2,893 Inspirational Passion Project Ideas
Turn inspirations into your passion project.
This collection of project ideas, shared by Polygence mentors, is meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.
- AI/ML
- Animation
- Arts
- Biology
- Biotech
- Business
- Cancer
- Chemistry
- Cognitive
- Computer Science
- Creative Writing
- Dance
- Dentistry
- Economics
- Engineering
- Entomology
- Environmental Science
- Ethics
- Fashion
- Finance
- Game Design
- Healthcare
- History
- Illustration
- Languages
- Linguistics
- Literature
- Math
- Medicine
- Music
- Neuroscience
- Nutrition
- Organizational Leadership
- Philanthropy
- Philosophy
- Photography
- Physics
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Quantitative
- Social
- Social Science
- Sports Analytics
- Statistics
- Surgery
"Water" Your Beliefs?
Access to safe water is a pressing issue globally. However, people tend to have differing beliefs on what causes water quality decline in their area. Beyond this, people also generally tend to have similar beliefs to their neighbors, which can lead to pockets of opinions which may not reflect reality in a given location. I began thinking about this topic in 2018, when I worked with ecologists and sociologists to analyze this sort of data in Loja, Ecuador. This project would develop a model of two contrasting factors - the actual water quality in a region and people's perception of that water quality. By doing this, we can try to measure how misinformation may spread through a community, and how big the disparity between people's beliefs and reality become.
Biology, Math
Finding the Optimal Study Method
There is no shortage of suggestions found from a variety of sources on the best way to study for an important test. Are flash cards the best way to memorize things? What about writing a song with lyrics based on the test subject? How about teaching a friend or family member? Using research design and computer science skills we can find the answer to which study method is best within a particular school/community. Some important questions to think about include: -What kind of test would we use to measure study effectiveness? Would it be memorization or analysis based, or both? -How would we set up the experiment and control our variables to best ensure that the results come only as a result of the students' method of study? -How would we represent our data and perform the necessary statistical tests in a programming environment?
Biology, Computer Science
How does death help regeneration?
While many consider regeneration a largely proliferative event, it is often paired with waves of cell death that are vital to the process. Programmed cell death is also an important component of development in many species. However, the role of these controlled death events has not been fully elucidated, and the existing data has not been synthesized to provide a clearer picture. There are lots of unanswered questions that can be potentially explored through detailed literature reviews.
Biotech, Biology
Cancer Immunotherapy Literature Review
I have experience conducting cancer immunology research and working with leaders in the field. I would guide you in writing a thorough literature review surveying the relevant literature and key results about the history of cancer immunotherapy, current and future approaches, mechanisms of action, and socioeconomic challenges. You would gain an ample understanding of the field as well as learn how to synthesise current research into a comprehensive literature review.
Biology, Physics, Engineering, Math
Neurotechnology design features' impact on the identity and function of reactive astrocytes
I work with these brain computer inteface devices called microelectrode arrays. They communicate with neurons in the brain and allow for tetraplegic patients to regain some level or movement once again. The problem is after a few years, these arrays stop working. The reason why is that these other specialized brain cells, called astrocytes, act like body guards towards the neurons. They see these little devices and try to cover them up to protect the neurons. The problem is after awhile, the astrocytes behavior changes and they actually end up killing neurons. My job is to figure out what makes these astrocytes harmful and if I can reverse that process.
Biology, Neuroscience
[Beginner] Scientific Interpretation and Communication
One of the most challenging (and exciting!) aspects about being a scientist is being able to effectively read a given article, understand whether that article is accurate and/or noteworthy, and then communicate that information to others. Here we will learn how to read primary scientific articles, extract the relevant information necessary to understand it, and then learn how we can recreate that information into various forms of communication suitable for different audiences. Skills obtained in this section will include: 1) learning how to effectively read a primary scientific article even without having any background into a given field, 2) learning how to see whether an article is trustworthy and reasonable, and 3) learning how to communicate that information to different audiences via your choice of either a written, verbal (i.e. presentation / podcast / etc.), and/or visual-style of communication (i.e. presentation / YouTube video / art / etc.).
