PCC Wins 1st Place in National STEM Competition

A team from Pasadena City College has taken first place in a national STEM competition sponsored by American Association of Community Colleges and the National Science Foundation, organizers announced Tuesday.

The students, who call their team “Masters of the Nanoverse LLC,” impressed the judges with their project exploring theoretical future cancer treatments titled “Nano-Bioconjugate Immunotherapeutic,” according to the AACC.

During a four-day “boot camp” last week, the group presented their high-tech ideas to a panel of industry experts in an online format reminiscent of the entrepreneurship-based reality TV show “Shark Tank,”  said PCC chemistry instructor and Micro Nano Technology Education Center Director Jared Ashcroft, who mentored the team.

In addition to the pride of being national champions, each member of the first-place team was awarded $3,500, he said.

“For us, our goal is getting students into research, getting them into the lab,” Ashcroft said. “They’re getting an idea of what real research is.”

The team was led by Sophia Ibarguen, who is headed to UCLA; Kit Cheung, who will be attending Cal State Northridge; Kirk Dolar, who will also be going to Cal State Northridge; and Richard Luu, who is heading to UC Irvine, according to Ashcroft.

Fellow students Sophia Barber and Alex Gonzalez also took part in the research and preparation phase of the project, he added.

AACC CEO Walter G. Bumphus congratulated the winning teams on their achievements.

“AACC is proud of the community college students that participated in the Innovation Challenge” he said. “Our nation’s community colleges are leaders and innovators in STEM curriculum and education and this competition fosters the development of those skills.

“We are thrilled to partner with the National Science Foundation to showcase these students and community colleges and extend congratulations to all of the participants who overcame the hurdles of the pandemic to provide these amazing solutions to real-world issues,” Bumphus said.

Last week’s boot camp focused on the business and marketing side of developing a new idea, Ashcroft said.

After spending three months researching and preparing their idea, the student team presented their findings to judges via posters, videos and five-minute pitches.

The PCC project explored theoretical new treatments for cancers using nanoparticles made from a silver core, lined with gold and affixed to a monoclonal antibody, to deliver targeted, precise weapons against the disease, Ashcroft explained.

The forward-looking technique involved taking advantage of the potential cancer-fighting effects of silver, coupled with ultraviolet light used to energize the gold and cause it to vibrate, damaging unwanted cells with little collateral damage. Ashcroft said. Attacking the nanoparticles to monoclonal antibodies allows them to be drawn into the targeted cell.

“It’s a really, really directed treatment at just the site of the cancer,” he said. One day, it’s possible such treatments could replace ones with more side effects, such as radiation therapy.

PCC was named one of 12 finalists in the contest in May. They were the only competitors selected from California.

Competing projects included biodegradable masks, at-home virus testing; virtual reality applications to help children with autism and and electric vehicle conversion kits, according to the AACC.

All the finalists showed impressive skill and tenacity, said NSF Education and Human Resources Directorate Assistant Director Karen Marrongelle.

“In the Community College Innovation Challenge, students tackle real-world problems. It has been inspiring, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, to see how participants responded to this challenge with creativity and innovative ideas” she said.

“Community colleges play an important role in building America’s skilled technical workforce and it has been encouraging to see how participants have demonstrated their capacity to use STEM to make a difference in the world and translate that knowledge into action,” Marrongelle said. “Congratulations to all the winners for their hard work.”

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PCC Team Among Finalists in National STEM Competition