AbSciCon 2026 Poster Competition Winners

Each conference year, the AbSciCon Poster Competition recognizes outstanding research by early-career scientists working to understand life’s place in the universe. This year’s competition included 63 participants from various universities and research institutions across the country. Congratulations to the winners!

Winners

1st Place – Morgan Polk, Georgia Institute of Technology

Morgan’s research shows that amylose, a common component of starch, acts as a catalyst for chemical reactions. This finding fundamentally rethinks the potential role sugars played in the chemistry of early life.

2nd Place – Isuru P. Silva Ethige, The University of Alabama

Isuru discovered green algae performing photosynthesis in the near-dark, red-shifted twilight zones of Carlsbad Caverns. His research explores the possibility of oxygen-producing photosynthesis on planets orbiting dim, cool stars, which are the most common in our galaxy.

3rd Place – Samantha Pryor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Samantha’s experiments demonstrate that tiny airborne droplets at the ocean surface are surprisingly efficient chemistry labs, suggesting these droplets could be a birthplace for the genetic molecules that led to the emergence of life.

Congratulations to all participants for their hard work and innovative research in the field of astrobiology!