This year , the top FIVE submissions ( no rankings to be given ) from the 2012 NL SBCC competition that are accepted for provincial competition , will be selected to compete ( via video-conference ) against teams from Nova Scotia , New Brunswick , and Prince Edward Island in the Atlantic Regional finals of the SANOFI BioGENEius Challenge Canada competition .

From this Regional SBCC competition , one winner will be selected for each province , and will receive a first place cash award for that province in the amount of $1000.00 . There will also be an overall First Place cash prize of $ 2000.00 awarded to the top project judged to be the best submission in Atlantic Canada . This Atlantic regional champion will travel to Ottawa sometime in early May to compete against the other regional winners from across Canada . The National winner receives a cash award of $ 5000.00 .

All students interested in competing in this years provincial/atlantic challenge are urged to check out ideas of interest that may be developed into possible submissions for the 2012 SBCC competition . By going online to the MUN , CONA , websites ,etc. , you may be able to identify some area of scientific interest that you might wish to investigate , and a mentor that is keenly interested in helping you with your experimental design . It could be that there may be something of interest in the area of where you live that might have the potential to be investigated into a winning project .

Check it out ! There are no problems , only solutions !

The deadline for submissions is Nov. 13th , 2011 .

If you have any questions regarding the 2012 SBCC program for Newfoundland and Labrador , please contact me ( Ken Coffey ) at 709-864-7254 or kcoffey@genesis.mun.ca .

The sanofi-aventis biotechnology competition (sabc) for Canadian youth is now known as SANOFI BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC).

Operating from within the GENESIS Group at MUN , our mandate is to promote this regional ( as well as national ) science experience for NL students grades 8 to 12 . Teachers and students are encouraged to to investigate the program with an aim to submitting applications for approval and acceptance . The deadline for applications to be received is Sunday , Nov. 13th , 2011 . The overall Atlantic Regional Winner ( and their school ) will receive $2000 in prize money to be divided between the applicant ( 75% ) and their sponsoring school ( 25% ) . A cash prize of $1000 is also awarded to the top finishing team from each individual Atlantic province. The Atlantic Regional winner will travel to Ottawa and compete in the national finals , with the top prize winner receiving $5000 and the opportunity to compete in the 2012 Science World Olympiad .

The big winners for NL in 2011 were Hannah Boone ( St. Paul’s JHS – St. John’s ) ) and Megan Howse ( O’Donel HS – Mt. Pearl ) . Their project, “ The Effect of Omega-3 and Green Tea on Atherosclerosis “ or “ Tea Time ! Relax Your Way to Better Health “, earned them first place in Provincial competition , and $2000.00 prize money. Kendelle Anstey ( Holy Heart of Mary HS – St. John’s ) received $1500.00 for her research project entitled “The Implement to Reduce Our Carbon Emissions on a Larger Scale ”, while Natalie Griffin and Holly Burford , both students from Bishops High School in St. John’s , earned third place and the $1000 prize , for their investigation into “ The Effect of Garlic Extract on the Performance of Antibiotics “ .

All Science and Technology teachers are asked to encourage their students to go online and learn more about this program. Submissions may be on an individual student basis , or as a maximum group of two . All applications submitted will go before an Evaluation Committee made up of top scientific researchers from Memorial University in order to be assessed as being appropriate or otherwise. Those projects approved will then proceed, dependent upon being able to find and secure a suitable mentor who is willing and able to supervise the student(s) in a laboratory research environment for the duration of their research.( If students have a particular mentor in mind to help them with their research, then they are encouraged to contact that person and solicit their support as soon as possible.)

All applicants must go to the SBCC website and complete the on-line application form when they are ready to apply . Make sure that you are thorough in completing this application , including all information ( phone #’s , e-mails , etc.) where asked for . If your project is approved by the Evaluation Committee , and you do not yet have a mentor in place , all efforts will be made to find one for you .

More information can be obtained by calling me, Ken Coffey, at 709-864-7254, or by going to www.sanofibiogeneiuschallenge.ca . I’ll get back to you at the earliest possible opportunity.

All students / teachers must keep in mind that they are not merely submitting an idea for investigation , but also the appropriate investigative scientific procedure necessary for the study to proceed .

What follows is the abstract written by Megan Howse and Hannah Boone , on their winning project for 2011 .

