Biology Research for High School Students: Complete Guide

Biology offers some of the most exciting research opportunities for high school students. From genetics to ecology, microbiology to neuroscience, the field is vast and accessible.

This guide covers everything you need to know about doing biology research in high school—from finding project ideas to publishing your work.

Why Biology Research?

Advantages of Biology

Accessible Entry Points:

• Many projects don't require expensive equipment
• Computational biology needs only a computer
• Field ecology uses observation and basic tools
• Microbiology basics are affordable

Real-World Impact:

• Health and disease research
• Environmental conservation
• Agriculture and food security
• Understanding human behavior

Strong Competition Presence:

• Biology is well-represented at ISEF
• Many biology-focused awards
• Clear judging criteria
• Publication opportunities

Biology Research Categories

Finding Your Research Topic

Start with Your Interests

Questions to Ask:

• What biology topics fascinate you?
• What health or environmental issues concern you?
• What questions do you wonder about?
• What biological phenomena have you observed?

Research Areas by Interest

If you're interested in...

Health and Medicine:

• Disease mechanisms
• Drug effects
• Diagnostic methods
• Public health factors

Environment:

• Climate change effects on organisms
• Pollution impacts
• Conservation biology
• Ecosystem dynamics

Genetics:

• Gene expression
• Inheritance patterns
• Genetic diseases
• Evolution

Behavior:

• Animal behavior
• Learning and memory
• Social behavior
• Circadian rhythms

Example Research Questions

Molecular/Genetics:

• How do environmental factors affect gene expression in plants?
• Can genetic markers predict disease susceptibility?
• What genes are involved in antibiotic resistance?

Microbiology:

• What natural compounds have antimicrobial properties?
• How do bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics?
• What factors affect bacterial growth rates?

Ecology:

• How does urbanization affect local bird populations?
• What's the impact of microplastics on aquatic organisms?
• How do invasive species alter ecosystem dynamics?

Computational Biology:

• Can machine learning predict protein structure?
• What patterns exist in genomic data?
• How can bioinformatics improve drug discovery?

Project Ideas by Category

Molecular Biology & Genetics

1. Gene Expression Studies

   • Effects of stress on gene expression in plants
   • Environmental triggers for specific genes
   • Comparative gene expression across conditions

2. DNA Analysis

   • DNA barcoding for species identification
   • Genetic diversity in local populations
   • Ancestry and population genetics

3. CRISPR Applications

   • Gene editing in model organisms
   • Targeting specific genetic sequences
   • Developing new applications

4. Protein Research

   • Enzyme activity under different conditions
   • Protein folding and structure prediction
   • Protein-protein interactions

Microbiology

5. Antimicrobial Research

   • Natural antimicrobials from plants
   • Essential oils as antibacterial agents
   • Novel approaches to antibiotic resistance

6. Bacterial Behavior

   • Biofilm formation and prevention
   • Quorum sensing mechanisms
   • Bacterial competition

7. Environmental Microbiology

   • Soil microbiome analysis
   • Water quality and bacterial content
   • Microplastic effects on bacteria

8. Fermentation

   • Optimizing fermentation conditions
   • Microbial fuel cells
   • Bioremediation applications

Ecology & Environmental Biology

9. Population Studies

   • Local species population dynamics
   • Predator-prey relationships
   • Migration patterns

10. Ecosystem Analysis

    • Biodiversity assessment
    • Habitat fragmentation effects
    • Ecosystem services valuation

11. Climate Change Effects

    • Phenology shifts in plants
    • Range changes in species
    • Adaptation mechanisms

12. Pollution Studies

    • Microplastic distribution
    • Heavy metal accumulation
    • Air quality effects on organisms

Computational Biology

13. Genomics

    • Genome assembly and annotation
    • Comparative genomics
    • Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis

14. Proteomics

    • Protein structure prediction
    • Drug-protein interactions
    • Biomarker discovery

