Local schools submit 26 projects for BT Young Scientists
There are a total of 26 projects from local schools competing in this year's BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) 2025 which kicks off this Thursday, January 9.
There are 8 projects from Moate Community School; 8 projects from Our Lady's Bower; 5 from Athlone Community College; 2 from Coláiste Chiaráin; 2 from Meán Scoil an Chlochair; and 1 from the Marist College.
Six of the Moate CS projects are group projects:
* Electrobloom: An electroculture growth chamber to increase the germination and yield of protected crops by students Hollie Field, Heidi Shellam, and Saoirse Lynam.
* Is High Performance in Sport out of Reach for Short People? by students Grace Galvin, and Sophie Padden.
* Generating Power by Harnessing Swells Close to the Seashore by students Fionn Murphy, and Gavin Quilty.
* Fungi Civil War: Using Birch Polypore to develop a treatment spray for bovine ringworm by students Aoife Ross, Katie Creggy, and Katie Ann McHugh.
* Nutri-Flo: A natural tree nut water filter for cattle by students Aoife Howlin, and Ally Duffy.
* Botanical Barriers: Harnessing plant compounds for UV protection during nail treatments by students Aoibh Larkin, Leah Pillion, and Kayla Moran.
The two remaining projects are completed by individual students. These include: Methane Busters: Harnessing tannins and feed additives to clean up slurry tank emissions by Lucy Carroll; and Crouch- Bind- Set...PROTECT! by student Mollie Quinn.
Six of the Our Lady's Bower projects are group projects:
* The Mould Busters by students AnnaMarie Mullan, Bláthín Moran, and Aideen Derwin.
* Maths 4 All by students Lucy Fleming, and Elsie Allen.
* An investigation into the need for extra examination time for students with additional learning needs by Sive O’Brien, and Madison Moore.
* An Investigation Into Chlorine Alternatives by students Caoimhe Flynn Kelly, Julia Fiedorowicz, and Isobel Fox
* The Effects of Acid Rain on Plant Growth: Implications for Bogland Sustainability by students Muireann Lambe, and Grace Fleming.
* Crunch Time: Unveiling the perfect potato for chips by students Laoise Claffey, Amber Gallagher, and Muireann Kenny.
The other two projects were undertaken by individual students. These include: Starry Nights or Missed Delights? by student Michelle Hughes; and Cleaning the Air by student Hannah Devlin.
Three of the projects from Athlone Community College are individual projects:
* Resonance and Response: Psychoacoustics in Behavioural conditioning by student Seaghán Sibindi.
* A system to test and develop low-cost heat storage materials by student Thenuka Handurukande.
* Lost, Found, and Optimised: A novel, revised outlook on Bellman’s Lost-in-a-Forest Problem by student Srinidhi Karthik.
The remaining two projects are group projects. These include: Breaking the Silence: Unravelling Menstrual Stigmas and Mood Mysteries by students Aukse Vinciunaite, Leah Maguire, Niamh O’Reilly; and Illuminating The Future Using LIFI by students Mustapha Shitakha, and Yuvraj Saini.
Coláiste Chiaráin has one individual project titled Grip Strength: A good biomarker by student Athénais Selve, and one group project titled Gumshields: Fit or miss? by students Grace Meares, and Saoirse Nolan.
Meán Scoil an Chlochair has one group project titled Step up your day, endorphins are on the way! by students Clíodhna Kinnarney, Emma Sue Tandy, and Emily O’Neill, and one individual project titled Forever farming – Sustainable Pest Control by student Emily O Brien.
The BT Young Scientist project from the Marist College, titled Does temperature affect magnetic forces? is a group project by students Tadhg Dolan, Adrian Cunniffe.
The upcoming BTYSTE received entries from schools in 31 counties and from almost half (49%) of all secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland.
Speaking on the entries, Professor Pat Guiry, Chair of Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition Board and Exhibition judge said: “This year we were heartened by the exceptional quality of entries to the BTYSTE. In fact, every year we are amazed by the calibre of submissions being made right across the country. The shortlisting of 2,069 entries down to 550 qualified projects was a tough challenge again this year.
“The scientific rigour and depth of research evident in the entries demonstrates the talent and creativity of Irish students, and their commitment to finding solutions to some of the greatest challenges of their times and gaining a greater understanding of the world around them.”
There are over 200 prizes and a prize fund of well over €50,000 to be won in the 2025 competition. These prizes are awarded across all five categories and age groups, including the overall BT Young Scientist & Technologist(s) of the Year Award, worth €7,500, which will see the winners go on to represent Ireland at the prestigious European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS), which will take place in Latvia. Ireland has a strong record of taking home the prize for first place at the EUCYS, with 17 wins over the past 35 years.