Sunday, February 9, 2025
Emily Smukler, a senior at Hewlett High School, has been named a semifinalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search for her research on DNA nanostructures, placing her among the top 300 students nationwide in the competition.
The competition, focused on rewarding young scientists for their original research and leadership potential, received nearly 2,500 applications from students across the world. Smukler said she has been working on this research since last year.
“I got into my lab around March or April and began my research in late June, which is around the same time that I started to fill out my application for Regeneron,” Smukler said. “I had been working on both my application and in the lab throughout the whole summer and even during the school year.”
Her project titled “Aptamer-Mediated Biosensing using Self-Assembled DNA Nanomaterials,” focused on taking several single strands of DNA and forcing them into a structure that can recognize other molecules. Terrence Bissoondial, a science research teacher at Hewlett High, broke down the research and explained why it is important.
“Emily was able to take several strands of DNA and develop them in the right environmental condition so that they form a triangle, and this triangle is then able to recognize any other molecule you want,” Bissoondial said. “If you wanted to test for fentanyl, you could use Emily’s research to get an aptamer and do that.”
Along with becoming a semifinalist, Smukler will receive a $2,000 reward for her research. Honored to be nominated as a semifinalist, Smukler said she is excited to continue working on science research in college. She is one of the 49 Long Island Regeneron semifinalists, the most of any region in the country.
“I was in my calculus class when I heard that I was a semifinalist, and I was in disbelief,” Smukler said. “Everyone was coming over to congratulate me, and it was just a surreal experience that I am honored to have received. Over the summer, I worked on my research at NYU, and I was accepted there early decision, so I plan on going back and continuing to work on my research.”
The Hewlett-Woodmere school district will also receive a $2,000 reward for Smukler’s nomination. The reward will go towards benefitting the district’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programs. Bissoondial said that Smukler has worked hard to earn this achievement and he is extremely proud of her accomplishments.
“Regeneron doesn’t only look at the student’s research — they look at the background of the student to see if they have a good grasp of science,” Bissoondial said. “Emily has done amazing work on studying seizures in babies, cambium in plants, and work with the robotics team. She has worked tremendously hard for it, and it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person.”
Smukler will now advance to the next stage of the competition, where 40 finalists will be named and compete for more than $1.8 million in additional rewards in Washington, D.C. Finalists will be announced on Jan. 23.
