Melanie Gallant of Ecole Francois Buote High School in Charlottetown, PEI captured 1st Place. Melanie was one of 10 students to compete in the challenge that encourages the pursuit of studies and careers in the exciting field of biotechnology. Her winning project entitled ‘Gender-Bender Pesticides’ – Using spiggin gene expression in threespine stickleback to screen for hormone -active pesticides , looked at gene expression as a means of screening for hormone-active pesticides in stickleback. Linuron is a widely used herbicide in Canada with proven negative effects on ecosystems. The aim of the project was to develop a new method of detecting linuron concentrations in natural water sources. Melanie was mentored at the University of Prince Edward Island, Department of Biology. She worked with Dr. Michael R. van den Heuvel her key mentor along with the assistance of Dr. Natasha Hogan. Melanie was awarded $2,500 for his 1st place finish and her school, Ecole Francois Buote, also received a prize of $2,000 toward its science program. Melanie also captured the prize for best “Commercial Potential” with an award of $1,000.

Melanie will present her research at the SABC national competition before a panel of judges at the National Research Council in Ottawa on May 5th, 2009.Melanie received her prize from Allan Snook, Senior Manager, Public Policy and Stakeholder Relations sanofi-aventis Canada Inc.

Other prize winners were:
2nd place – $2,000:
Emma Trivett – Charlottetown Rural High School,
Treatment of Sea Lice Using Emamectin Benzoat

3rd place – $1,500:
Gayani Gunathilake & Agatha KangYoo Hee – Charlottetown Rural High School,
Characterization of Antibodies Responsible for Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs

4th place – $1,000
Scott Dewar & Mark Townsend – Three Oaks Senior High School
Determining the effectiveness of bacteria at transferring their antibiotic resistance to other bacteria

and

5th place – $750
Courtney Fitzgerald & Jenna Gaudet – Three Oaks Senior High School
Identification of Effective Extracts to Develop a Natural Fungicide for Fusarium Oxysporum