february 2024
3D Organ Bioprinting pg. 7
e s r e v n I n o i t a n i c c Va 3 1 pg.
m a x E n o t l o s t l H u s e R y e v r u S 1 . pg
Are G enius Born es or M ade? How Musi c Ma kes You S marte r pg. 1 1
and more...
TABLE OF
Exam Survey Res 3D Organ Biopr
inting --------
Are Geniuses Bo Smarter ------Inverse Vaccina Crossword ----
ults -----------
--- 7
w Music Makes
You
--------------
-- 6
--------------
--------------
--------------
-- 1
--------------
rn or Made? Ho
tion ----------
--------------
--- 8
--------------
--16
3 < t h g i l t o p s m a e t s , e v lo
Sky Zhu ‘26, Malia Humphries-Do ‘26, Yvonne Zhu ‘26 STEAM Spotlight had a very successful first exam survey with 100 respondents. We had 35 freshmen, 43 sophomores, 13 juniors, and 9 seniors respond, with a response from students in almost every class and subject. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our survey and enjoy the results below! of respondents found their math exam the hardest, making it the ‘most difficult overall’
of respondents found their world language exam the easiest overall
respondents found the Geosciences exam easiest, rating it an average of
respondents found the Chinese 3 exam the hardest, rating it an average of
math
the average rating for the freshman English exam was a
pg. 1
Hardest Exam: Expectations
6% 19% 40%
35%
5%
Reality
14% 53%
Key: Math Science English World Language
math
28%
pg. 2
Easiest Exam: 7%
16%
Expectations 50%
27%
6%
13%
Reality Key: Math Science English World Language
math
49%
32%
pg. 3
the mean and median rating of the math exam for all respondents
respondents found the precalculus honors & im 1 exams the most difficult, rating them on average math
geo
6.17
geo h
6.50
im 1
8.00
alg 2
5.94
alg 2h
7.72
im 2
7.50
precalc
5.38
pch
8.00
calc 1
6.88
mvc
7.50
pg. 4
the mean and median rating of the science exam for all respondents
respondents found the physics honors exam the most difficult, rating it an on average math
phys
5.92
phys h
8.00
chem
5.06
chem h
6.24
geosci
2.50
bio
5.50
bio h
7.00
adv bio
5.75
adv phys
7.50
pg. 5
language latin 2
4.00
french 2
5.63
latin 3
4.00
french 3
4.75
latin 3h
6.00
french 3h
5.43
latin 4
5.50
french 4
5.00
latin 4h
6.00
french 4h
5.50
chinese 2
5.80
spanish 2
4.67
chinese 3
8.50
spanish 3
4.20
chinese 3h
6.67
spanish 3h
4.20
chinese 4
7.00
spanish 4
2.50
chinese 4h
8.00
spanish 4h
4.25
the average rating for world language exams was a math
pg. 6
Biomedical Engineering Breakthrough: Bioprinting Lucia Noto ‘25 In a world grappling with the scarcity of organ donors and the intricate challenge of finding ideal matches for lifesaving transplantation procedures, a groundbreaking solution emerges on the horizon. Picture a future where the difficult quest for suitable organ donors and the constant threat of transplant rejection become relics of the past. This revolutionary approach is propelled by the cutting-edge field of 3D organ bioprinting. According to an article published by CNN Health, "Organ bioprinting is the use of 3Dprinting technologies to assemble multiple cell types, growth factors, and biomaterials in a layer-by-layer fashion to produce bioartificial organs that ideally imitate their natural counterparts." Jennifer Lewis, a professor at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the mastermind behind this new medical frontier, emphasizes that the driving force behind this innovation stems from "real human need."
According to the Health Resources & Services Administration, there are 106,800 men, women and children on the organ transplant waiting list in the United States alone. On average, living donors only provide 6,000 organs per year, leaving a significant gap in the supply chain. As a result, every day 17 people on the waiting list die before receiving a life-saving transplant. In addition, every ten minutes, a new name is added to the everexpanding list of individuals hoping for a miracle. The promise of 3D-printed organs emerges as a transformative force that has the potential to eradicate this crisis and save countless lives.
