Katherine Medina

Botany/Microbiology

I am a Senior at Basehor Linwood High School, and I am currently researching the use of magnesium oxide nanoparticles as a potential salt-stress mitigator in Medicago sativa inoculated with Sinorhizobium bacteria.

Previously, I researched the use of Anabaena sp. as a potential photoprotectant against UV-B for Oryza Sativa.

Outside of research, I am a member of the YSKC Symphonic Orchestra, Allegro choirs of KC, Ensemble Iberica's Young Artist Program, BLHS Powerlifting Team, and many more.

My post high school goals include: Singing in the Whitsun Festival in Salzburg, Germany (after getting my bachelor's in vocal performance), obtaining my Suzuki School Teaching Certification for Violin and Viola, and possibly getting a degree in neurology

STEM courses I have taken: I have taken Honors Biology, Intro to Industrial Tech, Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, The Maiden Year of Honors Research, and I have been a member of the Cosmosphere's camp

Current Research Overview:

With a constant increase in the number of crops being planted, the quantity of fertilizers being applied also increases. In many plants, such as soybeans and alfalfa, an increase in salts, commonly from irrigated water and over-fertilized soils, can be detrimental to the health of agricultural plants, as their job within crop rotation is restoring nutrients, such as nitrogen, back into the soil. Over-saturation of sodium in the soil can limit or prevent osmosis, reduce nitrogen fixation, and reduce rhizobial and nodule infection establishments. Scientists have more recently begun to utilize different varieties of nanoparticles, as several of them have been shown to mitigate salinity stress in plants. One nanoparticle in sodium-stress experiments is zinc oxide. The issue with this particulate is that in large quantities, it can be phytotoxic and can negatively impact the soil microbiome, potentially causing nutritional imbalances within the plant. However, another potential nanoparticle, magnesium oxide, has been shown in other plant species to have similar sodium stress-mitigating effects. This is in addition to its photosynthetic support and other non-toxic effects. Magnesium oxide also has the potential to support plant and soil microbes, which would be especially important to plants of the legume family. This is why I will analyze the use of Magnesium Oxide as a potential stress mitigator in the root nodules and vegetative parts of Medicago sativa (alfalfa) that has been inoculated with Sinorhizobium meliloti (Rhz.)

For this study, I currently plan to run an experimental design similar to this:

CONTROL (No salt stress):

(No Rhz.) (Innoculated with Rhz.)

MgO nanoparticles mg/L: 0 50 100 0 50 100

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Number of plants: 3 3 3 3 3 3

EXPERIMENTAL:

(No Rhz.) (Innoculated with Rhz.)

MgO nanoparticles mg/L: 0 50 100 0 50 100

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Number of plants: 3 *3 *3 3 *3 *3

*The highlighted groups above will be grown under salt stress.

Research Overview (2023-2024):

Previously, I created a research project analyzing the use of Anabaena sp. as a potential photoprotectant for Oryza sativa. I had wanted to research this topic as I had been reading about how certain plants were more photosensitive than others. Plants that are under high levels of Sun-stress are not as healthy, have an altered taste, and produce dramatically less yield, depending on the plant. So, I began to wonder what solutions were on the market to help mitigate that stress. One common method used was gene modification. I, however, wanted to try something a little different, as I had been reading about a little blue-green algae that may have been producing photo-chemicals that could have alleviated some of the UV stress the plants were facing. I began to wonder if I could use a blue-green algae that could alleviate some of the UV-B stress in rice plants, as they are more prone to getting "burnt" compared to other species.

Essentially, I created 4 separate groups of rice plants:

1: Control

2: UV-B exposure

3: Sprayed with Anabaena sp.

4:UV-B Exposure + sprayed with Anabaena sp.

I grew algae in a bioreactor purchased from the University of Texas at Austin and ran one trial over the course of roughly 2 months.

After completing my experiment, I then measured the height and weight of my rice plants. All of the results pointed to the idea that my research was not statistically significant, with only one of my plant groups rejecting the null hypothesis (that being the algae and rice group). I took this information and transferred it to my board and research paper, and off I went to the ISEF-affiliated Science Fair of Greater Kansas City.

The lead-up to the fair was terrifying, but once we arrived at Union Station, all of my stress began to go away. After checking out the other projects in my division as well as others, I finally started to feel that I had created a quality project that could stand alone on its own. Shortly after examining the projects of my competitors, the team and I went out for food and proceeded to wait for four hours until the senior interviews began.

The interviews were so much fun because I was able to converse with other scientists who had gone through the same sorts of research processes as I had. The judges were very nice and gave good advice on how I could improve my project. After the hour of interviews was up, I wanted to talk even more.

When the results came back, I found I had won the silver medal at the GKCSEF.

Contact me: KatherineEMedina08@gmail.com

Katherine Medina's Research Paper

2024 Research Poster Display: