Jan. 10, 2005

Victoria Steiner</br> NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.</br> Phone: 650/604-0176
E-mail: Victoria.L.Steiner@nasa.gov</br></br>RELEASE: 05_01AR

NASA SELECTS STUDENT TEAM TO CONDUCT 'REAL-WORLD' SCIENCE

NASA today announced a team from Troy, Mich., is the winner of the 
first nationwide science contest that provides students a unique 
opportunity to conduct their own research using one of NASA's 
state-of-the-art, ground-based hypergravity facilities.

NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate officials named the 
"Centrifu-G's" the Hyper-G contest's main prizewinner. The team will 
visit NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., in May. The 
team will conduct research at Ames using the International Space 
Station Test Bed Centrifuge, a hypergravity centrifuge.

"The hypergravity competition represents one of the most innovative 
and exciting scientific opportunities for students," said NASA Ames 
Education Director Mark Leon. "Not only does this particular 
experiment give students real science experience, it also puts them 
toe to toe with some of the worlds leading researchers in this 
field," Leon said.

Tianna Shaw, manager of the Facility Utilization Office, and Dr. Jeff 
Smith, Ames' assistant chief of the Gravitational Research Branch, 
will help the students develop plans for the experiment. "This will 
be a unique opportunity for the students to experience the real-world 
application of science and engineering," Shaw said.

"Hypergravity is levels of gravity above one 'G,' or greater than 
Earth's gravity," Smith said. "NASA researchers conduct hypergravity 
experiments on centrifuges to understand how gravity causes changes 
in humans and other living organisms," he explained.

Understanding how a particular species changes in hypergravity helps 
scientists predict and better understand how the species will change 
in space or on another planet, which is essential for successful 
realization of the Vision for Space Exploration.

Centrifu-G's team members will study wound healing in the flatworm 
'Planaria,' which has many physiological systems in common with 
humans. Students hypothesized that flatworms exposed to hypergravity 
will experience a slower rate of regeneration.

"Studying the combined processes of wound healing and gravity stress 
in these tiny animals may provide clues to successfully treating 
wounds that might be sustained by astronauts on future long-term 
missions to the moon or Mars," Smith said.

During the students' visit to Ames, their teachers will have an 
opportunity to help guide them through the scientific process, while 
learning about hands-on methods in biology, physics and mathematics 
as they relate to NASA's exploration biology research.

The competition began in September 2004. Each student team entered the 
contest by submitting a letter of intent, stating the idea for a 
scientific experiment. In December 2004, 27 high school student teams 
from 10 states provided proposals. NASA engineers and scientists 
advised students throughout the proposal development process.

In addition to the grand prize, there are three honorable mention 
teams: Vinegar Eel Nematodes Under Study, Columbus, Ga.; the Team 
Infinity Universe, Los Alamos, N.M.; and the 12 Volt Super Shockers, 
Boise, Idaho.

The Treasure Valley Math and Science Center, Boise, Idaho, also 
received special commendation to acknowledge the number and quality 
of experimental ideas submitted.

For more information about the Hyper-G competition on the Web, visit:



http://lifesci.arc.nasa.gov


For more information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:



http://www.nasa.gov/

	
-end-