Regional Winner Abstract

‘The Effects of Omega-3 and Green Tea on Hypertension and Atherosclerosis’ or ‘Tea Time ! Relax Your Way to Better Health’

Cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis and hypertension, is the leading cause of death in people over age 45, making it a serious problem worldwide. Green Tea and Omega-3 fatty acids have suggested cardiovascular health benefits. The objective was to discover whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, when chemically paired with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a green tea catechin with antioxidant activity, could be better absorbed than EGCG alone, and have beneficial effects on atherosclerosis and hypertension. A semi-purified DHA ester of EGCG was formed by reacting EGCG with DHA chloride, which was then tested for cellular absorption by measuring its incorporation into liposome lipid bilayers. Its effects on vascular tone were tested, performing isolated tissue experiments using rat aorta, and its ability to inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity was measured using hippuryl-histidine-lucine (HHL) conversion to hippuric acid assay. EGCG-DHA had a mean absorption rate of 72.28%, greater than EGCG alone at 56.6%. The compound encouraged dilatation and inhibited phenylephrine-induced contraction of the aorta in the model, as well as inhibited ACE activity by 100%, compared to 55.5% inhibition by EGCG alone, demonstrating significant anti-hypertensive effect. This new cost-effective semi-purified compound of EGCG-DHA has the potential to be well absorbed, and to reduce the harmful risks of cardiovascular disease through blood pressure lowering effects, with potential beneficial effects on the development of atherosclerosis.

Discovery About ‘Hypertension and Atherosclerosis’ Wins Grade 9 and 10 Local Student Scientists Entry to National BioTalent Challenge Student Finals

Top winners: St. Pauls Jr. High School, St. John’s, O’Donel High School, Mt. Pearl, Holy Heart of Mary High School, St. John’s, Bishops College High School, St. John’s…… Top Regional Winners to Compete in National Final, Ottawa, May 9

Ground-breaking research by 2 local youths , a 14 year old grade 9 student from St. Paul’s Jr. High School , and a 15 year old grade 10 student from O’Donel High School, has earned top regional prize in the 2011 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge (SABC).

Hannah Boone and Megan Howse won the top $2,000 regional prize for ‘Tea Time! Relax Your Way to Better Health’. Their experimental work studied the effects of green tea and Omega-3 fatty acids on hypertension and atherosclerosis. Both Hannah and Megan will compete for Newfoundland and Labrador at the national SABC competition May 9, to be judged by a panel of experts at the National Research Council, Ottawa. The national winners will be announced at a ceremony in Ottawa on Tuesday May 10. Winners at the national level will be asked to participate in the International BioGenius competition in Washington that runs from June 27th through to June 29th.

Hannah and Megan found that ‘green tea and Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to reducing the harmful risks of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure and having potential beneficial effects on the development of atherosclerosis.

The top regional runners-up:

2nd place ($1,500):
Kendelle Anstey, Holy Heart of Mary High School, for her work on the large scale reduction of carbon emissions

3rd place ($1,000):
Natalie Griffin and Holly Burford, Bishops College High School, for a project that studied the effect of garlic extract on the effectiveness of antibiotics.

At the regional announcement ceremony, Ms. Ginette Schilger, Project Manager for BioTalent Canada, stated “The youth presenting their work here this evening show a maturity and understanding of bioscience and its applications for the 21st century well beyond their years. Who knows where there efforts will lead them? “

In the NL Provincial Science Fair Competition , Hannah and Megan’s project was chosen as ‘Best in Fair’ among all entrants at all levels of competition . They also took top honours in the Chemistry and Biology sections , as well as winning the awards for BioMedical Science , Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) , and the Gold Medal for Life Sciences .

At the Canada Wide National Science Fair , Megan and Hannah were winners of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science Award, the Cangene Corporation Award (Intermediate Division), and a Challenge Award (Intermediate Division) in the area of health. Each of these awards included a $750 cash prize . They were also awarded an all-around gold medal , a recognition that came with a $1500 prize .

