AbSciCon Poster Competition Winners
AbSciCon 2026 Poster Competition Winners Each conference year, the AbSciCon Poster Competition recognizes outstanding research by early-career scientists working to understand life’s place in the universe. This year’s competition drew 63 participants from universities and research institutions across the country. Congratulations to our 2026 winners! The post AbSciCon Poster Competition Winners…
AbSciCon 2026 Poster Competition Winners were announced, honoring cutting-edge research by early-career scientists exploring life's origins in the universe. The competition received 63 entries from universities and research institutions nationwide.
Morgan Polk from Georgia Institute of Technology took top honors (1st Place) for demonstrating that amylose, a common component of starch, acts as a catalyst for chemical reactions. This discovery radically alters our understanding of the potential role sugars could have played in early life's chemistry.
Second place (2nd Place) went to Isuru P. Silva Ethige from The University of Alabama. Ethige's investigation revealed green algae performing photosynthesis in the near- darkness, red-shifted twilight zones of Carlsbad Caverns. His work suggests oxygen-producing photosynthesis may be feasible on planets orbiting cool, dim stars, which are the most abundant type in our galaxy.
Completing the top three (3rd Place) is Samantha Pryor from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Pryor's experiments revealed tiny airborne droplets at the ocean surface to be surprisingly efficient chemistry labs. These droplets could potentially serve as the birthplace for the genetic molecules that kick-started life on Earth.
Written by urgent.news from NASA Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- AbSciCon Poster Competition Winners science.nasa.gov
