detailed discussion of selected topics of current interest. Classwork in various areas not covered by regular subjects.

20.230[J] Immunology

Same subject as 7.23[J] Subject meets with 7.63[J] , 20.630[J] Prereq: 7.06 U (Spring) 5-0-7 units

See description under subject 7.23[J] .

S. Spranger, M. Birnbaum

20.260 Computational Analysis of Biological Data

Subject meets with 20.460 Prereq: 6.100A or permission of instructor U (Spring) 3-0-6 units

Presents foundational methods for analysis of complex biological datasets. Covers fundamental concepts in probability, statistics, and linear algebra underlying computational tools that enable generation of biological insights. Assignments focus on practical examples spanning basic science and medical applications. Assumes basic knowledge of calculus and programming (experience with MATLAB, Python, or R is recommended). Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

D. Lauffenburger, F. White

20.265 Genetics for Biological Engineering

Prereq: 6.100A or permission of instructor U (Spring; second half of term) 3-0-3 units

Covers topics in genetics from an engineering perspective. Designed to be taken before, concurrently with, or after a traditional genetics class. Focuses primarily on the quantitative methods and algorithms used in genetics and genomics. Provides a strong foundation in genomics and bioinformatics and prepares students, through real-world problem-solving, for upper-level classes in those topics. Basics of modern genomics tools and approaches -- including RNAseq, high-throughout genome sequencing, genome-wide association studies, metagenomics, and others -- presented. Requires some experience with Python programming.

20.305[J] Principles of Synthetic Biology

Same subject as 6.8721[J] Subject meets with 6.8720[J] , 20.405[J] Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Introduces the basics of synthetic biology, including quantitative cellular network characterization and modeling. Considers the discovery and genetic factoring of useful cellular activities into reusable functions for design. Emphasizes the principles of biomolecular system design and diagnosis of designed systems. Illustrates cutting-edge applications in synthetic biology and enhances skills in analysis and design of synthetic biological applications. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

20.309[J] Instrumentation and Measurement for Biological Systems

Same subject as 2.673[J] Subject meets with 20.409 Prereq: ( Biology (GIR) , Physics II (GIR) , 6.100B , and 18.03 ) or permission of instructor U (Fall, Spring) 3-6-3 units

Sensing and measurement aimed at quantitative molecular/cell/tissue analysis in terms of genetic, biochemical, and biophysical properties. Methods include light and fluorescence microscopies, and electro-mechanical probes (atomic force microscopy, optical traps, MEMS devices). Application of statistics, probability, signal and noise analysis, and Fourier techniques to experimental data. Enrollment limited; preference to Course 20 undergraduates.

P. Blainey, S. Manalis, E. Frank, S. Wasserman, J. Bagnall, E. Boyden, P. So

20.310[J] Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Biomechanics

Same subject as 2.797[J] , 3.053[J] , 6.4840[J] Subject meets with 2.798[J] , 3.971[J] , 6.4842[J] , 10.537[J] , 20.410[J] Prereq: Biology (GIR) and 18.03 U (Spring) 4-0-8 units

Develops and applies scaling laws and the methods of continuum mechanics to biomechanical phenomena over a range of length scales. Topics include structure of tissues and the molecular basis for macroscopic properties; chemical and electrical effects on mechanical behavior; cell mechanics, motility and adhesion; biomembranes; biomolecular mechanics and molecular motors. Experimental methods for probing structures at the tissue, cellular, and molecular levels. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

M. Bathe, K. Ribbeck, P. T. So

20.315 Physical Biology

Subject meets with 20.415 Prereq: 5.60 , 20.110[J] , or permission of instructor U (Fall, Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units Credit cannot also be received for 8.241

Focuses on current major research topics in quantitative, physical biology. Covers synthetic structural biology, synthetic cell biology, microbial systems biology and evolution, cellular decision making, neuronal circuits, and development and morphogenesis. Emphasizes current motivation and historical background, state-of-the-art measurement methodologies and techniques, and quantitative physical modeling frameworks. Experimental techniques include structural biology, next-generation sequencing, fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy, and quantitative biochemistry. Modeling approaches include stochastic rate equations, statistical thermodynamics, and statistical inference. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. 20.315 and 20.415 meet with 8.241 when offered concurrently.

J. Gore, I. Cisse

20.320 Analysis of Biomolecular and Cellular Systems

Prereq: 6.100B , 18.03 , and 20.110[J] ; Coreq: 5.07[J] or 7.05 U (Fall) 4-0-8 units

Analysis of molecular and cellular processes across a hierarchy of scales, including genetic, molecular, cellular, and cell population levels. Topics include gene sequence analysis, molecular modeling, metabolic and gene regulation networks, signal transduction pathways and cell populations in tissues. Emphasis on experimental methods, quantitative analysis, and computational modeling.

F. White, K. D. Wittrup

20.330[J] Fields, Forces and Flows in Biological Systems

Same subject as 2.793[J] , 6.4830[J] Prereq: Biology (GIR) , Physics II (GIR) , and 18.03 U (Spring) 4-0-8 units

Introduction to electric fields, fluid flows, transport phenomena and their application to biological systems. Flux and continuity laws, Maxwell's equations, electro-quasistatics, electro-chemical-mechanical driving forces, conservation of mass and momentum, Navier-Stokes flows, and electrokinetics. Applications include biomolecular transport in tissues, electrophoresis, and microfluidics.

J. Han, S. Manalis

20.334 Biological Systems Modeling

Prereq: 20.330[J] or permission of instructor U (Fall; first half of term) 1-0-5 units

Practices the use of modern numerical analysis tools (e.g., COMSOL) for biological systems with multi-physics behavior. Covers modeling of diffusion, reaction, convection and other transport mechanisms. Analysis of microfluidic devices as examples. Discusses practical issues and challenges in numerical modeling. No prior knowledge of modeling software required. Includes weekly modeling homework and one final modeling project.

20.345 Bioinstrumentation Project Lab

Prereq: 20.309[J] , ( Biology (GIR) and ( 2.004 or 6.3000 )), or permission of instructor U (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 2-7-3 units

In-depth examination of instrumentation design, principles and techniques for studying biological systems, from single molecules to entire organisms. Lectures cover optics, advanced microscopy techniques, electronics for biological measurement, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, MEMs, microfluidic devices, and limits of detection. Students select two lab exercises during the first half of the semester and complete a final design project in the second half. Lab emphasizes design process and skillful realization of a robust system. Enrollment limited; preference to Course 20 majors and minors.

E. Boyden, M. Jonas, P. So, S. Wasserman

20.352 Principles of Neuroengineering

Subject meets with 9.422[J] , 20.452[J] , MAS.881[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor U (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units

Covers how to innovate technologies for brain analysis and engineering, for accelerating the basic understanding of the brain, and leading to new therapeutic insight and inventions. Focuses on using physical, chemical and biological principles to understand technology design criteria governing ability to observe and alter brain structure and function. Topics include optogenetics, noninvasive brain imaging and stimulation, nanotechnologies, stem cells and tissue engineering, and advanced molecular and structural imaging technologies. Includes design projects. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Designed for students with engineering maturity who are ready for design.

E. S. Boyden, III

20.361[J] Molecular and Engineering Aspects of Biotechnology

Same subject as 7.37[J] , 10.441[J] Prereq: ( 7.06 and ( 2.005 , 3.012, 5.60 , or 20.110[J] )) or permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring) 4-0-8 units Credit cannot also be received for 7.371

See description under subject 7.37[J] .

20.363[J] Biomaterials Science and Engineering

Same subject as 3.055[J] Subject meets with 3.963[J] , 20.463[J] Prereq: 20.110[J] or permission of instructor U (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Covers, at a molecular scale, the analysis and design of materials used in contact with biological systems, and biomimetic strategies aimed at creating new materials based on principles found in biology. Topics include molecular interaction between bio- and synthetic molecules and surfaces; design, synthesis, and processing approaches for materials that control cell functions; and application of materials science to problems in tissue engineering, drug delivery, vaccines, and cell-guiding surfaces. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

D. Irvine, K. Ribbeck

20.365 Engineering the Immune System in Cancer and Beyond

Subject meets with 20.465 Prereq: ( 5.60 or 20.110[J] ) and permission of instructor U (Spring) 3-0-6 units

Examines strategies in clinical and preclinical development for manipulating the immune system to treat and protect against disease. Begins with brief review of immune system. Discusses interaction of tumors with the immune system, followed by approaches by which the immune system can be modulated to attack cancer. Also covers strategies based in biotechnology, chemistry, materials science, and molecular biology to induce immune responses to treat infection, transplantation, and autoimmunity. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

20.370[J] Cellular Neurophysiology and Computing

Same subject as 2.791[J] , 6.4810[J] , 9.21[J] Subject meets with 2.794[J] , 6.4812[J] , 9.021[J] , 20.470[J] , HST.541[J] Prereq: ( Physics II (GIR) , 18.03 , and ( 2.005 , 6.2000 , 6.3000 , 10.301 , or 20.110[J] )) or permission of instructor U (Spring) 5-2-5 units

See description under subject 6.4810[J] . Preference to juniors and seniors.

J. Han, T. Heldt

20.373 Foundations of Cell Therapy Manufacturing

Subject meets with 20.473 Prereq: None U (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-6 units

Seminar examines cell therapy manufacturing, the ex vivo production of human cells to be delivered to humans as a product for medical benefit. Includes a review of cell biology and immunology. Addresses topics such as governmental regulations applying to cell therapy production; the manufacture of cell-based therapeutics, including cell culture unit operations, genetic engineering or editing of cells; process engineering of cell therapy products; and the analytics of cell therapy manufacturing processes. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

K. Van Vliet

20.375 Applied Developmental Biology and Tissue Engineering

Subject meets with 20.475 Prereq: ( 7.06 , 20.320 , and ( 7.003[J] or 20.109 )) or permission of instructor U (Spring) 3-0-9 units

Addresses the integration of engineering and biology design principles to create human tissues and organs for regenerative medicine to drug development. Provides an overview of embryogenesis, how morphogenic phenomena are governed by biochemical and biophysical cues. Analyzes in vitro generation of human brain, gut, and other organoids from stem cells. Studies the roles of biomaterials and microreactors in improving organoid formation and function; organoid use in modeling disease and physiology in vitro; and engineering and biological principles of reconstructing tissues and organs from postnatal donor cells using biomaterials scaffolds and bioreactors. Includes select applications, such as liver disease, brain disorders, and others. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

20.380 Biological Engineering Design

Prereq: 7.06 , 20.320 , and 20.330[J] U (Fall, Spring) 5-0-7 units

Illustrates how knowledge and principles of biology, biochemistry, and engineering are integrated to create new products for societal benefit. Uses case study format to examine recently developed products of pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries: how a product evolves from initial idea, through patents, testing, evaluation, production, and marketing. Emphasizes scientific and engineering principles, as well as the responsibility scientists, engineers, and business executives have for the consequences of their technology. Instruction and practice in written and oral communication provided. Enrollment limited; preference to Course 20 undergraduates.

J. Collins, A. Koehler, J. Essigmann, K. Ribbeck

20.381 Biological Engineering Design II

Prereq: 20.380 or permission of instructor U (Spring) 0-12-0 units

Continuation of 20.380 that focuses on practical implementation of design proposals. Student teams choose a feasible scope of work related to their 20.380 design proposals and execute it in the lab.

M. Jonas, J. Sutton, S. Wasserman

20.385 Design in Synthetic Biology

Prereq: ( 20.020 , 20.109 , and 20.320 ) or permission of instructor U (Spring) 3-3-3 units

Provides an understanding of the state of research in synthetic biology and development of project management skills. Critical evaluation of primary research literature covering a range of approaches to the design, modeling and programming of cellular behaviors. Focuses on developing the skills needed to read, present and discuss primary research literature, and to manage and lead small teams. Students mentor a small undergraduate team of 20.020 students. Open to advanced students with appropriate background in biology. Students may have the option to continue projects for participation in the iGEM competition.

20.390[J] Computational Systems Biology: Deep Learning in the Life Sciences

Same subject as 6.8711[J] Subject meets with 6.8710[J] , 20.490 , HST.506[J] Prereq: ( 7.05 and ( 6.100B or 6.9080 )) or permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring) 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 6.8711[J] .

D. K. Gifford

20.405[J] Principles of Synthetic Biology

Same subject as 6.8720[J] Subject meets with 6.8721[J] , 20.305[J] Prereq: None G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

20.409 Biological Engineering II: Instrumentation and Measurement

Subject meets with 2.673[J] , 20.309[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, Spring) 2-7-3 units

Sensing and measurement aimed at quantitative molecular/cell/tissue analysis in terms of genetic, biochemical, and biophysical properties. Methods include light and fluorescence microscopies, electronic circuits, and electro-mechanical probes (atomic force microscopy, optical traps, MEMS devices). Application of statistics, probability, signal and noise analysis, and Fourier techniques to experimental data. Limited to 5 graduate students.

P. Blainey, S. Manalis, S. Wasserman, J. Bagnall, E. Frank, E. Boyden, P. So

20.410[J] Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Biomechanics

Same subject as 2.798[J] , 3.971[J] , 6.4842[J] , 10.537[J] Subject meets with 2.797[J] , 3.053[J] , 6.4840[J] , 20.310[J] Prereq: Biology (GIR) and 18.03 G (Spring) 3-0-9 units

20.415 Physical Biology

Subject meets with 20.315 Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units Credit cannot also be received for 8.241

Focuses on current major research topics in quantitative, physical biology. Topics include synthetic structural biology, synthetic cell biology, microbial systems biology and evolution, cellular decision making, neuronal circuits, and development and morphogenesis. Emphasizes current motivation and historical background, state-of-the-art measurement methodologies and techniques, and quantitative physical modeling frameworks. Experimental techniques include structural biology, next-generation sequencing, fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy, and quantitative biochemistry. Modeling approaches include stochastic rate equations, statistical thermodynamics, and statistical inference. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. 20.315 and 20.415 meet with 8.241 when offered concurrently.

20.416[J] Topics in Biophysics and Physical Biology

Same subject as 7.74[J] , 8.590[J] Prereq: None Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall) 2-0-4 units

See description under subject 8.590[J] .

J. Gore, N. Fakhri

20.420[J] Principles of Molecular Bioengineering

Same subject as 10.538[J] Prereq: 7.06 and 18.03 G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Provides an introduction to the mechanistic analysis and engineering of biomolecules and biomolecular systems. Covers methods for measuring, modeling, and manipulating systems, including biophysical experimental tools, computational modeling approaches, and molecular design. Equips students to take systematic and quantitative approaches to the investigation of a wide variety of biological phenomena.

A. Jasanoff, E. Fraenkel

20.430[J] Fields, Forces, and Flows in Biological Systems

Same subject as 2.795[J] , 6.4832[J] , 10.539[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Molecular diffusion, diffusion-reaction, conduction, convection in biological systems; fields in heterogeneous media; electrical double layers; Maxwell stress tensor, electrical forces in physiological systems. Fluid and solid continua: equations of motion useful for porous, hydrated biological tissues. Case studies of membrane transport, electrode interfaces, electrical, mechanical, and chemical transduction in tissues, convective-diffusion/reaction, electrophoretic, electroosmotic flows in tissues/MEMs, and ECG. Electromechanical and physicochemical interactions in cells and biomaterials; musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and other biological and clinical examples. Prior undergraduate coursework in transport recommended.

M. Bathe, A. J. Grodzinsky

20.440 Analysis of Biological Networks

Prereq: 20.420[J] and permission of instructor G (Spring) 6-0-9 units

Explores computational and experimental approaches to analyzing complex biological networks and systems. Includes genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and microscopy. Stresses the practical considerations required when designing and performing experiments. Also focuses on selection and implementation of appropriate computational tools for processing, visualizing, and integrating different types of experimental data, including supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods, and multi-omics modelling. Students use statistical methods to test hypotheses and assess the validity of conclusions. In problem sets, students read current literature, develop their skills in Python and R, and interpret quantitative results in a biological manner. In the second half of term, students work in groups to complete a project in which they apply the computational approaches covered.

B. Bryson, P. Blainey

20.445[J] Methods and Problems in Microbiology

Same subject as 1.86[J] , 7.492[J] Prereq: None G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 7.492[J] . Preference to first-year Microbiology and Biology students.

20.446[J] Microbial Genetics and Evolution

Same subject as 1.87[J] , 7.493[J] , 12.493[J] Prereq: 7.03 , 7.05 , or permission of instructor G (Fall) 4-0-8 units

See description under subject 7.493[J] .

A. D. Grossman, Staff

20.450 Applied Microbiology

Prereq: ( 20.420[J] and 20.440 ) or permission of instructor G (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 4-0-8 units

Compares the complex molecular and cellular interactions in health and disease between commensal microbial communities, pathogens and the human or animal host. Special focus is given to current research on microbe/host interactions, infection of significant importance to public health, and chronic infectious disease. Classwork will include lecture, but emphasize critical evaluation and class discussion of recent scientific papers, and the development of new research agendas in the fields presented.

20.452[J] Principles of Neuroengineering

Same subject as 9.422[J] , MAS.881[J] Subject meets with 20.352 Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units

See description under subject MAS.881[J] .

20.454[J] Revolutionary Ventures: How to Invent and Deploy Transformative Technologies

Same subject as 9.455[J] , 15.128[J] , MAS.883[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall) 2-0-7 units

See description under subject MAS.883[J] .

E. Boyden, J. Bonsen, J. Jacobson

20.460 Computational Analysis of Biological Data

Subject meets with 20.260 Prereq: None G (Spring) 3-0-6 units

20.463[J] Biomaterials Science and Engineering

Same subject as 3.963[J] Subject meets with 3.055[J] , 20.363[J] Prereq: 20.110[J] or permission of instructor G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

20.465 Engineering the Immune System in Cancer and Beyond

Subject meets with 20.365 Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) 3-0-6 units

20.470[J] Cellular Neurophysiology and Computing

Same subject as 2.794[J] , 6.4812[J] , 9.021[J] , HST.541[J] Subject meets with 2.791[J] , 6.4810[J] , 9.21[J] , 20.370[J] Prereq: ( Physics II (GIR) , 18.03 , and ( 2.005 , 6.2000 , 6.3000 , 10.301 , or 20.110[J] )) or permission of instructor G (Spring) 5-2-5 units

See description under subject 6.4812[J] .

20.473 Foundations of Cell Therapy Manufacturing

Subject meets with 20.373 Prereq: None G (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-6 units

20.475 Applied Developmental Biology and Tissue Engineering

Subject meets with 20.375 Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) 3-0-9 units

This subject addresses the integration of engineering and biology design principles to create human tissues and organs for regenerative medicine to drug development. Overview of embryogenesis; how morphogenic phenomena are governed by biochemical and biophysical cues. Analysis of in vitro generation of human brain, gut, and other organoids from stem cells. Roles of biomaterials and microreactors in improving organoid formation and function. Organoid use in modeling disease and physiology in vitro. Engineering and biological principles of reconstructing tissues and organs from postnatal donor cells using biomaterials scaffolds and bioreactors. Select applications such as liver disease, brain disorders, and others. Graduate students will have additional assignments.

20.486[J] Case Studies and Strategies in Drug Discovery and Development

Same subject as 7.549[J] , 15.137[J] , HST.916[J] Prereq: None G (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 2-0-4 units

Aims to develop appreciation for the stages of drug discovery and development, from target identification, to the submission of preclinical and clinical data to regulatory authorities for marketing approval. Following introductory lectures on the process of drug development, students working in small teams analyze how one of four new drugs or drug candidates traversed the discovery/development landscape. For each case, an outside expert from the sponsoring drug company or pivotal clinical trial principal investigator provides guidance and critiques the teams' presentations to the class.

20.487[J] Optical Microscopy and Spectroscopy for Biology and Medicine

Same subject as 2.715[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 2.715[J] .

