Journal of Emerging Investigators, Inc.

04/24/2026

Science isn't just about experiments and analysis. Communication and storytelling connect scientists to each other and to the community. But students often don't get the chance to practice science communication.

Emerging Investigators offers NGSS-aligned lesson plans - created by teachers, for teachers - to empower every student to find their voice in science.

Swipe to preview our lesson plans, then check them out at www.emerginginvestigators.org/classroom_resources

03/06/2026

Hockey skate blades move fast, but they’re also sharp! A slip of the skate blades may put hockey players at risk for serious or even life-threatening lacerations to the leg and ankle. To protect themselves, many players pull on cut-resistant socks made from high-strength fibers like Kevlar® or Dyneema®.

Student researchers Derek Lugaila and Nicholas Grundish set out to compare these two fibers to see which one actually offers better protection. They tested multiple sock samples and steadily increased the force with a weighted blade to measure how much force it took to cut through each material.

Although they predicted® Kevlar would be more cut-resistant due to its tightly bonded molecular structure, the results showed something unexpected. Dyneema® required a greater force to cut per unit of material strength, meaning it may provide better protection against skate blade injuries and prove tougher under pressure.

Their findings show that smart material design directly impacts athlete safety, and suggest that what your gear is made of might matter more than you think. 🏒

Lugaila, D., & Grundish, N. (2025). A systematic study of cut-resistant socks for hockey players. Journal of Emerging Investigators. https://doi.org/10.59720/24-357

02/14/2026

Want to keep your Valentine’s roses looking fresh for longer? Don’t put them in high concentration sugar water!

Knowing that plants use sugar for energy, student researchers from India asked: will adding sugar to vase water help cut roses stay fresh longer?

Surprisingly, they discovered roses in high sugar solutions actually wilted faster, dropped petals sooner, and lost their freshness more quickly than roses in tap water!

More studies are needed to learn exactly why the roses in sugar water died sooner.

In the meantime, keep your roses smelling sweet and save the sugar for dessert!

Kikon et al. “Glucose concentration and the longevity of cut roses: sugar-induced senescence.” Journal of Emerging Investigators, 2025, https://doi.org/10.59720/24-338

12/31/2025

As 2025 comes to a close, the Emerging Investigators team is reflecting on all we've accomplished in this record-breaking year. Watch to see some of our biggest fireworks!

We're also incredibly proud of and grateful for everyone who's helped us along the way: our volunteers, our staff, our student authors, and our supporters. You are the ones who make this possible!

Stay tuned to see our exciting plans for 2026 - and if you want to help us carry the spark into the new year, please consider supporting our work https://emerginginvestigators.org/support

12/24/2025

From the JEI and eiRxiv family to yours, wishing you a joyful (and science-y) holiday season!

And if you need some extra holiday science, check out an article by our student authors about how Christmas tree extracts could be used to help produce copper nanoparticles 🎄🧪

https://emerginginvestigators.org/articles/22-044

12/13/2025

One of our amazing Executive Editors, Samantha Seah, was recently interviewed by preLights!

The preLights community advocates for open access science and highlights outstanding new biology preprints.

Check out Samantha's journey from preLighter to Executive Editor, and hear what she's excited about for the future of JEI and eiRxiv:

In this interview, we hear from Samantha Seah, a former preLighter who will soon step into the role of Executive Editor at the Journal of Emerging Investigators. Here, Samantha traces JEI’s origins, explains how student projects are reviewed and supported, describes recent expansions like eiRxiv a...

12/02/2025

Science is for everyone - and every student deserves to have a voice in science.

Since 2012, the Journal of Emerging Investigators has provided tens of thousands of hours of mentoring, peer review, and education to students learning to share their research like professional scientists. This year alone, we've published over 180 scientific journal articles and preprints written by middle and high school students!

It's about more than just publication, though - JEI's science communication opportunities help students develop their confidence, knowledge, and sense of belonging in science.

This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us to support the next generation of scientists and help every young scientist find their voice.

You can support us at: https://emerginginvestigators.org/support

11/18/2025

From bone loss to space anemia, biology presents one of the most formidable barriers to long-duration spaceflight. The annual Genes in Space competition provides young scientists the opportunity to design space biology experiments – and in doing so empowers them to address these important biological challenges.

JEI partners with Genes in Space to publish abstracts from the top finalists each year based on their innovation, scientific rigor, and potential to change our understanding of space biology.

Check out the abstracts from this year's top five finalists at https://emerginginvestigators.org/collaborators/genes-in-space 🧬🚀

11/13/2025

Everyone has a different path in life. At JEI, we're honored to be part of the journey for students as they discover their voice and confidence in science.

Even better: when our student authors come back to tell us just what a difference JEI has made in their lives. Check out our latest "Emerging Investigators Stories" blog post by Arushi Neravetla, an up-and-coming neuroscientist and science writer who got her start with JEI.

https://emerginginvestigators.org/blog/emerging-investigators-stories-arushi-neravetla

And if you've ever published, participated, or volunteered with JEI and want to share how JEI impacted you, please reach out to us - we'd love to help you tell your story!

04/30/2025

For the last 18 months, JEI has been developing a preprint server exclusively for young scientists*. We truly believe this will change how students experience the scientific process and science communication. A preprint server is an online platform where researchers can publicly share their scientif...