Over the last few weekends, five Science Research students from Harborfields High School conducted research at Brookhaven National Labs utilizing the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS-II.) Harborfields is one of only four high schools on Long Island who have exclusive access to the NSLS-II at BNL. This state-of-the-art machine is one of the most advanced synchrotron light sources in the world.
The synchrotron works by sending electrons around in a ring inside a building large enough to encircle Yankee Stadium, nearly as fast as the speed of light. As a result, it allows researchers to study materials at a nanoscale resolution and exquisite sensitivity by providing cutting-edge capabilities. It creates some of the strongest X-rays ever created on Earth - actually, it held the world record for the strongest X-ray in 2014!
For their research, Alex Meagher, Leo Meagher, Riley Lyons, Jackson Dunham, and Phoebe Xidas, alongside their teacher, Mr. Pinto, are harnessing the high energy X-rays to focus on protein crystals so their structure can be seen at a very high resolution. The students’ specific research led them to study Cyclophilin B protein from the species Brugia Malayi, which causes Lymphatic Filariasis, a parasitic disease caused by microscopic worms that are transmitted by mosquito bites.
“I am so proud of the work these students are doing,” said Mr. Pinto, Advanced Science Research teacher. “They got excellent diffraction results and may be able to publish the structure of their protein in the Protein Data Bank later on this school year!”
If the work is published, it means the students’ research and results could be used to treat Lymphatic Filariasis and other diseases in the future.
Date Added: 12/18/24