P. T. So, C. Sheppard

20.490 Computational Systems Biology: Deep Learning in the Life Sciences

Subject meets with 6.8710[J] , 6.8711[J] , 20.390[J] , HST.506[J] Prereq: Biology (GIR) and (6.041 or 18.600 ) G (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units

Presents innovative approaches to computational problems in the life sciences, focusing on deep learning-based approaches with comparisons to conventional methods. Topics include protein-DNA interaction, chromatin accessibility, regulatory variant interpretation, medical image understanding, medical record understanding, therapeutic design, and experiment design (the choice and interpretation of interventions). Focuses on machine learning model selection, robustness, and interpretation. Teams complete a multidisciplinary final research project using TensorFlow or other framework. Provides a comprehensive introduction to each life sciences problem, but relies upon students understanding probabilistic problem formulations. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

20.507[J] Introduction to Biological Chemistry

Same subject as 5.07[J] Prereq: 5.12 U (Fall) 5-0-7 units. REST Credit cannot also be received for 7.05

See description under subject 5.07[J] .

B. Pentelute, E. Nolan

20.535[J] Protein Engineering

Same subject as 10.535[J] Prereq: 18.03 and ( 5.07[J] or 7.05 ) G (Spring) 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 10.535[J] .

K. D. Wittrup

20.554[J] Advances in Chemical Biology

Same subject as 5.54[J] , 7.540[J] Prereq: 5.07[J] , 5.13 , 7.06 , and permission of instructor G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 5.54[J] .

L. Kiessling, M. Shoulders

20.560 Statistics for Biological Engineering

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring; second half of term) Not offered regularly; consult department 2-0-2 units

Provides basic tools for analyzing experimental data, interpreting statistical reports in the literature, and reasoning under uncertain situations. Topics include probability theory, statistical tests, data exploration, Bayesian statistics, and machine learning. Emphasizes discussion and hands-on learning. Experience with MATLAB, Python, or R recommended.

20.561[J] Eukaryotic Cell Biology: Principles and Practice

Same subject as 7.61[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall) 4-0-8 units

See description under subject 7.61[J] . Enrollment limited.

M. Krieger, M. Yaffe

20.586[J] Science and Business of Biotechnology

Same subject as 7.546[J] , 15.480[J] Prereq: None. Coreq: 15.401 ; permission of instructor G (Spring) 3-0-6 units

Covers the new types of drugs and other therapeutics in current practice and under development, the financing and business structures of early-stage biotechnology companies, and the evaluation of their risk/reward profiles. Includes a series of live case studies with industry leaders of both established and emerging biotechnology companies as guest speakers, focusing on the underlying science and engineering as well as core financing and business issues. Students must possess a basic background in cellular and molecular biology.

J. Chen, A. Koehler, A. Lo, H. Lodish

20.630[J] Immunology

Same subject as 7.63[J] Subject meets with 7.23[J] , 20.230[J] Prereq: 7.06 and permission of instructor G (Spring) 5-0-7 units

See description under subject 7.63[J] .

20.902 Independent Study in Biological Engineering

Prereq: Permission of instructor U (Fall, Spring) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Opportunity for independent study under regular supervision by a faculty member. Projects require prior approval, as well as a substantive paper. Minimum 12 units required.

20.903 Independent Study in Biological Engineering

Prereq: Permission of instructor U (Fall, Spring, Summer) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

Opportunity for independent study under regular supervision by a faculty member. Projects require prior approval, as well as a substantive paper. Minimum 6-12 units required.

20.920 Practical Work Experience

Prereq: None U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) 0-1-0 units

For Course 20 students participating in off-campus professional experiences in biological engineering. Before registering for this subject, students must have an offer from a company or organization and must identify a BE supervisor. Upon completion, student must submit a letter from the company or organization describing the experience, along with a substantive final report from the student approved by the MIT supervisor. Subject to departmental approval. Consult departmental undergraduate office.

20.930[J] Research Experience in Biopharma

Same subject as 7.930[J] Prereq: None G (Fall) 2-10-0 units

Provides exposure to industrial science and develops skills necessary for success in such an environment. Under the guidance of an industrial mentor, students participate in on-site research at a local biopharmaceutical company where they observe and participate in industrial science. Serves as a real-time case study to internalize the factors that shape R&D in industry, including the purpose and scope of a project, key decision points in the past and future, and strategies for execution. Students utilize company resources and work with a scientific team to contribute to the goals of their assigned project; they then present project results to the company and class, emphasizing the logic that dictated their work and their ideas for future directions. Lecture component focuses on professional development.

20.945 Practical Experience in Biological Engineering

Prereq: None G (IAP, Spring, Summer) Not offered regularly; consult department 0-1-0 units

For Course 20 doctoral students participating in off-campus research, academic experiences, or internships in biological engineering. For internship experiences, an offer of employment from a company or organization is required prior to enrollment; employers must document work accomplished. A written report is required upon completion of a minimum of four weeks of off-campus experience. Proposals must be approved by department.

K. Ribbeck, P. Blainey

20.950 Research Problems in Biological Engineering

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, Spring, Summer) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Directed research in the fields of bioengineering and environmental health. Limited to BE students.

20.951 Thesis Proposal

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, Spring, Summer) 0-24-0 units

Thesis proposal research and presentation to the thesis committee.

20.960 Teaching Experience in Biological Engineering

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, Spring) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

For qualified graduate students interested in teaching. Tutorial, laboratory, or classroom teaching under the supervision of a faculty member. Enrollment limited by availability of suitable teaching assignments.

20.BME Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering

Prereq: None U (Fall, Spring) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

Individual research project with biomedical or clinical focus, arranged with appropriate faculty member or approved supervisor. Forms and instructions for the proposal and final report are available in the BE Undergraduate Office.

20.C01[J] Machine Learning for Molecular Engineering

Same subject as 3.C01[J] , 10.C01[J] Subject meets with 3.C51[J] , 10.C51[J] , 20.C51[J] Prereq: Calculus II (GIR) and 6.100A ; Coreq: 6.C01 U (Spring) 2-0-4 units Credit cannot also be received for 1.C01 , 1.C51 , 2.C01 , 2.C51 , 3.C51[J] , 10.C51[J] , 20.C51[J] , 22.C01 , 22.C51 , SCM.C51

See description under subject 3.C01[J] .

R. Gomez-Bombarelli, C. Coley, E. Fraenkel

20.C51[J] Machine Learning for Molecular Engineering

Same subject as 3.C51[J] , 10.C51[J] Subject meets with 3.C01[J] , 10.C01[J] , 20.C01[J] Prereq: Calculus II (GIR) and 6.100A ; Coreq: 6.C51 G (Spring) 2-0-4 units Credit cannot also be received for 1.C01 , 1.C51 , 2.C01 , 2.C51 , 3.C01[J] , 10.C01[J] , 20.C01[J] , 22.C01 , 22.C51 , SCM.C51

See description under subject 3.C51[J] .

20.EPE UPOP Engineering Practice Experience

Engineering School-Wide Elective Subject. Offered under: 1.EPE , 2.EPE , 3.EPE , 6.EPE , 8.EPE , 10.EPE , 15.EPE , 16.EPE , 20.EPE , 22.EPE Prereq: None U (Fall, Spring) 0-0-1 units Can be repeated for credit.

See description under subject 2.EPE . Application required; consult UPOP website for more information.

K. Tan-Tiongco, D. Fordell

20.EPW UPOP Engineering Practice Workshop

Engineering School-Wide Elective Subject. Offered under: 1.EPW , 2.EPW , 3.EPW , 6.EPW , 10.EPW , 16.EPW , 20.EPW , 22.EPW Prereq: 2.EPE U (IAP, Spring) 1-0-0 units

See description under subject 2.EPW . Enrollment limited to those in the UPOP program.

20.S900 Special Subject in Biological Engineering

L. Griffith, G. McKinley

20.S901 Special Subject in Biological Engineering

20.s940 special subject in biological engineering, 20.s947 special subject in biological engineering.

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

20.S948 Special Subject in Biological Engineering

20.s949 special subject in biological engineering, 20.s952 special subject in biological engineering.

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, Spring) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

20.THG Graduate Thesis

Program of research leading to the writing of an SM or PhD thesis; to be arranged by the student and the MIT faculty advisor.

20.THU Undergraduate BE Thesis

Prereq: None U (Fall, IAP, Spring) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Program of research leading to the writing of an SB thesis; to be arranged by the student under approved supervision.

20.UR Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Prereq: None U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

Laboratory research in the fields of bioengineering or environmental health. May be extended over multiple terms.

20.URG Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Prereq: None U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Emphasizes direct and active involvement in laboratory research in bioengineering or environmental health. May be extended over multiple terms.

Consult S. Manalis

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Published: 21 February 2024

Addressing the climate crisis through engineering biology

Emily R. Aurand ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4092-8551 1 ,
Tae Seok Moon ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8373-9051 2 ,
Nicole R. Buan ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7560-973X 3 ,
Kevin V. Solomon 4 ,
Michael Köpke 5 &

EBRC Technical Roadmapping Working Group

npj Climate Action volume 3 , Article number: 9 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Climate-change mitigation
Engineering
Microbiology

As the climate crisis deepens and the impacts are felt more often and more acutely worldwide, scientific, engineering, and policy communities need more tools and opportunities to make a difference in tackling climate challenges. The Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) has recently published a technical research roadmap, Engineering Biology for Climate & Sustainability , that describes and details short-, medium-, and long-term milestones for engineering biology tool and technology advancements that can be applied to mitigate, prevent, and adapt to climate change. These ambitious technical achievements can only be realized in the context of complementary research, policy, and investment and in combination with efforts from many other disciplines and approaches. Herein we illustrate the opportunities, as described by the roadmap, in engineering biology research and development to impact climate change and long-term environmental sustainability, and why and how engineering biology and subsequent biotechnologies should be among the most prominent of approaches to overcoming the climate crisis.

Climate change poses a clear and dire threat to the health and well-being of Earth and its inhabitants. Notably, more extreme, frequent, and interconnected climate events are causing widespread vulnerabilities, damage, and loss to humans and nature. Between late June and early August of 2023, extreme heat in North Africa, China, and Europe caused numerous deaths and led to concerns for food supplies and energy grids 1 ; the last eight years (2015–2023) have been the hottest on record, illustrating disturbing and accelerating trends 2 . In the U.S. in 2023, smoke from Canadian wildfires has contributed to dangerous air quality, impacting broad swaths of the American East Coast and Midwest, while flooding rains in India have shut schools and businesses and caused deadly landslides 3 , 4 . These adverse impacts are compounding, often causing irreversible effects and burdening the most vulnerable. Solutions to the looming climate crisis must be dramatic at a global scale to reverse 150 years of unbridled pollution. Few options are immediately compatible with current standards of living in industrialized nations. A simplistic answer would be to halt the use of fossil fuels entirely. Another would be to plant many more trees to capture CO 2 and offset emissions. However, relying on nature alone to capture greenhouse gases (GHGs) is impractical. On their own, neither of these—worldwide abandonment of fossil fuels or massive reforestation—are imminently viable solutions for developed countries dependent on petrochemicals or for developing countries with growing populations, where economic advancement and increasing prosperity and quality of life are a priority 5 . We envision that with engineering biology, we can mitigate climate change by cutting GHG emissions by supplanting the need for fossil fuels, creating alternatives for petro-chemically derived materials and carbon-intensive fertilizers, removing carbon-loaded pollutants from the environment, and promoting biodiversity and ecosystem conservation 6 . While biotechnologies are only part of what must be a multipronged approach to tackling the climate crisis, solutions enabled by engineering biology have collectively mitigated several megatons of GHG emissions, based on industry reports 7 . In this article, we promulgate an engineering biology research roadmap that identifies novel approaches and goals for future climate-related research and engineering projects. The roadmap also describes opportunities for engineering biology-enabled, sustainable replacements and alternatives in the sectors that contribute to the greatest use of fossil fuels and release of GHG emissions: food and agriculture, transportation and energy, and materials production and industrial processes 8 . To achieve these solutions, further technical advancements will be needed in the biological engineering of metabolic circuits and pathways, engineering of proteins, plants, and microbial consortia, and novel (methods and processes for developing) bio-based or -enabled materials.

Engineering Biology for Climate & Sustainability is the fifth technical roadmap developed by the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) and represents the first dedicated to innovations and opportunities towards overcoming a significant global challenge. The roadmap targets and challenges are aligned and were drawn from existing climate and sustainability literature, particularly those focused on long-term impacts and opportunities, including reports from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( http://ipcc.org ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, the technical nature and focus on engineering biology solutions give it a unique focus when compared with the many other publications aimed at addressing climate and sustainability issues. In particular, we focused on areas where few or no solutions currently exist or where engineering biology could provide unique advantages. The roadmap content was guided by multiple virtual workshops and collaborative writing sessions through an iterative process of brainstorming, discussion, drafting, review, and revision by contributors and stakeholders. The roadmap was written collaboratively by more than 90 contributors across 56 academic institutions, biotechnology companies, government laboratories, and other organizations. While the roadmap focuses on technical research, conversations during its production were wide-ranging, as expected with the nature of the challenge, and inclusive of social, economic, and larger environmental considerations. We include Social and Nontechnical Dimension Case Studies for engineering biology practitioners and policymakers with the roadmap to guide discussions of the larger context in which research and technology development must take place 9 .

The roadmap consists of six themes in technologies and applications of engineering biology for climate change and environmental sustainability (Fig. 1 ). Three themes—Biosequestration of Greenhouse Gases, Mitigation of Environmental Pollution, and Conservation of Ecosystems and Biodiversity—focus on technical capacity and novel capabilities in engineering biology to limit further harmful anthropogenic impacts and enable adaptation to climate change, while the other three themes—Food & Agriculture, Transportation & Energy, and Materials Production & Industrial Processes—focus on the development of products and production methods that capitalize on engineering biology to reduce carbon intensity and create sustainable alternatives.

The roadmap considers six areas for technical advancements in engineering biology applications for climate and sustainability, represented by the graphics in each piece of the wheel. These themes are (from top, clockwise): Biosequestration of Greenhouse Gases (gray), Mitigation of Environmental Pollution (blue), Conservation of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (yellow), Food & Agriculture (green), Transportation & Energy (red), and Materials Production & Industrial Processes (purple). Together, these themes encompass milestones toward the achievement of tools and technologies for climate and sustainability across myriad contexts and application spaces. (Figure reproduced, and used by permission, from Engineering Biology for Climate & Sustainability: A Research Roadmap for a Cleaner Future , Engineering Biology Research Consortium (2022). Available at https://roadmap.ebrc.org/engineering-biology-for-climate-sustainability/ ).

To illustrate one focus area of the roadmap, the technical theme Mitigation of Environmental Pollution “highlights opportunities for engineering biology to prevent and tackle pollution through bioremediation, biosequestration, and biodegradation of contaminants in the environment and from point sources” 6 . As a part of this theme, for example, we consider the development of biosensing technologies to monitor and detect pollutants. Milestones include the development of biosensors compatible with digital infrastructure, which will help to enable rapid signaling and response (short-term milestone), biosensors with dynamic range for field applications that are intrinsic to the environment (medium-term milestone), and autonomous biosensors that cannot only detect but also respond to and mitigate a pollutant (long-term milestone). Each of these milestones is accompanied in the roadmap by any current or presumed technical bottlenecks or challenges to their realization and one or more potential solutions to those bottlenecks. Examples of challenges include: designing biosensor platforms that are wholly contained to simplify preparation and actuation and require little prior knowledge or training to use; developing environmental biosensors that are specific to harmful contaminants, with environmentally relevant ranges of detection; and engineering environmentally deployable organic biosensors (such as engineered microbial consortia) that are defined and contained, stable, and pose no harm to the environment. These challenges will require technical solutions developed through collaboration, fundamental science and engineering, and commercial realization.

Engineering biology is not the only solution for sustainable growth and clean technology, but unique among the myriad approaches we must enable to tackle the climate crisis and should be developed and applied in parallel and in coordination with other methods and technologies. Securely and responsibly engineered biological solutions can be more tenable for incorporation into natural environments and more enduring. As we highlight in our roadmap, researchers can develop engineering biology technologies that capture or recycle industrial off-gases, including carbon monoxide and syngas, or GHGs, such as CO 2 or methane, to mitigate global warming. Microbes and plants can be engineered to upcycle plastic waste to reduce plastic pollution in an economically viable way or to enable bacterial nitrogen fixation to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and help increase crop yields. Further research and engineering of organisms like methanoarchaea will help us to adapt our current resource landscape to increase feedstock supplies for renewable fuel production, enabling us to reduce GHG emissions from the energy and transportation sectors 10 . Finally, we can take advantage of existing natural environments to support sustainable biomanufacturing 11 , replacing petroleum-based chemicals and materials with carbon-neutral or carbon-negative alternatives and opening up new climate-friendly avenues both for creating familiar products that we use every day and for producing new materials heretofore unimagined. To make the most of these solutions, they need to be considered in local and regional contexts, with public input to ensure lower barriers to adoption and ensure they will be effective. The research community will need to foster partnerships to find solutions to sustainability bottlenecks, test prototypes, consult on scale-up, and create and sustain workforce development and education. Not all of these technical opportunities will be realized, and many will require a significant investment of time, money, and responsive policy to achieve; however, the potential for these technologies to contribute, in combination with other approaches, to climate and sustainability solutions is incredibly promising and important (Fig. 2 ).

Achieving the technical solutions to the climate crisis envisioned by the roadmap will require more than just scientific research and development. Numerous other factors and influences will determine the pace and realization of biotechnologies. Technical solutions must be developed with the input of society, and engineering biology research can be improved through collaborations with social scientists and the public. Realizing biotechnology commercialization and application requires that start-ups and established companies undertake comprehensive techno-economic and lifecycle analyses of their potential products. The next generation of students and the workforce is highly motivated to engage in research toward mitigating climate change and achieving environmental sustainability, but they need to be afforded accessible opportunities, tools, and training to take part. And nearly all of this requires investment, infrastructure, and incentives from government, philanthropy, and private sources. However, with deep and diversified collaboration and collective aims, engineering biology has the potential to be an incredibly powerful solution to the climate crisis.

To enable the opportunities communicated in our technical roadmap, governments should increase funding for fundamental and applied research, as well as commercialization efforts, of climate-related technologies. Governments at all levels (local to multinational) should consider and implement policy and economic incentives for commercializing sustainable technologies, including emission reduction credits, pollution tax, and—specifically to promote engineering biology solutions—policies and regulations that promote and enable the use and adoption of genetically-modified or engineered biological organisms. Given the interdisciplinary and global nature of research focusing on climate issues, center-scale funding, and multinational support will be important. At the same time, opportunities that emphasize innovation will facilitate the initiation of high-risk and high-return projects, and funding agencies such as the U.S. ARPA-C 12 will have an important role in nurturing environments that encourage diverse and innovative ideas.

Beyond research, other factors will influence the potential of engineering biology to revolutionize the way we address the climate crisis and ensure lasting sustainability. In the Social and Nontechnical Dimension Case Studies that accompany the technical roadmap, we draw attention to a number of considerations for engineering biology researchers and their potential partners in the social and economic sciences, policymakers and regulators, and others to realize engineering biology technologies beyond the laboratory bench. This includes private and public funding and incentives for biotechnological infrastructure, including engineering biology research centers, incubators for climate technology start-up companies, and scale-up facilities for bioproduction 13 ; and see for example 14 . Scale-up of engineering biology solutions remains a major barrier, but many examples exist (in biopharmaceutical production, commercial agriculture, and industrial and municipal waste treatment) for expanding and enhancing existing bioindustry to overcome this barrier. Additionally, technology developers will benefit from close collaboration with experts in techno-economic analysis (TEA), life-cycle analysis (LCA), ecology, and natural resource management.

Along with this comes the education and workforce development necessary to facilitate and drive the burgeoning bioindustry. We have reached an inflection point in which we need to continue generating entrepreneurial leaders to imagine new possibilities and industries for engineered biology and also expanding the workforce with the skills and capacity to realize commercial-scale biomanufacturing and implementation of sustainable environmental biotechnologies. Importantly, to allow for diverse solutions to complex climate issues, academic institutions, industry, and government must consider diversity, equity, and inclusion as the next generations are educated and welcomed to the workforce 15 . The climate crisis is guaranteed to disproportionately affect indigenous and lower-income communities, further increasing the necessity to include these peoples in the solutions generated 16 , 17 . Despite the serious and urgent climate issues we face, we are cautiously optimistic about the younger generation’s awareness of climate problems and passion to solve them. Using engineering biology that is often scalable and easily accessible, the future workforce can be empowered to address challenges in climate-related research, technology development, commercialization efforts, and policymaking.

