For the 1,500 student participants at this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), the one common denominator that they all have is the passion for problem-solving and enthusiasm for discovery. The challenges they’re tackling now may one day lead to innovative solutions, eco-friendly products and improvements in everyday life.

In his speech at the opening of Intel ISEF 2006, Intel Chairman Dr. Craig R. Barrett praised the ISEF participants and said that ISEF projects show just how much students can achieve when they pursue a passion.

"I have faith in this new generation of young scientists and engineers to help cure diseases, protect the environment and develop breakthrough technologies that will one day change the world," says Barrett.

Three female students – all from the United States – sweeped the top awards and bagged a ,000 scholarship each.

Madhavi Gavini of Starkville, Missouri; Meredith MacGregor of Boulder, Colorado; and Hannah Wolf of Allentown, Pennsylvania, excelled among a record-setting, worldwide pool of 1,482 competitors, setting the bar for future scientific research in three disciplines.

Gavini, 16, discovered a novel method to destroy a common and deadly infectious bacterium – pseudomonas aeruginosa – that causes secondary infections that often lead to death in patients with compromised immune systems, such as those with cancer, AIDS and serious burns.

MacGregor, 17, studied the so-called "Brazil-Nut Effect." When a container of granular material is shaken, particles separate by size, with the largest rising to the top, like Brazil nuts in a can of mixed nuts. One of the most significant implications of understanding this effect is in the mixing of compound pharmaceuticals to ensure particles of different densities are evenly combined as they are packaged for human consumption. The effect also becomes relevant in natural phenomena such as rock slides.

Wolf, 16, studied formations caused by ancient earthquakes in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to try to determine the epicenters of the quakes and assess the impact. She mapped, photographed and measured the formations within the study area, then analyzed characteristics of the formations to determine the intensity of the quake and the direction and distance it moved. Understanding where the most damage has occurred can lead scientists to more accurate assessment and prediction of seismic hazards.

Dr. Barrett said: "It is a privilege to meet these outstanding young people and be inspired by their curiosity, enthusiasm and dedication. This generation of young scientists and inventors will surely find solutions to global issues and change the world for the better."

From a list of 1,496 student finalists who competed at this year’s Intel ISEF 2006, four Filipino teenagers once again took the honors of bagging top prizes at the world’s most prestigious and largest pre-college science competition.

Sixteen-year-old Raymond Joseph Sarmiento Amurao of Marikina Science High School from Marikina City, won third award in the Zoology category for his project project titled Biofuel and Soaps from Janitor Fish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) Oil. He received US,000 and a medal.

His project which won the nod of the judges, was inspired by Marikina’s acute janitor fish infestation problem which threatens the biodiversity of the Marikina River.

Amurao was able to extract fuel oils from janitor fish carcasses which can be used in applications such as diesel additives and soap base.

Under the Team Projects category, the Physics project from the Philippine Science High School (Main Campus) in Quezon City titled Elastomeric Grating for Wavelength Switching in Optical Communication Systems also won the third award of US,000.

Composed of Maria Katrina Derez Guevara, Ace Fredric Resurreccion Palabrica, and Nicole Andrea San Agustin Yazon, the PSHS team also won a Scholarship Award of US,000 from National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance/The Lemelson Foundation, which awards outstanding team projects based on creativity, technological innovation and commercial promise.

For their team project, the three students built their own optical switch from equipment and materials in the PSHS laboratory which seeks to find a more efficient way of switching individual wavelengths of light onto separate paths for specific routing of information. The project has been cited for its potentially commercial explosive applications in the field of networking and computers.

Yvonne Garcia-Flores, Intel Philippines Education Manager, said this year’s winning projects showcased the brilliance and perseverance of the Filipino youth, while also revealing stories highlighting the devotion and rigor all participants poured into their science endeavors.

"Intel ISEF brings together the brightest young minds around the world, and for nine years running, we have been able to bring home major awards, proof that our students are among the world’s best," Flores said.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Intel’s title sponsorship of the fair, one of the key programs comprising Intel’ 0 million annual commitment to improving education around the world — Intel Innovation in Education initiative — a sustained commitment held in collaboration with educators and government leaders worldwide to help today’s students prepare for the demands of tomorrow. Intel is focused on helping to integrate technology effectively into the education process and to helping improve science, mathematics, engineering and technology education.

Brenda Musilli, Intel Corporation’s director of education, in a press conference, told the Asian press that Intel ISEF is more than just a science competition, but more importantly, it is an investment in the next generation of scientists.

"Over the past decade, our investment in this world-class program has helped to increase the number of participants by 36 percent, and doubled the number of countries represented. What’s more, the scientific projects students are tackling have grown increasingly sophisticated," Mussili said.

This year’s finalists range in age from 12 to 20. Among the finalists, 16 percent have previously competed at the Intel ISEF, 15 percent hold or have applied for a U.S. patent and 47 percent are female. The Engineering category has the most entries with 200 projects, followed by Environmental Sciences with 155, and Medicine and Health with 125. Together these encompass 40 percent of all entries.

As Intel marks a decade of its efforts in helping discover potential future scientists, Intel in the Philippines is also celebrating the same momentous feat because the country began fielding participants to the prestigious event in the very same year that Intel got the sponsorship title for the fair with the mounting of the locally sponsored Intel Philippine Science Fair.

Ma. Teresa L. Pacis, External Communications Manager at Intel Technology Philippines is proud of the fact that they have been successful in the last 10 years in propagating the "culture of science," as evidenced by the growing number of entries that join the science fairs leading up to the national finals

"We have been logging a 20% increase in entries each year. In fact, we received 4,000 entries for 2005-2006!," Pacis said.

She adds: "What is also good is that we have seen some passing on from one generation to the next, so to speak, in as far as participation is concerned. We have encountered student-finalists who have had older brothers and/or sisters join early editions of the Intel Philippine Science Fair. One of our delegates to the 2005 edition had an older sibling who was a delegate to ISEF years before him."

Moreover, she said the geographic distribution of winners is becoming steadily widespread, through the years. "This year, we sent entries from the northern (Baguio) and southern (Agusan) parts of the country, as well as Metro Manila. This tells us that the quality of research across regions is becoming more or less standardized."

As for Intel’s future plans for Intel Science Fairs in the Philippines, Pacis said they would like to see an improvement in the science research activities of our students. "Now that we have quantity, we would like to see improvement of quality of researches received by the fair. Hopefully, this will also translate to more Intel ISEF wins."

She explained that as of the moment, they are focusing on efforts to foster a genuine aptitude for science and research among Filipino students.

"The Intel Philippine Science Fair is an avenue where we recognize the research skills of our students. Moving forward, we would like to see an increase of students opting for a science and engineering course. This way we contribute to the country’s pool of scientific experts and make the Philippines more competitive in the R&D arena," Pacis said.