With snow and ice causing the vast majority of Laois primary and secondary schools to remain closed this week, that didn’t stop three students from making their way to the BT Young Scientist Exhibition.
From today, 550 projects from 225 schools are going on display showcasing innovation in the areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Students from Portlaoise CBS, Heywood Community School and Portlaoise College are among those from all over the country that qualified for the final.
The BT Young Scientist competition takes place in the RDS, Dublin and is running from today until Saturday January 11.
Joshua Corbett is representing Portlaoise CBS in the Technology section with his project entitled ‘Development of a novel nano-QSAR model to predict drug delivery of nanoparticles to the brain’.
The Fifth Year student, who is from Vicarstown, has developed a paper that focuses on the development of a novel nano-QSAR model to predict drug delivery of nanoparticles to the brain.
He hopes the project can assist researchers in developing treatment for Glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer that attacks the brain and spinal cord.
Meanwhile, Heywood Community School is represented by Ilana Holohan.
A Transition Year student, she is competing in the Social and Behavioural Sciences section as an individual intermediate project.
The project is entitled ‘How does the amount of sleeep you get affect your appetite, mood and focus and how sleep really affects the day-to-day lives’.
Ilana’s project is aimed at gaining an insight into how sleep really affects day-to-day life.
While the youngest Laois entrant comes from Portlaoise College.
Third Year student, Sean Cheah, is competing in the Social and Behavioural Sciences section – in what is his second time to qualify for the finals.
His project is entitled ‘A study of the post-Covid work environment’.
A judging panel of 85 experts from the world of STEM and business will choose over 200 prize winners, including the overall winning entry.
This year, for the first time ever, the overall winner, along with one senior project from each of the four remaining categories, will be awarded a trip to the World Expo, in Osaka, Japan.
The winner will also represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Riga, Latvia in September.
SEE ALSO – Shock and sadness following unexpected passing of Laois teenager