Our technical roadmap for engineering biology for climate and sustainability considers opportunities in both local and global contexts and provides research labs, industry, and governments worldwide with visions and potential biological solutions to climate problems. The companies, governments, and countries that seize the potential for the technological advancements and product- and process developments outlined in our roadmap can become global leaders in combating the climate crisis and accelerating bioeconomy development. Solving the climate crisis can be compatible with sustainable growth through interdisciplinary research and global collaboration as envisioned in the roadmap.

Reporting summary

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Data availability

To the extent of our knowledge, all materials and references provided in this paper are publicly available and accessible.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge and thank Kaitlyn Duvall and Cynthia Ni for their assistance in preparing this manuscript. The authors are especially thankful to the more than 90 individuals who contributed to the roadmap described herein. E.R.A. is supported by the National Science Foundation (MCB-2116166). T.S.M is supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (N660012324032), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (Langer Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Excellence), the United States Department of Agriculture (2020-33522-32319), U.S. Department of Energy (DE-SC0022003 and DE-SC0018324), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (84020501), the National Institutes of Health (R01 AT009741), and the National Science Foundation (EF-2222403). N.R.B. is supported by awards from National Science Foundation (IOS-1938948 and QNN5RQTXQBT), US Department of Agriculture (NEB-30-138), Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research (Cycle 17) and Nebraska Soybean Board (23R-20-1/1 #714). K.V.S. is supported by the Office of Science’s Biological & Environmental Research Program in the US Department of Energy (DE-SC0022206, DE-SC0022018, and DE-SC0023085), the National Science Foundation (CBET-2219276, MCB-2134603, MCB-2143856, and IOS-2128272), the National Institutes of Health (P20GM103446E), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (Agreement No. 59-8072-1-002) via the Center for Food Safety Engineering at Purdue University. Members of the EBRC Technical Roadmapping Working Group can be found at https://ebrc.org/focus-areas/roadmapping/#wg . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of the funding agencies.

Author information

A list of members and their affiliations appears in the Supplementary Information.

Authors and Affiliations

Engineering Biology Research Consortium, Emeryville, CA, USA

Emily R. Aurand

Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

Tae Seok Moon

Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

Nicole R. Buan

Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA

Kevin V. Solomon

LanzaTech Inc., Skokie, IL, USA

Michael Köpke

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Contributions

E.R.A. wrote and revised the paper. T.S.M, N.R.B., K.V.S., and M.K. contributed to the conception of the paper and drafting. M.K. contributed to the revision of the paper. The EBRC Technical Roadmapping Working Group contributed to the conception of the paper and led the roadmapping effort described herein.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emily R. Aurand .

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Aurand, E.R., Moon, T.S., Buan, N.R. et al. Addressing the climate crisis through engineering biology. npj Clim. Action 3 , 9 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-023-00089-8

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-023-00089-8

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Science Fair Central

Engineering is the application of science and technology to solving a problem. Invention is really about engineering a solution. For students, this can be:

A problem they want to solve
A process or physical design they want to improve

Select a problem below to be presented with starter design questions.

Select a problem.

Design Question A design question asks how something could be fixed or improved.

Science Topic Many times design questions are solved used Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering.

My backpack is too heavy to carry.

Science Topic: Gravity and mass Design Question: How can I make it easier to get it to school?

Our dog barks too much.

Science Topic: Dog behavior Design Question: How can I get him to quiet down without hurting him?

When I’m in a crowd, I can’t see around me.

Science Topic: Visibility Design Question: What can I do or use to help me see more?

My juice gets warm in my lunchbox.

Science Topic: Conserving heat Design Question: How can I keep it cold?

The echo in our cafeteria is so bad that it’s hard to hear, even when people talk loudly.

Science Topic: Reflection of sound Design Question: What can we do to cut down on the echo in there?

Our petunias dried out last summer and died after one week.

Science Topic: Plant Growth Design Question: How can I keep them watered without having to go out and do it every day?

We have to wait too long for the bus. We’d rather wait inside where it’s more comfortable.

Science Topic: Remote Sensing Design Question: How can we tell when the bus is approaching without having to wait at the stop?

I make sandwiches ahead of time on Sunday, but by the end of the week, they go stale.

Science Topic: Food storage Design Question: How can I better preserve my sandwiches so the one I eat on Friday is as fresh as the one on Monday?

My younger brother and sister are too small to reach the light switches. I always have to go turn on the light for them.

Science Topic: Human accessibility Design Question: How can I make it so they can turn their bedroom room lights on or off?

I caught my brother in my room, but he says he never goes in there.

Science Topic: Security Design Question: How can I tell if someone has gone into my room when I’m not there?

I sometimes forget my backpack.

Science Topic: Convenience Design Question: Is there a way to be sure I always take my backpack to school?

Sunlight coming in windows makes the house warmer in winter. But we keep the drapes closed and forget to open them.

Science Topic: Solar energy Design Question: Is there a way to make sure the drapes stay open when the sun is shining in the winter?

Sample Engineering Projects

Kids workshops.

To learn more visit, homedepot.com/kids

Kids Workshops provide a mix of skill-building, creativity, and safety for future DIYers every month in Home Depot stores across the country. After registering for the next Workshop, download these exclusive extension activities from Discovery Education. Each extension provides opportunities to reimagine or use their Workshop creation in an unexpected new way.

Soccer Game

Investigate how shape, weight, and texture affect how objects move. Students will build their own ball types to test in their soccer game.

Grill Gift Card Box

Blooming Picture Frame

Use nature as inspiration for creative writing. Students will research a variety of flowers to create a poem for their Blooming Picture Frame.

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Top 10 Bioengineering Trends for the 2020s

Topics & Resources

Human organs-on-chips are used to develop personalized medicine. Photo: Wyss Institute

Date Published:

Jan 29, 2020

Mark Crawford

This story was updated on 10/14/2022.

Biomedical engineering is a rapidly evolving, cross-disciplinary field that involves medicine, biology, chemistry, engineering, nanotechnology, and computer science. Bioengineers are at the forefront of scientific discovery, creating innovative medical devices, vaccines, disease management products, robots, and algorithms that improve human health around the world.

Below are ten of the hottest bioengineering R&D trends happening this decade.

1. Tissue Engineering

The cells are printed in thin layers that accumulate into living tissue or body parts that can be implanted. Researchers at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine have used a special 3D printer to create tissues that thrive when implanted in rodents.

2. Transdermal Patches

For example, scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have created a transdermal patch filled with drugs that help fight obesity. Instead of being taken orally or through injection, these compounds are released through hundreds of biodegradable microneedles in the patch that barely penetrate the skin. As the needles dissolve, the drugs are slowly released into the body.

3. Wearable Devices

Find Out More in the Infographic: What Is Bioengineering?

Smart clothing controls body temperatures by using special polymers and humidity-responsive vents that open when needed. It has been proposed that individualized temperature control through clothing could reduce a building’s heating and cooling costs by up to 15 percent.

4. Robotic Surgeons and Rehabilitation

Robots are also extremely helpful to people who have suffered strokes or brain injuries when it comes to relearning motor tasks. For example, the Lokomat is a gait training system that uses a robotic exoskeleton and a treadmill to help patients regain basic walking functions. It also allows the therapist to control the walking speed and how much support the robotic legs give to the patient.

5. Nanorobots

Nanorobot designs include DNA-based structures containing cancer-fighting drugs that bind only with a specific protein found on cancer tumors. After attachment, the robot releases its drug into the tumor.

By delivering the pharmaceutical agents exactly where they are needed, the body is not overloaded with toxicity and the side effects are fewer or less intense, improving the patient experience.

6. Virtual Reality

Virtual reality, or VR, is an especially valuable tool in the medical field because of how it can present the data taken from 3D medical images in incredibly detailed views of a patient’s body, or area of medical concern—for example, the cardiovascular system.

Related Video: How Does a Robotic Cane Work?

The model can be examined from all angles and points of interest in order to determine the best way to perform a procedure. Surgeons can even practice a complex procedure multiple times before performing it.

VR is also a critical teaching tool—medical students, for example, can perform virtual dissections instead of using cadavers.

7. Microbubbles

Researchers continue to look for new ways to selectively deliver drugs to specific target areas, thereby avoiding damage to healthy cells and tissue. One unique approach is microbubbles, which are very tiny, micron-sized particles filled with gas.

“Microbubbles loaded with drugs can be injected into the body, and they will distribute everywhere, but I can then disrupt the microbubbles by an ultrasound beam and the drug will be delivered specifically where the drug is needed,” said Beata Chertok , Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Microbubbles can also be treated with a substance that will make them adhere to tumors without the need for ultrasound.

8. Prime Editing

This new gene-editing technique builds on the successes of base editing and CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Prime editing rewrites DNA by only cutting a single strand to add, remove, or replace base pairs. This method allows researchers to edit more types of genetic mutations than existing genome-editing approaches, including CRISPR-Cas9.

Further Reading: CRISPR Tech to Detect Ebola

To date, the method has only been tested with human and mouse cells.

“Potential impacts include being able to directly correct a much larger fraction of the mutations that cause genetic diseases and being able to introduce DNA changes into crops that result in healthier or more sustainable foods,” said David Liu , director of the Merkin Institute for Transformative Technologies in Healthcare at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.

9. Organ-on-a-Chip

Chip technologies allow the construction of microscale models that simulate human physiology outside of the body. Organs-on-chips are used to study the behavior of tissues and organs in tiny—but fully functional—sample sizes to better understand tissue behavior, disease progression, and pharmaceutical interactions.

For example, inflammation processes can be studied to determine how inflammation is triggered and its value as an early-warning indicator for underlying medical conditions, including autoimmune responses. Other physiological processes studied on chips include thrombosis, mechanical loading on joints, and aging.

10. Mini Bioreactors

Bioreactors are systems that support biologically active organisms and their by-products. Smaller bioreactors are easier to manage and require lesser sample volumes. Advances in microfluidic fabrication capabilities now make it possible to design microscale bioreactors that can incorporate enzymes or other biocatalysts, as well as precision extraction systems, to produce highly pure products.

These systems provide economic high-throughput screening, using only small amounts of reagents, compared to conventional bench-scale reactors. As 3D printing becomes more refined, it should be possible to manufacture miniature bioreactors with more unusual flow paths or specially designed culture chambers.

Future Trends

Miniaturization, material innovations, personalized medicine, and additive manufacturing are key engineering trends that biomedical researchers are eager to incorporate into their designs. These technologies, in fact, open up a vast array of new design options that were not possible using conventional manufacturing methods.

These R&D advances are also happening at an ever-increasing rate—bioengineers must keep pace with disruptive technology and innovations to make the best products and maintain or boost their market share and brand reputation.

Mark Crawford is a technology writer based in Corrales, N.M.

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Ideas for Engineering Science Fair Projects

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Projects & Experiments
Chemical Laws
Periodic Table
Scientific Method
Biochemistry
Physical Chemistry
Medical Chemistry
Chemistry In Everyday Life
Famous Chemists
Activities for Kids
Abbreviations & Acronyms
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Engineering science fair projects can involve designing, building, analyzing, modeling, or improving a device. You can also test or create materials. Here are some specific ideas for engineering science fair projects.

What is the best material to put in a sandbag to block water, such as during a flood ?
How tall can you build a tower using only a sheet of paper? You can cut it, fold it, crumple it, but only use that single material. What works best?
Compare the characteristics of a structure that is made using different materials. You can compare strength, corrosion resistance, and elasticity. Be creative. The trick is to make certain your measurements are truly comparable to each other.
What can you do with a swim cap to optimize its ability to decrease drag in water? Can you alter the shape? Does one material work substantially better than another?
Which type of paper towel absorbs the most water? Which brand absorbs the most oil? Are they the same brand?
What differences do you note in the ability of different soils to support a structure?
What type of paper airplane flies the furthest and stays aloft the longest?
How can you map a magnetic field ? Can you construct a device, using iron filings, that can be reused for field mapping?
Construct a Lego building. Now try to make the same building on an incline, such as a 30-degree slope. What changes do you need to make in order to make it stable?
How does a change in the construction of a parachute affect flight? Parameters you could examine include size, shape, material, and/or method of attachment.
Questions for Each Level of Bloom's Taxonomy
Materials Science Fair Projects
How to Find the Main Idea
8th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas
7th Grade Science Fair Projects
Chemistry Science Fair Project Ideas
11th Grade Science Fair Projects
Sports Science Fair Project Ideas
Elementary School Science Fair Projects
Science Fair Project Ideas for 12th Graders
9th Grade Science Fair Projects
Magnetism Science Fair Projects
Dry Ice Science Fair Projects
Middle School Science Fair Project Ideas
Animal Science Fair Project Ideas
5th Grade Science Fair Projects

Student Research Projects

See below for a listing of past student research projects.

College of Science & Engineering
Academic Departments
Department of Biology

Two biology students, one with binoculars, the other with headphones, microphone, and an audio recorder, observing and audio recording birds.

Student Research

Our students work directly with faculty mentors to design and carry out a variety of research projects.

Join Us in Our Modern Research Labs and Out in the Pacific NW

Biology students have opportunities to join research teams mentored by our faculty to conduct projects that take advantage of our location in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Some student projects focus on molecular, physiological, or evolutionary biology in our well-equipped state-of-the-art labs that opened in 2021. Other student projects venture from the mountains to the sound exploring ecosystems and collecting field data focused on marine biology and ecology.

Since the Biology Department’s faculty have broad interests and expertise, student project topics range widely and our students have boundless research opportunities. See some of the diverse student projects below.

Our students have opportunities to present their projects at regional and national undergraduate research conferences and professional meetings.

Undergraduate Research Conferences

Students present their research projects at conferences such as:

National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)  (April)
West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference  (April)
Murdock College Science Research Conference (November)

Student Projects

Project	Student(s)	Advisor(s)
Evolutionary Origins of Coloration in Alpheus	A. Gillespie	Hultgren
Catching yourself after you slip: creating slightly deleterious alleles in E. coli	A. McConachie & Z. Chen	Zanis
Bushtit Nesting Habits on SU Campus	C. Bresee and B. Milder	Hartley
Comparing Intein Effects in Saccharomyces cerevisiae	D. Yee	DuBois
Mossing Around: Comparing Invertebrate Communities in Orthotrichium lyelli moss between Urban Areas and Old Growth Forest	G. Veltri	Hultgren
Inteins! Who is the fastest escape artist?	J. Abullarade	Zanis
Investigating the formation of BREX protein complexes with DNA Part I	J. Albert and S. Menezes	Kaiser
Catching yourself after you slip: creating slightly deleterious alleles in E. coli	J. Kahn and T. Hoang	Zanis
Genomic and genetic diversity of chloroplasts in green algae	K. Maruna	Zanis
Catching yourself after you slip: creating slightly deleterious alleles in E. coli	M Lebaron and B. Milder	Zanis
Examining myxobacteria and 3-MBA	M. Kahwaty	Smith
DNA barcoding of crustaceans from Guam reveal the need for better DNA sequences in GenBank	M. Spandler & S. Ugarte	Hultgren
Assessing Seawall Removal as an Effective Marine Restoration Approach: Not a Shore Thing	Marine Restoration Ecology Class	Pool
Investigating the formation of BREX protein complexes with DNA Part II	S. McGuire	Kaiser

Project	Student(s)	Advisor(s)
Bushtits feeding on flower nectar in winter	A. Berg and F. Chamberlain	Hartley
Nature's Escape Artists: Viral Inteins in Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Systems	A. Carroll and E. Alleman	Zanis
Comparing genetic inheritance via sporulation of S. cerevisiae mutants prepared in two ways	D. Chinn	DuBois
Arabidopsis thaliana respose to sulfur	D. Imanishi	Zanis
Species delimitation of goby-dwelling shrimp	I. Hawksford	Hultgren
Identification and diversity of green algae in local lakes	J. Albert and S. Menezes	Stenbak
Morphological evolution in Alpheus snapping shrimps	J. Sarsfield	Hultgren
Meta-analysis of exercise effects on hypertension in a rat model	K. Meredith	Luckey
DNA binding parameters of the BrxR bacterial transcriptional regulator	K. Higashi	Kaiser
Presidential Election Results Influence on COVID-19 Cases and Deaths	L. Sasaki and R. Zekariase	Luckey
Barcoding of Invertebrates from Elliott Bay Marina	L. Meyers	Hultgren
Assay development to detect DNA methyltransferase activity of the BREX bacterial defense system	P. Smith	Kaiser
Comparing two DNA extraction methods for invertebrate barcoding	T. Goodspeed	Hultgren

Project	Student(s)	Advisor(s)
Nesting Preferences of American Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) in an Urban Campus Setting	Celeste Dylla and Hannah Samsen	Rebecca Hartley, PhD
Testing the Ecological Limits of Algae Habitat Preference in the Pacific Northwest	Meaghan O'Connor Lenth	Michael Zanis, PhD
The Effect of Acute Sleep Deprivation on the Stress Response in Undergraduates	Molly Van Dyke and Kaley Dugger	Stephen Luckey, PhD
Quantitative trait analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana growing in a high sulfur environment	Karyssa Miller	Michael Zanis, PhD
Investigating the cardioprotective effects of exercise in young and old female mice	Delaney Kirchmeier	Stephen Luckey, PhD
Molecular evolution of methionine salvage genes across green plants	Eloise Santa Cruz	Michael Zanis, PhD
Effects of Harbor Seals on Salmon in the Puget Sound	Bri Ganzon and Zach Duckworth	Correigh Greene (NOAA)
Does Chronic Exercise Mitigate Final Examination Stress in Undergraduates?	Benjamin Hughes and Ethan Schmitt	Stephen Luckey, PhD
Impacts of Urbanization on Intertidal Invertebrate Species Richness in Puget Sound	Kalia Hendricks and Morgan Beste	Kristin Hultgren, PhD & Mark Jordan, PhD
Genetic variation within haploid clonal eukaryotic green algae	Carolyn Fish	Michael Zanis, PhD

Project	Student(s)	Advisor(s)
Does chronic exercise mitigate final examination stress in undergraduates?	Abigail Wright & Benjamin Hughes	Stephen Luckey, PhD & Molly Welsh (SPEX), PhD
Split protein regulation of IsmaMI cleavage	Austin Bailey	Brett Kaiser, PhD
Molecular ecology and polypolidy in the single-celled green algae Micrasterias (Desmidiaceae)	Brittany Takushi	Michael Zanis, PhD
Covalent attachment of protein cargo to a computationally designed toroid scaffold	Caley Polkinghorn	Brett Kaiser, PhD
Phylogenetic analysis and DNA barcoding identifies a potential cryptic species within the leafy liverwort genus Porella (Porellaceae)	Camille DeRome	Michael Zanis, PhD
The cardioprotective effects of exercise in the context of pathology	Courtney Olson	Stephen Luckey, PhD
The effect of sleep deprivation on the stress responses of undergraduate students	Isheeta Tewari	Stephen Luckey, PhD
The correlation demonstrated between egg size and genome size within Decapod crustaceans	Jeremy Bjelajac	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
Impacts of urbanization on the invertebrate communities of Puget Sound	Kalia Hendricks	Kristin Hultgren, PhD & Mark Jordan, PhD
The effects of used motor oil on zooplankton biodiversity	Karena Thé	Lindsay Whitlow, PhD
Phylogenetics of Phycodnaviruses in the Pacific Northwest	Kofi Asare-Konadu	Michael Zanis, PhD
Non-invasive species identification of urban mesocarnivores	Lorraine Davis & Peter Reinhardt	Mark Jordan, PhD
Seasonal responses to distress calls in the song sparrow, Melospiza melodia morphna	Mary Dyrland	Cheryl Wotus, PhD
Molecular evolution of the Yang Cycle, the methionine recycling pathway, across green plants	Nicolas Huarita Garcia	Michael Zanis, PhD
Population genetics of fishers in Vermont	Sam Levy	Mark Jordan, PhD
Solving the mystery of cryptic Alpheus species	Sydney Hensyel	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
Effects of high and low-use trails on plant diversity in Tiger Mountain State Park	Teri Rackson	Lindsay Whitlow, PhD

