Moate students submit twelve projects for the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
After a record year at the 2021 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, Moate Community School hopes to be well represented again in January 2022 with twelve projects being submitted for the first round of judging. Projects are from First Year, Second Year and Transition Year students in MCS, ranging across many categories like Social and Behavioural, Technology and Biological and Ecological.
First Year Students’ Projects
Aoife Ross, Hannah Higgins and Katie Creggy have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and are investigating the action of an environmentally friendly antimicrobial spray made from fruit and vegetable waste.
Second Year Students’ Projects
Fionn Campbell and Emma Keane are designing a mobile phone app to analyse incoming calls, determine if the user have received a fraudulent call and alert the user on how to respond.
Diya Govindaraju and Seán Farrelly are designing a detachable light belt for a school backpack which will increase the visibility of a pedestrian to a driver and alert the pedestrian of approaching traffic making a safer journey to and from school.
Lucy Hamilton, Leah Connell and Jack Nally are designing a sheep feeder which will administer an antibacterial foot soak produced from native Irish plants which will suppress the onset of ‘foot rot’ among sheep.
Transition Year Students’ Projects
Poppy Hennessy and Sive Brady are designing a food storage unit that will use high frequency sounds to maintain the freshness of dairy products and other perishable foods in developing countries.
Dara Shortall, Dean Burns and Eoin Murphy are investigating modified buffer strips around agricultural land to maximise absorption nutrient run-off and contribute positively to biodiversity.
Eimear Keenan and Alexandra Roche are investigating the flammability of native Irish plant species to design a green fire belt which will supress the spread of wildfires and supporting biodiversity.
Katie Molloy, Mai Galvin and Aisling Murphy are examining how planting and harvesting may be affected by the phases of the moon and whether this can aid improve crop survival during drought.
Grace O’Flaherty, Eabha Greville and Claire O’Donohoe are investigating if TV shows, social media and books people consume are having a significant impact on everyday language.
Grainne Kelly is investigating whether the colour of foods enhances peoples’ perception of the sweetness of the food. She will use her findings to design low sugar palatable sweets and drinks.
Abbie Coolahan and Aoife Lacey are developing a biodegradable weed barrier which will inhibit the growth of weeds while supporting pollinating plants. Thus, finding a smart solution to improving biodiversity and at the same time reducing the workload of garden maintenance.
Ciara Belton and Maeve Gilfagan
Ciara Belton and Maeve Gilfagan, through statistical analysis, are investigating if increasing screen time is making users unaware of their diet choices and linked to overeating and obesity.
All the students have been working diligently on their project ideas and comprehensive proposals. MCS would like to wish them every success of their projects being accepted for the exhibition. The exhibition, along with the judging is once again online in January 2022.