by: Emma Dauster
BHS juniors Cullen Duval and Emily Trusler completed their TIME program project on the application of entomopathogenic fungi in mosquito control. Their project received third place in the Biological Science A category of the 2018 Western Region Science and Engineering Fair that took place at Western Carolina University on February 8.
The project, titled, “Isolation of Entomopathogenic Fungi From Mosquito Larvae and Evaluation of Potential for Mosquito Control”, investigated the potential of various entomopathogenic fungi isolated from Transylvania County mosquitoes to be used in mosquito control as well as prevention of widespread mosquito-borne disease.
“This is the second year I’ve worked with mosquitoes,” said Duval. “They’re such a big issue in our county so I’ve really been looking to gain more information on them and learn more about how to control the populations that exist where we live.”
Mosquitos are becoming an increasingly popular area of interest to scientists around the globe, for methods of mosquito control are always in great need of being developed.
“Because mosquitoes are such a major issue worldwide, any research we do on controlling mosquito populations could potentially help disease prevention around the world,” said Duval.
The TIME program at BHS allows students to conduct real scientific research on their own time during a class period. This is an incredible opportunity for any student who wishes to make a difference in their community, state, or even country.
“The TIME program is great because you get to do your own research that’s relevant and benefits your community. If you’re interested in science at all, I’d highly recommend it; you really learn a lot and at the end of the class, you’re pretty much a master in your field of study.
For more information about BHS’s TIME 4 Real Science Program and how to be a part of it, visit time4realscience.org!