SciFest National Final

SciFest STEM Champion 2023

Congratulations to Jack Shannon, a sixth-year student from Clongowes Wood College, on being crowned the SciFest STEM Champion 2023 at this year’s SciFest National Final which was held in the Marino Conference Centre in Dublin on 24 November. Jack’s project was entitled ‘Ireland’s Carbon Sinks – Remote Sensing for Monitoring Peatland Restoration’. He will now go on to represent Ireland and SciFest at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, California next year. Jack was presented with his award by Sheila Porter, SciFest Founder and CEO.

Congratulations also to Jack’s teacher and mentor, Yvonne Nolan, for guiding and inspiring Jack on this remarkable journey.

Irish Science Teachers’ Association Award at SciFest 2023 National Final

Nikishi Polgolla, a fifth-year student from Our Lady’s School, Templeogue, Co. Dublin was awarded the prestigious ISTA Award at the SciFest 2023 National Final which took place in the Marino Conference Centre on 24 November. Nikishi’s project was entitled ‘An Investigation into the Use of Herbal Plant Extracts that are Effective Against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Skin Infections’.

Nikishi tested certain herbal plant and vegetable extracts against bacterial skin infections pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Corynebacterium striatum using the agar disk diffusion method. The main antimicrobial components in the plant extract were identified using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and tested individually against the bacteria. The gooseberry extracts were found to inhibit the growth of S. aureus and displayed antimicrobial properties.

Congratulations to Nikishi and her teacher Emma Griffin. Nikishi was presented with her award by Rory Geoghegan, ISTA.