Alyssa studies classical piano and plays soccer. She also has had a lifelong affinity for jigsaw puzzles and logic puzzles. Her career aspiration is to become a neurosurgeon because "the brain controls all functions of the body."
Alyssa found that possible biological mechanisms for Alzheimer's disease include metal-ion-mediated formation of hydrogen peroxide. The enzyme catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide, so Alyssa sought to test the impact of metal salts and the chelating agent EDTA on this catalase activity.
Alyssa tested catalase reaction rates using a test-tube strategy in which paper is soaked in a catalase solution and dropped into hydrogen peroxide. The rate of the ensuing reaction is measurable by how fast the paper floats to the top. Alyssa tested hydrogen peroxide with five metal ions this way, finding that aluminum and zinc slowed the catalase reaction whereas manganese and magnesium sped it up. Calcium had little impact. When she added EDTA, she found it depressed the catalase breakdown of hydrogen peroxide with or without the metal ions.