Encouraged by their supervising teacher, Ms. Jessica Webb , and under the guidance of Dr. Fereidoon Shahidi and Dr. Ying ( Sue ) Zhong ,from the Department of BioChemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland , both Hannah and Megan spent countless hours since September after school and on weekends in the lab researching their experiment .
They expect their research to not only to reduce the harmful risks of cardiovascular disease, but also to inhibit the development of arterosclerosis.
The MHA for St. John’s South, Mr. Tom Osborne, representive for the Honourable Ms. Joan Burke, Minister of Education, addressed the audience and said, “The students in this competition represent some of the brightest young scientists in Canada. I congratulate them on their outstanding achievements”.
Both young ladies plan to pursue studies in science after high school at university, while their ultimate goal is to become medical doctors, specializing in surgery.

GENESIS Group Inc., the technology transfer and commercialization arm of Memorial University , is a strong supporter of efforts such as this to raise public awareness, especially among students and educators, about emerging sciences and to encourage more students to consider careers in biotechnology. Mr. David King, CEO, also thanked competition sponsors sanofi pasteur and BioTalent Canada for helping foster an appreciation of science and engineering education.
The regional SABC BioTechnology for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Ken Coffey of GENESIS Group Inc., feels that Megan and Hannah’s work is most innovative, and may have great benefits for both present and future generations. “I have no doubt but that the province of Newfoundland and Labrador will be extremely well represented at next week’s national competition in Ottawa. We’ll be going ‘head to head’ with the best in the country. Anything can happen at that level. All of it good

Every seven minutes of every day in Canada someone dies from a cardiovascular disease. Since 1956, Canada has spent over $1 billion dollars on heart disease research, including conditions such as atherosclerosis and hypertension (high blood pressure).

Hannah Boone (age 14) and Megan Howse (age 15) both plan to enter professional medicine were very interested in the sanofi-aventis Biotalent Challenge. When they heard Prof. Fereidoon Shahidi of the Department of BioChemistry at Newfoundland’s Memorial University one day on the radio, they contacted him.

Dr. Shahidi had been talking about his research on the anti-cancer properties of a compound comprised of an Omega 3 fatty acid (DHA), found in fish or algae oil, and the antioxidant EGCG, found in green tea. He mentioned that the compound seemed to inhibit cholesterol oxidation – one of the root causes of atherosclerosis. Dr. Shahidi agreed with Megan and Hannah that this would be a good area for further research.

In January, Hannah, a Grade 9 student at St. Paul’s Jr. High School in St. John’s, and Megan, a Grade 10 at O’Donel High School in Mount Pearl, started testing whether the compound would be absorbed by the body better than EGCG alone. Absorption rates for antioxidants are critical in medicines – the higher the rate, the less medication is required and the chance of adverse side effects is reduced.

They also wanted to see if it would reduce hypertension.

The results were encouraging. Per their hunch, the girls found the compound that includes the fatty acid was indeed absorbed better than the antioxidant alone (72% vs 57%). It also better inhibited an underlying cause of hypertension (compound 100%, EGCG alone 55%).

Hannah and Megan both want to continue the project. Dr. Shahidi likewise sees a future for the green tea-derived compound saying: “It can be taken further for cellular, animal and clinical studies, as well as potential commercialization.”

“The coolest part was probably going in to the lab. We had such great experiences that we wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else,” say Hannah and Megan, who thanked Dr. Shahidi’s assistant Dr. Joy Zhong for her advice on and help on the project.

The due date for sabc project submissions has been changed to Wednesday, Nov. 17th, 2010. The deadline has been extended to allow extra time for those students and schools that did not receive their information packages earlier because of the damage and destruction assosciated with hurricane Igor in late September. Many areas of the province were inaccessible for up to a week because of road washouts and other storm damage.

The 2012 SANOFI BioGENEius Challenge Canada ( SBCC ) competition is now accepting applications from students throughout the province. Information packages containing brochures, posters, project ideas, sites to visit, etc., have been sent out to all eligible (gr.8-12) schools, encouraging interested students and their teacher supervisors to participate. All junior and senior high science teachers from all school boards in the province have also been made aware of this year’s competition .The deadline for applications to be in is Nov. 13th, 2011 .The provincial competition will be held at the MUN campus in late March , 2012 . Five teams will be selected to compete in the Atlantic Regional finals against teams from Nova Scotia , New Brunswick , and Prince Edward Island . One winner from each province will be chosen , and each winning competitor will receive a cash award of $ 1000 . An overall Atlantic Regional winner will also be selected . This Atlantic champion will receive a cash prize of $ 2000 , and will travel to Ottawa in May to compete in the SBCC National finals , with a top prize of $ 5000 .

