Scan the program of any professional science research conference and what would you expect to see? PhD university professors, graduate students, representatives from research corporations, maybe even NASA representatives.
So, it might be surprising to see Atkins HS senior Sally Lee listed among those prestigious names presenting research at the annual conference of the American Society for Gravity and Space Research, held in Puerto Rico on December 3-7. Her presentation entitled “The Effect of Aluminum Sulfate in the Cultivation of Baby Bok Choy in Lunar Regolith Simulant (LHS-1)” analyzed the effects of using aluminum sulfate in plants grown in lunar soil.
“I'm so proud of her, and we all should be proud that she's a Camel. She represents the best of our kids,” said her faculty mentor Matt Brady, a science teacher at Atkins. For a student to have this type of opportunity at the high school level is quite an achievement, and one that is only possible with the type of STEM program offered at Atkins. The project was assisted by Dr. Rafael Luorenio at Winston-Salem State University, one of the many partnerships at Atkins that provide students real-world and advanced learning opportunities.
“I am just grateful for the opportunity. I was able to connect with people all over the nation and also from Puerto Rico which was very exciting and surreal,” Lee said. “I could have never imagined being in a room with researchers from NASA, ISS, Princeton Cryotech, and so many more and present in front of them. It was nerve-wracking but it was certainly an opportunity that I will forever cherish."
Imagine a high school student’s research contributing to our human future life on the moon. Lee’s research was about the effect of aluminum sulfate in lunar regolith (LHS-1) and she used a simulation to replicate the lunar regolith. For the first 10 days, she germinated the baby bok choy (specimen) and then planted them into different treatments (a control group with no additives of aluminum sulfate, one with 0.5% of aluminum sulfate, and one with 0.7% of aluminum sulfate).
“During the time of cultivation, I measured the pH levels, biomass, lengths, and root count to see the difference between each treatment,” Lee said. The results suggest that the additive of aluminum sulfate allows the decrease in the pH level in the regolith allowing increased growth under the stress conditions of the lunar regolith.
Lee’s research opens a new possibility for future exploration when it comes to cultivation in extraterrestrial environments.
Atkins offers unique classes that are unique to the entire school district (and in some cases, even the entire state), including biotechnology and biomedical technology, all a part of its STEM program.
Lee said she will continue working with WSSU and conduct another research about a different treatment to combat the problems she had with her previous research. She also plans to do the Plant the Moon Challenge with Space Club, which is a project that NASA conducts with high schoolers. After high school, Lee plans to continue her research in astrobotany.
