My post high school goals include: Pursuing a higher college education. Potential pathways I am interested in include botany, ecology, or elementary education. 

STEM courses I have taken: Integrated Math I (High school freshman-level course completed in middle school), Honors Integrated Math II, and Honors Biology. I am currently enrolled in Honors Integrated Math III, Honors Chemistry, and Honors Scientific Research. I have also been a member of the Gifted and Talented program since elementary school.  

Current research overview: 

Introduction
My project investigates the effects of sorgoleone, which is a natural compound produced by the common crop sorghum roots, on the growth of glyphosate-resistant corn, with the broader goal of exploring sustainable weed management strategies. Sorgoleone is known for its allelopathic properties, meaning it can inhibit the growth of surrounding plants, which makes it a promising candidate for natural weed control. However, there is limited research on how sorgoleone might affect crops that are genetically modified to resist synthetic herbicides like glyphosate and how sorgoleone would work as a natural herbicide in the environment. Understanding this interaction is crucial for developing integrated weed management systems that minimize chemical inputs while maintaining crop productivity.

Methods and Progress to Date
So far, I have completed a comprehensive literature review on both sorgoleone’s biological activity and the mechanisms of glyphosate resistance in corn. I have sourced glyphosate-resistant corn seeds along with other various supplies needed for my experiment and developed a controlled experimental design that includes:

• Growing corn seedlings in soil with sorgoleone treatment

• Growing corn seedlings in soil with typical glyphosate (Round Up) treatment

• Establishing control groups (corn grown without sorgoleone) for comparison

• Monitoring and recording key growth parameters such as germination rate, shoot and root length, leaf health, and overall biomass of corn

• Observing biomass and species of weeds that pop up in the plots of each group

I have also begun feasibility trials, testing my ability to grow the sorghum and extract sorgoleone from the roots. Observations in my literature suggest that, at moderate concentrations, sorgoleone does not cause significant visible harm to glyphosate-resistant corn, though subtle effects on root development are being further analyzed. (This could be seen through my study)

Planned Future Work
In the next phase, I plan to:

• Prepare my backyard to place the plots of corn in and grow them there for experimenting 

• Continue growing sorghum in pots so that they are easily ready to extract sorgoleone from

• Begin to conduct my experiment by starting weed control treatments on the corn plots

• And finally collecting data and analyzing it to be presented at the fair in the coming year

Conclusion and Broader Impacts

This research will contribute new knowledge about the compatibility of natural and synthetic weed control methods in modern agriculture. If sorgoleone is found to be safe for glyphosate-resistant corn and proves itself to be a worthy herbicide, it could be used alongside or as an alternative to chemical herbicides, reducing reliance on synthetic inputs and supporting more sustainable farming systems. My findings will help inform farmers, scientists, and policymakers about the practical implications of integrating allelopathic compounds into crop management, and may guide future research on crop-weed interactions and sustainable agriculture.