Regeneron ISEF 2024 MCRO First Award: Highlights and Analysis

In the previous article, Embark Tutor conducted a detailed analysis of the winning projects in the Environmental Engineering (ENEV) category. Next, let's take a deep dive into the Microbiology (MCRO) category in the 2024 ISEF Global Finals to see how these outstanding studies stand out from the fierce competition.

In the 2024 ISEF Global Finals, the Microbiology category focuses on the ecology, physiology, and applications of microorganisms, including pathogenic microorganisms, microbial ecology, antibiotic research, etc. These studies are crucial to understanding the impact of microorganisms on the environment, health, and industry, and help develop new treatments, environmental protection technologies, and industrial applications. Through in-depth research on microorganisms, progress can be made in the fields of medicine, environmental science, and bioengineering, and human health and sustainable development can be promoted.

Embark is committed to providing ISEF online private tutoring for students interested in the field of Microbiology (MCRO). Our team of teachers has rich backgrounds and scientific research experience in microbiology. Through personalized guidance and practical projects, we will help students explore the cutting-edge knowledge and technology of microbiology in depth and improve their scientific research capabilities and innovative thinking. We will also share the latest academic resources and industry trends to provide students with more opportunities for thinking and learning, hoping to inspire their innovative inspiration and promote academic exchanges and cooperation.

In this article, Mr. Embark made a detailed analysis of the MCRO first prize project, aiming to provide readers with more thinking angles and learning resources, hoping to inspire inspiration and learn from each other.

Regeneron ISEF 2024 MCRO First Award-Highlights

Project Name
MCRO023 - Endophytes in Plant Litte Decomposition

Image Source:Society for science

Project Introduction
This project studied the relationship between the mass loss of Torrey pine litter and the abundance of foliar fungal endophytes. By extracting DNA and RNA and using next-generation sequencing technology, the project team identified the core endophyte species in different geographical regions. The study found that the abundance of endophytes was positively correlated with mass loss, and successfully used the naive Bayesian algorithm based on ITS1 sequences to classify fungi, of which two fungal strains were accurately identified. This project achieved high model accuracy and novel CTAB protocol applications for the first time in this field.

Regeneron ISEF 2024 MCRO First Award-Analysis

This Regeneron ISEF Award-Winning Project deeply explores the role of foliar fungal endophytes in the decomposition of plant litter and uses bioinformatics analysis and machine learning algorithms to conduct a comprehensive study of fungal endophytes. The project design has clear goals and focuses on foliar fungal endophytes, an important but understudied link in the field of global carbon cycle and plant decomposition. Through in-depth investigation, the participating students discovered the ubiquity of foliar fungal endophytes and conducted targeted research on their taxonomic gaps.

In the experimental phase, the project team carefully selected multiple detection indicators, including extracting DNA and RNA tissues from Torrey pine samples, sequencing, and calculating the relationship between the mass loss of shedding and the abundance of endophytes. These meticulous experimental steps ensure the accuracy and reliability of the research results. It is particularly worth mentioning that the project team also successfully developed a naive Bayes algorithm based on ITS1 sequences for the classification of mycological genera. This innovative method significantly improved the accuracy of the model to 94%.

The competitive point of this project lies in its innovative results and unique analytical methods. By combining experiments and computer analysis, the project not only revealed the distribution of foliar fungal endophytes in California but also identified the core endophytic species in the region - Thai salt fungus and hairy mushroom.

This interdisciplinary research approach brings new perspectives and ideas to the field of fungal taxonomy and demonstrates the broad application prospects of machine learning in bioinformatics analysis. Overall, this project has made important contributions to understanding the role of foliar fungal endophytes in plant decomposition and the global carbon cycle through innovative experimental design and algorithm development.

In this article, we deeply analyze the first prize project in the Regeneron ISEF 2024 Microbiology (MCRO) category, demonstrating the key role of foliar fungal endophytes in the decomposition of plant litter. This study not only highlights its importance in the field of global carbon cycle and plant decomposition but also demonstrates the broad application prospects of bioinformatics analysis and machine learning algorithms in microbial research.

In the next article, we will turn to the first prize project in the Regeneron ISEF 2024 Physics and Astronomy (PHYS) category to explore the innovative application of machine learning technology in continuous gravitational wave search.

Embark was founded in 2016 and is an educational institution that focuses on background improvement in customized scientific research training for young people. The core team members are all graduates of master's and doctoral degrees from prestigious American universities. Since its establishment, it has exclusively signed more than 3,000 mentors from the Ivy League, MIT, and other world-renowned universities. Through customized scientific research training, students have won nearly a thousand awards in major global scientific research competitions and helped them successfully enter Harvard, Stanford, and other world-renowned universities. Embark's professional team will tailor the ISEF project for you and provide the latest academic resources and industry trends to help you achieve more in the field of scientific research. We welcome you to learn more about Embark. Let us pursue the mysteries of science together and open up the road to future technology.

Click here to view the analysis of previous Regeneron ISEF 2024 winning works: