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2006 Canada-Wide Science Fair Awards Winners for Achievement in Agriculture Science and Technology
Seven of Canada's top young scientists were honoured by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada with awards totalling $5,000 at the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF), held in Saguenay, Quebec, May 14-21, 2006. Winning entries included experiments in engineering, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences, and earth and environmental sciences. Accepting the awards were Catherine Bergeron-Legros (16, Quebec) and Gabrielle Delisle (16, Quebec), who shared an award, Sage Birley (12, British Columbia), Ronan Lefol (14, Saskatchewan), Kara Nadeau (17, Manitoba) Josh Segeren (14, Ontario) and Matthew Underwood (14, Ontario). Let's take a closer look at our seven winners and their innovative experiments.
And the winners are…
- Catherine Bergeron-Legros (16, Montreal, Quebec) and Gabrielle Delisle (16, Repentigny, Quebec): RALF genes Genetically Modified Organism
- Sage Birley (12, Baldonel, British Columbia): The Crop Murder
- Ronan Lefol (14, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan): chemical formulation development for a bioherbicide
- Kara Nadeau (17, Fannystelle, Manitoba): Manitoba Saskatoons: A new source of antioxidants
- Josh Segeren (14, Chatham, Ontario ): ICI: Glycine Max - Imbibitional Chilling Injury of Soybeans
- Matthew Underwood (14, Wingham, Ontario): Superior Soy
Gabrielle Delisle (16, Repentigny, Quebec) and Catherine Bergeron-Legros (16, Montreal, Quebec): RALF genes Genetically Modified Organism
Gabrielle Delisle hopes to become a police officer. Catherine Bergeron-Legros would like to work in health sciences. Despite their different ambitions, they worked together on a science project that could have a tremendous impact on the Canadian agriculture sector. These two young women from Montreal created a genetically modified organism (GMO) to study the RALF 3 gene. They wanted to determine whether the RALF 3 gene exists outside of cells.
Proving this hypothesis would "open up a world of possibilities," Catherine said. This genetic manipulation "could make it possible to influence the size of fruit that are produced," she added. According to Gabrielle, the size of fruit is important because the world's population continues to increase while the amount of productive farmland remains stable. "It would be of real benefit because we could feed more people with the same amount of land." This gene helps producers and consumers alike. "Economically, it's good for everyone," said Catherine. "It increases production and lowers fruit prices," added Gabrielle.
The two women each received $500 awards for this experiment from AAFC at the Canada-Wide Science Fair. "It was really special," said Catherine. This was the first time either of the two young women had participated in the Science Fair. "It was all new to us," said Catherine. "We didn't expect it to be so big," added Delisle.
Even though they performed well at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, Catherine and Gabrielle do not expect to pursue advanced studies in agricultural science. Catherine will be studying health sciences, and Gabrielle plans to enrol in a police science program. So why did they participate in a science fair? "I participated for the experience and out of curiosity," Gabrielle said.
Sage Birley (12, Baldonel, British Columbia): The Crop Murder
Sage Birley doesn't remember when he first became interested in science, but according to his mother, the birth of his younger sister is where it all started. "From what my mother's told me, I'd wanted to get into science to help my sister who has a disability," says the 12-year-old Northern British Columbian. Today, Sage still wants to help his younger sister who suffers from Angelman's Syndrome, a disease which limits a child's mental development, affects speech and causes seizures. "My dream is to fix it," says Sage. "To find a cure."
In the meantime, Sage, who has participated in science fairs since Grade 1, has focused more of his efforts on agriculture projects. "Agriculture and the environment are important to me because I'm a farmer," he says.
His latest experiment, in which he studied the effects of acid rain on seed germination, earned him three awards at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, including a $500 AAFC award. "I was shocked that I won," he says. "There were other really good projects." Through his experiment, in which he used wheat seeds, Sage discovered that acid rain caused germination to decrease. He came up with the idea when he read about the effects of pollution on crops and wanted to figure out how much acid rain was affecting his region.
He discovered that flares coming from a nearby plant caused Green House Gas
(GHG) emissions and had damaged the soil and made it dryer. GHG also increases
the potential for acid rain. "Because of flares, we will run into serious
damage," says Sage. Through his research, he discovered that Nigeria
has suffered a lot of damage to homes and roofing because of acid rain caused
by flares. ";This is a world-wide problem," he says.
Sage says the best part of going to the CWSF was "spreading the word
about my project and informing people."
Although Sage wants to find a cure for his sister, he says he will never leave agriculture completely behind. "I will always work with agriculture because it's stuck with me."
Ronan Lefol (14, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan): chemical formulation development for a bioherbicide
Weeds are never fun. They invade gardens and destroy fields. In the Canadian prairies, one grass in particular, green foxtail (Setaria viridis), is ferociously infesting grain fields because it grows faster than other grasses. However, a solution is at hand! Pyricularia setariae is a fungus that specifically attacks green foxtail.
To make better use of this solution, young Saskatoon scientist Ronan Lefol sought to find a spray medium that would ensure continued survival and infectiousness of spores as long as possible. The challenge was to find a medium that would be wholly compatible with field spraying methods and techniques. He discovered that the most effective way to attack green foxtail without damaging other plants was with P. setariae spores mixed with sunflower oil in a "twin 80" container.
His discovery won him three awards at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, as well as a $1,000 prize from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. "I was really surprised to win," Ronan said. "As soon as I saw that another project was getting an award, I thought I was going home empty handed."
Ronan worked with AAFC scientist Dr. Russell Hynes. "He helped me a lot and took the time to answer my questions," Ronan said. This is the second year that Ronan has worked with an AAFC scientist on his project for the Science Fair.