Project	Student(s)	Advisor(s)
Sub-lethal effects of lead pollution on intertidal crustaceans in the Duwamish Waterway	Lucas Bartholomew-Good	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
Evolution of genome size in snapping shrimp (genus Alpheaus)	Dylan Gnatz	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
The effects of household spices on Streptococcus mutans	Lauren Lau	Daniel Smith, PhD
Impact of high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on cardiac physiology	Alanna McCarthy	Stephen Luckey, PhD
Polar crustaceans have large genomes: Latitudinal variation in genome size in Amphipoda and Decapoda	Angela Moran	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
Drivers of trophic position plasticity for fishes within flood-pulse systems	Corinne Noufi	Thomas Pool, PhD
Voluntary exercise enhances cardiac growth in response to chronic b-adrenergic receptor stimulation	Moira O'Connor Lenth	Stephen Luckey, PhD
Development of a virus metagenomic eDNA PCR assay	Brandon Palkowski	Michael Zanis, PhD
Deep fishing: Dream or disaster? An analysis of the sustainability of deep sea fishing	Megan Rodden	Charles Fowler, PhD
Developing single-celled approaches to measuring genetic variation in Micrasterias rotata (Desmidiaceae)	Brittany Takushi	Michael Zanis, PhD
Cyanobacteria isolation and characterization from Pacific Northwest lakes and streams	Christopher Trudeau	Michael Zanis, PhD
Micrasterias (Desmidiaceae) diversity in the Pacific Northwest	Selyna Villareal	Michael Zanis, PhD

Project	Student(s)	Advisor(s)
Measurement of sedentary vs. active college student exam stress levels	Bailey Archer	Michael Zanis, PhD
Cryptic species identification of sponge-dwelling snapping shrimp (SYNAPHEAUS)	Holly Callahan	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
Phylogenetically controlled correlations between genome size, habitat, and development of Grapspoidea superfamily	Maria Dalzell Martos	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
An investigation on the nuclear and chloropast genetic diversity in cascadian Micrasterias fimbriata (Desmidiaceae)	Margaret Gorini	Michael Zanis, PhD
Construction of a similar foamy virus infectious clone	Cooper Hayes	Carolyn Stenbak, PhD
Genome size evolution in marine crustaceans	Meghan Kennedy	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
Developing a multilocus phylogeny of Micrasterias species in the pacific northwest	Bayley Larsen	Michael Zanis, PhD
Temporal niche partitioning occurs between the Virgina opossum (Didelphis Birginiana) and raccoon (Procyon Lotor) in Seattle's green spaces	Destiny Mims	Mark Jordan, PhD
Identifying genes involved in strain interactions between Myxobateria species	Brian Nguyen	Daniel Smith, PhD
Identifying the genetic basis for tolerance to environmental stressors in Arabidopsis thaliana	Karen Nguyen	Michael Zanis, PhD
Molecular evolution of the AGAMOUS large regulatory intron across spermatophytes	Sun Hyee Park	Michael Zanis, PhD
Investigating the DNA binding constraints of the I-Sob2593 Meganuclease	Raymond Ruff	Brett Kaiser, PhD
Phylogenetic analysis of Isoetes species (quillwort) from the pacific northwest	Spencer Seale	Michael Zanis, PhD
Examining the sex-dependent cardioprotective effects of exercise in murine hearts	Sherilynn Soo	Stephen Luckey, PhD
Algae gone viral: analysis of cascadian lakes phycodnavirus genome	Abigail Wells	Michael Zanis, PhD & Carolyn Stenbak, PhD
Quantifying growth rates of Micrasterias species across experimental freshwater habitats	Katherine Wood	Michael Zanis, PhD

Project	Student(s)	Advisor(s)
Identifying possible ligands for a putative kringle domain in Thalassiosira pseudonana	Max Echterling	Brett Kaiser, PhD
Algal Progression on Dead Caribbean Coral	Benjamin Gulmon	Michael Zanis, PhD
Quantifying River Corridor Habitat Using 2D Landscape Evolution Modeling	Kaitlyn Hammond	Lindsay Whitlow, PhD & Wes Lauer, PhD
Hair snare box optimization and SNP library discovery of Procyon lotor and Didelphis	Stephanie Ingle	Mark Jordan, PhD
Patterns of molecular variation of grass species within the Triticeae tribe	Tristen Inoue	Michael Zanis, PhD
Pre-existing Chronic Cardiopulmonary Conditions Independently Associated with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptom Development in Acutely Injured Trauma Survivors	Cory Michael Kelly	Robert Rutherford, PhD
Are there size and shape correlations between symbiotic Pea Crabs (Pinnotheridae) and their hosts	Charles Lewis	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
Utilization of smaller grouper species (Graysby, Red hind, Rock hind, Coney) densities as coral reef health indicators	Ting-Jen (Austin) Lin	Kristin Hultgren, PhD
Population Genetics of Fisher (Pekania pennanti) in Vermont	Meike Lobb-Rabe	Mark Jordan, PhD
Effects of pH on early development and mortality of Arabidopsis thaliana reared in hydroponic growth systems	L. Devin Mackrell	Michael Zanis, PhD
Growth Trends of Freshwater Desmids in Western Washington Lakes	Matthew Sandrich	Michael Zanis, PhD
Non-canonical DNA Binding of a Bacterial Transcription Regulator	Bradley Walker	Brett Kaiser, PhD
The Effect of Protease Activity on the Integrase-Dependepent Dimerization of Foamy Virus Polymerase	Jacqueline Wallis	Carolyn Stenbak, PhD
Molecular Evolution of Cosmarium ovale	Zachary Walters	Michael Zanis, PhD

35+ Fascinating Biology Project Ideas to Ignite Your Scientific Curiosity

Are you a biology enthusiast in search of exciting project ideas to delve deeper into the captivating world of living organisms? Look no further! In this blog, we have compiled a diverse list of 10 fascinating biology project ideas that will spark your scientific curiosity and propel your understanding of the intricate mechanisms of life.

Embark on a journey of discovery as you explore the wonders of biology with these captivating project ideas. Unleash your creativity, develop critical thinking skills, and delve into the fascinating intricacies of life itself. So, let’s dive in and explore the realm of biology with these 10 thought-provoking project ideas that will elevate your scientific exploration to new heights!

What is Biology?

Table of Contents

Biology is the scientific study of living organisms and their interactions with their environment. It is a branch of science that focuses on understanding the structure, function, growth, evolution, and distribution of living organisms. The field of biology encompasses a wide range of topics, from the molecular level, examining the building blocks of life, to the study of ecosystems and the complex interactions between organisms.

Biology is an incredibly diverse field, with various sub-disciplines that focus on specific aspects of life. These include molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, ecology, physiology, and many more. Researchers in biology employ a wide array of techniques, ranging from microscopic observation and laboratory experiments to advanced technologies such as DNA sequencing and computational modeling.

Importance of Biology Project

Biology projects play a crucial role in education and scientific exploration by providing hands-on learning experiences and fostering a deeper understanding of biological concepts.

Here are some key reasons highlighting the importance of biology projects:

Practical Application: Biology projects allow students and researchers to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios. By engaging in experiments, data collection, and analysis, project participants gain a practical understanding of biological principles and concepts.

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: Biology projects require students to think critically, formulate hypotheses, design experiments, and interpret results. This cultivates essential problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and scientific reasoning abilities that are applicable in various academic and professional contexts.

Experiential Learning: Biology projects provide hands-on experiences that go beyond textbooks and lectures. They offer a chance to actively explore biological phenomena, conduct experiments, and make observations. This experiential learning approach enhances retention and deepens comprehension of the subject matter.

Personalized Learning: Projects offer flexibility and allow students to pursue areas of personal interest within the vast field of biology. This individualized approach fosters a sense of ownership and motivation, as students can explore topics that resonate with their curiosity and passions.

Collaboration and Communication: Biology projects often involve teamwork, encouraging collaboration, communication, and the exchange of ideas. Students learn to work effectively in groups, share responsibilities, and present their findings, developing essential interpersonal and communication skills.

Scientific Methodology: Engaging in biology projects familiarizes students with the scientific method, including formulating hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting data, analyzing results, and drawing conclusions. These foundational scientific skills are transferrable to other scientific disciplines and provide a framework for future research endeavors.

Innovation and Creativity: Biology projects encourage innovation and creativity by allowing students to explore new ideas, develop novel approaches, and find unique solutions to scientific questions. This fosters an entrepreneurial mindset and prepares students to tackle real-world challenges in the ever-evolving field of biology.

Career Exploration: Biology projects provide a glimpse into various career paths within the biological sciences. By undertaking projects, students can explore different areas of biology and gain insights into potential future careers, helping them make informed decisions about their academic and professional trajectories.

How To Find The Right Biology Project Ideas

Finding the right biology project ideas can be an exciting and rewarding process. Here are some steps you can follow to discover project ideas that align with your interests and goals:

Identify your interests: Start by reflecting on your personal interests within the field of biology. Consider which topics or aspects of biology intrigue you the most. Are you fascinated by genetics, ecology, cellular biology, or microbiology? Identifying your interests will help narrow down the scope of potential project ideas.

Research current trends and advancements: Stay updated with the latest developments and trends in biology. Read scientific journals, browse reputable websites, and follow biology-related news to learn about recent discoveries and breakthroughs. This will inspire you and give you ideas for projects that are at the forefront of scientific exploration.

Consult with your instructor or mentor: Seek guidance from your biology teacher, professor or a mentor who can provide valuable insights and suggestions. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field and can help steer you in the right direction. Share your interests and goals with them, and they can offer guidance on project ideas that align with your strengths and the resources available to you.

Brainstorm and make a list: Set aside dedicated time to brainstorm project ideas. Grab a pen and paper or use a digital document to jot down any potential ideas that come to mind. Don’t worry about evaluating them at this stage—simply let your creativity flow and write down any biology-related topics or questions that pique your interest.

Explore existing projects: Look for inspiration from previous biology projects that have been conducted by students or researchers. Search online databases, science fair websites, or scientific journals to find examples of biology projects. Analyze these projects to understand their methodology, scope, and findings. This can spark new ideas or provide a foundation upon which you can build your own unique project.

Consider available resources and constraints: Take into account the resources and constraints that you have access to. This includes laboratory equipment, materials, time, and expertise. Ensure that your project idea is feasible within the given constraints. If certain resources are not readily available, think creatively about alternative approaches or seek assistance from your instructor or mentor.

Collaborate with peers: Engage in discussions with fellow biology enthusiasts, classmates, or friends who share similar interests. Brainstorm project ideas together, bounce off ideas, and offer feedback to one another. Collaborative thinking can often lead to new and innovative project ideas that you may not have considered on your own.

Prioritize feasibility and impact: Evaluate your list of potential project ideas based on their feasibility and potential impact. Consider the resources required, the level of complexity, and the relevance of the project to current scientific knowledge. Choose an idea that is achievable within the given time frame and has the potential to contribute to the field of biology or address a specific research question.

30+ Biology Project Ideas

1. Investigating the effects of different types of fertilizers on plant growth: Compare the growth and health of plants treated with different fertilizers or organic matter.

2. Studying the impact of temperature on enzyme activity: Determine how temperature affects the activity of an enzyme by conducting experiments at different temperatures.

3. Examining the effectiveness of natural remedies in inhibiting bacterial growth: Test the antimicrobial properties of various natural substances, such as garlic, honey, or tea tree oil, against common bacteria.

4. Investigating the impact of pH on the rate of photosynthesis: Explore how different pH levels affect the rate of photosynthesis in aquatic plants.

5. Analyzing the effect of different light wavelengths on plant growth: Observe how plants respond to different colors of light and determine which wavelengths are most beneficial for growth.

6. Investigating the factors affecting seed germination: Explore the influence of variables like light, temperature, water availability, and seed treatments on seed germination rates.

7. Examining the effect of caffeine on heart rate: Determine the impact of caffeine on heart rate by conducting experiments with different concentrations of caffeine on a small organism like a daphnia.

8. Studying the impact of pollution on aquatic organisms: Investigate the effects of pollutants (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides) on the health and behavior of aquatic organisms, such as fish or invertebrates.

9. Analyzing the biodiversity and abundance of microorganisms in different soil samples: Collect soil samples from various locations and study the microbial communities present using techniques like culturing or DNA analysis.

10. Investigating the effects of different music genres on plant growth: Expose plants to different genres of music and observe if there are any discernible effects on growth.

11. Studying the impact of different antibiotics on bacterial growth: Test the effectiveness of various antibiotics against different strains of bacteria using agar plates and measuring zones of inhibition.

12. Analyzing the effectiveness of natural insect repellents: Test the repellent properties of natural substances, such as citronella, eucalyptus , or lavender, against common insects like mosquitoes or fruit flies.

13. Investigating the influence of exercise on heart rate recovery: Measure heart rate before and after exercise to study how quickly the heart rate returns to resting levels.

14. Examining the effect of temperature on the hatching success of eggs: Incubate eggs at different temperatures to determine the optimal range for successful hatching.

15. Analyzing the impact of different types of water (tap water, bottled water, etc.) on plant growth: Monitor the growth and health of plants watered with different types of water sources.

16. Investigating the effects of different food preservatives on microbial growth: Test the antimicrobial properties of various food preservatives by measuring the growth of microorganisms in treated samples.

17. Studying the impact of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis: Measure the rate of oxygen production by aquatic plants exposed to different light intensities.

18. Analyzing the effect of temperature on the respiration rate of yeast: Measure the carbon dioxide production by yeast at different temperatures to study the influence on respiration.

19. Investigating the impact of pollution on plant pigments: Expose plants to pollutants and measure changes in leaf pigments, such as chlorophyll, as an indicator of stress.

20. Studying the effect of different types of soil on plant growth: Compare the growth and health of plants grown in different soil types, such as sandy soil, clay soil, or loamy soil.

21. Analyzing the impact of electromagnetic radiation on seed germination: Expose seeds to various forms of radiation (e.g., microwaves, UV light) and observe their germination rates compared to control groups.

22. Investigating the effects of different light cycles on circadian rhythms in organisms: Study how changes in light-dark cycles affect the behavior and physiology of organisms with circadian rhythms.

23. Analyzing the impact of microplastics on aquatic organisms: Examine the effects of microplastic pollution on the growth, development, and behavior of aquatic organisms like fish or zooplankton.

24. Investigating the effects of different concentrations of carbon dioxide on plant growth: Manipulate carbon dioxide levels in a controlled environment and measure the growth response of plants.

25. Studying the impact of various water pollutants on the health of aquatic plants: Expose aquatic plants to different pollutants, such as heavy metals or pesticides, and observe their growth and physiological responses.

26. Analyzing the effect of different fruit juices on tooth enamel erosion: Immerse tooth samples in various fruit juices and observe the effects on enamel erosion using techniques like surface analysis or microscopy.

27. Investigating the influence of temperature on insect behavior: Observe the behavior of insects, such as ants or bees, under different temperature conditions to understand their activity patterns and preferences.

28. Studying the impact of different types of food on microbial fermentation: Measure the production of gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) during the fermentation of different food substrates by microorganisms.

29. Analyzing the effect of environmental factors on seed viability: Investigate how factors like temperature, humidity, or light exposure affect the viability and germination success of seeds.

30. Investigating the effects of different levels of salinity on plant growth: Expose plants to varying levels of salt concentration and monitor their growth, physiology, and ion balance.

31. Studying the impact of pH on the growth and health of aquatic organisms: Manipulate pH levels in aquatic environments and observe the responses of organisms like fish, snails, or algae.

32. Analyzing the effect of different natural dyes on bacterial growth inhibition: Test the antimicrobial properties of various natural dyes (e.g., turmeric, beetroot) against different strains of bacteria.

33. Investigating the influence of different pollutants on air quality: Measure air quality parameters, such as particulate matter or ozone levels, in different environments and analyze the potential sources of pollution.

34. Studying the impact of different antibiotics on beneficial gut bacteria: Investigate the effects of antibiotics on the growth and diversity of beneficial bacteria in the gut using microbial culture or DNA sequencing techniques.

35. Analyzing the effect of temperature on the metabolism of cold-blooded organisms: Measure metabolic rates in reptiles or amphibians at different temperatures to understand their physiological adaptations.

36. Investigating the effects of different concentrations of pollutants on seed germination: Expose seeds to varying concentrations of pollutants (e.g., heavy metals) and monitor their germination rates and early growth.

37. Studying the impact of different water temperatures on the behavior of aquatic organisms: Observe the behavioral responses of organisms like fish or crustaceans when exposed to different water temperatures.

38. These project ideas cover a broad range of topics within biology and provide opportunities for exploration, experimentation, and discovery. Remember to choose a project that aligns with your interests, available resources, and educational level.

Importance of Choosing the right Biology Project Ideas

Choosing the right biology project ideas is crucial for a successful and rewarding experience. Here are some key reasons highlighting the importance of selecting the right project idea:

Relevance and Interest: Choosing a project idea that aligns with your interests and curiosity ensures that you stay engaged and motivated throughout the project. When you are genuinely interested in the topic, you are more likely to invest time and effort into research, experimentation, and analysis.
Personalized Learning: The right project idea allows you to delve deeper into specific aspects of biology that fascinate you. It gives you the opportunity to explore your chosen subject in greater detail and develop a deeper understanding of the underlying concepts and principles.
Skill Development: A well-chosen project idea provides opportunities to develop and enhance various skills. These may include critical thinking, problem-solving, experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication. By selecting a project that challenges you and requires the application of these skills, you can further refine your abilities.
Real-World Applications: Biology projects often have practical applications and relevance to real-world issues. Choosing a project idea that addresses a current problem or explores a topic of significance allows you to contribute to scientific knowledge and potentially make an impact in areas such as medicine, environmental conservation, or agriculture.
Resource Availability: Consider the resources available to you, such as laboratory equipment, materials, and mentorship. Choosing a project idea that is feasible within the constraints of available resources ensures that you can successfully execute the project and achieve meaningful results.
Educational Goals: Biology projects provide opportunities to meet specific educational objectives. They can align with curriculum requirements, learning outcomes, or the development of specific laboratory techniques. By choosing a project idea that supports your educational goals, you can enhance your academic progress and demonstrate your understanding of key concepts.
Future Endeavors: Selecting the right project idea can have a long-term impact on your educational or professional journey. It can help you explore potential career paths, develop specialized knowledge, or build a foundation for further research in a specific area of biology. The skills and experiences gained from a well-executed project can be valuable in future academic pursuits or when pursuing a career in the biological sciences.

Ultimately, choosing the right biology project idea is about maximizing your learning, engagement, and growth. It allows you to immerse yourself in a topic you are passionate about, develop essential skills, and contribute to the broader scientific community. Take the time to evaluate and select a project idea that excites you and aligns with your goals and available resources.

In conclusion, choosing the right biology project ideas is of utmost importance for a fulfilling and successful experience. By selecting a project that aligns with your interests, you foster a genuine curiosity and motivation to explore the topic further. This personal connection to the project drives engagement, allowing you to dive deep into the subject matter and develop a deeper understanding of the underlying concepts.

So, take the time to evaluate your interests, consider the available resources, and select a biology project idea that excites you. Embrace the opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of biology, expand your knowledge, and make a meaningful contribution to the field.

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50+ Awesome Engineering Projects for Kids

Wow! I’m a huge fan of the best engineering projects for kids and want to be sure you have some great STEAM ideas on hand. This list is sure to get those creative juices flowing! Use this set of 28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids posts to excite the kids all year long. Learn using STEM and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math) concepts while you explore forces of motion, chemistry, sound, and so much more! Plus, we keep updating it with all the fun projects we build and find!

