20 Biology Capstone Project Ideas for High School Students

If you’re serious about pursuing biology as a career, or are considering a biology-adjacent field as a major, you would greatly benefit from completing a capstone project. It is one of the best ways to cement your theoretical understanding of the subject by implementing those concepts in a practical experiment and add a tangible achievement to your resume..

It provides proof of your interest in biology, your initiative in pursuing self-directed research, and your ability to think critically and apply biological theory to solve real problems. These projects also help when applying to internships or research programs, as they show that you're ready to take on more advanced academic or lab responsibilities.

What is a capstone project? How is it different from a regular project?

A capstone project is a comprehensive, often interdisciplinary research project that takes place over several weeks or months. Unlike a typical classroom assignment that might take a few days and focus on a single topic, a capstone project integrates multiple areas of biology (and sometimes other subjects like chemistry, computer science, or environmental science).

Capstone projects can require you to:

• Conduct background research

• Design and carry out experiments

• Analyze data

• Synthesize, and ideally present, your findings

They reflect not only an understanding of course content but also your ability to apply that knowledge creatively and independently.

Why should I do a capstone project?

A capstone project in biology helps you develop both academic and personal skills. On the academic front, it’s an excellent way to learn research, scientific writing, data analysis, and the integration of concepts across biology subfields.

On the personal front, you will also learn valuable skills that transcend academic fields and are generally useful regardless. You will learn time management over an extended timeline, problem-solving, adaptability, initiative, and independence of thought and approach.

These academic and personal skills are valuable for college admissions, as they reflect what top universities seek in applicants. 

• Someone who is passionate about science

• Someone who can work independently

• Someone who knows how to manage a long-term project

• Someone who has hands-on experience in the field theypursue in college

Some biology capstone project ideas to start with

Marine and Plant Biology

1. Analyze microplastic ingestion in local fish species

Collect local fish samples (if accessible) or review existing data to analyze how much microplastic is found in their digestive systems.

• Skillsets: Environmental research, data analysis, lab techniques

• Ideal for: Students interested in ecology and marine science

• Drawbacks: Requires lab access, and knowledge of ethical sample collection techniques

• Tips: Partner with a local university or environmental organization

2. Drive a coral bleaching awareness campaign

Study various coral bleaching causes, such as industrial effluent or human waste. Create an awareness initiative in your school/community and drive a change campaign.

• Skillsets: Science communication, environmental biology, research and data analysis

• Ideal for: Students passionate about conservation

• Drawbacks: It’s a less experimental, more awareness-based project but its impact can be significant

• Tips: Include educational materials backed by recent research, as well as your own observations and analyses

3. Test the effects of pH on plant growth

Test how different soil pH levels affect the growth of a plant species. Set up a small garden and in each plot, use different methods to raise or lower soil pH levels.

• Skillsets: Experimental design, data collection

• Ideal for: Students with access to a garden or lab

• Drawbacks: Takes weeks for plants to grow, needs both space and materials to setup an effective experiment

• Tips: Use fast-growing plants like radishes

4. Explore urban gardening and pollinator health

Study how different plants in urban settings affect pollinator visits. Pollinators can be bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and more. Their health and habits are crucial to agricultural sustenance.

• Skillsets: Fieldwork, observation, data recording

• Ideal for: Students interested in environmental or plant sciences

• Drawbacks: Requires multiple observations over a long period of time

• Tips: Choose plants known to attract bees or butterflies

Genetics

5. Observe inheritance patterns in fruit flies

Conduct breeding experiments to track Mendelian inheritance in fruit flies, to develop an understanding of how genetic traits are passed on or weeded out.

• Skillsets: Genetics, microscopy, data interpretation

• Ideal for: Students with lab access

• Drawbacks: Requires access to organisms and a heavily controlled environment

• Tips: Keep detailed logs of generational data

6. DNA extraction from fruits

Extract and compare DNA yields from bananas, strawberries, etc. Analyze the genes that determine their color, genus, and other characteristics.

• Skillsets: Lab protocols, molecular biology basics

• Ideal for: Beginners in molecular biology

• Drawbacks: Limited to observational conclusions

• Tips: Follow simple online protocols for DNA extraction

Microbiology

7. Test the antibacterial properties of natural substances

Gather materials like garlic, ginger, turmeric, etc., and test their antibacterial properties. Grow bacteria in an incubation plate and selectively expose different samples to these compounds, noting the results.

• Skillsets: Microbiology techniques, sterile handling

• Ideal for: Students curious about natural medicine

• Drawbacks: May need agar plates and incubators

• Tips: Use yogurt cultures or safe bacteria like E. coli K-12

8. Start a school-wide initiative to reduce antibiotic resistance

Educate your schoolmates on antibiotic misuse and measure awareness before/after. Track their, and their parents’, antibiotic use habits, frequency and dosage before and after your awareness initiatives.

