ST. LOUIS — A junior at Marquette High School is dissecting ant intestines in hopes of unlocking clues about Parkinson’s disease. She’s just one of more than 600 young scientists set to showcase their work this week as the Academy of Science – St. Louis hosts its annual Regional K-12 Science Fair at Webster University.
The St. Louis Regional Science Fair is the largest in Missouri and historically one of the largest in the U.S., and this year’s event is shaping up to be one for the books.
170 years of science in St. Louis
The organization behind the fair has deep roots in the region. Kate Polokonis, executive director of the Academy of Science of St. Louis, told KSDK the Academy was founded with a bold vision.
“The Academy of Science of Saint Louis is 170 years old,” Polokonis said. “We were really founded to make St. Louis the gateway to science as people were settling in the Midwest — we had some forward-thinking civic leaders who said, ‘Hey, we need to make sure that St. Louis is a hub for research and spreading knowledge.'”…