You're gonna love these awesome engineering projects for kids that will get them building, creating, and having fun. You'll find building activities, STEM challenges, STEAM challenges, electrical engineering projects, holiday engineering projects, and more in this massive list of more than 50 ideas.

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Do your kids love engineering projects as much as my kid does? The great thing about this set of fun engineering projects is that there are so many great activities for preschoolers! Start them young with a STEM project or science experiment on their developmental level.

Building Activities for Kids

What kid doesn’t love to build? This list of activities for kids is sure to entertain your creative kids! Start with a super-fun one like these:

How to Build a Balloon Car || Left Brain Craft Brain – This project is a classic and we’ve made it easy for you with a helpful video!

How to Build a Balloon Car with toilet paper roll, cardboard, paper straws, and a balloon

How to Build DIY Stomp Rockets || Left Brain Craft Brain – Kids LOVE stomp rockets. They’re really fun and have tons of hidden learning inside.

How to build DIY stomp rockets with PVC pipe, 2L bottles, paper, and tape

Goldfish crackers STEAM Activity Snacks || Left Brain Craft Brain – Who doesn’t love goldfish? Make a snack pulley for them!
STEAM Engineering for Kids: Making a Bubble Blower Machine || Teach Beside Me – Oh wow! This is an awesome idea for summer!
Make a Box Lid Maze for Awesome STEAM Fun || One Time Through – You materials from your recycle bin for a DIY maze building activity.
How to Build a Tonoscope || Left Brain Craft Brain – Get ready to see sound with this really fun sound science experiment. You’ll build a tonoscope, a device that helps you see sound vibrations.

Hexbug Habitat Engineering Challenge || Inspiration Laboratories – This is perfect for your kids that LOVE hexbugs.
Rubber Band Car DIY || Figment Creative Labs – Your creative kids are going to LOVE building their own moving car.

Super fun building activities and ideas that the kids will love.

DIY Recycled Suspension Bridge || Left Brain Craft Brain – Dig into your recycle bin for this DIY bridge.
Awesome DIY Stethoscope for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – The kids are going to love making their own doctor toys!
Build a DaVinci Bridge with Pencils || iGameMom – DaVinci bridges are amazing structures! You have to try this one.
Make Your Own Dollhouse Building Block Set || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – Boys and girls will love the building rooms and living spaces for their dolls!
DIY PVC Tape Dispenser || Left Brain Craft Brain – You’re going to need one of these tape dispensers for all your Camp STEAM projects!

Engineering Projects for Kids That Move

There’s nothing more exciting than action-packed projects with things that fly, roll, and twirl. Check out this list!

Paper Bird Flyer || Left Brain Craft Brain – Explore what helps both birds and airplanes take flight with this fun and budget-friendly project.

Chemical Reaction Car || Left Brain Craft Brain – Try out both mechanical and chemical engineering with this fun build!
TP Roll Catapult || Left Brain Craft Brain – Even little builders can explore cause and effect with this project.
Pom Pom Shooters || Left Brain Craft Brain – FUN! Enough said.
DIY Seismograph || Left Brain Craft Brain – Measure how the Earth moves with this simple and fun build.

Whirly Twirly Flying Birds || Left Brain Craft Brain – More ways to explore how birds get some serious air.
Weather Science: Paper Cup Anemometer || Left Brain Craft Brain – Explore wind and weather through this build that uses easy to get supplies.

Why Building for Kids?

Kids are natural, born architects! They love to explore the world around them and the cool forces of nature like gravity.

Invitation to Build: Elsa’s Ice Palace || Left Brain Craft Brain – Elsa needs your help building her ice palace!
100 Invitations to Build || Left Brain Craft Brain – Need a little creative help for after school? Grab this printable!
Bridge Building STEM Challenge with Craft Sticks and Wooden Cubes || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – You have everything you need for this simple building challenge in your playroom!
Buildable Rock Slime || Left Brain Craft Brain – You’re going to LOVE this fun slime recipe!
How to Make a Windmill Model with a Printable Pattern || Adventure in a Box – Print your own windmill!

Engineering Challenges, STEM Challenges, and STEAM Challenges

What are engineering challenges? They’re projects that give kids a specific goal, but not the process to get there, so there’s lots of creativity thrown in the midst.

Bird Beak Tool Challenge || Left Brain Craft Brain – Learn how animals adapt to their environment with a fun tool engineering challenge.

How to Teach Preschoolers to Think Like an Engineer in 3 Easy Steps || Preschool STEAM – Not sure where to start with your preschoolers?
STEAM Challenge: Building a structure you can balance on your finger (or your nose) || Gift of Curiosity – Try this STEAM challenge with your preschoolers!
Storytime LEGO Building Challenge || Left Brain Craft Brain – Make your own storytime challenge with this great STEAM activity!
LEGO Math Printable Challenge Cards || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – If you have LEGO lovers at home, grab these printable challenge cards for your next STEM activity.
Gears Building Challenge Cards || Left Brain Craft Brain – This is a really awesome fun activity to add to your after-school entertainment!

Engineering challenges, STEM challenges, and STEAM challenges

Summer STEAM Challenges for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – Summer is right around the corner! Don’t run out of engineering projects for kids!
Mechanical Engineering and Math STEM Challenge || STEAM Powered Family – Math practice has never been so fun!
Star Wars STEAM Challenges || Left Brain Craft Brain – Your superfans will love these creative challenges like building a Mos Eisley cityscape.
Build a Snack Mix Machine || Left Brain Craft Brain – This is a great incentive for an after-school snack!
Build a Cardboard Box Ball Track || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – Such a creative idea!

Challenging Engineering for Kids

Spark their brains with these fun activities!

Insect Habitat Building Challenge || Left Brain Craft Brain – These paper triaramas are a budget-friendly activity that helps kids learn about what animals need in their environment.

Superhero STEM Activities for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – Do you have a little superhero at home? They need this!
Paper Building Blocks || Babble Dabble Do – Behold the power of paper as an engaging (and cheap!) building activity.
Ice STEM Engineering Challenge || STEAM Powered Family – An inviting and colorful way to build any time of the year.
Star Wars STEM Learning Activities for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – Can you build a droid or an x-wing fighter? Find out how in this awesome list of Star Wars projects.

Need even more STEM challenges? Try these 15 STEM Challenges for Kids!

Electrical Engineering Projects for Kids

Kids are going to LOVE exploring old computers and creating their own bots with this awesome list of engineering projects for kids!

Paper Circuit Cards || Left Brain Craft Brain – Start off their electrical engineering journey with one of these paper circuit cards.
Build a Circuit Flower || STEAM Powered Family – This is perfect for Mother’s Day!
Minion Brush Bot || Left Brain Craft Brain – Have a little Minion fan at home? Make your own Minion bot in just a couple of minutes!
How to Make an Electromagnet || Left Brain Craft Brain – Explore the powerful engineering of electromagnets in this fun and easy electricity project. Plus, learn why electromagnets are important in our race to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Code a City || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – Make your bot travel around a DIY city map!
Upcycled Toy Car Marker Bots || Left Brain Craft Brain – Save those old toy cards for your next marker bot.

Electrical engineering projects like circuits, coding, and more.

Want a helpful worksheet that teaches kids about circuits? Grab our free Introduction to Simple Circuits by entering your email address below.

FREE! INTRODUCTION TO CIRCUITS PRINTABLE ACTIVITY

Binary Code Bracelet that is Out of This World || JDaniel4’s Mom – Who knew the binary code could be so fashionable!
Tiny Dancers (A Homopolar Motor) || Babble Dabble Do – This is one of my all-time favorite engineering projects.
Computer Destruction || Left Brain Craft Brain – Don’t throw out that old computer. Instead, us it to explore!
Simple Circuit Science Project || What Do We Do All Day? – It can’t get much easier! You probably have all the materials you need already.

Solar-Powered Paper House Project || Left Brain Craft Brain – Explore alternative energy with this model of a real-life build.

Coding and Electrical Circuits for Kids || STEAM Powered Family – This is a great one to add to your engineering projects for kids!
8 Ways to Play with an Old Keyboard || Left Brain Craft Brain – Let your preschooler explore and learn with your old keyboard.
How to Build a Simple Electromagnetic Train || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – Your kids are going to love making their own simple train move!
Fruit Stand Circuits || Left Brain Craft Brain – Your favorite fruit has an electrical charge!

Holiday Engineering for Kids

Plan to add these to your holiday celebration fun! There’s something for Christmas and Halloween and Valentine’s Day. And stay tuned, I’ll be making some more lists of holiday engineering projects!

Festive holiday engineering projects for Christmas, Valentine's Day, Halloween.

Christmas Engineering Projects

Giant Paper Stars || Babble Dabble Do – Do a little paper engineering with these gorgeous, and huge!, paper stars.
LEGO Santa Sleigh STEM Building Challenge || Left Brain Craft Brain – Your kids are going to love helping Santa with his sleigh this year!
Gumdrop Trees || Left Brain Craft Brain – This classic project is always a winner!
Invitation to Build: Tinkering Trees || Left Brain Craft Brain – Christmas is more fun with a simple invitation to build.

Valentine Engineering Projects

Geometric Art – Valentine STEM || Teach Beside Me – Can you build a heart out of straws?
Valentine’s Day STEAM Challenges for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – Lots of love went into the making of these fun Valentine’s Day challenge cards!
The Love Boat STEAM Engineering Challenge for Kids || The Preschool Toolbox – Such a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your STEAM kids!

Halloween Engineering Projects

31 Days of Halloween STEAM Challenges for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – It’s never too early to have a plan for Halloween!
Halloween Engineering Projects for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – There are so many fun ways to keep kids learning this Fall!
Pumpkin Brush Bots || Left Brain Craft Brain – These silly pumpkin bots are a great classroom project for Halloween!

Even More! Fun Engineering Projects for Kids

For those days when a big project is just a little too much, pull out this 100 Invitations to Build list , grab a basket of unique building supplies like curlers or ice cubes, and let the kids drive the creation! Fill out the form below to have the list emailed to you!

FREE! 100 INVITATIONS TO BUILD IDEA LIST

Looking for some more STEAM inspiration that you can use right now? Instant gratification style? Check out STEAM Explorers!! The coolest creative experience for kids is here! It's a digital book of the month club filled with tons of fun stuff for the kids to do and learn. All engineer, teacher, and mom-approved. And most definitely KID APPROVED!⁣

What’s included?⁣

A monthly digital magazine with cool themes that are fun to read
Hands-on, exciting projects the kids will love.⁣
Science, tech, engineering, art, and math learning YOU’LL love.⁣
Delicious recipes the kids can make.⁣
Fun printables and games⁣

Join us as we explore the GARDEN in June with STEAM Explorers!! Kids will love creating art for the garden, exploring the magic of vegetables (really!), and capturing critters in their garden journal! You'll love the helpful standards-based learning, printables, and tools that make STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math) exploration easy!

We’ve split the STEAM Explorers Garden issue into four weekly themes:

This issue has four weekly themes to inspire your kiddos:
WEEK 1: FANTASTIC FLOWERS
WEEK 2: GARDEN CRITTERS
WEEK 3: GROWING FOOD
WEEK 4: GARDEN MAGIC

28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids

These projects are part of an amazing, month-long series of hands-on STEM and STEAM projects for kids. Click on over to 28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids for 60+ FREE science, tech, engineering, art, and math projects from 30+ education writers. All ready to get your kids excited to learn.

28 days of STEM and STEAM activities for kids

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11 Entertaining Projects for Engineers With Household Items

Stuck in isolation these projects will keep you busy and entertained. all the things you need are household items..

Trevor English

11 Entertaining Projects for Engineers With Household Items

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Are you an engineer stuck at home in self-isolation? You’re probably itching to make or create something to keep your technical and creative juices flowing. While you could certainly be learning how to code or doing something computer-based, nothing beats getting out and actually creating a functioning machine or project with your hands.

For that reason, we’ve compiled 11 weekend or weekday DIY projects that engineers will likely love. Take a look.

1. Egg drop

We’ll kick off this list by recommending you work on a project that harkens back to many engineers’ high school days: the egg drop! Most high school physics classes will employ the egg drop project to teach students about shock absorption, acceleration , and crumple zones. It’s an effective project in that it offers immediate results to the effectiveness of your design.

Test your engineering skills to see what contraption you can build to make an egg survive a great fall or throw. Take a look at these sample rules for help getting started.

2. Rubber band or mousetrap car

Harkening back to nostalgia again, try building a mousetrap car. Many of us remember the mousetrap car as one of our first introductions to mechanics and kinetics, but now that we’re educated engineers, don’t you think we’d do a better job at it?

The rules of creating a mousetrap car are simple, using only the energy stored up in a mousetrap, try to see how far and or fast you can make your car go. You can watch the video below for tips and tricks, but it might spoil all the fun.

3. Rube Goldberg machine

Rube Goldberg machines are the perfect use of engineering talent all for a fairly useless or meaningless goal. Why not try your hand at designing a long string of mechanical and/or kinetic interactions, all with the goal of doing something simple, like, starting a kettle to boil, or perhaps, swiping right on Tinder?

Take a look at the video below for some common techniques to keep in mind while engineering a Rube Goldberg machine. The best part is that you can use literally any object in your home, and the device never has to end!

4. Van de Graaf generator

Van de Graaf generators are fun demonstration tools for static electricity . They’re safe ways to make our hair stand on end or give us simple shocks. While you might think that you’d need to shell out some cash to get a large one, it turns out that with a few simple tools, you can build one at home.

This is probably the most “dangerous” project on this list. However, what’s being an engineer if you don’t have to mitigate some risk every once in a while.

5. PVC longbow

This next project requires that you have a few more uncommon things in your house, but they’re still common enough that we thought we should include this on the list. If you like archery, then try making your very own longbow out of PVC.

With a few simple modifications, you can turn a 5 to 6-foot length of PVC tubing into a highly accurate longbow. If you don’t have arrows already on hand, try making some out of dowels or even rolled-up newspapers, as the Mythbusters did!

6. A wire Klann mechanism

Many of us probably have a spool of wire in our utility closet or in a junk drawer. Wire, assuming it’s a sturdy gauge, is a great material to start building simple mechanisms out of. Utilizing wire, you can build a Klann mechanism, like what’s seen in the video below. You can also build a ton of other wireframe mechanisms as well; it’s all up to your mechanical skill.

7. Build an electric skateboard

If you have a skateboard and a cordless drill, you might have enough to make a rather speedy and sturdy electric skateboard. The drill can act as a motor and handheld controller. Through some mechanical connections, you can transfer the rotation of the drill in your hand into the wheels of the skateboard, propelling you forward.

Check out our article on the topic here to learn how to build it.

8. Build a wind turbine

Since the coronavirus is causing global panic and meltdown, it might be time to start prepping for the apocalypse. If it isn’t already here, that is…

One of the best ways to do that is by finding a source of power that isn’t reliant on the energy grid. With that in mind, try building a DIY wind turbine generator that can power your phone or a lightbulb. This is not only a fun project but one that might turn out to be pretty useful. Get the instructions here .

9. Make a carbon filament light bulb

Did you know that you can make your very own lightbulb? This may seem impractical or unnecessary, but after you build your homemade wind turbine , why not use it to power your homemade light bulb? That’s sure to get you a few million hits on YouTube.

Take a look at the video below to learn how to create your very own lightbulb using graphite from a pencil.

10. Hydraulic excavator toy

If you have any old syringes lying around (minus the needle), then you can utilize them to make miniature hydraulic machines. The mechanisms of syringes are basically miniature hydraulic pistons , to begin with, so you can have a lot of fun utilizing them in home-built toys.

The video below will give you a good idea of how far you can take this project, like building a fully functional toy excavator.

11. Build a phone charger

Staying connected to your mobile phone is another big necessity, which means that you need to find a way to charge it. If the power is out or if you just want a creative way to charge your phone, you can build a phone charger utilizing an old computer fan. Most electric motors from devices work in reverse. This means that they can be used to generate electricity if you supply rotational energy.

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ABOUT THE EDITOR

Trevor English Trevor is a civil engineer (B.S.) by trade and an accomplished writer with a passion for inspiring everyone with new and exciting technologies. He is also a published children’s book author and the producer for the YouTube channel Concerning Reality.

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Top 10 Interesting Engineering Projects Ideas & Topics in 2024

Greetings, fellow engineers! As someone deeply immersed in the world of innovation and problem-solving, I’m excited to share some captivating engineering project ideas for 2024. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working on numerous projects that pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in engineering.

The demand for innovative solutions to complex challenges is ever-present in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an aspiring engineer, exploring new project ideas can ignite creativity and spark inspiration.

In this article, I’ll draw from my own experiences and insights to present a curated list of top 10 engineering project ideas for 2024. From cutting-edge advancements in renewable energy to revolutionary developments in robotics and artificial intelligence, these projects promise to captivate your imagination and drive meaningful impact. Let’s embark on this journey of exploration and innovation together!

Tips for Selecting Science Project Work

Before you dive into a particular simple project ideas for engineering students spend some time charting out the fundamentals. Here is a summary of the steps you must follow during the ideation, implementation, and post-completion phases.

Explore your interest areas

Start the journey by looking at your interests. That means searching topics within the realm of science that intrigue you the most. Is it entirely biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, environmental science, or something else? Choosing a project that aligns with your passions will make the process more enjoyable and engaging.

Define a Clear Objective

Before settling on a project, establish a clear objective. What do you want to achieve with your project? Whether exploring a specific scientific phenomenon, answering a research question, or solving a practical problem, having a well-defined goal will guide your project’s direction.

Consider Feasibility

Assess the resources available – time, materials, equipment, and expertise. Make sure that your chosen project is realistic within your constraints. A project that’s too ambitious might lead to frustration, while one that’s too simple might not offer enough depth.

Research Existing Work

Conduct thorough research to understand what’s already been done in your chosen area of interest. This will help you avoid duplicating existing work and give you insights into gaps or opportunities for further exploration.

Brainstorm Ideas

Generate a list of potential project ideas for engineering students. Consider your questions about the natural World or problems you’d like to solve. Brainstorming allows you to explore various options before narrowing down to the most compelling idea.

Focus on Originality

While it’s important to research existing work, strive to bring originality to your project. Look for ways to approach a topic from a new angle, add a unique twist, or combine different areas of science to create something novel.

Consider Relevance

Select a engineering project ideas that has relevance and real-world implications. Projects that address current issues, like environmental concerns or medical advancements, tend to have greater impact and significance.

Testable Hypothesis

Formulate a clear and testable hypothesis for your project. A hypothesis is a statement that predicts the outcome of your experiment or investigation. It serves as the foundation of your project’s methodology and analysis.

Plan Your Experiment

Design a detailed plan for conducting your experiment or investigation. Outline the materials you’ll need, the procedure you’ll follow, and the data you’ll collect. A well-structured experiment ensures accurate results and a smoother project experience.

Seek Guidance

Consult with teachers, mentors, or experts in the field. Their insights can help refine your project idea, guide experimental design, and offer valuable feedback.

Embrace Challenges

Science projects for engineering students often come with unexpected challenges and setbacks. Embrace these as learning opportunities. Problem-solving and adapting to unforeseen circumstances are valuable skills in the World of science.

Ethical Considerations

If your project involves human subjects, animals, or potentially hazardous materials, ensure that you adhere to ethical guidelines and obtain any necessary permissions or approvals.

Keep a Detailed Record

Maintain a thorough lab notebook or project journal to document every step of your project – from initial ideas and experimental setups to results and conclusions. This documentation is crucial for presenting your work and validating your findings.

Analyze Results

Once your experiment is complete, analyze the data you’ve collected. Interpret the results in the context of your hypothesis and draw meaningful conclusions.

Communicate Your Findings

Present your innovative project ideas for engineering students findings through a report, presentation, or poster. Effective communication of your work is essential for sharing your discoveries and insights with others.

Looking to challenge yourself or expand your portfolio? Check out our curated list of computer science project ideas to inspire your next groundbreaking project.

Top 10 Engineering Projects in 2024

1. electronics.