engineering
(next page)
pg. 7
The Printing Process: The intricate process of bioprinting organs begins with doctors obtaining a small needle biopsy or conducting a minimally invasive surgical procedure to extract a minute piece of tissue, approximately "less than half the size of a postage stamp," as explained by Dr. Anthony Atala, the director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This tissue, containing the patient's cells, undergoes a growth process outside the body within a sterile incubator or bioreactor. In this pressurized stainless steel vessel, cells are nourished with essential nutrients, referred to as "media," which are administered every 24 hours to sustain their metabolism. Each cell type requires a specific media, and the incubator replicates the internal temperature and oxygenation of the human body. The next step involves the creation of bioink, a distinctive blend of living cells, hydrogels, and growth factors. This bioink is a printable mixture that mimics the extracellular matrix of the human body, incorporating substances like proteins, collagen, and hyaluronic acid. Bioprinting commences with loading each bioink into a printing chamber, where a printhead and nozzle extrude the ink to construct the material layer by layer. Programming printers allow scientists to create personalized properties using a patient's imaging data from X-rays or scans. The duration of the printing process varies based on factors such as organ complexity, resolution, and the number of printheads, and typically lasts a few hours. The entire timeline, from biopsy to implantation, spans about four to six weeks, setting the stage for the ultimate challenge – ensuring the bioprinted organs function as intended. After the bioprinted organ is implanted into the patient, it will naturally degrade over time. “These glues dissolve, and the cells sense that the bridge is giving way…So cells do what they do in your very own body, which is to create their own bridge and create their own glue” (Kristen Rodgers, CNN News). The enduring impact of these successfully implemented organs extends far beyond their physiological function, offering patients not just extended life, but the invaluable opportunity to forge new memories, relish newfound freedom, and embrace a life unburdened by the constraints of organ scarcity. (next page)
engineering
pg. 8
Remaining Challenges: While advancements in bioprinting hold immense promise for the future of organ replacement and regenerative therapies, the timeline for fully functional bioprinted organs remains uncertain. Experts, aware of the unpredictable nature of scientific progress, cautiously estimate a decade or more before these groundbreaking technologies can be reliably implanted into humans. Regulatory considerations from entities like the US Food and Drug Administration and the intricate processes of manufacturing make it difficult to predict a definitive timeline. Affordability emerges as a potential benefit once bioprinted organs become a practical option. Proponents argue that these organs will be accessible, citing the high costs associated with alternative treatments like dialysis, which can exceed a quarter of a million dollars per year to sustain one patient. However, despite the costeffectiveness of bioprinted organs compared to traditional transplantation, additional challenges persist. Maintaining cell banks, culturing cells, and safely handling biological materials can pose financial hurdles. In this context, it is essential that this innovative, life-saving technology is made available to everyone who needs it, regardless of socioeconomic status, and scientists are working hard to ensure it is affordable. This commitment to accessibility underscores the broader societal impact of bioprinting beyond medical breakthroughs. As the field of tissue engineering and regeneration shapes the future of biomedical engineering, ethical concerns also come to the forefront. Issues such as the use of stem cells, testing on animals and humans, lack of accessibility, and genetic modification demand careful consideration to protect the rights of individuals. Balancing the transformative potential of bioprinting with ethical responsibilities is a critical aspect of ensuring the responsible evolution of regenerative therapies.
(next page)
engineering
pg. 9
While the refinement of the bioprinting process poses persistent challenges before it can be implemented, the field of tissue engineering and regeneration holds limitless possibilities. Within the complexities of this evolving field lies the power to redefine the fate of hundreds of thousands of lives that would otherwise succumb to the harsh realities of organ scarcity. As scientists navigate the intricate terrain of regulatory compliance, manufacturing intricacies, and affordability concerns, the overarching narrative shifts towards a future where cutting-edge technology not only bridges gaps in organ transplantation but becomes a beacon of hope, saving lives and ushering in a new era of medical marvels. Further Reading: 3D-printed organs: The future of transplantation | CNN Harnessing the body's ability to heal | Mayo Clinic News Network Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine | National Institute of Health Tissue Engineering: The Future is Here | Johns Hopkins
engineering
pg. 10
Are Geniuses Born or Made? How Music Makes You Smarter Jincheng Zhao ‘24 What makes geniuses, geniuses? Are there any common themes among highachieving people in society? Albert Einstein played the violin and piano. Leonardo Da Vinci created musical instruments such as the flute, but he also played the lyre, among other instruments. Thomas Jefferson, one of America’s founding fathers, played the violin, and even the father of modern science, Galileo Galilei, played the lute. Now, playing their instruments might not have led to their “Eureka!” moment, but it certainly aided their brain development and training. As humans, we are born with the ability to perceive pitch, which plays a crucial role in grammar and communication every day. When we ask questions or express emotions through our speech, our tone of voice and pitch change. Music shares the requirement for the listener to be able to perceive pitch. Dr. Tramo, a former neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School, says that our brains use many of the same pitch detectors used to decode spoken language when we listen to music.
