Alex makes major award shortlist
Our budding scientist Alex Bytheway has been named as a finalist in a National Science and Engineering Competition after impressing judges in his first round application.
The 17 year-old will now give a public talk at the Big Bang Fair in March, which expects to bring more than 75,000 people to the Birmingham NEC.
His talk will also be judged by a celebrity panel that has included Professor Brian Cox, Professor Jim Al-Khalili and Sir Tim Hunt in previous years.
In order to reach the national finals, Alex had to produce a video describing current research to an audience without a strong or experienced background in science.
The pupil discussed Haemanthamine extraction from Narcissus to treat Malaria, and judges described his entry as “clear that the student fully understands the project and its importance to society”.
Alex said: “I wasn’t really expecting to do so well but I am delighted to have made it to the final.
“Giving a public talk in-front of esteemed judges and a large crowd will no doubt be daunting, but it will also be a fantastic experience and one I am really looking forward to.”
If the young scientist is successful, he will receive a cash prize at a glitzy awards ceremony to be held next year.
The A2 Biology class experimented with the processes of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and Gel Electrophoresis at the Manchester Museum.
Having learned about both biological methods in the classroom, they looked to enhance their knowledge by attempting each method.
The pupils used their own DNA, taking cheek cells from the inside of the mouth, and then adding the samples to many different mixtures, including enzymes, primers, and buffers.
When ready for amplification to create many identical fragments, they put their complete sample in a thermal-cycler, which adjusts temperatures to activate the amplification.
Lynne Purshouse, Sales Support Manager at Breckland Scientific Supplies, visited us for a day of experiments on Wednesday, October 14.
The STEM ambassador thrilled pupils with her experiments during her Dry Ice workshop, which also included a “controlled explosion” test and making bubbles float using CO2 emissions from the ice.
Ms Purshouse, said: “This is the second year that we have been up to Rydal Penrhos and I don’t get to work with students much, so it is a refreshing change for me.
“They all seemed to really enjoy the demonstrations that I was showing them, and they all conducted themselves really well throughout and showed a keen interest, which was also great.”
International Baccalaureate pupils have been busy showing off their final projects in Biology.
The projects were wide ranging, with one group basing their study on what effect disused cigarette butts have on the environment once they are discarded.
Another group was producing their own eco-friendly paper as part of the module, which has proved to be a stern test of the pupils’ capabilities, while one set of pupils asked the question “How does light intensity affect the percentage if mould growth on bread?”
Mr Robson, said: “The displays were absolutely fantastic and all our IB pupils showed a high level of commitment and dedication throughout their projects, which was evident in their final outcomes."