Electronics projects deal with circuits, resistors, microcontrollers, etc. You can find many examples of electronic appliances that are integrated with emerging technology features. For instance, you may come across a speed detecting device that flashes a laser beam when a vehicle exceeds the predetermined limit. Or a device that can track electricity usage and send updates to your smartphone via SMS. If you are into data authentication, you can build a biometric system that confirms user IDs based on their fingerprint.

You can also choose a topic depending upon the industry or sector, such as:

Agriculture: Powered tiller and weeder for farms; Android-based monitoring device for greenhouse environments; tracking system for solar panels.
Biomedical: Heart rate and temperature monitoring device for patients; Bluetooth or WiFi transmission device for ECG signals.
Spatial/Locational: Arduino-based GPS tracker; remotely operated vehicles.
Home assistance: Door locking system through password mechanism; home appliances Control through a smartphone; water level indicators for tanks.

Source Code: Electronics

2. Mechanical

Mechanical engineering project ideas span across automation, mechatronics, and robotics, sometimes requiring cross-disciplinary knowledge. You can discover standard applications in the following areas:

Energy and Environment: Wind and solar power charging station, Food shredder compost machine.
Home appliances: Air purifier and humidifier; solar water heater; mattress deep cleaning device.
Manufacturing: Wireless material handling system; automatic hydraulic jack; automobile prototyping.
Ecommerce: Automatic sorting system using images; theft-proof delivery robot.

Additionally, you can delve into the world of three-dimensional objects and computer-aided design with 3D printers. Building a 3D printer from scratch will bring a practical dimension to your knowledge of additive manufacturing, CAD models, RAMPS Boards, SMPS and Motor Drivers, Arduino Programming, etc.

Source Code: Mechanical

3. Robotics

Robotics is a multidisciplinary field specializing in electronics, mechanical engineering, and artificial intelligence technologies. It is expected to transform lives and how we work in the recent future. To stay one step ahead of the change, you can try out any of the following project ideas and master different robotics skills.

Surveillance robot that captures live video footage and transmits to remote locations over the internet.
Mobile-controlled robotic arm with multiple degrees of freedom.
A voice-controlled robot that uses speech recognition, android app development, Bluetooth communication, and Arduino programming to perform specific tasks.
An intelligent robot that can solve a problem, such as come out of a maze puzzle.
A fire-fighting robot, equipped with digital IR sensors and a DC fan, detects the fire and moves to put it off.

Source Code: Robotics

4. Machine Learning

Machine Learning (ML) projects can help you gain conceptual clarity and hands-on experience in applying Mean Squared Error Function, Update Function, Linear Regression , Gaussian Naive Bayes Algorithm , Confusion Matrix, Tensor Flow & Keras Libraries, Clustering, among other things.

Sentiment analysis (using text mining and computational linguistics) to uncover customer options and market trends.
Credit Card fraud detection project using ML algorithms and Python language.
A recommendation engine that suggests movie titles based on a user’s viewing history.
Handwritten digit organizer that applies deep learning like convolutional neural networks.

Source Code: Machine Learning

5. Data Science and Analytics

Budding data scientists can choose from various projects and tutorials to learn web scraping , data cleaning, exploratory data analysis or EDA, data visualization , etc.

Below are some examples:

Web scraping project uses Scrapy or Beautiful Soup to crawl public data sets on the internet for relevant insights.
Data scrubbing project that introduces you to the fundamentals of removing incorrect and duplicate data, managing gaps, and ensuring consistent formatting.
EDA project where you ask questions about the data, discover its underlying structure, look for patterns and anomalies, test hypotheses, validate assumptions, and so on.
A visualization and manipulation project using R and its various packages.

Source Code: Data Science and Analytics

6. Computer Vision

Computer Vision is a subfield of Artificial Intelligence, encompassing object recognition, image processing, facial recognition , among other things. You can develop a text scanner with optical character recognition capabilities and display the text on a screen. Or build an intelligent selfie device that takes snaps when you smile and stores them on your smartphone.

Free tools like Lobe can help you select the right architecture for Computer Vision projects involving image classification. Once you have trained the model, deploying it on a website only takes a few simple steps.

Source Code: Computer Vision

7. Internet of Things (IoT)

Budding software professionals can implement several projects to gain familiarity with IoT concepts and applications, Arduino architecture and programming, interfacing and calibrating sensors, and integration of cloud platforms.

Consider these two examples:

Smart Building Project: You can develop a system that senses the number of occupants to switch the lights on or off automatically. You can further analyze the usage of rooms, occupancy at different times of the day, and the total power consumed.
Automated Street Lighting: Here, you build a public street lighting system capable of adjusting according to the amount of sunlight present. It is an energy-efficient solution that sends data to a cloud for storage and analysis.

Source Code: Internet of Things

8. Python Projects

Python has extensive use cases spanning web development , data science, and machine learning. Beginner programmers can hone their python language skills with the following project ideas:

QR code generation encodes data like contact details, YouTube links, app download links, digital transaction details, etc.
GUI application using Tkinter that you can use to generate the calendar for any year.
An application that converts images into pencil sketches with the aid of the OpenCV library.

Source Code: Python Projects

9. Android App Projects

As advanced mobile technologies gain prominence across global markets, Android app development is necessary from a tech career perspective. Engineering projects can bring you up to speed with Java, Firebase, networking basics, and the launch process on Playstore. You can start your quest with any of these platforms.

Flutter Project: Learn to build apps for authentication activities using the Dart programming language.
Android Studio Project: Try your hand at creating online stores, fitness apps, social media apps, etc.

Source Code: Android App Projects

10. Cloud Computing

The possibilities for cloud computing projects are endless: Bring software development and IT operations together with a DevOps project , or host static websites on the Amazon Web Service (AWS) or Azure platforms. With regular practice, you can move on to building dynamic websites and go serverless with your applications and services. Since cloud computing is among India’s leading technology skills, pursuing project work on this topic will give you an edge in job applications as well.

Source Code: cloud computing

Other Engineering Projects

Civil engineers and architects can also utilize projects to combine domain knowledge with smart technologies and project management tools. Such projects typically train you in 3D modeling, rendering techniques, critical path method, project budgeting techniques, etc.

Learn Software Development Courses online from the World’s top Universities. Earn Executive PG Programs, Advanced Certificate Programs or Masters Programs to fast-track your career.

Wrapping up

I’ve compiled some exciting engineering project ideas for students to explore. Consider upskilling with upGrad’s online courses to implement industry projects and build a stellar portfolio, setting yourself apart from the competition. For instance, the Full stack Development Program from Purdue University offers comprehensive training for mastering the intricacies of full-stack development and building complete applications.

Don’t hesitate. Choose the right program and embark on your learning journey today!

Rohit Sharma

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Project work refines students’ problem-solving, organisational, and time management skills as it demands a hands-on approach. Typically, engineering candidates have to undertake projects in their final year to earn the necessary credits. However, young professionals looking to advance their careers can also utilise projects to showcase their technical skills to prospective employers.

From machine learning and robotics to python and analytics, a wide range of project topics are available for aspirants today. Most of the instructions and documentation can be accessed from open-source online platforms and replicated for building specific technical skill sets.

Engineering projects are usually based on current, real-life problems. Organisations need people who are familiar with the industry trends. While implementing a project, you get to research your topic extensively and also understand the future scope of a subject area. Such insights are highly valuable from an employers’ perspective. Moreover, project portfolios add a touch of professionalism to your overall profile.

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Genetic Engineering | Science Research Project Template #14 | Biology | Life Sciences

Subject: Biology

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

25 June 2024

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This research project template provides the perfect grab and go, print and provide resource that can supplement lessons. It is an project template with questions to check comprehension and inspire scientific thinking. It gives a rich and supportive framework that can be tweaked as needed for students to support differentiation.

Each research project template includes space for a one paragraph summary (that may or may not link to the 2 page science article also available on this topic). Students should produce a mathematical connection, an engineering / technology connection, 2 interesting facts / stats. Further there are 5 glossary terms they should fill in with their own words and 3 thought provoking questions (ie: critical thinking questions) they must answer. Finally, each template has 3 alternative thought provoking questions for younger students and 3 other alternative harder questions to extend high flying or older students. Giving you a total of 9 possible thought provoking questions that could be used with students to enhance their research and critical thinking.

This template is some of my best work and I am proud to share it with you.

WHY / WHEN TO USE:

Useful for substitute (sub) teaching
To extend students
To increase scientific literacy and research skills in your class
Great as a lesson filler when class goes too fast and you need a long running task
To inspire students on a particular topic
As a scaffold to support students who need support on research skills and can use a framework
To enhance critical thinking when doing research and making a relevant and interesting output
Give a selection of these research project templates for students to choose from
To enhance students ability to express ideas and synthesis knowledge

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

5 page Word doc teacher version with supporting appendix items
3 page Word doc student version with room to fill in answers (text boxes)
5 page PDF teacher version with supporting appendix items
3 page PDF student version with space to fill in answers

More will be coming to cover other subjects and other topics, so please do keep an eye out for more science articles from The Teaching Astrophysicist!

If you have any questions, please feel to DM me on instagram @theteachingastrophysicist

Let’s Connect! - All under the handle - The Teaching Astrophysicist

Be sure to follow my:

★ Instagram

★ Pinterest

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 17%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

Genetic Engineering | Science Research Project + Article #14 | Biology | Life Science

Being able to tweak genetics of organisms for better growth, resilience to weather and different genetic traits. Genetic engineering has unlocked quite a lot of different possibilities and will be important for future develops in biology and technology. Therefore, this teaching resource can help get your students up to speed, please do enjoy! The research project template provides the perfect grab and go, print and provide resource that can supplement lessons. It is an project template with questions to check comprehension and inspire scientific thinking. It gives a rich and supportive framework that can be tweaked as needed for students to support differentiation. Each research project template includes space for a one paragraph summary (that may or may not link to the 2 page science article also available on this topic). Students should produce a mathematical connection, an engineering / technology connection, 2 interesting facts / stats. Further there are 5 glossary terms they should fill in with their own words and 3 thought provoking questions (ie: critical thinking questions) they must answer. Finally, each template has 3 alternative thought provoking questions for younger students and 3 other alternative harder questions to extend high flying or older students. Giving you a total of 9 possible thought provoking questions that could be used with students to enhance their research and critical thinking. The template is some of my best work and I am proud to share it with you. The science article provides the perfect grab and go, print and provide resource that can supplement lessons. It is an article with questions to check comprehension and inspire scientific thinking. I am very proud of this series of science articles and they are rich with information and wonder at the majesty of science. Each science article includes a fun fact(s) to add to the knowledge gained from this article. Formatted in an easy to read and digest manner, each paragraph is numbered to help with referencing and each question answer has a paragraph reference number to point to the specific information (where applicable). WHY / WHEN TO USE: * Useful for substitute (sub) teaching * To extend students * To increase scientific literacy and research skills in your class * Great as a lesson filler when class goes too fast and you need a long running task * To inspire students on a particular topic * As a scaffold to support students who need support on research skills and can use a framework * To enhance critical thinking when doing research and making a relevant and interesting output * Give a selection of these research project templates for students to choose from * To enhance students ability to express ideas and synthesis knowledge * To increase scientific literacy in your class * A weekly reading / research task WHAT'S INCLUDED: Research Project Template * 5 page Google doc teacher version with supporting appendix items * 3 page Google doc student version with room to fill in answers (text boxes) * 5 page PDF teacher version with supporting appendix items * 3 page PDF student version with space to fill in answers Science Article * 3 page Google doc teacher version with answers * 2 page Google doc student version with room to fill in answers (text boxes) * 3 page PDF teacher version with answers * 2 page PDF student version without answers (but space left to do so) More will be coming to cover other subjects and other topics, so please do keep an eye out for more science articles from The Teaching Astrophysicist! If you have any questions, please feel to DM me on instagram @theteachingastrophysicist Let's Connect! - All under the handle - The Teaching Astrophysicist Be sure to follow my: ★ Blog ★ Instagram ★ Linkedin ★ Pinterest

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Electrical and Computer Engineering

College of Engineering

MS in Artificial Intelligence

The Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence–Electrical and Computer Engineering is a three-semester (97-unit) program that offers students the opportunity to gain state-of-the-art artificial intelligence knowledge from an engineering perspective. Today, AI is driving significant innovation across products, services, and systems in every industry, and tomorrow’s AI engineers will have the advantage.

ECE students within the program will learn how to design and build AI-orchestrated systems capable of operating within engineering constraints. At Carnegie Mellon, we are leading this transformation by teaching students how to simultaneously design a system’s functionality and supporting AI mechanisms, including both its AI algorithms and the platform on which the AI runs, to produce systems that are more adaptable, resilient, and trustworthy.

Students pursuing the MS in AI will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of artificial intelligence methods, systems, tool chains, and cross-cutting issues, including security, privacy, and other ethical, societal, and policy challenges
Apply ECE concepts and tools to enable AI systems and produce AI tools
Be informed practitioners of AI methods to solve ECE and related problems, applying ECE domain knowledge whenever possible to enhance AI effectiveness
Understand the limits of AI systems and apply these techniques within these limits
Evaluate trade-offs involving technical capabilities and limitations, policy, and ethics in artificial intelligent systems

Admission Requirements

Students with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering or a related discipline with an interest in the intersection of AI and engineering are encouraged to apply to this program.

Interested students should be able to demonstrate proficiency in:

Programming (Python preferred) for data analysis
Probability/statistics such as probability distributions, joint and conditional probability, independence, marginalization, Bayes rules, and maximum likelihood estimation
Linear algebra topics such as matrix operations, linear transformations, projections, matrix derivatives, and eigendecomposition

Curriculum Requirements

The goal of the MS in Artificial Intelligence–Electrical and Computer Engineering degree is for students to gain exposure to the three domain pillars of artificial intelligence:

Producers —develop tools that go beyond black box and align with physical systems Enablers —develop infrastructure needed to realize AI-engineered systems Consumers —use and analyze AI/ML for domain applications

Students will achieve this via the following curriculum:

42 units of ECE AI Core Courses
36 units of ECE AI Domain Courses
18 units of General Elective Courses
1 unit of Introduction to Graduate Studies ( 18-989 )

A. ECE AI Core Courses

18-763 Systems and Tool Chains for AI Engineering (12 units; Enablers )

Machine Learning

18-661 Introduction to Machine Learning for Engineers (12 units; Producers )

Deep Learning

18-780 Introduction to Deep Learning Part I (6 units; Producers ) OR
18-790 Introduction to Deep Learning and Pattern Recognition for Computer Vision Part I (6 units; Producers )
24-784 Trustworthy and Ethical AI Engineering (12 units)

B. ECE AI Domain Elective Courses

Consumers Domain Elective Coursework (12 units required)

Data Analytics for the Semiconductor Industry ( 18-663 )
Advanced Digital Signal Processing ( 18-792 )
Image and Video Processing ( 18-793 )
Speech Recognition and Understanding ( 18-781 )

Remaining AI Domain Elective Units (24 units required)

Foundations of Computer Systems ( 18-613 , Enablers)
Hardware Arithmetic for Machine Learning ( 18-640 , Enablers)
Optimization ( 18-660 , Producers)
Principles and Engineering Applications of AI ( 18-662 , Producers)
Advanced Probability & Statistics for Engineers ( 18-665 , Producers)
Algorithms for Large-Scale Distributed Machine Learning and Optimization ( 18-667 , Producers)
Applied Stochastic Processes ( 18-751 , Producers)
Estimation, Detection, and Learning ( 18-752 , Producers)
Information Theory Measures for Artificial and Natural Intelligence Systems ( 18-753 , Producers)
Deep Generative Modeling ( 18-789 , Producers)
Special Topics - Graph Signal Processing and Learning ( 18-898D , Producers)
Data Analytics for the Semiconductor Industry ( 18-663 , Consumers)
Advanced Digital Signal Processing ( 18-792 , Consumers)
Image and Video Processing ( 18-793 , Consumers)
Speech Recognition and Understanding ( 18-781 , Consumers)
MS Graduate Project - AIE (18-985, no domain)*

C. General Elective Courses

18 units of General Elective Courses must be taken as follows.

ECE Technical Elective

6 units must be fulfilled by any 18-6XX course or above.

General Technical Elective

12 units must be fulfilled by any course that is 600 level or above from the following approved departments.

*Please note: A maximum of 12 units of undergraduate coursework (XX-300 to XX-599) can qualify to be substituted toward the 18 units of General Elective Courses. Qualifying coursework must be offered by the same departments approved below.

Electrical and Computer Engineering (18)
Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT) (39)
Biomedical Engineering (42)
Chemical Engineering (06)
Civil & Environmental Engineering (12)
Engineering & Public Policy (19)
Information Network Institute (14)
Integrated Innovation Institute (49)
Materials Science & Engineering (27)
Mechanical Engineering (24)
CMU–Africa (04)

Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Statistics (36)
Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (86)
Heinz School of Information Systems (95)
Heinz College-Wide Courses (94)

Mellon College of Science (MCS)

Biological Sciences (03)
Chemistry (09)
Mathematical Sciences (21)
Physics (33)

School of Computer Science (SCS)

Computational Biology (02)
Computer Science (15)
Entertainment Technology Center (53)
Institute for Software Research (08)
Robotics Institute (16)
Human–Computer Interaction Institute (05)
Language Technologies Institute (11)
Machine Learning (10)
Software Engineering (17)

Tepper School of Business (TEP)

Tepper School of Business (45)

Additional courses outside of these programs that are approved to be counted toward General Technical Elective Coursework:

46-926, 46-929
47-830, 47-834
57-947, 57948
85-705, 85-777
90-756, 90-808

For students interested in pursuing a summer internship, 3 units of Internship for Electrical and Computer Engineering MS Students ( 18-994 ) may be used toward the 18 units of additional MS coursework.

D. Introduction to Graduate Studies

1 unit of Introduction to Graduate Studies (18-989) must be taken.

This course must be completed in your first semester.

E. MS Graduate Project coursework

MS AI–ECE students may take up to 27 project units that can count toward their degree requirements. Only 15 units of MS Graduate Project can be taken in any given semester.

A maximum of 12 project units can be applied to the ECE AI Domain unit requirements. Students must get approval from the instructor that a project is sufficiently AI-focused for it to fulfill domain unit requirements. Students can use the Student Project Tracker (SPT) website to apply for a project and work with their primary advisor for course approval and registration.

*Please note that the Intensive Project Option is not available for ECE AI Students.

Helpful links

Visit Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh handbook

Maximum units allowed

Endless Opportunities

Whether pursuing academia or industry, this degree uniquely positions students for the future of research and high-demand careers with a mastery of integrating engineering domain knowledge into AI solutions.

For additional information about this college-wide initiative, please visit the College of Engineering's MS in AI Engineering website .

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

Master government list of federally funded r&d centers.

