HAFTR seniors named Siemens semifinalists

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Gila Schein and Rachel Sacks, seniors at the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) High School, were semifinalists in the elite Siemens Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Competition for 2016.

Schein and Sacks created graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide gold/silver solutions and incorporated them into polymer sulfonated polystyrene to observe whether the solutions have an effect on the structures as well as the differentiation of dental pulp derived cells.

They found that the gold reduced graphene oxide increased protein adhesion to the surfaces, while both the gold and plain reduced graphene oxide induced dental pulp differentiation into bone cells. Their research shows exciting promise for synthetically produced polymer scaffolds to be used for the repair of biological tissue and the development of artificial organs for transplant.

The students conducted their research at the Garcia Center Summer Scholars Program at Stony Brook University, which is headed by of Dr. Miriam Rafailovich. Rebecca Isseroff, a science teacher at Lawrence High School, and Vincent Ricotta and mentored the students.