Also earning top honors at the Connecticut Science Fair and the opportunity to compete at the 2010 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair coming up in May were:

• Grade 9 to 12 Dominion Physical Sciences
  • *** First Place: William C. Newberry, a senior at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, is the top winner of the fair’s Physical Sciences category. In his project, called Diatom-CdS Nanostructures as a Method to Enhance the Efficiency of a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell, Newberry set out to prove that diatoms, which trap light for photosynthesis in algae, could be combined with cadmium sulfide to form a nanostructure that could increase the efficiency of standard solar cells. The integration of these light- trapping materials into a dye-sensitized solar cell may decrease the amount of light reflected and allow for increased efficiency.
  • *** Second Place: Heather N. Leask, a senior at Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, won second place in the fair’s Physical Sciences category. For her project, called The Use of sol-gels for the Fabrication of a Memristive Device, Leask explored the feasibility of fabricating memristive devices using three sol-gel methods to create titanium oxide powders. Memristive properties were found within the devices fabricated from metal alkoxide technique. Memristive devices can simulate brain functions by recreating associative memory in electronic devices as well as increasing memory chip density by an order of magnitude.
• Grade 9 to 12 Pfizer Life Sciences
  • *** First Place: Amoolya Narayanan, a junior at Glastonbury High School in Glastonbury, is the top winner of the fair’s Life Sciences category. In her project, called Effect of Trans-cinnamaldehyde on Reducing Attachment and Invasion of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli in Urinary Epithelial Cells Narayanan investigated the effect of sub-inhibitory concentrations of trans-cinnamaldehyde, an ingredient in cinnamon, in the treatment of urinary tract infections.
  • *** Second Place: Jason Gandelman, a senior at Staples High School in Westport, placed second in the fair’s Life Sciences category. In his project, called Bioinformatic and Synthetic Approaches to Studying Advanced Glycation End-products in Eukaryotes, Gandelman studied 185 enzymes that can form Advanced Glycation End-product (AGE). A better understanding of AGE formation and Receptor for AGE activation in eukaryotes is highly desirable in the creation of novel treatments for diabetic complications.

The Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, the world’s largest pre-college science fair, will be held May 9-14 in San Jose, Calif.

The Connecticut Science Fair is made possible by a grant and volunteer support from its presenting sponsor United Technologies Corporation and by contributions from industrial and individual supporters.