Applicants are reminded to be thorough in filling out the on-line application forms, and to follow all directions carefully. Don’t hesitate to contact any individual / mentor who may be able to help you formulate your proposal , and how it might best be carried out .

If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact your provincial coordinator, Ken Coffey, at 709-864-7254 or kcoffey@genesis.mun.ca.

The Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2010 for the Newfoundland & Labrador region is coordinated by the Genesis Group Inc. of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador .

CURRENT STATUS:

The regional 2010 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge competition for Newfoundland and Labrador is officially over for this year ! Inquiries are already coming in from students across the province interested in becoming involved in next year’s process. Participation in the Newfoundland & Labrador region is open to junior and senior high school students. Individuals or groups can apply for the opportunity to experience “real-life” research situations, to work with a mentor and compete for regional recognition. Also, they may earn cash prizes for themselves , as well as their schools , and gain valuable references in the biotechnology field. The deadline for both hard-copy and online registration will be posted on this site shortly after the new school year starts in the Fall of 2010 . Check back for more information .

Interested in submitting a project proposal for the 2011 program?

Check out the kinds of research being done in your community, what type of project you might be interested in working on , and who you might be interested in working with. Go online with your computer and learn of the many areas in BioTechnology that are out there waiting for initial or further investigation.Talk to your science teacher or contact the regional coordinator:

W. Kenneth Coffey (Ken)
Email: kcoffey@genesis.mun.ca
Mailing address:
Genesis Group Inc., Suite 3003, P.O. 4200, Inco Innovation Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John?s , NL, A1C 5S7
Phone: 1-709-737-7254
Fax: 1-709-737-4029

Looking for some ideas for you 2011 SABC project? Why not check out these research areas:

Bioelectromagnetism
Genetics and Drug Response
A Blue Prevention: Comparing the Antioxidizing Ability of Wild and Cultivated Blueberries
Fish Health
Nutraceutical Potential for Cold Water Organisms
Bioinformatics
Genetics of Local Species (caribou, cod, wolfish, harp seal)
Bioactive Coatings
Chemical Sensors
Biodiesel
Protein Structure
Fruit Flies as Bioassay Tools
Insects as Indicators of Environmental Stress
Mass Spectrometry and Biochemical Analysis
Immunnology
Extraction and Analysis of Chemicals from Renewable Agricultural Sources
Home Remedies Revealed

The Application Process:

Once you have a research idea, follow the Students & Teachers link in the list on the left hand side of the page to read about Proposal Development including proposal requirements and to preview the Online Application. Proposals must be submitted on-line using the online application link! Please ensure you fill out the form in its entirety and paste your proposal in the appropriate field. The deadline for 2011 applications will be posted at a later date . ( It is anticipated that the deadline will be sometime in mid October , 2010 . )

Attention Science Teachers :

Would you like a presentation promoting the SABC Newfoundland & Labrador and to discuss the application process? The Regional Coordinator can arrange to connect to your school and to meet with possible applicants. Email kcoffey@genesis.mun.ca for details.

Congratulations to the 2010 Participants !

The Newfoundland and Labrador Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2010 took place on April 14th & 15th at the INCO Innovation Centre on Memorial University of Newfoundland Campus in St. John’s. On April 14th participants were judged by two panels of judges made up of alumni students from previous challenges and research scientists from the university and business community. This took place in the boardroom suites of the GENESIS Group Inc. , the 2010 coordinator for the competition in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Dr. Garth Fletcher and Dr. Simon Avis were the presenters for the guest lecture series . Close to 200 students attended this event held in the Engineering Lecture Theatre and were held spellbound by interesting presentations on “Cold Ocean Fish Research” and “Crime Scene Investigation”. Each student / group participating in the competition gave a brief description of the work they had completed and what the SABC experience meant to them.

This years projects were displayed for public viewing on Thursday, April 15th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, outside the INCO Lecture Theatre on the 2nd floor atrium of the INCO Innovation Building . Many individuals took the opportunity to drop by and talk with the competitors and inquire about their research .

