Author: Young Investigators Review

The Young Investigators Review is Stony Brook University's undergraduate-oriented, all-inclusive science journal. Founded in 2008, our mission is to provide the student community with a way to learn more about the research currently being done on-campus by their faculty and fellow peers. We feature articles that span all fields, from Physics to Neuroscience, as well as original student research reports straight from the campus laboratories. Our journal offers aspiring talented future researchers and physicians a way to hone their science writing skills and spread word of their experiences to inspire incoming students to think about devoting their futures to the various fields of science.
2016-17, Health

Curcumin has the potential to alterations caused by ischemia

by Aaradhana Natarajan ’20 Ischemia can result when blood flow is severely reduced. The lack of sufficient oxygen and glucose causes cells to inflame as the body tries to regain homeostasis. Dr. Glaura Fernandes Teixeira de Alcântara and researchers at Estacio of Juazeiro da Norte in Brazil studied the neuroprotective ability of curcumin for global cerebral ischemia in the hippocampus. The researchers used a rat … Continue reading Curcumin has the potential to alterations caused by ischemia

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Medicine and Physiology, Technology

Solar Cells Could Power Medical Implants

  By Rideeta Raquib ‘19 Electronic implants are usually powered by batteries. Rechargeable batteries, which are rare, require continuous charging and primary batteries require implant replacements if they are completely used up. Thus, lead researcher Dr. Lukas Bereuter, and his research team at the University of Bern in Switzerland investigated whether sunlight could serve as an alternative source of energy to power medical implants.   Models … Continue reading Solar Cells Could Power Medical Implants

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2016-17, Health

Omega-3 Supplements Tackle Asthma in Children 

      By Rideeta Raquib ‘19   Fish oil is an essential food that is often recommended to boost Omega-3 fats. An insufficient consumption of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) may contribute towards wheezing disorders. A study conducted at the University of Waterloo analyzed the effect of supplementation with n-3 LCPUFAs in pregnant women on the risk factor of acquiring asthma or wheezing disorders … Continue reading Omega-3 Supplements Tackle Asthma in Children 

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2016-17, Health

The Key to Youth Via Senescent Cell Removal

  Researchers believe the key to anti-aging may be the removal of senescent cells   Rideeta Raquib ‘19 As individuals age, the ability of tissues to carry out adequate function deteriorates and age-related diseases become more prominent. Senescent cells are found in huge quantities of these diseases, but there is not much research done regarding whether these cells caused such degeneration. Senescence occurs when cell … Continue reading The Key to Youth Via Senescent Cell Removal

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2016-17, Biology, Health, Medicine and Physiology

Isolated Antibodies Protect Against Zika in Mice

An antibody found in humans might be able to fight the Zika virus which is transmitted through mosquitos. Patrick Yang ‘20 Zika virus’s 2015-2016 outbreak that infected more than 80,000 people gained much attention because of the severe birth defects caused by it. Although Zika is no longer an international public health emergency, treatment and preventative measures must still be developed in anticipation for a … Continue reading Isolated Antibodies Protect Against Zika in Mice

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2016-17, Biology, Chemistry, Genetics

Enzyme in Soil Bacteria Inhibits Biofilm Formation

      Patrick Yang ‘20 Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multidrug resistant bacterium responsible for serious medical illnesses, such as pneumonia, sepsis, and cystic fibrosis. The bacterium produces a metabolite called pyocyanin, which largely contributes towards the pathogen’s toxicity. A recent discovery found that pyocyanin also aids in the aggregation of bacteria to form biofilm. Biofilm, a community of microorganisms that is resistant to conventional … Continue reading Enzyme in Soil Bacteria Inhibits Biofilm Formation

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2016-17, Biology, Environment

Climate Change Triggers Local Extinctions

    By Patrick Yang ‘20 Average annual temperatures worldwide have reached an approximate 1°C increase since 1880 – a shift hardly noticeable to humans, but a harbinger of biodiversity loss in plants and animals, especially in warmer regions. Past models have predicted 0% to >50% species loss due to future climate change. However, the extent of biodiversity loss is much harder to ascertain because … Continue reading Climate Change Triggers Local Extinctions

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2016-17, Engineering, Medicine and Physiology

Harvesting Energy with Magnetic Springs

      Michael D’Agati ‘18 Developing better ways to power portable electronic or wireless sensor systems has become more desirable in our increasingly mobile world. Multiple projects have proposed harvesting mechanical stresses from the human body to power these devices, but many of them use piezoelectric materials, which create current in a circuit due to changes in pressures on the material. Many small piezoelectric … Continue reading Harvesting Energy with Magnetic Springs

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2016-17, Engineering, Health, Medicine and Physiology

Creating Electricity Using the Motion of the Body

    Michael D’Agati ‘18 Wearable electronics, such as the Fitbit and Apple Watch, have started to flood the consumer marketplace. Flexible energy sources, rather than traditional batteries, are garnering more popularity to power this wearable technology because energy created by a moving human body – an unlimited power source – can be harvested and used to power them. A team of researchers led by … Continue reading Creating Electricity Using the Motion of the Body

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2016-17, Engineering, Medicine and Physiology

Sensing Human Touch with Low Frequencies

Michael D’Agati ‘18 Passive touch sensing flexible keyboards could supplement low power displays. Sensing Human Touch with Low Frequencies. From touch screens to keypads, the technology that senses a human touch is vital to communication in the 21st century. This technology found in the displays of smartphones and tablets requires active touch sensing technologies. In other words, the display requires power delivered via battery or … Continue reading Sensing Human Touch with Low Frequencies

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2016-17, Health

Tackling Zika with an Antibody Present in Humans

by Rideeta Raquib ’19   The Zika virus, or ZIKV, falls under the classification of the flavivirus genus, which includes Dengue and West Nile virus members, and can lead to numerous negative side effects. The virus contains a surface that is composed of 180 copies of E protein organized in an icosahedral symmetrical pattern with 60 asymmetric units. It also contains three domains, DI, DII, and … Continue reading Tackling Zika with an Antibody Present in Humans

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2016-17, Biology

Creating a Living Bio-Hybrid System

by Rideeta Raquib ’19   Neurons are a remarkable aspect of living organisms that enable electrical signals to travel to the brain and back, this translates to voluntary and involuntary responses. Designing a functional system that could mimic the actions present in the brain has proved to be an obstacle for many researchers. The most tedious aspect of such a design is to model the learning … Continue reading Creating a Living Bio-Hybrid System

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