DepEd lauds 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) winners in the USA

DepEd lauds science fair winners in the USA

by Jonathan M. Hicap

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/aug/02/yehey/metro/20070802met4.html

THE Department of Education recently honored public high-school students who won in the 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

"All our delegates to the Intel ISEF are winners," Education Secretary Jesli A. Lapus said.

The winners were awarded individual and team awards for their projects.

Melvyn Karlo Barroa of Capiz National High School in Western Visayas and Hester Mana D. Umayam of the Philippine Science High School-Cagayan Valley in Cagayan Valley won fourth place individual grand award.

Barroa won for his work on "Fish Mucus and its Potential Antimicrobial Effect on Human Pathogens and Possible Role in Innate Community," while Umayam brought home a medal for her study of the "Ethnomathematics in the Geometric Patterns in Kalinga Woven Designs."

Teammates Ivy Razel Ventura, Mara Elaine Villaverde and Janine Cindy Santiago from the Philippine Science High School in Quezon City won fourth place in the team grand award category. Their work was on the "Screening, Isolation and Characterization of Fluorescents Protein from Nudibranch."

Luiji John Karlo Suarez from Doña Hortencia Salas-Benedicto National High School in Western Visayas received both a Foundation Award and a Special Award. The National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance and The Lemelson Foundation applauded his efforts to research the "Potential of Marine Bioluminescent Bacteria as an Antibacterial Agent Against Two Major Rice Diseases."

A total of 1,500 students from 50 countries participated in the ISEF.

Delegates from the Philippines consisted of the national level winners in the 2006-2007 DepEd-Intel Philippine Science Fair.

Other national finalists who took part in the Intel ISEF were Jane Suede, Charlotte Joyce Gamelong and Verna Joy Cabanero of Doña Hortencia Salas-Benedicto National High School.

Thursday, June 07, 2007 Sun Star

A NOVICE researcher may only be as good as her/his adviser-mentor. If so, SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department should stand prouder when one of its research advisees - Melvyn Carlo Barroa -won the top spot in the 10th Intel Philippines National Science Fair 2007 in Tagaytay City, and subsequently a Fourth Grand Award in the 58th Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Isef) held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA last May 13 to 19.

Melvyn, 16 years old, graduated from Capiz National High School in Roxas City early this year. He bested 107 other entrants in the nationwide science fair, and 7,000 entries in the US fair.

One of his research adviser-mentors is Seafdec's fish health section head Gilda Lio-Po. "Motherly and very supportive" were Melvyn's description of Lio-Po.

His study, a requirement for high school graduation, was on Fish mucus: its potential antimicrobial effect on human pathogens and possible role in innate immunity.

Melvyn had joined nine other national investigative science project winners as the Philippines' official delegate to the highly prestigious Intel Isef. He competed and won under the microbiology category. Of the

Filipino delegates other than Melvyn, four also won Fourth Grand Awards and another won a scholarship.

Lio-Po's involvement in Melvyn's research started with a referral from Anacleto Argayosa of the Department of Biology, University of the Philippines (UP) - Diliman in Quezon City. Since Melvyn's study focused more

on aquatic microbiology, Lio-Po was deemed the best choice as co-adviser. She is an expert on viral, bacterial and fungal isolation and identification, and has plenty of research experience in immunology, animal

cell culture, shrimp pathology, and fish pathology. Her studies focused on viral and bacterial diseases and appropriate preventive measures in penaeid shrimps and fishes.

Lio-Po was also recently chosen as the "2007 Outstanding Microbiologist" by the Philippine Society for Microbiology for her outstanding work in the field of aquatic microbiology.

Lio-Po is also based at Seafdec's main station in Tigbauan, Iloilo, just a few hours away from Melvyn's school and residence in Roxas City.