Newfoundland & Labrador

The Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2010 for the Newfoundland & Labrador region is being coordinated by the Genesis Group Inc. of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador .

GETTING INVOLVED:

The regional 2010 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge has officially begun! Participation in the Newfoundland & Labrador region is open to junior and senior high school students. Individuals or groups can apply for the opportunity to experience “real-life” research situations, work with a mentor and compete for regional recognition, earn cash prizes for themselves and their schools and gain valuable references in the biotechnology field. The deadline for both hard-copy and online registration is Jan. 07 , 2010 .

Interested in submitting a project proposal for the 2010 program?

Check out the kinds of research being done in your community, what type of project you might be interested in working on and who you might be interested in working with. Talk to your science teacher or contact the regional coordinator:

W. Kenneth Coffey (Ken)
Email: kcoffey@genesis.mun.ca
Mailing address:
Genesis Group Inc., Suite 3003, P.O. 4200, Inco Innovation Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s , NL, A1C 5S7
Phone: 1-709-737-7254
Fax: 1-709-737-4029

Looking for some ideas for you 2010 SABC project? Why not check out these research areas:

Bioelectromagnetism
Genetics and Drug Response
A Blue Prevention: Comparing the Antioxidizing Ability of Wild and Cultivated Blueberries
Fish Health
Nutraceutical Potential for Cold Water Organisms
Bioinformatics
Genetics of Local Species (caribou, cod, wolfish, harp seal)
Bioactive Coatings
Chemical Sensors
Biodiesel
Protein Structure
Fruit Flies as Bioassay Tools
Insects as Indicators of Environmental Stress
Mass Spectrometry and Biochemical Analysis
Immunnology
Extraction and Analysis of Chemicals from Renewable Agricultural Sources
Home Remedies Revealed

The Application Process:

Once you have a research idea, follow the Students & Teachers link in the list on the left hand side of the page to read about Proposal Development including proposal requirements and to preview the Online Application. Proposals must be submitted on-line using the online application link! This feature is available now and proposals will be recieved up until Jan. 07 , 2010 . Please ensure you fill out the form in its entirety and paste your proposal in the appropriate field.

Regional Competition :

The regional competition will take place in St. John’s on April 14th and April 15th at the INCO building , Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador . Judging of the submissions will take place on Wed. , Apr. 14th , from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm , and from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm . Guest speakers will address student groups in attendance on Thurs. , Apr. 15th from 10:00am – 12:00 pm . This will be followed by an open house for the public from 2:00 pm- 4:30 pm . The presentation of awards will take place later that evening from 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm .

Attention Science Teachers :

Would you like a presentation promoting the SABC Newfoundland & Labrador and to discuss the application process? The Regional Coordinator can arrange to connect to your school and to meet with possible applications. Email kcoffey@genesis.mun.ca for details.

Congratulations to the 2009 Participants !

The Newfoundland and Labrador Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 took place onApril 22 & 23 at the National Research Council Institute for Ocean Technology on Memorial University of Newfoundland Campus in St. John’s. On April 22nd participants were judged by two panels of judges made up of alumni students from previous challenges and research scientists from the university and bussiness community.

Last years projects were displayed for public viewing on Wednesday, April 23rd from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, just outside the Atlantic Room on the 2nd floor of the NRC-IOT building.

The Awards Ceremony took place at 7:30pm on April 23rd, with welcoming remarks provided by the Hon. Darin King, Minister of Education with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and Ms. Siobhan Williams representing BioTalent Canada.

The Third Place Award($1000) went to Heather Warren and Stacey Roberts two Level III students from Bishops College, St. John’s. Their project, titled “Phage vs. Bacteria: Fight ’til the Death” was mentored by Dr. Andrew Lang and Alexander Hynes from the Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Their supervising teacher was Ms. Yvonne Dawe.

The Second Place Award($1500) went to Megan Howse, a junior high student from St. Peter’s Junior High in Mt. Pearl. Megan’s supervising teacher was Ms. Jennifer Clarke and her mentor was Mr. Cyr Couturier with the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland. The title of her project was “SpongeBob’s Nemesis Plankton: Evil Genius or Omega-3 Super Producer?”

The First Place Award($2000) went to Rebecca Hollett, a Level II student from Holy Heart of Mary High in St. John’s. Rebecca’s research project, titled “Juniper Tree: Breast Cancer Free? was mentored by Dr. Sheila Drover and Ahmed Mostafa with the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Rebecca’s supervising teacher was Ms. Monika Behr.

Rebecca Hollett, then went on to compete at the National SABC on May 5 & 6, 2009 in Ottawa.

Check out some previous regional winners:
Our 2008 Winners
Our 2007 Winners