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Aberdeen student qualifies for international science fair Follow Us Question of the Day
By - Associated Press - Sunday, May 2, 2021 ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - An Aberdeen high school student’s science fair project that looks at creating a collagen protein so it could be used to make replacement ligaments has earned him a trip to an international contest. Roncalli senior Simon Bickford set out with the goal of taking a gene from a sample of DNA, amplify it and place it into a plasmid vector (an extra piece of DNA that bacteria use) and induce the bacteria to make the protein with that gene. With enough of that protein, he said, ligaments can be grown, which can then be used for replacements in humans. ....
But that s what Roncalli High School senior Simon Bickford set out to do. Bickford, one of this year s American News and Farm Forum Scholastic Stars, placed first in the microbiology category at the Northern South Dakota Science and Mathematics Fair at Northern State University. He was also one of five students who then interviewed for an opportunity to present their projects at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Two other finalists Brianna Zikmund and Anna Schmidt were also Roncalli students. Virtual presentations for the international contest are May 3-6 with additional events planned May 16-21. The formal title of Bickford s project is Recombinant Bacteria Capable of Expressing Type 1 Collagen Proteins. ....