The Student Who Saw What NASA Missed

While most high school students were worrying about exams, Andrew was designing custom PCBs and training machine learning models to solve a problem that has stumped researchers for decades: how to create lightweight, energy-efficient altitude sensors for atmospheric research. His solution came from an unexpected source—algae.

"I was looking at research about how algae respond to different light conditions at various altitudes," Andrew explains, "and realized their natural fluorescence could serve as a biological barometer."

The Hardware: Engineering From Scratch

Andrew's journey began with designing custom printed circuit boards for the AS7263 spectral sensor and Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. Unlike commercial altimeters that rely on pressure sensors or GPS, his system measures specific wavelengths of light emitted by algae under different atmospheric conditions.

"The AS7263 gives me six specific color channels—from 410nm to 680nm—which is perfect for capturing the subtle changes in algae fluorescence as altitude increases," Andrew notes. "But getting the PCB design right took three iterations and countless hours of testing."

The Biological Breakthrough

At the heart of StratoSpore is a simple but revolutionary concept: algae naturally fluoresce differently under varying atmospheric pressures and light conditions. As the weather balloon ascends, the changing UV radiation, temperature, and pressure cause measurable shifts in how the algae emit light.

Andrew cultivated Chlorella vulgaris, a common freshwater algae, in specially designed chambers that could withstand the extreme conditions of the stratosphere while allowing the spectral sensor to continuously monitor fluorescence patterns.

The Machine Learning Magic

Raw sensor data alone wouldn't be enough. Andrew developed a lightweight machine learning model that could correlate specific fluorescence patterns with actual altitude readings from traditional sensors during training flights.

"The model had to be small enough to run on a Pi Zero but accurate enough to provide meaningful altitude estimates," he explains. "After training on multiple ascent profiles, it achieved 94% accuracy in correlating fluorescence patterns with altitude changes between 0-30,000 feet."

Launch Day: From Theory to Stratosphere

The moment of truth came when Andrew launched his creation aboard a high-altitude weather balloon. For three hours, the system ascended through the troposphere into the stratosphere, collecting continuous fluorescence data while traditional sensors recorded ground truth measurements.

"Watching the data come back was incredible," Andrew recalls. "The algae fluorescence showed clear, repeatable patterns at specific altitude bands. The ML model successfully estimated altitude within 500 feet of the GPS readings for most of the flight."

Why This Matters Beyond the Classroom

Traditional altitude sensors have limitations—pressure sensors can drift, GPS signals can be unreliable, and both require significant power. Andrew's bio-altimeter offers several advantages:

• Ultra-low power consumption compared to conventional systems
• No dependency on external signals like GPS
• Potential for self-calibrating systems using living organisms
• Extremely lightweight design suitable for micro-satellites and drones

Dr. Maria Chen, an atmospheric scientist not involved with the project, comments: "What's remarkable here isn't just the technical achievement, but the completely novel approach. Using biological systems as environmental sensors could open up entirely new ways to monitor our atmosphere."

What's Next for Bio-Sensing

Andrew is already planning his next iteration, which will test different algae species and improve the machine learning model's accuracy. He's also exploring applications beyond altitude sensing, including using similar biological systems to detect atmospheric pollutants or monitor ocean health.

"This is just the beginning," Andrew says. "If we can train biological systems to sense environmental changes, we could create networks of living sensors that are both sustainable and incredibly sensitive."

The Takeaway: Innovation Knows No Age

Andrew's StratoSpore project demonstrates that groundbreaking innovation doesn't require a PhD or corporate funding. With curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to bridge seemingly unrelated fields—in this case, biology, electronics, and machine learning—even a high school student can advance the frontiers of technology.

As Andrew prepares for his next launch, one thing is clear: the future of environmental sensing might just be green, photosynthetic, and far more accessible than anyone imagined.