Biotech, Biology
Universal tools: Understanding the role of Transcription Factors in Genome maintanance
Transcription factors (TFs) are key proteins and gene regulators which play diverse and important roles in regulating expression of genes within cells. While there are some unique TFs which play specific and isolated roles, many TFs are used and reused in unique and common combinations to produce a specific cell type identity, cell activation as well as participate in important key steps during development. A research paper on one such set of common TFs like P53 and MYC in cancer, or OCT4 and SOX2 in stem cells, would not only introduce the important of these universal protein tools but also demonstrate how combinatorics is central to understand how universal tools are used to build unique cell identities from all the genetic info stored in our genomes.
Biology
Housely
Housely is a comic strip the depicts the brain as a house, and the rooms as different areas of the brain and the inhabitants are neurons. This comic will explore stress and its effects on the brain. Once Housely reaches a breaking point he will explore meditation, and the comic strip will showcase how meditation shifts neuronal networks, or in this case Housely's inhabitants interactions to create a more functional peaceful environment/network. All works will be based on current neuroscience findings.
Biology
Advocacy in Environmental Policies
Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a detailed plan for measuring, planning and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and related climatic impacts. It typically includes implementation strategy that identifies required resources and funding mechanisms. Most major US cities have their own CAP and residents are welcomed to give feedback on these CAP drafts as a collaborative effort. In this project, the student will pick a local CAP and write a solid recommendation letter in how the specific goals/policies can be improved based on relevant research. There also might be an opportunity to directly speak to your local Climate Action Planning team during virtual public forum events! This is a great opportunity to see new local policies being enacted to combat climate change in your area and to learn how to effectively engage in public policy.
Biology
Sex differences in COVID
I think it would be interesting to look at sex-based differences in how COVID-19 severity. You could look at the expression of difference genes between biological males and females to see why the death rate is higher for men.
Biology
'Biomes
Our bodies are covered and filled with lots of microorganisms that help keep us healthy. In this project, you will explore the microbiome to learn about the different kinds of organisms that compose it, as well as the functions they play. This project can be looked at with different lenses. If you are more interested in the history of science, you are welcome to explore the history of the discovery of the microbiome and how it has been studied throughout the years. If you would like to develop your computational skills, you can use publicly available datasets to compare and contrast different microbial communities. More of a microbiologist? You are welcome to delve into how taking antibiotics can affect your microbiome and how to minimize detrimental side effects after antibiotic use!
Biology
Morphological Trends in Marine Organisms with Natural History Collections
In partnership with your local natural history museum, study morphological trends over time using any robustly represented species or group in order to understand how factors such as climate change, habitat loss/gain, conservation efforts, and more may have impacted the morphologies of your chosen organisms. (Image Credit: Marc Campos, Occidental College)
Biology, Environmental Science
The effect of porous burner geometry on radiation emissions
Porous media burners are solid structures that operate with an embedded flame to enhance combustion performance in comparison to free flames like those seen in a bunsen burner or on a stove. We would like to understand how the internal geometry of these burners can affect the radiation (light) emissions to the surrounding environment. This is expected to be influenced by both the geometric shape and temperature. The project is strictly experimental and requires the determination of proper instrumentation (measuring techniques). Published literature (via Google Scholar) should be consulted for previous methods in porous media experimentation and measuring the emissions spectrum and irradiance. Also, it's important to understand which variables across the different geometries should be held constant to isolate the quantities of interests, such as pore size or porosity. Furthermore, proficiency in the software used for designing the burner geometries along with the corresponding 3D printing process will be acquired. The apparatus needs to be designed to facilitate safe combustion of premixed fuel and oxidizer with minimal confluence from instrumentation. The goal is to publish a scientific research paper on our findings.
