62nd Annual STS (2002-2003)
Finalists
Alison Kimberly Yee

NEW YORK
Alison Kimberly Yee, 17, of Armonk, submitted a project to the Intel Science Talent Search in zoology investigating an oyster-attacking parasite, Perkinsus marinus, to determine if water temperature and salinity induce, in the infected oyster, apoptosis-programmed cell death-to eliminate P. marinus and restrict its transmission. Alison's study of the pathogen in vivo and in vitro finds a significant difference in the parasite's intensity in oysters from Long Island Sound versus those from Chesapeake Bay. Oysters in Long Island Sound seem more resistant to the parasite than those in the Chesapeake Bay, and she hypothesizes that apoptosis may control the disease's progression. She concludes that P. marinus cell cultures from the two sites may be different genetic isolates. She hopes her research will increase understanding of the oyster's immune system and that eventually oyster populations will be restored. At Byram Hills High School, Alison is an oboist and works backstage for the theater. She is also an avid skiier who enjoys yoga, crocheting, baking and cooking. The daughter of Philip and Bonnie Yee, Alison hopes to become a parasitologist after graduation from Mount Holyoke College.