The young scientist greatly enjoyed the time he spent in Saguenay, Quebec. He particularly appreciated meeting the teachers and scientists participating in the Fair. "I really loved getting the views of people working in this field," he said. "They talked to me like a colleague, and they gave me some good criticism." Ronan also made a few contacts that might be useful to him in the future. "One or two people asked me to send them my results and ideas for other projects," he added.
Ronan is still considering his options for the future. He is attracted to
both marine biology and agriculture right now, but still has not made up his
mind. One thing is certain, he noted: "I will definitely be studying
in the field of science."
Kara Nadeau (17, Fannystelle, Manitoba): Manitoba Saskatoons: A new source of antioxidants
If you are one of the many people who have added blueberries to their shopping list after hearing about their high antioxidant activity and disease-fighting capabilities, you may soon be adding another item to your shopping cart: Saskatoon berries. They may not be a household name just yet, but Kara Nadeau's new research may well turn this product into a consumer favourite.
The 17-year-old scientist discovered that Saskatoon berries possess higher antioxidant levels than blueberries. "I believe the Saskatoon berry will be the next functional food," says Kara. "It will strengthen the Canadian agricultural market." Her discovery earned her three CWSF awards including a $1,000 one from AAFC. "I couldn't believe it," she says. "If I had to pick one award to win, I would have picked the AAFC award because of my love for agriculture."
The Manitoba native says growing up on a farm helped cultivate her sense of discovery and interest in agriculture. "When my sister and I had to pick beans on the farm, she would just do the work," says Kara. "I would be opening them, researching, trying to learn things about them." She also credits her upbringing for turning her towards an experiment that could have a direct impact on farmers. Saskatoon berries will provide farmers with a new product to market, which is needed since "farmers are always asking themselves what can we grow?" says Kara. Scientists will also be able to breed the berry for a higher Saskatoon berry.
What's interesting about her experiment is that she also tested dehydrated
berries and found that they carried the same or higher amount of antioxidants
as fresh ones. "This means we will be able to ship berries across the
country and overseas easily," she says.
Kara says one of the highlights of the CWSF was meeting doctors, professors
and scientists. "I made great connection for a future in agriculture."
Overall, this experience is one Kara will never forget and one she can't wait to experience again. "I'm so happy I'm in grade 11 because I can do it all over again next year."
Josh Segeren (14, Chatham, Ontario): ICI: Glycine Max - Imbibitional Chilling Injury of Soybeans
How can we get youth involved and interested in science? Force them to participate in science fairs at their schools. That's how Josh Segeren, winner of three Canada-Wide Science Fair awards, got into the field. The now 14-year-old from Chatham, Ontario was thinking about a career in business until he was required to conduct an experiment for his school's annual science fair.
"My philosophy is, if you're going to do something, do it right," says Josh. And do it right he did. Segeren was chosen to attend the 2005 Canada-Wide Science Fair in Vancouver, where he was inspired by speeches given by scientists. "The speeches showed me that there was a lot of potential in science as a career," he says. "Science gives the opportunity to help people and society in a way that hasn't yet been revealed."
This year's experiment, which earned Josh a $500 AAFC prize, was to determine the required duration of imbibing soybean seeds in a warm environment before cooling may be applied, in order for imbibitional chilling injury (ICI) to be resisted. He discovered that seeds need to be warm for eight hours before being cooled. He was also surprised to find that it was effective to plant soybeans at midnight which proved that planting the seeds in cooler soil temperatures also has limited ICI effect on soybean emergence.
"I thought this project was very interesting," Josh says. "I had a lot of fun with it." Josh worked with Dr. Hugh J. Earl from the University of Guelph, and two employees at Pioneer Hi-Bred Productions Limited in Chatham. He thanks them for their help with his experiment, and also thanks his parents, teachers and principal for their support. Josh says he enjoyed the fair and sees it as an opportunity to meet people who are interested in the same things. "I learned a lot," he says.
While he has developed an enjoyment for science, he still has an eye on business and says he'd like to find a career that combines both science and business. "I'd like to maybe start a business that deals with science," he says.
Matthew Underwood (14, Wingham, Ontario): Superior Soy
It isn't everyday that a 14-year-old is asked to patent his experiment. But that's exactly what happened to Matthew Underwood at the CWSF when someone saw his project, in which he determined that ethanol could be used as an alternative solvent to hexane for soybean oil extraction, and recommend he patent it. "It was a great experience," says Matthew who has inquired about patenting but hasn't yet made a decision.
But why soybeans? Matthew had previously done a project about the eating habits of Canadians and discovered that many were adding soy products to their diets. He also found out that soybean oil extraction was not done in an environmentally friendly or healthy way. Matthew then asked himself, "why then, if soy products are such a healthy choice, do we choose to process them in a way that is harmful to our environment, and use chemicals, such as hexane, that is potentially harmful to us?"
And so he embarked on his experiment which earned him a $1,000 award from AAFC, an award three years in the making. "It was the one award I had been working towards since I started going to the science fair," says the three time participant. "I was very excited that finally what I had worked for was successful." The AAFC award was especially important to Matthew because he grew up on a farm and is very involved with agriculture. "I enjoy working on the farm," he says.
Not only has Matthew participated in three CWSF and many regional fairs and has travelled across the country, he has also spoken to the Ontario Soybean Growers and was also asked to attend a science fair showcase at Queen's Park. "Going out to these places really helps me," he says. "The people I met are amazing and I have made interesting connections for the future."
As for the future, the young man from Wingham, ON., says he is torn about where it leads. "I want to be a doctor, but I'm torn because I'd also like to be involved in agriculture," he says.
For more information about the Canada-Wide Science Fair, please visit the Youth Science Foundation.