15. Systems Biology

    • Metabolic pathway modeling
    • Gene regulatory networks
    • Disease modeling

16. Machine Learning in Biology

    • Species classification from images
    • Disease prediction from genetic data
    • Drug discovery applications

Neuroscience & Behavior

17. Animal Behavior

    • Learning in invertebrates
    • Social behavior patterns
    • Environmental effects on behavior

18. Human Cognition

    • Memory and learning studies
    • Attention and distraction
    • Sleep effects on performance

19. Sensory Biology

    • Perception studies
    • Sensory adaptations
    • Cross-modal interactions

Essential Techniques

Laboratory Techniques

Basic Microbiology:

• Sterile technique
• Culturing bacteria
• Gram staining
• Colony counting

Molecular Biology:

• DNA extraction
• PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
• Gel electrophoresis
• Spectrophotometry

Cell Biology:

• Cell culture basics
• Microscopy
• Staining techniques
• Cell counting

Field Techniques

Ecological Sampling:

• Quadrat sampling
• Transect methods
• Mark-recapture
• Population estimation

Observation:

• Behavioral ethograms
• Photo documentation
• Data recording protocols
• GPS and mapping

Computational Techniques

Bioinformatics Tools:

• BLAST (sequence alignment)
• NCBI databases
• Genome browsers
• Phylogenetic analysis

Programming:

• Python with Biopython
• R for statistical analysis
• Data visualization
• Machine learning basics

Equipment and Resources

What You Can Do at Home

What Requires Lab Access

• PCR and gel electrophoresis
• Cell culture
• Fluorescence microscopy
• Spectroscopy

Getting Lab Access

Options:

1. School lab - Talk to your biology teacher
2. University lab - Email professors for opportunities
3. Community labs - Some cities have maker bio labs
4. Summer programs - Structured lab access

Free Computational Resources

Databases:

• NCBI (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) - Genetic sequences
• UniProt (uniprot.org) - Protein data
• PDB (rcsb.org) - Protein structures
• GBIF (gbif.org) - Biodiversity data

Tools:

• Galaxy (usegalaxy.org) - Bioinformatics platform
• MEGA (megasoftware.net) - Phylogenetics
• ImageJ (imagej.nih.gov) - Image analysis
• R/RStudio - Statistical analysis

Learning:

• Khan Academy Biology
• MIT OpenCourseWare
• Coursera bioinformatics courses
• YouTube lab technique tutorials

Project Planning

Timeline for Biology Research

Total: 6-9 months

Experimental Design Basics

Key Elements:

1. Hypothesis - Clear, testable prediction
2. Variables - Independent, dependent, controlled
3. Controls - Negative and positive controls
4. Replication - Multiple trials/samples
5. Sample size - Enough for statistical power

Example Design:

Question: Does music affect plant growth?

Hypothesis: Plants exposed to classical music will grow taller than plants in silence.

Variables:

• Independent: Music exposure (classical vs. silence)
• Dependent: Plant height (cm)
• Controlled: Light, water, temperature, soil, plant species

Controls:

• Negative control: No music (silence)
• Positive control: Normal growth conditions work

Replication:

• 20 plants per group
• Measure over 6 weeks
• Three trials

Statistical Analysis for Biology

Common Statistical Tests

Key Concepts

P-value:

• Probability result occurred by chance
• p < 0.05 is typically "significant"
• Lower p = stronger evidence

Sample Size:

• Larger samples = more reliable results
• Too small = can't detect real effects
• Power analysis helps determine needs

Effect Size:

• Magnitude of difference
• Important alongside p-value
• Cohen's d, R², etc.

