**In accordance with updated guidelines from our university’s youth programs office, we will no longer display the name, school or district information of TXSEF finalists on our website. This change aims to limit the amount of identifiable information available online, thereby enhancing the protection of student finalists’ identities and personal information. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
2026 Best of State Life Sciences
Senior Division
Winner:
Project Purify: A Hybrid Electro-Photocatalytic System for Targeted Degradation of Microplastics
Honorable Mention:
Targeting the GraRS Two-Component System in Staphylococcus epidermidis: Computational Identification and In Vitro Validation of a Novel Adjunctive Cocktail Therapy for Antibiotic-Resistant Infections
Junior Division
Winner:
Pencil & Paper: Developing a Novel Low-Cost, Sensitive, Rapid, Graphite-Based Paper Biosensor to Detect D-Lactate, a Possible Early Marker of Pathogen-Contaminated Water
Honorable Mention:
Greening the Red Planet: New Strategies to Enhance Seed Germination and Plant Growth in Mars Regolith Simulant
2026 Best of State Physical Sciences
Senior Division
Winner:
HandTalk: A Translation System for American Sign Language
Honorable Mention:
SAMA: a Self-evolving Ai Multi-modal Assistant for dementia care
Junior Division
Winner:
PediaFlex: A Bioinspired, Expandable Pediatric Prosthetic employing a Pneumatic system to enhance K levels and Long-Term use for Transfemoral Leg Amputation Patients
Honorable Mention:
Engineering Sustainable Biofabrics for Enhanced Ultraviolet Protection and Antimicrobial Performance.
