Archer graduate published in the European Journal of Biotechnology and Bioscience

Teacher+Hanna+Shofhi+shows+off+one+of+the+slugs+from+2016+graduate+Sofia+Garricks+research.+Garrick+ultimately+discovered+that+slugs%2C+among+many+other+animals%2C+had+an+electromagnetic+sensing+ability.+

Photo credit: Sofia Garrick

Teacher Hanna Shofhi shows off one of the slugs from 2016 graduate Sofia Garrick’s research. Garrick ultimately discovered that slugs, among many other animals, had an electromagnetic sensing ability.

The European Journal of Biotechnology and Bioscience published an article by Archer graduate Sofia Garrick ’16 for her research on electromagnetic sensitivity that she completed during her time at Archer.

This was the first article by an Archer girl to be submitted to or published in any scientific publication, according to Archer honors research and biology teacher Hanna Shohfi.

Shohfi worked with Garrick on her research for two years.

“The hardest part is coming up with the question. But once [Garrick] had her question, she was motivated to make progress on a daily basis,” Shohfi said.

According to Shohfi, Garrick’s research idea stemmed from her love of sharks. Although Garrick knew she could not do her research and testing on sharks, she did know that they had a “sixth sense,” or electromagnetic sensing abilities. Garrick then discovered that other organisms, such as snails, also had this ability.

“[Garrick] then wondered if she could detect [the ability] in other organisms where it had not been detected or confirmed in. She wanted to test whether or not different wavelengths of light affected that electromagnetic sensing ability,” Shohfi said.

Garrick, who now attends the University of Chicago, was the first person to detect this electromagnetic sensing ability in slugs.

“My proudest moment was when the slugs lifted their [feet] off of the hot plate,” Garrick said during a phone interview. The slugs were reacting to pain stimuli in a certain environment, proving their electromagnetic sensing ability.

Garrick’s research article is now being republished in the science magazine at the University of Chicago.

“It made me feel more confident in my abilities as a scientist, [knowing] that I can continue doing science and continue to make an impact,” Garrick said. Even though it’s just a small discovery, it can mean something to the scientific community.”

Garrick attributes Archer and its programs to providing her with resources to be successful in her scientific endeavors.

For her research, Garrick had to use a Helmholtz coil in order to create an electromagnetic field similar to the one on earth. Standard Helmholtz coils were not cost efficient for her research, so Garrick made her own in Archer’s Saban IDEALab.

“Archer as a whole is a very supportive environment,”Garrick said. “Girls are just as good as everyone else and can make scientific discoveries.”

Garrick hopes this accomplishment provides her with more advanced research opportunities, and hopes to pursue her passion for marine biology.

“I think it is such a huge accomplishment for not only Sofia, at such an early point in her education and her career,” Shohfi said, “but also for Archer sciences because we know that we are helping students become scientists and engage in the scientific community.”