The Future is NEAR - Nanotechnology Research at North Penn High School

The Future is N.E.A.R. (Nanotechnology Education And Research) program is an exciting STEM education opportunity that allows North Penn High School students to perform research in the exciting world of nanotechnology, experimental design, and engineering research.

The program parallels the Engineering Design and Development course (EDD) of the Project Lead the Way engineering academy and offers its students an opportunity to gain 21st century STEM skills that prepares them to become successful leaders in a global society. READ MORE


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Students from NPHS Lansdale, PA, USA and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Faversham, UK have been researching the development of cellulose nanofibers from ionic liquid systems.

Cellulose nanofibers have never been researched at North Penn before. This research endeavor is particularly interesting, not only because of the international collaboration, but because cellulose has many inherent properties that could improve the function of nanofibers developed for many applications.

Please check back often for news and updates.


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Image 2: The Future is NEAR (Nanotechnology Education and Research) students after their presentation.

2024 Engineering Academy Graduation Class

19th Annual Nanotechnology and Engineering Symposium
Lansdale, Pennsylvania - May 29, 2023

The Engineering Design and Development (EDD) senior students of the North Penn High School Engineering Academy presented their research at the 19th Annual Nanotechnology and Engineering Symposium on Thursday, May 30, 2024 at 7PM.

EDD, the capstone course of the North Penn High School Engineering Academy has a unique nanotechnology and engineering research program, developed by its instructor, called The Future is N.E.A.R. (Nanotechnology Education And Research). The EDD course and NEAR program introduce the fundamentals of materials science, nanotechnology, engineering research principles, and a rigorous application of their skills and knowledge while cultivating their interest in engineering, problem solving and life-long learning. Students design and test solutions to global issues by capitalizing from the fundamentals of nanotechnology and engineering utilizing the latest published research available. In the course, students gain essential 21st century skills that will prepare them to become successful and marketable leaders in a global technological society.

In the program this year, there were 30 students in 11 research teams whose research spanned the materials science, nanotechnology, environment, energy, and healthcare sectors. Their research endeavors were only possible this year because of the amazing support from the Hitachi High-Tech America Inspire STEM program and the North Penn Educational Foundation and the North Penn Curriculum Department!

The Hitachi TM4000plus Scanning Electron Microscope and Oxford EDS, on loan from the Hitachi High-Tech America Inspire STEM program.

The North Penn Educational Foundation provided the necessary funding needed to design, test, and characterize their research. The Foundation's mission is to motivate and inspire students and staff in the North Penn School District through innovative projects and opportunities that enhance educational experiences and resources impact is made possible through generous contributions from businesses, community organizations and individuals!

The NEAR program wouldn't be possible without the support from the Hitachi, the North Penn Educational Foundation, and the North Penn School District Curriculum Department! Thank you very much!

Congratulations seniors! I wish you the best in all of your future endeavors!!
~Mr. Boyer

This year, there are 30 students in 11 research teams in the Engineering Design and Development Capstone Course of the North Penn High School Engineering Academy. The main research endeavors that the students are involved with are listed below. Many of the students within these teams will also be performing various extended and supplementary experiments. A team research section will be added to the website soon to share various images and videos of the students' research. Please check back often!

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Bioplastic R & D
Environmental Research

ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH

Sophia Marsicano | Laura Pham

As the dangers of plastic waste became increasingly severe, bioplastics, plastics created with organic materials, were developed to be an eco-friendly alternative to standard, petroleum-based plastics. However, many affordable, widely used bioplastics can only biodegrade under very specific conditions, making them harmful to the environment when disposed of improperly. Therefore, further research must be conducted to improve the biodegradability of bioplastics while maintaining their affordability.

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Energy Harvesting R & D
Energy Research

ENERGY
RESEARCH

Progejim Das | Rakibul Hoque

The global automobile industry is heavily reliant on energy and gasoline. The increase in greenhouse gas emissions is largely attributed to the automobile industry, accounting for 29% of the total outflow. Despite the concerns brought to lawmakers in the 1960s and 1970s, they are still prevalent in every aspect of our society, especially in population-dense areas such as New York and Los Angeles. Present electrical technology fails to harvest wasted energy, perpetuating the prevalence of gas-powered vehicles. Thus, further research must be conducted to increase the spread of electric vehicles.

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Microplastic Pollution
Environmental Research | Microplastic Filtration and Characterization

ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH

William Bernal | Jackson Hier | Braden Snow

Microplastics are small particles of plastics that are prevalent in the ocean, lakes, rivers, creeks, drinking water, and bloodstreams alike. They affect the quality of life for organisms they interact with, damaging immune systems, causing respiratory and circulatory stress, and many other detriments(Lee, Y.). Microplastics are notoriously difficult to filter. Their small size makes large-scale removal difficult, while their overall pervasiveness makes it necessary to act in broad strokes in order to make a significant impact in the issue. Current methods of removing microplastics are inefficient and are not reliable on large scales. Regardless of the diameter of any net cast, their effectiveness in removing microplastics from the ocean is an important factor in ensuring a clean future. A large amount more work is needed within the field to create nets that are low cost and have high efficiency. Without this change sickness will become widespread and nothing will be safe to consume.

