Seven Filipino teeners brought honor to their country with their exceptional research works in medicine and health, chemistry and environmental science.
They are Joy Anne L. Aquino of E. Rodriguez Jr. High School in Quezon City; Anne Margrette C. Velasquez, Ma. Katrina D. Rivera, and Allan Ray E. Gonzalez of Manila Science High School; and Jayson Reggie T. Obos, Melanie C. Melchor, and Trina G. Napasindayao of Quezon City Science High School.
Fifteen-year old Joy Anne L. Aquino, whose individual project entry in the medicine and health category entitled "Biologically-Guided Isolation of the Antimicrobial Component on the Sea-Snake Laticauda colubrina Schneider Venom," earned for her a fourth place in the grand awards. She was awarded a cash prize of $500 from Merck Research Laboratories. Aquino likewise was awarded another $1,000 cash prize from the American Veterinary Association in the special awards category.
Meanwhile, in the team projects awards, the Filipino students’ entry in the chemistry category "Development of a Chemically Modified Carbon Paste Electrode from Green Mussels (Perna viridis) for the Analysis of Lead (II) Through Voltammetry" earned for the group of Anne Margrette C. Velasquez, Ma. Katrina D. Rivera, Allan Ray E. Gonzalez from Manila Science High School, the third place in the grand awards.
The winning team developed a chemically-modified carbon paste electrode from green mussels that can detect and magnetize lead, therefore aiding in environmental protection and clean-up.
The Manila Science High School students said in their project brief that the presence of heavy metals (particularly Lead) disposed by industrial establishments affects marine life and ultimately human life. Incidentally, mussels (perna viridis), which are abundant in the Philippines, are able to endure the presence of heavy metals in its environment. This characteristic of mussels inspired the researchers to develop a modified carbon paste electrode.
The team said the process started with collected marine samples being cultured on a heavy metal contaminated environment. After which, the samples were homogenized and placed on a freeze-drying machine. The mussels, in its powdered form, were used as a modifier for the electrodes. The cyclic Voltammetry of the electrodes were determined. The electrodes were later used in the accumulation of heavy metals to test its capability to detect and quantify the best analyte, which is Lead. After a series of tests, results turned out positively that mussels could be used as the main component in the construction of a bio-indicator that detects and quantifies lead in a given sample. As the results obtained from the stripping Voltammetry of the laboratory waste sample using the electrode was compared to the flame AAS of the sample, it showed that the electrode can detect the presence of lead at 96.46 accuracy.
Aside from the benefits of the project, the team believes that they won because of their impressive methodology. They got a cash prize of $1,000 courtesy of Science News magazine.
The other winning team project from the Philippines is the team from Quezon City Science High School, composed of Jayson Reggie T. Obos, Melanie C. Melchor, and Trina G. Napasindayao. The group entered their research project called "Lumos: A Simple, Rapid, and Inexpensive Dissolved Oxygen Determination of Wastewater Samples Using the Tube Bioluminescence Extinction Method of Vibrio fischeri USTCMS 1063" in the environmental science category.
The Quezon City Science High School students said they worked on Lumos because of their deep concern over the environmental contamination of bodies of water, especially as their school is near a polluted creek. They planned on creating a cost-effective method to identify the degree of degradation of certain bodies of water. Basically, the team started by obtaining Vibrio Fischeri. These were then cultured on tryphone yeast extractglycerol saltwater agar medium. After which, they were used in three different wastewater samples and a deactivated distilled water diluted into concentrations of 100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%, 6.25% and 0%. The length of time of the bioluminescence exhibited by the bacteria in each of the concentration was monitored. Through the experiment, a correlation between the duration of bioluminescence of Vibrio Fischeri and the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) was established. The higher the concentration of wastewater, the lesser the time of luminescence of Vibrio Fischeri.
According to team members, the results proved that the Tube Bioluminescence Extinction Method of Vibrio Fischeri as an effective alternative to other pollution monitoring methods like the Modified Winkler Method. The process also works simply and rapidly and is very cost-effective. The team is very excited about its findings and is looking forward to more studies on the viability of the project. The project is not only relevant in environmental protection but can significantly be beneficial in health science. And for this, the team earned the judges nod and won them a cash prize of $500 also courtesy of Science News magazine.
Dubbed as the "Olympics" of all science fairs, Intel ISEF showcases the most promising inventors and scientists from students in grades 9-12 coming from more than 40 countries from across the globe.
Wendy Hawkins, director of education at Intel said the Intel ISEF is more than a science competition — it’s an investment in the next generation of scientists and engineers. "It’s a privilege to be involved with this talented group of young people and to support their interest in science and technology, which we hope will lead them to further explore ideas that may someday change the world."
Hawkins said that each year anywhere between 3 to 5 million students around the globe complete science research projects, and roughly 1,300 of those students from 40 nations earn the right to compete at Intel ISEF.
She said that in order to be part of the competition, the student(s) who will be joining must be the top winners in their own local/national science fair competition affliliated with Intel ISEF, where thay will compete in the 15 competition categories, namely: behavioral and social sciences, biochemistry, botany, chemistry, computer science, earth & space sciences, engineering, environmental science, gerontology, mathematics, medicine & health, microbiology, physics, zoology and team projects.