Master Government List of Federally Funded R&D Centers: FY 2024

Aerospace Federally Funded Research and Development Center Administrator: The Aerospace Corporation Location: El Segundo, CA Sponsor: Department of Defense , Department of the Air Force
Ames Laboratory Administrator: Iowa State University Location: Ames, IA Sponsor: Department of Energy
Argonne National Laboratory Administrator: UChicago Argonne, LLC Location: Argonne, IL Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 1 January 2007, the Argonne National Laboratory acquired a new university administrator (UChicago Argonne, LLC). The previous administrator was the University of Chicago.
Arroyo Center Administrator: RAND Corp. Location: Santa Monica, CA Sponsor: Department of Defense , Department of the Army Notes: The following portions of the RAND Corporation are FFRDCs: National Defense Research Institute (formerly Defense/Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), Project Air Force, and the Arroyo Center.
Brookhaven National Laboratory Administrator: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC Location: Upton, NY Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 1 March 1998, Brookhaven National Laboratory acquired a new nonprofit administrator (Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC). The previous administrator was a university consortium.
Center for Advanced Aviation System Development Administrator: MITRE Corp. Location: McLean, VA Sponsor: Department of Transportation , Federal Aviation Administration
Center for Communications and Computing Administrator: Institute for Defense Analyses Location: Alexandria, VA Sponsor: Department of Defense , National Security Agency/Central Security Service
Center for Enterprise Modernization Administrator: MITRE Corporation Location: McLean, VA Sponsor: Department of the Treasury , Internal Revenue Service ; Department of Veterans Affairs ; Social Security Administration ; Department of Commerce Notes: On 26 August 2022 the Department of Commerce was designated a co-sponsor of the Center for Enterprise Modernization (CEM). In July 2018, the Social Security Administration was designated a co-sponsor of the CEM. In 2013, the Department of Treasury assumed primary sponsorship, with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) having formal delegation to manage, administer, and execute the CEM agreements on behalf of Treasury. On 1 October 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs was designated a co-sponsor of the CEM. In August 2001, the IRS Federally Funded Research and Development Center was renamed the Center for Enterprise Modernization. In 1998, the IRS established the IRS Federally Funded Research and Development Center.
Center for Naval Analyses Administrator: The CNA Corporation Location: Arlington, VA Sponsor: Department of Defense , Department of the Navy Notes: The Center for Naval Analyses relocated from Alexandria, VA, to Arlington, VA, in 2014.
Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses Administrator: Southwest Research Institute Location: San Antonio, TX Sponsor: Nuclear Regulatory Commission
CMS Alliance to Modernize Healthcare Administrator: MITRE Corp. Location: Baltimore, MD Sponsor: Department of Health and Human Services , Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Notes: On 15 August 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Federally Funded Research and Development Center changed its name to the CMS Alliance to Modernize Healthcare. On 27 September 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Federally Funded Research and Development Center was created.
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Administrator: Fermi Research Alliance, LLC Location: Batavia, IL Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 1 October 2006, the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory acquired a new university administrator (Fermi Research Alliance, LLC). The previous administrator was Universities Research Association, Inc.
Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Administrator: Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Location: Frederick, MD Sponsor: Department of Health and Human Services , National Institutes of Health Notes: On 27 September 2013, the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research's administrator changed names from SAIC-Frederick, Inc., a subsidiary of Science Applications International Corp. to Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. On 28 February 2012, the National Cancer Institute at Frederick (NCI-Frederick) changed its name to the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. On 26 September 2008, NCI-Frederick acquired a single industrial firm Administrator: SAIC-Frederick, Inc., a subsidiary of Science Applications International Corp. The previous administration was conducted under a system of four industrial firm contractors: SAIC-Frederick, Inc., a subsidiary of Science Applications International Corp.; Charles River Laboratories, Inc.; Data Management Services, Inc.; and Wilson Information Services, Inc. In 2001, the name of this FFRDC was changed from Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center to the National Cancer Institute at Frederick.
Green Bank Observatory Administrator: Associated Universities, Inc. Location: Green Bank, WV Sponsor: National Science Foundation Notes: On 1 October 2016, Green Bank Observatory was split out from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory; both retained FFRDC status.
Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center Administrator: RAND Corp. Location: Arlington, VA Sponsor: Department of Homeland Security , Science and Technology Directorate Notes: In 2019, the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center relocated from Crystal City, VA, to Pentagon City, VA. On 15 September 2016, the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center was created.
Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute Administrator: MITRE Corp. Location: McLean, VA Sponsor: Department of Homeland Security , Science and Technology Directorate Notes: On 5 March 2009, the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute was created. This new FFRDC together with the Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute replaced the Homeland Security Institute.
Idaho National Laboratory Administrator: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC Location: Idaho Falls, ID Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 1 February 2005, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory was renamed the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). At the same time, INL's administrator, Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC, was replaced by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Administrator: California Institute of Technology Location: Pasadena, CA Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Administrator: University of California Location: Berkeley, CA Sponsor: Department of Energy
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Administrator: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC Location: Livermore, CA Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 1 October 2007, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory acquired a new industrial firm administrator (Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC). The previous administrator was the University of California.
Lincoln Laboratory Administrator: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Location: Lexington, MA Sponsor: Department of Defense , Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Notes: On 1 February 2018, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics was split into two offices, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. After the split, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering became the sponsor for the Lincoln Laboratory. On 25 April 2011, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics became the sponsor of the Lincoln Laboratory. The previous sponsor was the Department of the Air Force.
Los Alamos National Laboratory Administrator: Triad National Security, LLC Location: Los Alamos, NM Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 9 June 2018, Los Alamos National Laboratory acquired a new industrial firm administration (Triad National Security, LLC). Between June 2006 and June 2018, Los Alamos National Laboratory was administered by Los Alamos National Security, LLC. Prior to June 2006, the administrator was the University of California.
National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center Administrator: Battelle National Biodefense Institute Location: Frederick, MD Sponsor: Department of Homeland Security , Science and Technology Directorate
National Center for Atmospheric Research Administrator: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Location: Boulder, CO Sponsor: National Science Foundation
National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Administrator: MITRE Corp. Location: Rockville, MD Sponsor: Department of Commerce , National Institute of Standards and Technology Notes: On 19 September 2014, the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence was created.
National Defense Research Institute Administrator: RAND Corp. Location: Santa Monica, CA Sponsor: Department of Defense , Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Notes: On 1 February 2018, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics was split into two offices, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. After the split, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment became the sponsor for the National Defense Research Institute. On 25 April 2011, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics became the sponsor of the National Defense Research Institute. The previous sponsor was the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

The following portions of the RAND Corporation are FFRDCs: National Defense Research Institute (formerly Defense/Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), Project Air Force, and the Arroyo Center.

National Radio Astronomy Observatory Administrator: Associated Universities, Inc. Location: Charlottesville, VA Sponsor: National Science Foundation Notes: On 1 October 2016, Green Bank Observatory was split out from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory; both retained FFRDC status.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Administrator: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC Location: Golden, CO Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 29 July 2008, National Renewable Energy Laboratory acquired a new nonprofit administrator (Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC).
National Security Engineering Center Administrator: MITRE Corp. Location: Bedford, MA, and McLean, VA Sponsor: Department of Defense , Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Notes: On 1 February 2018, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics was split into two offices, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. After the split, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering became the sponsor for the National Security Engineering Center. On 25 April 2011, C3I Federally Funded Research and Development Center changed its name to the National Security Engineering Center, and it changed its sponsor from the Office of the Secretary of Defense to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
National Solar Observatory Administrator: Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. Location: Boulder, CO Sponsor: National Science Foundation Notes: In 2015, the National Solar Observatory relocated its headquarters from Sunspot, NM to Boulder, CO. On 1 October 2009, the National Solar Observatory split from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory; both retained FFRDC status.
NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory Administrator: Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. Location: Tucson, AZ Sponsor: National Science Foundation Notes: On 1 October 2019, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory was renamed NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory. The new laboratory also incorporates operations of the International Gemini Observatory and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. On 1 October 2009, the National Solar Observatory split from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory; both retained FFRDC status. Between February 1984 and September 2009, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory included three former FFRDCs: Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Kitt Peak National Observatory, and the National Solar Observatory (formerly Sacramento Peak Observatory).
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Administrator: UT-Battelle, LLC Location: Oak Ridge, TN Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 1 April 2000, Oak Ridge National Laboratory acquired a new nonprofit administrator (UT-Battelle, LLC). The previous administrator was the industrial firm Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Administrator: Battelle Memorial Institute Location: Richland, WA Sponsor: Department of Energy
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Administrator: Princeton University Location: Princeton, NJ Sponsor: Department of Energy
Project Air Force Administrator: RAND Corp. Location: Santa Monica, CA Sponsor: Department of Defense , Department of the Air Force Notes: The following portions of the RAND Corporation are FFRDCs: National Defense Research Institute (formerly Defense/Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), Project Air Force, and the Arroyo Center.
Sandia National Laboratories Administrator: National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC Location: Albuquerque, NM Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 1 May 2017, Sandia National Laboratories acquired a new administrator (National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc.). The previous administrator was Sandia Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp.
Savannah River National Laboratory Administrator: Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC Location: Aiken, SC Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 22 December 2020, Savannah River National Laboratory acquired a new nonprofit administrator, Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC. The previous administrator, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, continues to administer the Savannah River Site. On 1 August 2007, Savannah River National Laboratory acquired a new industrial firm administrator (Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC).
Science and Technology Policy Institute Administrator: Institute for Defense Analyses Location: Washington, DC Sponsor: National Science Foundation Notes: On 1 December 2003, RAND Corp. was replaced by the Institute for Defense Analyses as the administrator of the Science and Technology Policy Institute.
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Administrator: Stanford University Location: Menlo Park, CA Sponsor: Department of Energy Notes: On 15 October 2008, the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center was renamed the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
Software Engineering Institute Administrator: Carnegie Mellon University Location: Pittsburgh, PA Sponsor: Department of Defense , Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Notes: On 1 February 2018, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics was split into two offices, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. After the split, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering became the sponsor for the Software Engineering Institute. On 25 April 2011, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. became the sponsor of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). The Office of the Secretary of Defense was the sponsor between 28 April 2010 and 24 April 2011. The Department of the Army was the sponsor between December 2004 and 27 April 2010. The Office of the Secretary of Defense was the sponsor between June 1997 and December 2004. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency was the sponsor from 1984 to June 1997.
Systems and Analyses Center Administrator: Institute for Defense Analyses Location: Alexandria, VA Sponsor: Department of Defense , Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Notes: On 1 February 2018, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics was split into two offices, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. After the split, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment became the sponsor for the Systems and Analyses Center. On 11 June 2013, the Studies and Analyses Center changed its name to the Systems and Analyses Center. On 25 April 2011, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics became the sponsor of the Studies and Analysis Center. The previous sponsor was the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility Administrator: Jefferson Science Associates, LLC Location: Newport News, VA Sponsor: Department of Energy

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20 Years After ‘Hyper-X,’ UVA Team Makes NASA Hypersonic Breakthrough

Wind Tunnel Study Shows Hypersonic Jet Engine Flow Can Be Controlled Optically

What if the future of space travel were to look less like Space-X’s rocket-based Starship and more like NASA’s “Hyper-X,” the hypersonic jet plane that, 20 years ago this year, flew faster than any other aircraft before or since?

In 2004, NASA’s final X-43A unmanned prototype tests were a milestone in the latest era of jet development — the leap from ramjets to faster, more efficient scramjets. The last test, in November of that year, clocked a world-record speed only a rocket could have achieved previously: Mach 10. The speed equates to 10 times the speed of sound.

NASA culled a lot of useful data from the tests, as did the Air Force six years later in similar tests on the X-51 Waverider, before the prototypes careened into the ocean.

Although hypersonic proof of concept was successful, the technology was far from operational. The challenge was achieving engine control, because the tech was based on decades-old sensor approaches.

This month, however, brought some hope for potential successors to the X-plane series.

Christopher Goyne, director of the UVA Aerospace Research Laboratory, and Chloe Dedic, associate professor (Photos by Wende Whitman, UVA Engineering)

As part of a new NASA-funded study, University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science researchers published data in the June issue of the journal Aerospace Science and Technology that showed for the first time that airflow in supersonic combusting jet engines can be controlled by an optical sensor. The finding could lead to more efficient stabilization of hypersonic jet aircraft.

In addition, the researchers achieved adaptive control of a scramjet engine, representing another first for hypersonic propulsion. Adaptive engine control systems respond to changes in dynamics to keep the system’s overall performance optimal.

“One of our national aerospace priorities since the 1960s has been to build single-stage-to-orbit aircraft that fly into space from horizontal takeoff like a traditional aircraft and land on the ground like a traditional aircraft,” said professor Christopher Goyne , director of the UVA Aerospace Research Laboratory, where the research took place.

“Currently, the most state-of-the-art craft is the SpaceX Starship. It has two stages, with vertical launch and landing. But to optimize safety, convenience and reusability, the aerospace community would like to build something more like a 737.”

Goyne and his co-investigator, Chloe Dedic , a UVA Engineering associate professor, believe optical sensors could be a big part of the control equation.

“It seemed logical to us that if an aircraft operates at hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 and higher, that it might be preferable to embed sensors that work closer to the speed of light than the speed of sound,” Goyne said.

Additional members of the team were doctoral student Max Chern, who served as the paper’s first author, as well as former graduate student Andrew Wanchek, doctoral student Laurie Elkowitz and UVA senior scientist Robert Rockwell. The work was supported by a NASA ULI grant led by Purdue University and principal investigator T. Pourpoint.

Max Chern, the paper’s first author, takes a closer view of the wind tunnel setup (Photo by Wende Whitman, UVA Engineering)

Stopping ‘Unstart’ To Stay in Control

NASA has long sought to prevent something that can occur in scramjet engines called “unstart.” The term indicates a sudden change in airflow. The name derives from a specialized testing facility called a supersonic wind tunnel, where a “start” means the wind has reached the desired supersonic conditions.

UVA has several supersonic wind tunnels , including the UVA Supersonic Combustion Facility, which can simulate engine conditions for a hypersonic vehicle traveling at five times the speed of sound.

“We can run test conditions for hours, allowing us to experiment with new flow sensors and control approaches on a realistic engine geometry,” Dedic said.

Goyne explained that “scramjets,” short for supersonic combustion ramjets, build on ramjet technology that has been in common use for years.

This computational fluid dynamics (CFD) image shows the Hyper-X vehicle at a Mach 7 test condition with the engine operating.

Ramjets essentially “ram” air into the engine using the forward motion of the aircraft to generate the temperatures and pressures needed to burn fuel. They operate in a range of about Mach 3 to Mach 6. As the inlet at the front of the craft narrows, the internal air velocity slows down to subsonic speeds in a ramjet combustion engine. The plane itself, however, does not.

Scramjets are a little different, though. While they are also “air-breathing” and have the same basic setup, they need to maintain that super-fast airflow through the engine to reach hypersonic speeds.

“If something happens within the hypersonic engine, and subsonic conditions are suddenly created, it’s an unstart,” Goyne said. “Thrust will suddenly decrease, and it may be difficult at that point to restart the inlet.”

Testing a Dual-Mode Scramjet Engine

Currently, like ramjets, scramjet engines need a step-up to get them to a speed where they can intake enough oxygen to operate. That may include a ride attached to the underside of a carrier aircraft as well as a rocket boost.

The latest innovation is a dual-mode scramjet combustor, which was the type of engine the UVA-led project tested. The dual engine starts in ramjet mode at lower Mach numbers, then shifts into receiving full supersonic airflow in the combustion chamber at speeds exceeding Mach 5.

Preventing unstart as the engine makes that transition is crucial.

Incoming wind interacts with the inlet walls in the form of a series of shock waves known as a “shock train.” Traditionally, the leading edge of those waves, which can be destructive to the aircraft’s integrity, have been controlled by pressure sensors. The machine can adjust, for example, by relocating the position of the shock train.

But where the leading edge of the shock train resides can change quickly if flight disturbances alter mid-air dynamics. The shock train can pressurize the inlet, creating the conditions for unstart.

So, “If you are sensing at the speed of sound, yet the engine processes are moving faster than the speed of sound, you don’t have very much response time,” Goyne said.

He and his collaborators wondered if a pending unstart could be predicted by observing properties of the engine’s flame instead.

Sensing the Spectrum of a Flame

The team decided to use an optical emission spectroscopy sensor for the feedback needed to control the shock train leading edge.

No longer limited to information obtained at the engine’s walls, as pressure sensors are, the optical sensor can identify subtle changes both inside the engine and within the flow path. The tool analyzes the amount of light emitted by a source — in this case, the reacting gases within the scramjet combustor — as well as other factors, such as the flame’s location and spectral content.

“The light emitted by the flame within the engine is due to relaxation of molecular species that are excited during combustion processes,” explained Elkowitz, one of the doctoral students. “Different species emit light at different energies, or colors, offering new information about the engine’s state that is not captured by pressure sensors.”

The team’s wind tunnel demonstration showed that the engine control can be both predictive and adaptive, smoothly transitioning between scramjet and ramjet functioning.

The wind tunnel test, in fact, was the world’s first proof that adaptive control in these types of dual-function engines can be achieved with optical sensors.

“We were very excited to demonstrate the role optical sensors may play in the control of future hypersonic vehicles,” first author Chern said. “We are continuing to test sensor configurations as we work toward a prototype that optimizes package volume and weight for flight environments.”

Building Toward the Future

While much more work remains to be done, optical sensors may be a component of the future Goyne believes will be realized in his lifetime: plane-like travel to space and back.

Dual-mode scramjets would still require a boost of some sort to get the aircraft to at least Mach 4. But there would be the additional safety of not relying exclusively on rocket technology, which requires highly flammable fuel to be carried alongside large amounts of chemical oxidizer to combust the fuel.

That decreased weight would allow more room for passengers and payload.

Such an all-in-one aircraft, which would glide back to Earth like the space shuttles once did, might even provide the ideal combination of cost-efficiency, safety and reusability.

“I think it’s possible, yeah,” Goyne said. “While the commercial space industry has been able to lower costs through some reusability, they haven’t yet captured the aircraft-like operations. Our findings could potentially build on the storied history of Hyper-X and make its space access safer than current rocket-based technology.”

This work was financially supported by NASA's Space Technology Research Grants Program (NASA ULI Grant #80NSSC21M0069 P00001).

Mechanical and Aerospace at UVA

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science is a thriving community of undergraduates, graduate students and faculty with a commitment to exploration, innovation and engineering excellence. The graduate program has been ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report among public MAE departments with 25 or less tenure/tenure-track faculty. Click the link below to learn more.

Innovator Recognized by Virginia Business

Christopher Goyne, mechanical and aerospace engineering professor and director of the UVA Aerospace Research Laboratory, was recently named as a top innovator on Virginia Business magazine's 100 People to Meet in 2024 list.

MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff

UMN Rocket Team defends title, wins 30,000-ft category at 2024 Spaceport America Cup

Image of the UMN Rocket Team at the 2024 Spaceport America Cup.

This is the team’s fourth win out of the past five years

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (06/27/2024) — The student-run University of Minnesota Rocket Team launched their rocket nearly 30,000 feet to take first place in one of the most challenging categories at the 2024 Spaceport America Cup. More than 150 teams from countries around the world competed in the world’s largest intercollegiate rocketry competition in New Mexico in June.

This is the second year in a row that the team has won in this challenging category, and the fourth win out of the past five years.

In addition to winning the 30,000-foot Student Researched and Developed (SRAD) Solid category, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities students were also named a finalist for the Dr. Gil Moore Award for Innovation for their recovery harness design.

“So many individuals from our team, from so many different majors and backgrounds, have put countless hours into making this project a success this year,” said Gaven House, an aerospace engineering student and the Rocket Team’s president. “We could not have possibly asked for a better year, a better competition, or better results”

The Rocket Team includes students from across the University's College of Science and Engineering who gain hands-on engineering experience designing, building, testing, and flying high-powered rockets. The team has had many successes in recent years, including winning the Genesis Cup Trophy–first place overall–at the 2021 Spaceport America Cup.

Read more about the students’ projects on the University of Minnesota Rocket Team website.

The University of Minnesota Rocket Team’s success is supported by donations. If you’d like to give, visit the Rocket Team’s Giving website .

Rhonda Zurn, College of Science and Engineering, [email protected]

University Public Relations, [email protected]

Eight UB researchers awarded over $4.7 million in NSF CAREER awards

Projects to focus on ai algorithms, wastewater monitoring, air pollution, power grids and more.

By Elizabeth Egan, Peter Murphy and Laurie Kaiser

Release Date: June 24, 2024

Venu Govindaraju

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Eight University at Buffalo researchers — seven from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and one from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS) — have received National Science Foundation CAREER awards, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for early-career engineers and scientists.

CAREER grants provide scholars with funding to conduct research and develop educational programming for K-12 students, university students and members of the public.

The SEAS recipients are Courtney Faber, Luis Herrera, Craig Snoeyink, Kang Sun, Yinyin Ye, Zhuoyue Zhao and Shaofeng Zou. The SPPS recipient is Jason Sprowl.

Together, the eight grantees will receive more than $4.7 million for projects that address pressing societal problems such as the need for more reliable artificial intelligence algorithms, preventing deaths from bacterial infections, mapping air pollution, and better understanding how glucose moves throughout the human body.

“We take great pride in our eight faculty members who have been honored with this prestigious NSF award,” said Venu Govindaraju, UB vice president for research and economic development. “Their exceptional research is integral to UB’s mission of fostering a better world for all.”

