Young Maltese science buff Enrico Zammit Lonardelli placed first in the 27th edition of the European Union Contest for Young Scientists held recently in Milan. He represented Malta together with four other St Aloysius College Sixth Form students – Jessica Bonnici, Nicole Grech Flores, Laura Marie Farrugia and Gabriel Tabone – after taking part in the Malta National Contest for Young Scientists.
Zammit Lonardelli’s project, titled Can An Apple a Day Keep Asthma Away?, dealt with the effects of common house dust mites, one of the major causes of asthma, and focused on how to prevent this respiratory condition from developing in the lungs.
The research highlighted an inhibitor, a chemical substance which is found in red apples, that can reduce the asthma allergic reaction and provide a possible permanent cure.
Tabone’s and Farrugia’s research project was titled Can Electromagnets Cure Cancer? The Use of Electromagnets in the Treatment of Cancer. The idea behind it is to develop a blood filtration system that can alleviate predetermined cancerous cells. This is made possible by attaching a magnetic attraction that exerts a pull on the entire cancerous cell.
Grech Flores’s and Bonnici’s pro-ject, titled An In-Vitro Study to Measure Antioxidants Activity, tested antioxidant efficiency and concluded that those living on plant-based or pescetarian (fish-based) diets are at a lesser risk of certain fatal diseases.They also have increased life expectancy as a result of these antioxidant components.
All the students cherished the experience and enjoyed interacting with other students and gaining knowledge from top scientists.
Zammit Lonardelli said: “EUCYS was one of the most incredible and thought-provoking experiences I have ever had the privilege and honour of attending. Being one of the contestants, together with all my other colleagues from all over Europe and the world, gave me a taste of the global collaborative nature of science and international scientific mentality.”
The European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) is an initiative of the European Commission that was set up in 1989 with the goal of promoting cooperation and interchange among young scientists and guiding them towards a future career in science and technology.
The National Contest for Young Scientists, organised by the National Student Travel Found-ation (NSTF), encourages students aged 14 to 21 to be original and creative in conducting scientific research and to develop a scientific or technological project. Students work either individually or in teams to research and develop their own original scientific project, which is then exhibited during the Science Expo which this year was held at Mcast.
The closing date for the 2016 competition is January 2016.
For more information on EUCYS, visit http://www.eucys 2015.eu/index.php/eucys_2015#. For more information about the Malta National Contest for Young Scientists, visit www.nstfmalta.eu.