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CO₂ Capture and Reduction
Environmental Research

ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH

Joseph Grosso | Ryan Shollenberger | Eric Qian

The surge in CO2 emissions has become a critical concern demanding prompt attention. If left unaddressed, it could give rise to environmental degradation and regulatory complexities. To confront this challenge, it is imperative to implement tangible measures, such as transitioning to cleaner energy sources, optimizing resource utilization across operations, and actively engaging in initiatives that contribute to the offsetting of carbon emissions.

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Nitrogen Cycle Regulation
Environmental Research

ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH

Claire Adams | Kaitlin Vaccaro

The large increase in agriculture has rapidly increased the amount of fixed nitrogen in our ecosystem via fertilizers. The fertilizers contaminate groundwater and get into lakes, streams, and our drinking water. Further research is needed so the planet�s environmental state can benefit without harming the agricultural industry.

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Energy Harvesting R & D
Energy Research

ENERGY
RESEARCH

Alexander Burns | Caleb DiLenge | Zachary Duld | Owen Fritz

The world faces a critical energy crisis where renewable energy isn�t meeting the needs of energy consumption and non renewable sources such as coal or natural gas is still the leading source of energy. As the world moves toward renewable energy sources and the ending of combustion vehicles, there is a larger strain on the power supply. The future emphasizes a new dependency on energy that we can�t sustain with our present technology.

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Prosthetics Research
Bioengineering Research

BIOENGINEERING
RESEARCH

Samantha Blanchard | Gabrielle Miller

Every year, there are 185,000 new amputees, which is expected to double by 2050. The most common complaint, by two thirds of prosthetic users, is discomfort caused by excessive sweating of the residual limb, or induced hyperhidrosis. Not only does excessive moisture in the prosthetic cause extreme discomfort but it can also cause bacterial infection due to the weakened skin and moist environment. While this problem will not disappear with a single solution, it is vital that research is done to lessen the discomfort of lower limb prosthetics by limiting the possible sweat build up of the residual limb while using a prosthetic.

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Light Pollution
Environmental Health Research

ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH

Nervana Nabil | Sean Tecklin

The invention of the light bulb by Thomas Edison allowed production days to be longer for work and different activities that require light. Likewise, improving the safety of the human population. However, when the usage and design of light becomes inefficient and improper, the light escaping is more commonly known as light pollution. Excess artificial light released in the atmosphere has caused skyglow, increasing by about 10% annually in the US. This issue affects anything living in the environment, and whether we understand the full extent of it or not, the human population is also deeply affected. Increases in breast cancer, a decrease in melatonin production, and reduced productivity, to name a few. In animals, skyglow changes hunting cycles, sleep cycles, and potentially, death. Furthermore, research and development are necessary to attempt to manage and understand the effects of light pollution.

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Osteoarthritis
Bioengineering Research

BIOENGINEERING
RESEARCH

Rowan Heidt | Ahnaf Rahman

Due to the widespread prevalence of osteoarthritis causing substantial joint pain and mobility issues among a significant portion of the population, there is an urgent need to develop more effective treatments and interventions. Over 22% of the US population suffers from osteoarthritis. The current available solutions are inadequate in addressing the debilitating impact of this condition, often dealing with pain avoidance and lifestyle management instead of correcting the problem. Further research and innovation to alleviate the suffering and improve the quality of life for those affected by osteoarthritis is needed.

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Gait and Motion Analysis
Ataxia Research

BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH

Ayman Faraz | Ethan Spencer | Evan Spencer | Shayaan Kabir

Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia Type 2, or AOA2, affects 1 in 900,000 people around the world. Among the symptoms that make its patients� lives difficult, the most dangerous is gait instability due to their atrophic cerebellum part of the brain, which presents the risk of the individual falling and getting hurt at unpredictable and spontaneous moments. The existing assistive devices are costly, limit a person�s ability to walk even further, and can even harm the user worse than without it. For example, an assistive walker can run you 40-100 dollars and a standard wheelchair can set you back even more at roughly 200-300 dollars.

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Active Camouflage
Materials Science & Engineering Research

MATERIALS SCIENCE
RESEARCH

Thomas Moore | Adam Riley | John Steelhammer | Mason Stigler

First used in 1915 by the French in World War 1, camouflage�s main purpose is to conceal the presence of soldiers in combat. While camouflage has had a few major developments over the past 100 plus years, it is unable to effectively protect soldiers in modern warfare. More research is necessary in order to develop a solution that adequately performs in the ever changing conditions of war.

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