Some of Prince Edward Island’s most promising young scientific minds will be competing in the Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge at UPEI on April 21, says Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Allan Campbell.
“This competition is a great way to get young people interested in biotechnology and to start looking at the career opportunities that the field has to offer,” said Minister Campbell. “Government is working to build a highly educated Island workforce, and we look forward to seeing the next generation of Islanders finding well-paying jobs in the bio-economy.”
This is the seventh year that the Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge has been held on Prince Edward Island to promote biotechnology as a career path for young Canadians.
The event will include project judging, a networking luncheon, open public viewing of projects and an awards dinner in the evening. The overall winner will continue on to compete nationally in May.
“We are encouraged by the number of projects entered and especially welcome Montague Regional High School as a first-time entrant this year,” said SABC Coordinator Keith Tompkins. “There are eight projects in this year’s competition, which is an increase of four projects over last year, with representatives from four Island high schools taking part.”
The students, schools they represent and projects involved in the competition are as follows:
• Therapeutic or Toxic Properties of Compounds ~ Megan Arsenault, Brooke Drover and Caleigh Aitken, Montague Regional High School
• Factors affecting sea lice settlement on Atlantic salmon ~ Alex Johnston, Colonel Gray High School
• Compression Testing of Equine Third Metacarpal Bones ~ Simon Trivett, Charlottetown Rural High School
• Identification of Aquatic Species with a Natural Resistance to Labyrinthula zosterae ~ Matthew and Kristopher Rice, Three Oaks High School
• Using Cobalt and Phosphorus to maintain Solar Energy ~ Brian MacKay, Chris Thompson and Greg McGuire, Three Oaks High School
• Isolate and characterize fungal strains from environmental sources capable of applications in the bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soils ~ Hardy Strom and Samuel Mundy, Three Oaks High School
• Turmeric as a Food Preservative ~ Trisha Chaudhuri, Three Oaks High School
• Natural Oils as a treatment for Verticillium Dahliae ~ Jenna Gaudet and Ylber Gashi, Three Oaks High School
The Prince Edward Island competition is being offered through a partnership of Innovation PEI, Sanofi-Pasteur and BioTalent Canada.
For more information, call Keith Tompkins at (902) 439-3797 or visit www.sanofibiotalentchallenge.ca