Student Research Symposium (SRS)

A genetic condition known as cystic fibrosis (CF) is brought on by mutations in the CFTR gene, which results in chronic lung inflammation and impaired chloride ion transport. CF bronchial epithelial cells enable direct comparison of disease pathology, while normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells offer an essential model for researching airway physiology. Realistic modeling of respiratory …

Martian regolith lacks the organic matter and microbial activity required to sustain plant growth, presenting a major challenge for bioregenerative agriculture in space. This study examined how organic waste amendments influenced the nutrient availability and microbial ecology of Martian regolith simulant (MGS-1). The researchers hypothesized that the addition of manure would enhance the simulant…

Autonomous drones have many applications including reconnaissance, surveillance, delivery, agriculture, and cinematography. However, security and privacy remain critical challenges due to vulnerabilities in wireless communication and the need to ensure airspace compliance as drones traverse multiple flight zones. While necessary for safety, these authentication techniques can compromise privacy o…

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global concern that necessitates the development of effective strategies for selecting appropriate antibiotics, especially in the context of future long-duration space missions, where infection control and treatment options are limited. This study employs the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion assay to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas aerugino…

This project involves the ongoing research and authorship of individual biographies for Royal Air Force cadets who died while training in the United States during World War II, specifically those associated with No. 5 British Flying Training School (5BFTS) at Riddle Field, Clewiston, Florida. These cadets, many of whom were in their late teens or early twenties, lost their lives far from home—som…

In the realm of Nautical vehicles, there is a rather rigid selection of propulsion methods. Aside from the occasional outliers, like rarely used coal steamboats, experimental solar powered ships, or the military grade nuclear vessels, the vast majority of ships run off diesel-powered engines. The unsustainability of such methods will need to be addressed for the security of our planet’s future, m…

This conceptual poster presents the theoretical foundations of resonance in mechanical systems and structures, demonstrating the definition of resonance as a mechanical property associated with the vibration of an object, governed by modal properties, damping, and coupling. We review common applications and extensions to parametric and nonlinear resonance, where applications span vibration isolat…

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has emerged as a mesoscopic alternative to traditional Navier-Stokes solvers for modeling fluid dynamics offering advantages in computational efficiency, parallelization, and handling of complex boundaries. Despite these strengths, accurately reproducing compressible, shock-driven phenomena remains challenging. This study investigates the performance of LBM in s…

Fusion Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a versatile additive manufacturing technique that enables rapid prototyping of complex geometries and supports a wide range of materials. However, FDM parts are inherently anisotropic due to their layered construction. When evaluating part feasibility, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) must accurately account for this anisotropy by creating an orthotropic material …

The Tardigrade Bio-ExplorAtion Reproduction Research Payload (tBEARR) is an external ISS standardized lab payload module mission under development by the Embry-Riddle Orbital Research Association (ERORA), an undergraduate research club at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, FL. As club-driven research, we actively encourage both undergraduate and graduate students to get…

Light pollution affects astronomical research and the visibility of the night sky. Preserving dark skies is essential for scientific discovery and public education. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), astronomical research and outreach efforts are hindered by campus light pollution, despite housing the country’s largest university-based telescope and 12 research-grade telescopes. Prom…

Heat transfer of supercritical fluids is found in a wide range of applications, including novel power cycles, electronics cooling schemes, waste heat recovery, and green HVAC designs. Among these, supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) is especially promising due to its favorable but complex thermodynamic properties near the critical point. These properties strongly influence heat transfer but are h…

Long-duration microgravity induces pronounced musculoskeletal (especially lower-limb) and systemic cardiovascular deconditioning. We evaluate a combined countermeasure, artificial gravity (AG) via a short-arm, constant-radius centrifuge, lower-body negative pressure (LBNP), and resistive exercise (RE), to mitigate physiological and structural deconditioning in spaceflight analogs.

Research on analog astronaut performance and stress levels is essential for both aerospace and other high stakes environments. Gloves, while protective, can restrict dexterity and impact an astronaut's ability to complete tasks. This study aims to explore the connection between glove stiffness, task outcomes, and stress response with the goal of informing design and training strategies for operat…

GPS spoofing poses a growing threat to aviation by falsifying satellite signals and misleading aircraft navigation systems. This paper demonstrates a proof-of-concept spoofing detection strategy based on analyzing satellite Carrier-to-Noise Density Ratio (C/N$_0$) variation during controlled static antenna orientations. Using a u-blox EVK-M8U receiver and a GPSG-1000 satellite simulator, C/N$_0$ …

Stellar age estimations derived from asteroseismology depend on stellar models that are sensitive to metallicity (Z). Variations in this parameter could alter the agreement between gyrochronological and asteroseismic ages, as well as main sequence lifetimes and observational properties such as effective temperature and luminosity. We test how much typical metallicity differences (±0.2 dex) affect…

This research explores how Triply-Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structures can improve transpiration cooling by optimizing coolant flow and reducing pressure losses in aerospace applications. Transpiration cooling relies on porous materials to evenly distribute coolant and protect critical components from extreme heat, but the complex geometries of TPMS structures present challenges in understa…

The goal of project BoTTLE is to propose a new methodology to predict lightning strike locations by combining atmospheric particle(muon) detection, initiating mathematical simulations, and low-altitude tropospheric observations. This project builds on the cascading theory of galactic cosmic rays, where muons are produced; consequently, this approach explores how such particles provide the final i…

The goal of this research is to develop an accelerated Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) solver capable of efficiently simulating high-Reynolds-number fluid flows. Typical MATLAB-based LBM codes are computationally intense and poorly suited for large-scale problems. This project investigates a sequence of performance enhancements, including vectorization, parallel computing, and High-Performance Com…

The rise of small, agile Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) presents a significant challenge for autonomous detection and tracking systems, especially in cluttered, real-world environments. Standard machine learning approaches are prone to failure when faced with noisy, corrupted, and high-dimensional data streams, particularly those from onboard sensors on resource constrained hardware. This work p…