THE Stripe Young Scientist Exhibition kicked off yesterday at the RDS in Dublin and Donegal students are making a strong impression with a wide range of innovative and thought-provoking projects.
Schools from across the county are showcasing their talent in various categories, including technology, health, environmental sciences and social research.
There are over 500 projects on display, including students from St Columba’s Comprehensive School in Glenties, who have a fascinating project which looks at seaweed-based biosensor for early sepsis detection via salivary bio marker.
In the Biological and ecological sciences category they have a project titled investigating the effects of two specific agricultural practices on potato yield.
Whereas, Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair has an innovative project on display looking at the use of robotics as a tool in special education and a second project analysing our cinema habits.
Coláiste Ailigh in Letterkenny have a project on the effects of creatine on teenagers’ bodies and a study on the school’s drinking water in the chemical, physical and mathematical sciences category.
In the same category Rosses Community School have a project looking at using seaweed as a low cost, eco-friendly absorbent for road oil spills.
The school in Dungloe has a second exploring the use of jellyfish barriers in bathing areas.
Loreto Secondary School, Letterkenny have a project titled Gait Guard in the technology category and a second project titled Eco Purge which looks at biodegradable plastics.
Carndonagh Community School have an exciting project titled Dominant is Prominent which is a statistical analysis of how ocular dominant vision can improve putting in golf. The school has a second project exploring the environmental impact of embalming fluid on our waterways.
Another interesting project is being presented by students from Loreto Community School in Milford investigating school air pollution.
Meanwhile students from St Columba’s College have two projects in the social and behavioural sciences category the first is analysing teen dating habits in the modern age of snapchat and the second is an investigation into how TV shows impact career choices and expectations.
The Stranorlar school also has a fascinating project in the health and wellbeing category, which looks at automated detection of spf and uv protection interfering ingredients in skincare and makeup products.
They also have an interesting project looking at the most popular health food trend – the açai bowl which investigates the effect of homemade and commercial frozen açai purees on blood sugar levels.
Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannfhaola, Falcarragh have a project in the health and wellbeing category looking at gut health and how it impacts our wellbeing.
Students in Gairmscoil Mhic Diarmada, Arranmore have explored young people’s attitudes to reading in the social and behavioural sciences category, in the same category they have a project looking at the lives of young people living on islands of the coast of Ireland.
Abbey Vocational School has three notable projects. The first looks at a wearable capsize alert system and in the social and behavioural sciences category they have a project titled Chill Pill – A Daily Dose of Distraction.
The Donegal Town school also have a project in the health and wellbeing category titled EndometriKNOWsis and a project looking at developing a natural filter to reduce micro plastics in water.
In Monday’s Donegal News we will have a full analysis of the annual competition which will run until Friday afternoon when a winner is announced.
