Remy Dou

"Aeroponics Phase II" is Dou's winning project for students at Miami Christian School. Aeroponics is the place where agriculture and technology meet. Aeroponically-grown plants, which develop faster and larger than other plants, are matured without the use of soil and are instead suspended in a system in which their roots are sprayed with a nutrient mist. The program will consist of three inquiry-based learning sections where students will be guided by team captains through major goals. The first goal is to research the mechanism of successful aeroponic growth by experimenting and analyzing root structures of plants that do well aeroponically versus those that do not. The second goal is to compare the root structures of plants that do well aeroponically with that of local epiphytic flora. The third goal is to synthesize nutrient solutions from low-cost, store-bought foods. Dou, who lives in Miami, wants the program to expand to include a second, yearlong research phase. He also hopes that the program will inspire students to develop a love for science and engineering.