Selected Abstracts from the Annual Undergraduate Lightning Talks 2025

Exploring the “Potential” of Cyanobacterial Biophotovoltaics [SECOND PLACE WINNER]

Author: Grace Widjaja ‘26

Mentor: Anne Meyer, Ph.D.

The amount of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere by human activities has greatly increased since the beginning of the 20th century. The global average temperature has risen by at least 1.2°C, and its destructive effects on the environment continue to grow. To help mitigate this problem, cyanobacterial biophotovoltaics (BPV) is emerging as a promising technology that sequesters CO2 while also generating electricity from the electron transport pathway in photosynthesis. While it is a promising field, widespread implementation of cyanobacterial BPVs remains challenging due to the low energy output of current systems. Yet their ability to reduce CO2 levels can make them useful tools to remediate our atmosphere while also acting as a supplementary energy source.

Our group optimized the generation of carbon-negative energy using two-dimensional biophotovoltaics to produce electricity from cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (hereafter Synechocystis) through modification of both the BPV cell design and Synechocystis itself. This BPV cell was created with electrodes made from a  carbon conductive ink screen printed onto a paper substrate. Carbon conductive ink allows the electrodes to be printed directly onto the paper in a wide variety of designs and sizes that can be optimized for power output. From here, we modeled interactions of electrode patterns, distance between electrodes, and ratios between cathode and anode surface area with power output to develop an optimized pattern of electrodes. Next, a bioanode was made by screen printing our cyanobacterial culture suspended in BG11 media thickened with 8% carboxymethyl cellulose over one electrode. Screen printing places the cathode and bioanode on the same side of the paper and a hydrogel can be placed over the cathode and bioanode as a proton exchange membrane while also supplying the culture with media. Prototype BPV cell design prior to optimization yielded an average output of 89 mV/cell and is projected to capture about 2 tonnes of CO2/kWh.

Another aspect of energy optimization comes from genetic modification of Synechocystis. Genetic modification via shuttle vector presents several challenges, especially when it comes to evaluating performance of the insert as well as plasmid incompatibility. To address this, we designed a simple “part integration system” that would allow for quick modification of the vector insert directly and found that our system serves as an effective method for testing a variety of inserts efficiently. Overall, this approach serves as a promising baseline for the use of cyanobacterial biophotovoltaics in atmospheric remediation through carbon capture, supplementary electricity generation and biofuel production. Furthermore, genetically engineering cyanobacteria is simplified with our part integration system, which uses shuttle vectors for high-throughput testing of multiple inserts and modification of those inserts prior to integration and establishment of a stable clone.

The Sleep–Mental Health Connection: Effects of Sleep Debt and Daytime Sleepiness on Anxiety Severity in College Students [THIRD PLACE WINNER]

Author: Helene Miao ‘26

Mentors: Wilfred Pigeon, Ph.D., and Jolynn Jones, Ph.D.

Sleep is closely tied to mental health, yet many college students experience poor sleep due to academic demands and irregular schedules. This study explores whether two sleep-related issues—sleep debt (the difference between needed and actual sleep) and daytime sleepiness (excessive drowsiness while awake)—are linked to anxiety severity in college students.

Using a cross-sectional dataset of 1,988 undergraduates from a large U.S. university, we examined correlations and conducted multiple linear regression analyses. Measures included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for daytime sleepiness and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety. Results showed that both sleep debt and daytime sleepiness were positively and significantly associated with anxiety, although the relationships were weak.

Regression models confirmed that both factors were independent predictors of anxiety severity but explained only a small portion of the variance. No threshold effect was identified, indicating a gradual, linear relationship rather than a sudden increase in anxiety at a certain sleep level.

In conclusion, while sleep factors play a minor but meaningful role in anxiety, they represent just one part of a broader picture. Addressing sleep habits may offer small, accessible benefits for supporting mental health among college students.

Crystallinity and Water Content of Lunar Samples of the Mineral Zircon

Author: Miriam Herron ‘27

Mentor: Dustin Trail, Ph.D.

The Earth is water-rich today, but whether water was ubiquitous in the early solar system remains poorly constrained. Evidence for the presence of water within the Moon’s interior has been suggested through geochemical signatures preserved in minerals collected by Apollo lunar missions. Zircon (ZrSiO4) is a mineral found in lunar rock samples which is highly resistant to chemical and physical alteration and lends itself easily to radiometric age-dating. Previous research has demonstrated that terrestrial and experimentally-derived zircon can incorporate trace amounts of “water” in the form of OH, which can be used as a proxy to search for the presence of water in its original formation environment.

To this end, we investigate zircon samples collected at the Apollo-14 mission site to gain a better understanding of the formation conditions of the lunar crust. We investigate 18 zircon samples from the lunar breccia sample 14311 and the soil sample 14163, with ages ranging from 4.30 to 3.93 billion years. Key to any claims based on “water” data are two assumptions: (i) that our grains are crystalline (possessing a well-ordered atomic structure), and (ii) that they are zircon rather than another mineral formed through impact shocking.

We used electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to confirm the identity of the zircons and establish crystal orientations. Characterization of the zircons’ microstructures also allowed for assessment of potential damage caused by radiation and/or impacts that may have altered OH signatures. We also conducted a type of electron beam imaging known as cathodoluminescence (CL) to help reveal the chemical composition of the zircons. We then performed Raman spectroscopy to interrogate the crystallinity of the grains, and we document crystalline zircon structures. Finally, we conducted Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, a technique capable of detecting “water” in trace quantities. No OH-signatures were found, and while the lunar crust is known to be heterogeneous, this first-of-a-kind study does not document detectable water in one of the most robust mineralogical recorders of chemical information.

How Seneca’s Thyestes Inspired Game of Thrones’s Daenerys Targaryen

Author: Claire Wilcox-Black ‘26

Featuring the primary theme of death, Seneca’s Thyestes and the story of Daenerys Targaryen from “Game of Thrones” both feature a shockingly gory tale of fighting for power, highlighting the similarity between the ancient tragedy and modern hit tv show. In this essay, I will examine the likeness of the story arcs of Daenerys and Atreus, focusing on the shared themes of death and gore. My argument has four main sections. First, there is the intersection between death, revenge, and family infighting, which provides a conflict that underscores the gory violence. Thyestes details Atreus’s revenge on his brother Thyestes for stealing his throne. Daenerys Targaryen’s story unfolds much the same way; she fights her male family members for the right to sit on the throne. Second, I will explore how both of them also enact their revenge in a way that shocked their respective audiences. The gore featured pushes the boundaries of what was and is considered acceptable viewing. Third, I will demonstrate their outcomes are also similar, mutual annihilation. While they both believe that their revenge will end the vicious cycle that has doomed much of their families, they are ultimately mistaken; their bloody sacrifices are not enough to win them what they desire above all else. I will then show how most modern scholars consider Game of Thrones to be heavily influenced by medieval England. I will finish this analysis by demonstrating that watching Game of Thrones through the lens of Seneca allows us to better understand our reaction to such themes.

Game of Thrones is notorious for its scenes of almost gratuitous violence and such a reading of Seneca informs us of the origin of such themes. Since these themes can be traced to Senecan tragedy, I argue that the inspiration for Game of Thrones can be traced back further than originally thought. Ultimately, I propose that themes of death and gore from Senecan tragedy influenced the plot of Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones and provides a new perspective through which to understand the show.