| Biography |
|---|
| Science is about asking questions, finding unknown paths and creating change - a notion that inspires me. Every year, millions of people get food poisoning - causing complications and negative effects to their health. One of the main reasons for this is because fungal contamination is not always visible. So this year, I worked on developing a sensor to detect fungal growth in food and the environment before visible signs are present. Furthermore, once fungal growth is detected, it could be inhibited by the release of plant volatile compounds which are effective anti-fungal agents. Aside from pursuing my research interests, I also love volunteering at the hospital and playing the piano! My advice for other students planning to do a project - think about the fact that the world's biggest problems can be solved by its smallest things. |
| Devanshi Shukla
A Biosensor for the Detection of Microbial Contamination
| Challenge: | Environment | | Category: | Senior | | Region: | Waterloo-Wellington | | City: | Guelph, ON | | School: | Centennial Collegiate & Vocational Institute | | Abstract: | Many species of fungi release a microbial volatile compound called p-cymene, before the fungal growth is visible. P.putida cells were transformed with a plasmid containing a promoter that is only activated in the presence of p-cymene, which allows the transcription of a gene cluster that produces bioluminescence. Hence, if bioluminescence is produced, it serves as an indicator for fungal growth that is not yet visible. |
| Awards | Value | The Manning Innovation Achievement Award
Senior
Sponsor: Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation | $500.00 | The Manning Innovation Achievement Award
and $4000 Manning Young Canadian Innovation Award and also receive an additional $3000 towards their post-secondary education.
Sponsor: Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation | $4 000.00 | Weizmann Canada Award for Scientific Achievement
Senior
Sponsor: Weizmann Canada | $4 700.00 | Excellence Award - Senior
Gold Medal
Sponsor: Youth Science Canada | $250.00 | Dalhousie University Faculty of Science Entrance Scholarship
Senior Gold Medallist - $5000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: Dalhousie University, Faculty of Science | $5 000.00 | UBC Science (Vancouver) Entrance Award
Senior Gold Medallist - $4000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: The University of British Columbia (Vancouver) | $4 000.00 | University of Manitoba Entrance Scholarship
Senior Gold Medallist - $5000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: University of Manitoba | $5 000.00 | University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship
Senior Gold Medallist - $4,000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: University of Ottawa | $4 000.00 | Western University Scholarship
Gold Medallist - $4000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: Western University | $4 000.00 | | Total | $31 450.00 | |
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