Blake is a competitive swimmer and also plays the clarinet. Her middle school science teacher is Blake's mentor. "Ms. Migaki's ever-present enthusiasm for science has proved infectious, and I have caught the bug," Blake explains. As for the future, Blake is undecided about her career path, but she is certain about her goals: "I want to be a highly educated professional who is well respected by my peers, and I want to use my efforts to help people in a significant and lasting way."
Psoralens are photosensitive chemicals that help certain plants ward off fungus. Blake and Michael hypothesized that psoralens could also kill yeast—a proxy for other types of fungus, including those that cause health problems.
Many fruits and vegetables, such as limes and celery, produce psoralens. Blake and Michael grew and observed yeast grown in the presence of psoralens. They prepared 15 beakers with water, sugar, and yeast. Five housed untreated yeast, five housed yeast mixed with lime juice, and five housed yeast mixed with celery juice. The treated yeast colonies expanded much more quickly, but the individual cells soon became grossly misshapen. The treated cell's nuclei also darkened and expanded. They concluded that psoralen caused several mutations in yeast cells, as well as slowed colony growth. They suggested psoralens could be developed into useful treatments for psoriasis and other fungal illnesses.
