Ms. Rastogi (LAMP) Wins Gorgas (Alabama) and will compete as Finalist in National Science Talent Search
Ms. Rhea Rastogi, Loveless Academic Magnet Program (LAMP) won the Gorgas Scholarship Competition, Alabama’s top science competition for High School Seniors. The Competition was held Friday February 23 at Jacksonville State University (JSU), in Jacksonville, Alabama. Other finalists and Winners of the Gorgas Competition are listed on the attached Press Release.
Ms. Rastogi has also been named one of 40 finalists in the Regeneron National Science Talent Search and will compete in the Finals in Washington, D.C. March 7-11, 2024. The Regeneron Announcement of Finalists is attached.
Rhea Rastogi She/Her/Hers Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School ALABAMA Rhea Rastogi, 18, of Montgomery, explored whether errors in a type of genetic change known as histone methylation affected future generations for her Regeneron Science Talent Search cellular and molecular biology project. In our cells, DNA is wrapped around proteins called histones; methylation of histones is a mechanism that turns genes on and off. Rhea used the worm model C. elegans and focused on two enzymes, SPR-5 and MET-2, that are controlled by methylation and affect proper gene expression in newly fertilized eggs. Wanting to see if errors in this process affected future generations, Rhea found that offspring of worms missing either enzyme had developmental delays and decreased fertility, effects that accumulated in later generations. With both enzymes missing, offspring had similar problems and severe difficulty detecting food. She found similar results in mammalian models and believes future research may be applied to human conditions, such as Kabuki-like Syndrome. Rhea founded and captains the Speech and Debate team at Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School and competes in the Science Olympiad. Her parents are Nitin and Deepali Rastogi. (Regeneron STS, 2024).