Tools for Analysis

Free Options:

• R + RStudio (powerful, free)
• Python + SciPy
• Google Sheets (basic)
• JASP (user-friendly)

Paid Options:

• GraphPad Prism (biology-focused)
• SPSS
• JMP

Ethical Considerations

Working with Animals

Vertebrate Research:

• Requires IACUC approval for science fairs
• Follow humane treatment guidelines
• Consider non-invasive alternatives
• Document welfare measures

Invertebrate Research:

• Generally fewer restrictions
• Still practice ethical treatment
• Follow competition rules

Human Subjects Research

IRB Requirements:

• Surveys of humans require review
• Informed consent always needed
• Extra protections for minors
• Privacy and confidentiality

Environmental Research

Field Work Ethics:

• Minimize disturbance
• Follow collection permits
• Practice Leave No Trace
• Report findings responsibly

Biosafety

Lab Safety:

• Use appropriate biosafety levels
• Handle microorganisms carefully
• Proper disposal of materials
• Follow institutional guidelines

Getting Mentorship

Why Mentorship Matters

Biology research benefits enormously from guidance:

• Complex techniques require training
• Experimental design needs feedback
• Statistical analysis can be tricky
• Publication requires expertise

Finding Biology Mentors

University Professors:

• Search faculty pages for research interests
• Read their papers before reaching out
• Send specific, well-researched emails

Graduate Students/Postdocs:

• Often more available than professors
• Can provide hands-on training
• Ask professors for referrals

Research Programs:

• Summer research programs at universities
• Online mentorship programs like YRI
• Science fair mentorship opportunities

The YRI Approach

The YRI Fellowship provides:

• 1:1 PhD Mentorship in biology fields
• Project Design support from experts
• Publication Guidance for biology journals
• Competition Preparation for ISEF and other fairs

Publishing Biology Research

Where to Publish

Student Journals:

• Journal of Emerging Investigators
• Young Scientists Journal
• Journal of Student Research

Preprint Servers:

• bioRxiv (biology preprints)
• Immediate visibility
• Not peer-reviewed (yet)

Field-Specific Journals:

• PLOS ONE (broad scope)
• Various specialized journals
• Higher bar but more prestigious

Tips for Biology Papers

Methods Section:

• Detailed protocols
• Specific reagents and sources
• Statistical methods used

Results:

• Clear figures and tables
• Appropriate statistics
• Raw data in supplementary

Discussion:

• Biological significance
• Comparison to existing literature
• Mechanisms proposed

Learn more: How to Publish Research

Competition Success

ISEF Categories for Biology

• Animal Sciences
• Behavioral and Social Sciences
• Biochemistry
• Biomedical and Health Sciences
• Cellular and Molecular Biology
• Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
• Ecology
• Microbiology
• Plant Sciences

What Judges Look For

Scientific Rigor:

• Proper controls
• Adequate sample sizes
• Appropriate statistics
• Reproducible methods

Creativity:

• Novel question or approach
• Original thinking
• Innovation in methods

Understanding:

• Deep knowledge of topic
• Can answer technical questions
• Understands limitations

Learn more: How to Win Science Fairs

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do biology research without lab access? Yes. Computational biology, field ecology, behavioral observation, and survey-based research all require minimal or no lab access. Many award-winning projects are done without traditional labs.

What's the easiest biology area to start with? Ecology and behavioral observation have low barriers to entry. Computational biology is accessible if you can code. Plant experiments are doable at home. Start where your interests align with available resources.

How do I get access to a university lab? Email professors whose research interests you. Be specific about what you want to work on, show you've read their papers, and be persistent—expect to send 20+ emails before getting a response.

Do I need to know how to code for biology research? Not required, but increasingly valuable. Python and R are most useful for biology. Many projects can be done without coding, but computational skills open more doors.

What's the difference between biology and biochemistry for science fairs? Biology focuses on organisms and life processes. Biochemistry focuses on chemical processes within and related to living organisms. Your project's emphasis determines the category.

How long does a biology research project take? Plan for 6-9 months minimum. Biological experiments often take longer than expected due to growth times, culturing periods, and troubleshooting.

Related Guides

• How to Do Research in High School
• Science Fair Project Ideas
• How to Win Science Fairs
• How to Publish Research