The Awards Ceremony, which took place at 7:30 pm. on April 15th, was hosted by Mr. John Ottenheimer, QC . Mr. Ottenheimer is a former MHA of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador , having served as Minister of Health , Minister of Education , and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs during his tenure in provincial politi . He is presently the Chairman of the Board for Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro . The Hon. Mr. Wally Young, Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Innovation, Trade, and Rural Development brought greetings to those assembled on behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Gifts of accomplishment were given to each student participant by Ms. Heather Manuel , Director, Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland. As well , gifts of appreciation for their contribution and involvement were given to the teacher supervisors, mentors, and sponsors by Dr. Mark Abrahams, Dean of Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Mr. Brad Clarke, Director, Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education.

The Second Place Award($1500) went to Caroline Molloy and Lauren Rolling, two 16 year old Level II students from Bishops College High School, St. John’s. Their project, entitled “Soothe Your Sinuses” was mentored by Dr. Andrew Lang and Alexander Hynes from the Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Their supervising teacher was Ms. Yvonne Dawe.

The First Place Award($2000) went to Zach Quinlan and Andrew Lynch, two 17 year old Level III students from Bishops College High School in St. John’s. Their research project, entitled “The Effects of Rapamycin on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” was mentored by Dr. Jacqueline Blundell, with the Department of Psychology at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Zach and Andrew’s supervising teacher was Ms. Kara Bourgeois.

Zach will be going on to compete in the National SABC on April 26th & 27th in Ottawa.

Check out some previous regional winners:
Our 2008 Winners
Our 2007 Winners

For the first 11 years of his school life, Zachary Quinlan had never had much time for science. He’d never entered a science fair or competition, his interest limited to getting good grades in his science courses.

“My twin brother, Joshua, was always the science guy,” says Zachary, 17. “I’m more interested in writing and communications ” I’ve always wanted a career in public relations.”

All that changed last year when Zachary and his friend Andrew Lynch, looking for a challenge to enliven their final year at Bishops College High School in St. John’s, Newfoundland, entered the SABC. They investigated whether the drug Rapamycin, normally used to help prevent the body’s rejection of organ transplants, could help people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Zachary became interested in treating PTSD because “it is a very common disorder often hidden in the shadows,” particularly in his province, which has the highest per capita enrolment in the armed forces.

The students tested rapamycin as a possible PTSD treatment through experiments on lab rats to measure their levels of hyperarousal, a symptom of PTSD that can cause reduced pain tolerance, anxiety, an exaggerated response to sudden noise, insomnia and fatigue. They found that rapamycin dramatically reduced the rats’ levels of hyperarousal.

“Overall, this research suggests that rapamycin might be used in the future as a treatment for people suffering from PTSD,” said Zachary.

“I fell in love with everything about it,” he said of the SABC experience, “the reading, the laboratory experiments, working with our mentor, presenting the results to the judges.”

As for whether it suggests a future in science for the young researcher, Zachary is not so sure, “but after this experience, I’d like to do PR for a major laboratory or science project.”

Teenager Proves Juniper Berries Fights Breast Cancer — a potential new home-grown anti-cancer agent?

Could juniper berries be Canada’s newest breast cancer treatment?

That’s what Rebecca Hollett of St John’s wondered after learning that an elderly woman diagnosed with untreatable breast cancer attributed her survival for more than three years to a daily cup of juniper tea.

“I set out to determine if it really was the juniper that helped cure her,” said 16-year-old Rebecca, a Grade 11 student at Holy Heart of Mary High.

To test her theory, Rebecca grew breast cancer cells in juniper berry extract, adding more extract over time and discovering that, the more juniper, the fewer living cancer cells.

To confirm she had something to help fight breast cancer, Rebecca had to determine if there was something else in the extract formulation that might have killed the cancer cells.

“I had a lot of trouble finding an appropriate juniper extract to use in my experiments,” she noted. In the end she used both the extract and alpha-pinene, the main phytochemical found in juniper to treat the cancer cells. The alpha-pinene killed cells equally well as the extract, confirming that the juniper berry was responsible for the killing the cancer cells

In Canada, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with more than 22,000 new diagnoses every year.

If further research shows that juniper was an effective anti-cancer agent then it would be extremely beneficial to thousands of Canadians, Rebecca says. “It would also benefit the Canadian economy because it could be exported and sold globally.”

“Imagine a local berry that could be picked by anyone that has the potential to cure thousands of people with cancer.”