Local Teen Scientists Win Prestigious Biotech AwardsA local grade10 student whose research examined the active components of camomile was awarded first prize in the 2003 Aventis Biotech Challenge, hosted by Bio-East.

Tim Loomis, a student at Mount Pearl Senior High School, claimed the $2000 cash award at a ceremony held on April 4, 2003 at the Memorial University?s Field House. Mr. Loomis? project involved extraction and identification of all the active ingredients of camomile, a commonly used herbal remedy for everything from motion sickness to migraines, to isolate compounds that could be used to target specific illnesses.

?Participating in the Aventis Biotech Challenge was an excellent experience. The opportunity to work with a mentor in a real laboratory and to conduct my own research was very beneficial. I am continuing my research to prepare for the national competition, but would have continued with this project anyway,? said Tim Loomis.

The $1500 second place prize went to Jennifer Graham of Marystown Central High School for her research on the effect of reduced gravity on the growth of mould. The rapid growth of mould has been a plague for both man and machine on extended space flights.

Angela Wareham and Jessica Stanford of Holy Heart of Mary High School took the $1000 third place for their project ?Allergen Detector Test? which explored the development of a test strip for people who have food allergies. Fourth and fifth place prizes went to teams Laura Craig and Danica Carter, and James Hanley and Robert Mercer for their projects ?Cleaning Dirt? and ?Fungus is Our Friend? respectively.

Sanofi Pasteur Limited has been the competition?s lead sponsor since the inception of the biotech awards program 10 years ago. More than 100 organizations are partnered with Aventis Pasteur in supporting this educational outreach initiative.

?We wholeheartedly support The Sanofi-Aventis Biotech Challenge because it represents an investment in the future of the brightest young Canadian students and the next generation of scientific leaders,? said Sanofi Pasteur Limited President, Mr. Mark Lievonen.

Prize money is shared between the students and their schools. The criteria used to judge the projects included scientific merit, creativity, originality and potential commercial applications.

Tim Loomis will compete against other regional winners at the national competition, which will be held via video conference May 30. Each first-place regional team will present their research to a panel of judges gathered at the National Research Council headquarters in Ottawa. The winning team from the national competition goes to Washington, DC in June to compete against US teams at BIO 2003, the world?s largest gathering of biotechnology leaders. gathering of biotechnology leaders comes to Washington,

For more information, contact:

Ms. Cynthia Brown
Biotechnology Co-ordinator
GENESIS Group

Telephone: (709) 737-2682
Fax: (709)737-4029
E-mail: cbrown@genesis.mun.ca

Website: www.genesis.mun.ca