What's in your water?
Robin Cotter, Phoenix College
Water quality is an issue that impacts everyone, but do we really know what is in the water we drink? Water quality is an issue that impacts everyone, but do we really know what is the water we drink? Chemical and bacteriological contamination of water has serious implications for human health. For example, in agricultural areas, pesticides and fertilizers can lead to contamination of groundwater. High levels of nitrate can lead to methaemoglobinaemia (blue baby syndrome). Solvents and heavy metals generated during mining can lead to toxicosis. As witnessed in Flint, Michigan, the use of lead pipes in plumbing can lead to elevated levels of lead in drinking water which can impact the mental development in children. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA or C8) is a man-made chemical used in the process of making Teflon. PFOA's pose global health concerns as they persist in the environment and human body for extended periods of time and can now be detected in almost everyone's blood. To address this issue, introductory biology, microbiology and chemistry students at our 2-year community college will work together to test water from local water treatment plants for the presence of chemical and biological contaminants. Students will learn about the scientific process as they perform background research on EPA water standards, potential sources of water contaminants, and the water treatment process. Students will hold virtual meetings with community, university, and industry partners to identify relevant research questions related to water treatment. Students will then do a site visit to a local water treatment plant where they will collect and analyze water samples from different stages of the water treatment process. Students will test the water samples for the presence of organic pollutants and microbial pathogens. This data will be entered into a regional database and compared to water quality reports posted on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) website. Students will then present their findings at community meetings, STEM outreach events, and via virtual poster sessions.

Integration of a nanoparticles-based biosensing assay into a capillary column
Swarnapali Indrasekara, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
In this CURE project, junior and senior level chemistry students will be introduced to nanochemistry and its application in interdisciplinary research. Students will learn the use of chemistry concepts they have already learnt and also new spectroscopy and physical chemistry concepts. They will use that knowledge to develop an optical biosensor using nanoparticles in a capillary column as a potential point-of-care assay format.

Genes to Ecosystems
Laci Gerhart-Barley, University of California-Davis

Synthesis of novel 1,2,4-triazine fluorescent dyes and bioorthogonal labeling of protein
david kamber, Towson University
The purpose of this CURE project is to design an expedient synthetic route to access 1,2,4-triazine fluorophores and analyze the [4+2] inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction with bicyclononyne.

Data Visualization in Sculptural Installations
Katie Kameen, Augusta University
Installation sculptures—three-dimensional artworks designed for specific spaces, often immersive or interactive—are a widely applicable art form, encompassing commercial displays, fine art, and public sculpture. Students participating in this CURE investigated the ways that data-visualization— a form of visual art that uses data as a source material to create work that is both appealing and informative—can overlap with installation art in order to allow viewers to actively and physically experience collected data.

Topography with Muons
Richard Lombardini, St. Marys University
Accuracy for 3D positioning is affected by surrounding media when using traditional techniques such as GPS. Other devices may need to be developed that produce readings unaltered by the conditions of the local environment (Tanaka 2020). The trajectory of highly energetic atmospheric muons experience very little change when traveling through different media, and the flux of particles is uniform and ubiquitous along surface of Earth. Using the TeachSpin muon detectors and theories of special relativity and quantum mechanics learned in class, students will determine the level of accuracy that they can achieve in the measurement of elevation at any location by directly measuring muon stopping rates.