Among the support that awardees receive is guidance from UB’s Office of Research Advancement, which Chitra Rajan, associate vice president for research advancement, oversees. The office is managed by three co-directors – Joanna Tate, Maggie Shea and Menna Mbah – and provides a comprehensive suite of services, including proposal management, scientific editing, graphics, and help with non-technical parts of the proposal.

These services, Rajan says, play a critical role in assisting faculty members submit high-quality proposals.

UB’s awardees include:

Courtney Faber, PhD Assistant Professor of Engineering Education School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Award amount: $590,963

When a research team is made up of people with various engineering and education backgrounds, different ideas of what knowledge is and how it is acquired can hinder team members’ ability to work cohesively.

Having firsthand experience with this issue, Faber’s goal is to support engineering education researchers who find themselves in a similar situation.

She will facilitate interdisciplinary work by identifying barriers that research teams face related to differences in thinking and creating ways to bring them to the surface for discussion before they become a problem.

“It’s important for the field of engineering education to be able to do this type of interdisciplinary work,” said Faber. “The problems we are trying to solve are very complex and require an interdisciplinary approach to make space for diversity of thinking.”

The project will involve observing research teams and conducting interviews to see how they function together, as well as how individual members think independently of the group.

Faber plans to develop trainings that new and established engineering education researchers can freely access.

She also hopes to create a tool that assists research groups in integrating approaches and goals that might otherwise be problematic for a group. The tool could be as simple as a one-page guide that provides questions to be considered throughout the research process to help identify where a team’s ideas might differ across various aspects of their research.

Luis Herrera, PhD Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Award amount: $500,000

Herrera’s research lies at the intersection of power electronics, power systems and control theory.

With this grant, he is developing different control methods to promote the wider adoption of direct current (DC) microgrids, which can run more efficiently than the more commonly used AC (alternating current) microgrids.

“Currently, DC electrical systems are primarily used in applications such as electric aircrafts, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, navy ships and data centers,” Herrera said. “However, most renewable energy sources are interfaced to the AC power grid through an intermediate DC stage.”

More networks operated through DC grids could significantly increase energy efficiency, reduce losses and improve the overall operation of electrical systems, he said.

This potential creates motivation for DC systems to be implemented in commonly used structures, such as residential and office buildings.

Graduate students will participate in a summer internship at the Air Force Research Laboratory through a partnership with the University of Dayton Research Institute.

Herrera also plans to create demonstrations of the research and present them to elementary, middle school and high school students, aiming to get students excited about STEM early in their academic careers.

Craig Snoeyink, PhD Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Award amount: $581,088

Water filtration, whiskey distillation and blood-based diagnostics are just a few of the potential applications of dielectrophoretic molecular transport (DMT), a process that uses strong electric fields to push solutes out of water. This even includes those such as sugar and alcohol that do not have an electrical charge.

DMT is not used, however, due to the inaccuracy of current mathematical models.

With his grant, Snoeyink will develop and validate models for DMT for use in these applications. With one of the first accurate models of DMT, the process could be used, for example, to clean water as effectively as a water filter that never needs to be changed.

Snoeyink noted that point-of-care diagnostics are another significant application.

“Down the line, we could use this technology to separate blood into components we want to test and stuff we don’t, making medical diagnostics cheaper and more sensitive,” Snoeyink said.

To help with testing and to offer students research opportunities that could propel them into graduate school, Snoeyink will teach a course for students to do research for the project as part of their curriculum. With Snoeyink’s guidance, students will run tests and create their own hypothesis. He hopes students will have papers based on their research that will bolster their graduate school applications.

Jason A. Sprowl, PhD Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Award amount: $746,886

Sodium-glucose-linked transporters (SGLT) work like little doors in human cells that help bring in glucose, an important type of sugar that fuels the human body. Without the right amount of glucose, an individual can experience nutrient deficiencies and other health issues.

Unfortunately, cellular events that regulate SGLT activity are poorly understood. This is particularly true for tyrosine phosphorylation, a form of modification that can change protein structure and function.

For his research project Sprowl will study how tyrosine phosphorylation regulates changes in glucose movement into cells. He’ll use techniques like genetic manipulation and mass spectrometry to see how changing the tyrosine phosphorylation state of SLGTs affects its ability to let glucose into a cell. Finally, he will try to figure out which tyrosine kinases are responsible for phosphorylating SGLTs.

The project also includes several strategies for educational improvements at the middle school, high school and university levels. They include highlighting the biological importance of SGLTs, as well as the training and recruitment of junior scientists who will lead future research efforts. Collectively, the project is expected to impact many scientific disciplines, including molecular, cellular and systems biology.

To improve basic scientific knowledge, generate a passion for research and improve leadership capabilities in the field of biological sciences, Sprowl plans to establish an annual summer research position for underprivileged high school students. He also will work with middle school educators to increase recognition of reproducible and high-quality science and develop online content that will increase familiarity with transporter proteins.

Kang Sun, PhD Assistant Professor of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Award amount: $643,562

Sun has been interested in astronomy since he was a young child. He’s currently fascinated by the idea of pointing a space telescope toward the earth and imaging emission sources like celestial objects.

With the research grant, Sun will map global emission sources of gaseous air pollutants and greenhouse gases. Such gases are invisible to the human eye. While they can be detected by satellites, their images are naturally smeared due to wind dispersion.

“This research removes the smearing effect using a simple and elegant equation that originates from mass balance,” Sun said. “The results are timely and precise estimates of emissions that can inform policy and scientific studies.”

Currently, the two mainstream emission-estimating methods are bottom-up, accounting for activities on the ground and how they emit, and top-down, inferring emissions with observations, numerical models and complicated frameworks that are usually region-specific.

Sun’s method will fall within the scope of the latter but will work faster, be globally applicable and provide the high spatial resolutions that are more commonly achieved by the bottom-up method.

The results will resemble a space-telescope image, with significant emission sources standing out like galaxies and smaller sources, such as towns and power plants, sprinkled about like star clusters.

By the end of the five-year study, Sun hopes that students and educators may use his open-source algorithms to generate satellite-based concentration and emission maps on their personal computers.

Yinyin Ye, PhD Assistant Professor of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Award amount: $580,393

Bacterial infections cause more than 300,000 deaths annually in the United States. Many of these infections are triggered by proteins secreted from bacteria in lipid-containing particles called extracellular vesicles (EV). These harmful materials move from the human body through feces into the sewer systems, where their fate is not fully understood.

With the research grant, Ye will monitor EV persistence and stability in wastewater and throughout the wastewater treatment process. She will analyze functions of environmental EV and what contents are packed in them. She will develop an analysis method that integrates genome sequencing and proteomic analysis.

“If the vesicles preserve the function of virulence proteins in wastewater, we need to better understand the fate of the vesicles when they go through the treatment chain,” Ye said. “How are we able to minimize the health risks of vesicles after the treatment at the wastewater treatment plants? If they escape the treatment process and are still active, that can have certain health impacts.”

Ye’s project will focus on wastewater samples. However, these approaches can be applied to analyzing vesicles and their potential health risks in air dust, drinking water and rainwater, she said. Ultimately, this work will help determine what harmful materials — if any — are still present after the wastewater treatment process and how to remove them most effectively through disinfection.

She will also create hands-on activities to engage K-12 and undergraduate students in learning about wastewater microbiome analysis and microbial risk mitigation for public health and potentially build their interest in environmental engineering.

Zhuoyue Zhao, PhD Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Award amount: $599,977

Today’s internet databases hold large volumes of data that are processed at higher speeds than ever before.

A new type of database system, hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP), allows for real-time data analytics on databases that undergo constant updates.

“While real-time data analytics can provide valuable insights for applications such as marketing, fraud detection, and supply chain analytics, it is increasingly hard to ensure a sufficiently low response time of query answering in existing HTAP systems,” Zhao said.

Approximate query processing (AQP) is a faster alternative that uses random sampling. However, many AQP prototypes and adopted systems sacrifice query efficiency or the ability to handle rapid updates correctly.

With the research grant, Zhao aims to support real-time data analytics on large and rapidly growing databases by enabling reliable AQP capabilities in HTAP systems, leading to increasingly demanding, real-time analytics applications.

“If this problem is solved, it will potentially make it possible to finally adopt AQP in many existing database systems and create sizable impacts on real-world data analytics applications,” Zhao explained.

Zhao will incorporate new material into existing UB undergraduate and graduate level courses, as well as offer tutorials and projects in various K-12 outreach and undergraduate experiential learning programs.

Shaofeng Zou, PhD Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Award amount: $520,000

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a type of machine learning that trains autonomous robots, self-driving cars and other intelligent agents to make sequential decisions while interacting with an environment.

Many RL approaches assume the learned policy will be deployed in the same — or similar — environment as the one it was trained in. In most cases, however, the simulated environment is vastly different from the real world — such as when a real-world environment is mobile while a simulated environment is stationary. These differences often lead to major disruptions in industries using RL, including health care, critical infrastructure, transportations systems, education and more.

Zou’s award will fund his work to develop RL algorithms that do not require excessive resources, and that will perform effectively under the most challenging conditions, including those outside of the training environment. According to Zou, the project could have a significant impact on both the theory and practice of sequential decision making associated with RL in special education, intelligent transportation systems, wireless communication networks, power systems and drone networks.

“The activities in this project will provide concrete principles and design guidelines to achieve robustness in the face of model uncertainty,” Zou said. “Advances in machine learning and data science will transform modern humanity across nearly every industry. They are already the main driver of emerging technologies. The overarching goal of my research is to make machine learning and data science provably competent.”

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6 best biology project models
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Biology projects, Dna project, Dna model project
3 best biology project working models for your science exhibition

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Engineering Biology Module 2 L-01 AKU Semester
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Innovative 111+ Biotechnology Project Ideas
Biotechnology is like a mix of biology, technology, and engineering. It's all about using living things, cells, and biological systems to create new and improved stuff that can be useful in different industries. Biotechnology is useful in medicine, farming, taking care of the environment, and in industries. Scientists use methods like ...
70 Best High School Science Fair Projects in Every Subject
Remove the air in a DIY vacuum chamber. Instructables. Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium. You can use a vacuum chamber to do lots of cool high school science fair projects, but a ready-made one can be expensive. Try this project to make your own with basic supplies. Learn more: Vacuum Chamber at Instructables.
Genetic Engineering Science Projects
Genetic Engineering Science Projects. (13 results) Genetic engineering, also called gene editing or genetic modification, is the process of altering an organism's DNA in order to change a trait. This can mean changing a single base pair, adding or deleting a single gene, or changing an even larger strand of DNA.
Student Biomedical Engineering Projects with Real ...
Student Biomedical Engineering Projects with Real-world Connections. By Amy Cowen on November 10, 2017 10:00 AM. November 14 is World Diabetes Day and a great time to have conversations with students about diabetes, a disease which affects more than 400 million people around the world. Talking about biomedical engineering and the development of ...
Fun STEM Projects For High School Biology (30 Min-2 Weeks!)
With 20 years of experience in chemistry education and research, and 3 willing children as guinea pigs, Mark has a passion for inspiring kids and adults to combine fun and learning with STEM Toys! Here are some STEM projects for high school biology that we've used with students that were a success - whether you have 30 minutes or 2 weeks to spare!
Science Projects (Search: Biology)
Science Fair Project Idea. Scientific Method. Mushrooms are not plants, but are fungi. Fungi include mushrooms, molds, and lichen. They do not produce seeds to reproduce like some plants. Fungi produce spores, like more primitive plants do. The spores of a mushroom are contained in the tiny folds around the stem underneath the mushroom cap.
70+ Advanced Higher Biology Project Ideas: Dive into Discovery
In a nutshell, the world of advanced higher biology projects is like a treasure chest of exciting possibilities. From playing with genes to understand plant resilience, to untangling the mysteries of who-eats-who in nature, and even deciphering the genetic code, these projects are your chance to explore biology in action.
Department of Biological Engineering < MIT
Project-based introduction to the engineering of synthetic biological systems. Throughout the term, students develop projects that are responsive to real-world problems of their choosing, and whose solutions depend on biological technologies. ... 20.463[J] Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Same subject as 3.963[J] Subject meets with 3.055[J ...
Biological engineering
Biological engineering. Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically viable products. [1] Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number of pure and applied sciences, [2] such as mass and heat transfer, kinetics ...
Addressing the climate crisis through engineering biology
The roadmap consists of six themes in technologies and applications of engineering biology for climate change and environmental sustainability (Fig. 1).Three themes—Biosequestration of ...
Student Projects
Engineering Steps. Presentation. Engineering is the application of science and technology to solving a problem. Invention is really about engineering a solution. For students, this can be: A problem they want to solve. A process or physical design they want to improve. Select a problem below to be presented with starter design questions.
10 Top Trends in Bioengineering in 2020
Bioengineers are at the forefront of scientific discovery, creating innovative medical devices, vaccines, disease management products, robots, and algorithms that improve human health around the world. Below are ten of the hottest bioengineering R&D trends happening this decade. 1. Tissue Engineering.
Ideas for Engineering Science Fair Projects
Ideas for Engineering Science Fair Projects. Engineering science fair projects can involve designing, building, analyzing, modeling, or improving a device. You can also test or create materials. Here are some specific ideas for engineering science fair projects. What is the best material to put in a sandbag to block water, such as during a flood?
Student Research Projects
Biology students have opportunities to join research teams mentored by our faculty to conduct projects that take advantage of our location in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Some student projects focus on molecular, physiological, or evolutionary biology in our well-equipped state-of-the-art labs that opened in 2021. Other student projects ...
35+ Best Biology Project Ideas For Students
Innovation and Creativity: Biology projects encourage innovation and creativity by allowing students to explore new ideas, develop novel approaches, and find unique solutions to scientific questions. This fosters an entrepreneurial mindset and prepares students to tackle real-world challenges in the ever-evolving field of biology.
Biologically Inspired Engineering
Computational pharmacokinetic modeling of organ-on-chip devices and microphysiological systems. Andrzej Przekwas, Mahadevabharath R. Somayaji, in Organ-on-a-chip, 2020. Acknowledgments. This research was partially sponsored by the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under Cooperative Agreement ...
Biotechnology Science Projects
Science Fair Project Idea. Scientific Method. Though the Sun provides heat and light, which are essential for life on Earth, ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight can cause damage to DNA. In this science fair project, you will experiment with a strain of yeast that is super-sensitive to UV light.
50+ Awesome Engineering Projects for Kids
Wow! I'm a huge fan of the best engineering projects for kids and want to be sure you have some great STEAM ideas on hand.This list is sure to get those creative juices flowing! Use this set of 28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids posts to excite the kids all year long. Learn using STEM and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math) concepts while you explore ...
11 Entertaining Projects for Engineers With Household Items
1. Egg drop. We'll kick off this list by recommending you work on a project that harkens back to many engineers' high school days: the egg drop! Most high school physics classes will employ ...
Top 10 Interesting Engineering Projects Ideas & Topics in 2024
You can start your quest with any of these platforms. Flutter Project: Learn to build apps for authentication activities using the Dart programming language. Android Studio Project: Try your hand at creating online stores, fitness apps, social media apps, etc. Source Code: Android App Projects. 10.
Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering has unlocked quite a lot of different possibilities and will be important for future develops in biology and technology. Therefore, this teaching resource can help get your students up to speed, please do enjoy! This research project template provides the perfect grab and go, print and provide resource that can supplement ...
MS in Artificial Intelligence
MS in Artificial Intelligence. The Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence-Electrical and Computer Engineering is a three-semester (97-unit) program that offers students the opportunity to gain state-of-the-art artificial intelligence knowledge from an engineering perspective. Today, AI is driving significant innovation across products, services, and systems in every industry, and ...
Master Government List of Federally Funded R&D Centers
Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute Administrator: MITRE Corp. Location: McLean, VA Sponsor: Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate Notes: On 5 March 2009, the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute was created.
Find a postgraduate project
Our projects span a range of science and engineering disciplines, all of them offering the opportunity to contribute to ongoing research and make a real impact on the challenges of today and tomorrow. Use our search to browse all of our live advertised projects. Once you've found a project that excites you, take the next step by applying.
Engineering Design Project Guide
Marble Machine: 2016 Engineering Challenge. Two-Stage Balloon Rocket Lesson Plan. Junkbots Lesson Plan Introduction. An introduction to the engineering design process, with detailed guides on each step from defining the problem to prototyping and testing.
20 Years After 'Hyper-X,' UVA Team Makes NASA Hypersonic Breakthrough
The latest innovation is a dual-mode scramjet combustor, which was the type of engine the UVA-led project tested. The dual engine starts in ramjet mode at lower Mach numbers, then shifts into receiving full supersonic airflow in the combustion chamber at speeds exceeding Mach 5. ... Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the UVA School of ...
UMN Rocket Team defends title, wins 30,000-ft category at 2024
The Rocket Team includes students from across the University's College of Science and Engineering who gain hands-on engineering experience designing, building, testing, and flying high-powered rockets. The team has had many successes in recent years, including winning the Genesis Cup Trophy-first place overall-at the 2021 Spaceport America Cup.
Eight UB researchers awarded over $4.7 million in NSF CAREER awards
Luis Herrera, PhD Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Award amount: $500,000. Herrera's research lies at the intersection of power electronics, power systems and control theory. With this grant, he is developing different control methods to promote the wider adoption of direct current (DC) microgrids, which can run more efficiently than ...
NASA Awards $750,000 EPSCoR Grant for Project Using Ultraviolet Light
Morgan Ware, associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. NASA awarded an EPSCoR grant worth $750,000 to the "III-Nitride Ultraviolet Laser Diodes for Harsh Environments, Space-Based Communications, and Remote Sensing" project. The initiative focuses on enhancing high-data-rate communications between ...
Engineering Science Projects
Engineering Science Project Ideas. Our Science Project Ideas directory lists the areas of engineering and science you can explore including: Applied Mechanics. Civil Engineering. Computer Science. Electricity & Electronics. Materials Science. and more! OR use our Topic Selection Wizard to help you find an engineering project that suits your ...

70 Best High School Science Fair Projects in Every Subject

Chemistry High School Science Fair Projects

Extract DNA from an onion

Re-create Mendel’s pea plant experiment

Make plants move with light

Test the 5-second rule

Find out if color affects taste

See the effects of antibiotics on bacteria

Witness the carbon cycle in action

Look for cell mitosis in an onion

Test the effects of disinfectants

Pit hydroponics against soil

More Life Sciences and Biology Science Fair Projects for High School

Break apart covalent bonds

Measure the calories in various foods

Detect latent fingerprints

Use Alka-Seltzer to explore reaction rate

Determine whether sports drinks provide more electrolytes than OJ

Turn flames into a rainbow

Discover the size of a mole

Cook up candy to learn mole and molecule calculations

Make soap to understand saponification

Uncover the secrets of evaporation

More Chemistry Science Fair Projects for High School

Remove the air in a DIY vacuum chamber

Put together a mini Tesla coil

Boil water in a paper cup

Build a better light bulb

Measure the speed of light—with your microwave

Generate a Lichtenberg figure

Explore the power of friction with sticky note pads

Build a cloud chamber to prove background radiation

Measure the effect of temperature on resistance

Launch the best bottle rocket

More Physics Science Fair Projects for High School

Solve a current environmental issue

Construct a model maglev train

Design a more efficient wind turbine

Re-create Da Vinci’s flying machine

Design a heart-rate monitor

Race 3D printed cars

Grow veggies in a hydroponic garden

Grab items with a mechanical claw

Construct a crystal radio

Build a burglar alarm

Walk across a plastic bottle bridge

Looking for more science content? Check out the Best Science Websites for Middle and High School .

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70+ Advanced Higher Biology Project Ideas: Dive into Discovery

Advanced Higher Biology Project Ideas

Genetic Engineering and Crop Improvement

Biodiversity Conservation

Neuroscience and Cognitive Studies

Evolutionary Biology

Choosing the Right Project

Follow Your Passion

Assess Available Resources

Consult with Educators

Consider Real-World Impact

Review Project Guidelines

Balance Complexity

Collaboration

Pilot Study

Long-Term Interest