Biology, Physics, Engineering
[Intermediate] Project Development
Bacteria are incredible organisms that can be found throughout nature. For example, they can live in our guts in order to metabolize dietary fiber from the food we eat, or can be found in the ocean producing oxygen we breathe. In this project, we will work on choosing a microbiology-focused topic using Google Scholar and PubMed literature searches, developing a hypothesis by reading and interpreting scientific review articles, and then creating and writing a “Specific Aims” project proposal that is required by undergraduate honors thesis projects and major fellowship/grant-awarding organizations such as NSF, NIH, etc. Skills obtained in this section include: 1) Learning how to choose a scientific topic by searching for and reading scientific articles; 2) learning how develop a hypothesis to test an idea that major organizations might consider fundable; 3) learning how to turn that hypothesis into a written grant proposal (Specific Aims); and 4) learning how to present this proposal to a general audience.
Biotech, Biology
Cancer Pharmacology: A comparison
Choose a cancer type (or other disease) to focus on, and select 2-3 drugs that are currently available or are in development for comparison. Learn about their mechanisms, targeted biological pathways, drug class, dosages, benefits and limitations. Provide a comprehensive review in the format of an article, scientific paper, presentation, or other media form.
Biology, Cancer, Engineering, Chemistry
Exploring Biomaterials for Women's Health Applications
I've worked on numerous projects related to women's health applications including drug delivery in ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and pregnancy. In these research spaces, there are always many questions about sex-based differences in drug delivery, how pregnancy can affect therapeutic interventions, and how to better design biomaterials for women's health. This project would look to explore the ongoing research related to biomaterials specifically utilized in women's health applications. The student can decide how to further narrow the topic depending on their interests (i.e., biomaterials for pregnancy, drug delivery in the female reproductive tract, etc). This work could focus on either preclinical or clinical research related to women's health as the student reviews current literature and/or clinical studies exploring this topic. The student could then create a written report with schematics-- a scientific review, commentary, or blogpost-- on the observed data and any emerging trends that seem relevant. The overall goals would be to get more comfortable finding and reading scientific articles and to practice summarizing these different sources cohesively.
Biotech, Biology, Engineering
How does the brain's immune system respond to Alzheimer's disease?
Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, change dramatically in Alzheimer's disease. Is this a helpful response or a destructive one? Recent research has provided evidence for both sides. How might this cell type both protect against and exacerbate the progression of Alzheimer's disease?
Biology, Neuroscience
Bioinformatic data analysis on cancer metastasis
Student will learn basic bioinformatic analysis skills used in literature today such as gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and learn to interpret the result side-by-side with publically available patient data through analysis of the Kaplan-Meier curve. Identification and summary of possible cancer metastasis driver genes can be reported in a form of a commentary or a scientific review.
Biology, Cancer
Analyze barriers to mental health care access in a population of your interest.
Although mental health is finally gaining attention, unfortunately there are large disparities in who can access mental health care. Performing a literature review to investigate the reasons behind these barriers, and how to circumvent them. Write a research article that analyzes your findings and offers potential solutions. You can customize the project to a population you care about, such as adolescents or certain racial or ethnic groups.
Psychiatry, Biology, Neuroscience, Social, Psychology
Biology of Aging
Aging is a heterogeneous, stochastic process by which an organism shows declines across physiological systems over time. Similarly to organismal aging, cells show aging through a process known as cellular senescence, in which cells age over time. This process is accompanied by a series of declines in cellular systems including accumulation of DNA damage, expression of specific proteins, and pro-inflammatory secretions, and these senescent cells avoid cellular death known as apoptosis. A healthy immune system usually responds to cellular senescence by eliminating senescent cells. However, with age, an organism's immune system becomes less functional, allowing senescent cells to build up in tissues. Also, aging is accompanied by weakening of the musculoskeletal systems (bones and muscles), increased prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases (such as dementia), and increased prevalence of cancer. Aging across systems is an incredibly complicated and interesting process and I would love to help a mentee study aging in the immune system, on the cellular level, in the brain, in the cardiovascular system, or any other systems of interest to a mentee to produce a scientific review article, vlog or blog or news and views article for the public, or anything else a student is interested in! There are also very interesting ethics around studying aging that we could learn about and develop a story, blog, vlog, article, or other piece about.
Biology, Ethics