• Skillsets: Public health, data collection, surveys

• Ideal for: Students interested in health sciences

• Drawbacks: Requires strong survey design

• Tips: Collaborate with school nurses or science teachers

Biotechnology

9. Design a low-cost diagnostic test for common diseases

Research methods like paper-based diagnostics for diabetes or infections. Attempt to duplicate these using available materials.

• Skillsets: Biotech research, prototyping, design thinking

• Ideal for: Advanced students interested in innovation

• Drawbacks: High conceptual difficulty

• Tips: Use simulated models to test your design

10. Design a high school-level explainer for CRISPR

Create an educational guide or video explaining CRISPR to a younger audience. Gather all available information and the latest research, refer to the material various national libraries and universities have on it, and compile a multimedia presentation distilling the concepts down to an easy-to-understand form.

• Skillsets: Science communication, genetics

• Ideal for: Students interested in science outreach

• Drawbacks: Non-experimental

• Tips: Use analogies and visuals

Environmental Biology

11. Do a biodiversity audit in a local park

Survey species in a local area and analyze biodiversity. Visit different biomes within the same location (sandy, grassy, wet, dry, etc.) and collect samples to understand how even the same ecosystem can have wildly different biodiversity with a change of only a few small parameters.

• Skillsets: Field biology, data recording, species identification

• Ideal for: Students who enjoy being outdoors

• Drawbacks: Requires local access and good weather

• Tips: Use apps like iNaturalist to help ID species

12. Assess the impact of air pollution on leaf structure

Collect leaves from high- and low-traffic areas and compare their structure. Couple this with measuring local AQI and air pollutants and compare the same with your biological data.

• Skillsets: Microscopy, data analysis

• Ideal for: Students in urban areas

• Drawbacks: Needs access to microscope

• Tips: Use slides to look at stomata and surface residue

Human and Cell Biology

13. Study the effects of sleep on cognitive performance

Find or convince a few volunteers to help you with this one, and agree to be tested in various conditions of sleep deprivation. Run cognitive tests on them and correlate with their sleep patterns.

• Skillsets: Survey design, statistical analysis

• Ideal for: Students interested in neuroscience or psychology

• Drawbacks: May have bias in self-reported data

• Tips: Use online tools for cognitive tests

14. Assess the impact of nutrition on academic performance

Study how different eating habits affect school performance or concentration. Collate test score data and other performance metrics and cross-examine it with students’ self-reported nutrition habits.

• Skillsets: Research, data collection

• Ideal for: Students interested in health sciences

• Drawbacks: Limitations in self-reported data, may be hard to obtain access to academic performance indicators

• Tips: Ensure surveys are anonymous

15. Simulate the effects of energy drinks on cell health

Use online simulations or data to study cellular impacts. Check the compounds used in popular energy drinks and use the simulator, or secondary research data, to analyze how it may impact cell composition.

• Skillsets: Critical thinking, scientific literature review

• Ideal for: Students without lab access

• Drawbacks: No hands-on experimentation

• Tips: Combine with real-life data collection (e.g., surveys)

16. Observe mitosis in onion root tips

Prepare slides to observe different phases of mitosis. Try to use onions grown in different conditions or soil types to compare and contrast the process between the slides.

• Skillsets: Microscopy, staining, biology lab skills

• Ideal for: Students with access to microscopes

• Drawbacks: Delicate sample prep

• Tips: Follow standard protocols for staining

Zoology

17. Study animal behavior and enrichment in captivity

Observe animals in a zoo and propose improvements in enrichment activities. Scan current research material on animal behavior and use the data in combination with your observations as the basis for your suggestions.

• Skillsets: Ethology, observational data

• Ideal for: Students interested in animal biology

• Drawbacks: Requires zoo access

• Tips: Keep a detailed ethogram (behavior log)

18. Track urban wildlife

Track patterns of urban wildlife like squirrels, birds, raccoons. Maintain detailed records and try to correlate their patterns with environmental factors, such as change in traffic, noise, or other human activities.

• Skillsets: Ecology, field observation

• Ideal for: Students in suburban/urban areas

• Drawbacks: Time-consuming

• Tips: Record at the same time daily for consistency

Niche topics

19. Create a visual guide for how vaccines work

Create a detailed infographic explaining immune response and vaccines. Explore resources from your local library and Look for visuals or data that support your explanations from nearby universities or your own teachers.

• Skillsets: Immunology, visual communication

• Ideal for: Students interested in public health

• Drawbacks: Non-experimental

• Tips: Consult reputable sources like CDC or WHO

20. Study the theory of engineering bacteria to detect pollutants

Design a hypothetical genetically engineered microbe that can detect a few common pollutants.

• Skillsets: Synthetic biology, systems thinking

• Ideal for: Advanced students

• Drawbacks: Entirely theoretical

• Tips: Read real case studies for inspiration

An option to help you pursue capstone projects—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in one of these or some other capstone projects, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. The resources and guidance it can provide, especially for the more advanced topics in this list, can significantly enhance your project outcomes. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

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