Laura Marie Ernst of Ursuline Academy Wins a Grand Finalist, Second Award in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair!

Marie Sherman, Science Teacher at Ursuline Academy in St. Louis, MO, announced that one of her senior students, Ms. Laura Ernst, won a second in the Grand Awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held in Detroit, MI in May, 2000. Laura placed in the top five out of a total of 88 entrants in her category (Botany). As part of her studies at Ursuline, Laura did a two-year project for Independent Science Research using C-Fern. Comparing the growth of wild type and salt tolerant C-Fern mutants (strain stl2) in 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% sea water, she found that the 25% and 50% groups grew surprisingly well. She then analyzed the tissues from each group for chloride, calcium, Vitamin C and chlorophyll content. This gave her some interesting data for graphs and extended analysis. Laura received $1,500 in prize money! In Fall 2000 she will attend Washington University (St. Louis) as a freshman majoring in Biology with a specialty in Botany.

Exhibit at NSTA 2000- Orlando, FL
Visit us at our next Workshop or Exhibit and learn more about C-Fern

An Exciting New C-Fern Investigation
CHEMICAL ATTRACTION
C-Fern Sperm Chemotaxis
Now Available Instructor and Student Versions of the Laboratory Write-up

A review article about using
C-Fern in the classroom
Hickok, LG, TR Warne, SL Baxter and CT Melear. Sex and the C-Fern: Not just another life cycle. BioScience 48: 1031-1037
--Check out the C-Fern Bibliography--