Given this connection in our brains, does learning music make us smarter, and is it only restricted to linguistic arts? A study from the Society for Neuroscience found that students who learned music before seven had a thicker cortex and greater volume of gray matter, surface area, and more folding index in the brain. These differences benefit executive function, language skills, auditory skills, and self-awareness. In addition, musicians have better rhythm, which directly correlates musical ability with brain activity. Having a good sense of rhythm can improve performance in other areas of life, especially in language.
science and art
pg. 11
However, this advantage doesn’t only apply to the humanities. Each piece of music is written in time signatures, which indicate how the notes are divided into their measures, but they also play an important role in indicating the phrasing of a piece of music. Understanding time signatures to line up the length of the note that is written along with the speed that the piece of music is marked to be played at requires math in subdividing and counting the correct length and rests for notes. According to a 1999 research, students who had music lessons for over two years “performed significantly better” on the composite math portion of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills than students who didn’t take private lessons.
A Stanford University School of Medicine research showed that people who started learning music when they were young had “stronger brain connections” than those who started later in life, but musicians, in general, had “stronger structural and functional connections” than non-musicians. However, if you don’t plan an instrument yet, not all hope is lost. Researchers have found that even learning music for just six months can boost your IQ score. Over a six-month study on how much certain hobbies can improve one’s IQ score, the new musician’s average IQ score increased from 103 to 113, which was the group with the highest IQ increase out of other hobby groups, such as knitting, reading, and exercising.
science and art
pg. 12
Sophie Delonis-Vigier ‘27 We all know how vaccines work. Although it varies, vaccines are usually made up of either dead (or almost dead) viruses or antigens and adjuvants, which are substances that help the immune system react more strongly to a vaccine. These help train the immune system to fight against outsiders such as the flu or measles. These vaccines help teach the body to fight, but what if it was possible to train the immune system to stand down instead? First, a little Immune System 101. The immune system not only fights outside invaders but also recognizes when cells are damaged and what counts as a threat. If it messes up, it can lead to allergies or, in more severe cases, autoimmune diseases. With inverse vaccines, also known as tolerogenic vaccines, the goal is to train the body to recognize that certain things are harmless. These DNA-based vaccines are designed to reduce the strength of the immune system’s response against something it classifies as a threat. Although these vaccines are still in clinical trials, scientists have hope that these vaccines may allow for targeted reduction of the severity of the immune system’s response. Specifically, the DNA targets antibodies and T-cells, which are vital components of the immune system responsible for identifying and attacking threats. The DNA then alters their responses to normal proteins that had been previously identified as threats, while keeping the rest of the immune system intact.
science
pg. 13
Alex Cox ‘26
ACROSS 5. Something whose pH is above 7 7. Half the diameter of a circle 8. Carl who wrote the classic science book ‘Cosmos’ 9. 6th element that’s very important in organic chemistry 10. Where the number 0 was invented 11. Computer language taught at Holton 12. The branch of science that studies planets and stars 14. Unit of temperature that sounds like a man’s name 15. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math
games
DOWN 1. What about 70% of our bodies are made of 2. Non-Newtonian ___, a substance like ketchup or cats 3. Computer’s language NOT taught at Holton 4. The five platonic solids are named after him 6. What you might call 6.022*10^23 avocados? 12. What no two snowflakes are, geometrically 13. Last name of the first American woman in space
pg. 14
Thanks for reading the February 2024 issue of
Want to be a part of STEAM Spotlight? Contact anyone on exec to get involved! sky.zhu.2026@holton-arms.edu yvonne.zhu.2026@holton-arms.edu carter.thompson.2026@holton-arms.edu malia.humphriesdo.2026@holton-arms.edu maggie.shelton.2026@holton-arms.edu grace.curley.2025@holton-arms.edu aleca.aukhert.2025@holton-arms.edu Special thanks to our advisor, Mrs. King!