Collaborative Science Research

June 1 - 5, 2009

DePauw University again is offering its summer Collaborative Science Research Experience program for teams of Indiana high school students and their high school teachers. A team must consist of one high school teacher involved in one of the five following disciplines plus four of the teacher's students: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Health Science and Physics. Preference for participation is given to rising juniors. There is no application for the camp. We will notify selected high schools about this opportunity and all of its details, during January and February, so that we can recruit teams of students and teachers. However, we also invite teams of interested students and their teachers to contact the project director.

We will select five teams to participate in five corresponding projects (see below). Selection will commence in early January and continue until the five teams are selected. (We remind high school students and their teachers that the summer research experiences will be tailored to high school students' abilities and prior knowledge. Lack of familiarity with terminology and concepts contained in the bullet points below are not barriers to student enjoyment and full participation in the Collaborative Science Research summer experience.)

Cost: Through a generous grant from the Lilly Foundation, there is no cost to the student or teacher. The grant supplies small stipends for students and teachers. We will house students in University residence halls and provide meals in Unviersity dining facilities.

For more information or to express interest in participating, contact Gloria Townsend at gct@depauw.edu or 765.658.4726.

Posters 2007

Summer 2009 Projects

Balloon-assisted Stratospheric Experiments
Howard Brooks, Department of Physics and Astronomy, hlbrooks@depauw.edu

Utilizing a helium-filled balloon as a launch vehicle, a variety of small lightweight research experiments will be carried into the middle portion of the stratosphere to learn more about this neglected region of near space. The experiments to be flown will include electronic gas sensors, optical gas sensors, and optical and electronic orientation sensors. Some of the sensors are being flight tested for possible use on spacecraft. Data from the experiments will be compared to other experimentally known and/or theoretically predicted results.

Motor neuron excitability following heavy load muscular contraction
Pat Babington, Department of Kinesiology , patbabington@depauw.edu

How a muscle responds to a stimulus (whether a voluntary command to contract or a stimulus that is externally evoked) is a function of previous contractions in that muscle. In its simplest form, muscle that is asked to repeatedly contract will at some point fatigue resulting in a decrease in force production. Conversely, following some types of contraction, force production is increased. This has been termed post-activation potentiation and may have importance in performance of muscular activity (either in exercise training or sports performance). We aim to quantify the effect that heavy load contractions have on the excitability of the nervous system of the lower leg. Prior to and following a single set of heavy load contractions (3-5 contraction maximum) the Hoffmann reflex (a technique similar to the tendon tap that physicians use to test reflexes) will be measured to provide an estimate of whether the nervous system is more easily activated.

Training Methods and Balance
Marie Pickerill, Department of Kinesiology , mariapickerill@depauw.edu

Balance is maintained in humans as a result of feedback from receptors in the vestibular (inner ear), visual (sight) and somatosensory (muscles, joints and skin) systems. Balance has been investigated in relation to aging, injury, and athletic skill. While the basic anatomical mechanisms for balance have been identified, little has been done to evaluate how variations in muscular training and acute muscular fatigue impact affect balance mechanisms. Proprioceptive training (exercises to enhance awareness of body position) has been shown to improve balance, yet other types of training (endurance or strength) have not been tested for their effects on mechanisms related to balance. This project will include comparison of balance measures before and after acute bouts of lower extremity strength exercises and lower extremity endurance exercises. Through this we hope to gain understanding of how strength and endurance training can impact (enhance or diminish) balance in humans.

Using Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to Study the Reactions of Surface-bound Succinimide Esters
Richard Martoglio, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, rmartoglio@depauw.edu

We are interested in exploring the manner in which molecules interact with metal surfaces and how their orientation influences their reactivity. We use modified glass substrates and spectroscopic techniques to detect and monitor the reactions of these surface-bound molecules. In addition, room-temperature ionic liquids are being increasingly used in chemical applications. We are also interested in using spectroscopic methods to study how these liquids interact with metal surfaces. Additionally, we will use electrochemical techniques to help us understand why some ionic liquids cause the corrosion of metals.

Proteins in silicon: Exploring structure and sequence with bioinformatics and computer animation
Dan Gurnon, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, danielgurnon@depauw.edu

Proteins are paradoxical; they are built from only twenty different types of building blocks, yet their structural and functional diversity appear limitless. With the availability of sequence data from genome projects, a crucial challenge in the study of proteins is the prediction of structure and function from a protein's primary sequence of building blocks. Using computer algorithms, we will analyze sequences of a type of protein called a coiled coil. The hope is to use data from well-studied coiled coils to predict structural details of an important, though poorly understood, protein.

A second part of the project will focus on the use of computer animation and simulation to better understand biochemistry. Students will learn to use software developed for life science and for the entertainment industry to turn crystal structure data into exciting and informative images.

Human Computer Interaction: Exploration of Novel Modes of Interaction
Dave Berque, Department of Computer Science, dberque@depauw.edu

Human Computer Interaction is a branch of computer science that deals with the design, implementation, and evaluation of software systems and related input/output devices that meet user needs in a safe, effective, and pleasurable way.

A number of new interaction techniques are currently being explored by HCI researchers across the world. For example, “multi-touch” technologies, which allow users to use more than one finger to control an interface, are being explored in commercial systems such as the Apple iPhone and in research systems such as Microsoft’s TableTop Computer. As a second example networked collaboration tools are being developed to better connect groups of people in order to enhance their ability to solve problems collaboratively. A third example relates to new interaction techniques that allow users to control computing devices via their thoughts.

Students will work as part of a team during the summer of 2009 to help design, prototype, and evaluate one or more systems that use a novel interaction technique. The goal of the project will be to determine how the new approach compares to more traditional approaches.