Biography |
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My name is Natasha Grimard. When I started my project, I lived in the Ottawa region; I did the bulk of my research in Tanzania, where I lived for a year, and competed this year in BC, as I currently attend Pearson College UWC in Victoria. I got very interested in entomophagy (the field of study of eating insects) a year prior to starting my research because my father brought home a leaflet from a seminar which he had attended by chance on the topic. As it lies at the intersection of several of my passions (gastronomy, sustainability, anthropology, international development and humanitarian aid), I was immediately fascinated with the field as a whole. In my project, I demonstrated that it was possible to create insect food products that are nutritionally balanced for refugee populations; my next goal is to make this into a reality. To do so, I aim to collaborate with other researchers and businesspeople to create a plan to apply this in a real refugee camp setting. The advice that I have for other young scientists- particularly young innovators- is "Go for it, and if someone tells you it's not possible, go for it even more." |
| Natasha Grimard Entomonoodles: An Exploration Of Entomophagy’s Applications To Refugee Nutriti
Challenge: | Innovation | Category: | Senior | Region: | Vancouver Island | City: | Victoria , BC | School: | | Abstract: | This research and innovation demonstrated that entomophagy could be a possible solution for refugee nutritional needs. This was shown by creating an "entomonoodle" made of termites targeted towards adults in long-term Subsaharan African refugee camps and subsequently demonstrating both its' nutritional optimality and the physical creation of it with transglutaminase. This provides a foundation for future optimization of entomophagy-based nutrition and applications in resource-stricken environments. |
Awards | Value | The Manning Innovation Achievement Award Senior Sponsor: Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation | $500.00 | Excellence Award - Senior Silver Medal Sponsor: Youth Science Canada | | Dalhousie University Faculty of Science Entrance Scholarship Senior Silver Medallist - $2500 Entrance Scholarship Sponsor: Dalhousie University, Faculty of Science | $2 500.00 | UBC Science (Vancouver) Entrance Award Senior Silver Medallist - $2000 Entrance Scholarship Sponsor: The University of British Columbia (Vancouver) | $2 000.00 | University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship Senior Silver Medallist - $2000 Entrance Scholarship Sponsor: University of Ottawa | $2 000.00 | Western University Scholarship Silver Medallist - $2000 Entrance Scholarship Sponsor: Western University | $2 000.00 | Total | $9 000.00 | |