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Research

The unique research program at BCA, open to students from all academies, gives our aspiring students the opportunity to develop a research project based on their personal interests. Students at other high schools may have the opportunity to do research internships at cooperating professional labs, only students at our school have access to the latest scientific equipment to pursue their research interests internally, adjusted to their individual schedules.

Laboratory of Cell Biology

The students carrying out research in the Laboratory of Cell Biology are engaged in some unique endeavors using the state-of-the-art equipment found on our campus. Students in the Cell Biology Lab originate and investigate their own scientific questions that often focus on elucidating the biochemical and molecular underpinnings of various disease states using in vitro methods. In addition, students may also pose environmental questions, as well as questions related to developmental biology. Students have been received recognition from nearly every prestigious high school competition. The Cell Bio Lab is also home to the BCA chapter of the Future Health Care Professionals (HOSA) and most admirably, because of their passion for STEM and their desire to give back. These students facilitate the Bergen SciChallenge Middle School Science Fair affiliated with the Broadcom Masters and the Society for Science and the Public.

“I truly believe the Mechatronics Research Lab is unique in its place at BCA and serves as a standard of how open and eclectic research is. The great thing about MRL is that while it is requires the construction of a prototype, that prototype can be related to any of your passions across STEM, from physics, chemistry, and biology. As I have researched and succeeded in my projects I've come to learn that the best research is outward oriented, implementable, and above all your passion. Through the use of your creativity and passion everything and anything is possible in the MRL.”
- Mohamed El-Sherbiny

Chemistry

Student researchers are encouraged to conduct hands-on lab experiments to synthesize, manipulate, analyze and visualize chemical species at nanoscale with the help of the state-of-the-art equipment for interdisciplinary applications. Chemistry research projects may incorporate the utilization of Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fluorescent spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, Four-point probe, Optical 3D Profiler, Optical tensiometer, Oxygen and water-free environment Glove Box, Rheometer and/or UV/Vis-NIR spectrophotometry.

Students may submit grant proposals for external funding, i.e. New York Institute of Technology Mini Grant and compete in various science competitions such as Regeneron Science Talent Search, Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, New Jersey Academy of Science Junior Fair and BCA Research Expo.

Cancer Research Laboratory

This laboratory is extremely well equipped. An array of state-of-the-art instrumentation is available to students who complete the prerequisite course "Research in Cell Biology". Students are encouraged to develop research projects based on their own interests and to develop the habit of picking important scientific questions to answer. Our research education program has been improved by the access to and collaboration with the surgical lab at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center (EHMC), a prestigious teaching hospital affiliated with the Mount Sinai Medical College in NYC. Selected students who participate in the surgical training course learn live animal surgical techniques, and many have begun to use animals in their research, expanding the range of scientific questions that can be addressed. Our access to this and other prestigious medical centers in the NY-NJ area, encompassing doctors and scientists with a large and varied repertoire of cutting-edge medical and educational techniques allows us to offer something of value to our colleagues and collaborators around the world. The main goal of the Cancer Biology Lab is to teach students to think deeply about science and understand how to apply the scientific method in a high-level manner. A critical question we attempt to answer in the Cancer Biology Lab is "What can I do if I develop an idea or make a discovery that has the potential to become a product?"" Students in this program have created a virtual biotech/pharmaceutical company and they get to interact with professional scientists, engineers, and government officials. This has given our students access to instrumentation and collaborations that have resulted in patent applications and the creation of new businesses.

Agriscience

This area of research utilizes the newly renovated environmental science center and greenhouse. Students from all Academies conduct research on the multifaceted discipline of agricultural science. Plants, animals, environmental resources, power and transportation, food science, and sustainability are areas for research within this broad discipline. Newly installed Coral Reef tanks allow for the additional area of marine science research.

All agriscience researchers become members of the student organization BCA Future Farmers of America and participate in competitive science fairs and national and international symposia at the culmination of their projects. In the short five years since its inception, BCA FFA students have won awards at both the NJ State and National FFA Agriscience Fair, the YSAP science fair, the Jersey Shore Junior Science Symposium, and our own BCA Research Expo (ISEF-affiliated).

Nano-Structural Imaging Lab

The mission of NSIL Biological Research is to introduce students to scientific inquiry, through research and instrumentation, and to provide transferable, hands-on experiences with the techniques, practices and perspectives of professional scientists; with an emphasis on microscopy as an analytical technique, especially electron microscopy. Students are eligible to participate in this program after completing one of the pre-requisite courses. Next, the student will develop a novel research project based on their own interests and current scientific literature, in cell biology, molecular biology, structural biology, biomedical research, or related fields. They will then learn the tools and techniques to carry out experiments on a topic of their choosing, acquire and analyze data, and present their results in written and oral form. Students have participated in the BCA Research Expo, Young Science Achievers Program, and Regeneron Science Talent Search, as well as publishing their findings in professional journals. Additionally, these students are well suited for careers in bio-imaging, histology, pathology, and other clinical research options.

Math Research

This year, one of our students was one of 50 students selected nationally to attend the Math Olympiad Summer Program (MOSP/MOP) in contention to represent the United States at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). This year, ten students wrote research papers for the BCA Research Expo, competing for a chance to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). One of our students won top 3 in the computational sciences category, as well as the BCA Statistics Research Award. Our students also compete in Regeneron, the most prestigious high school science research competition. One student was also one of six students selected nationally by MIT to participate in the MIT PRIMES-USA research program, the most prestigious math research program in the nation.

Optics Research

Some of the projects completed in our Optics Lab include:

Submissions and competition entries include: AAPT Summer Conference, YSAP, Exploravision, AAPT Photo Contest and BCA Expo. A few students received the YSAP grant of $500 each.