Four Pinay senior high school students brought home gold and bronze awards back to the Philippines from this year’s Global Environmental Issues and Us (GENIUS) Olympiad held in June at the State University of New York in Oswego.
Out of 1, 171 submissions from 69 applicant countries, 401 were selected to introduce their research projects to compete across the Globe including the soon-to-be graduates of Immaculate Conception Academy in Greenhills, San Juan.
Annicka Koteh and Anjeli Panis won the gold medal for their study entitled, “The Feasibility of Utilizing Sago (Metroxylon sagu) Starch and Virgin Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Oil in the Production of an Antibacterial and Biodegradable Plastic Coating.”
This study of Koteh and Panis introduced an eco-friendly alternative to standard fossil-fuel-based plastic coatings. They used Sago Starch and Virgin Coconut Oil as main components for their science project. These plastic coatings are commonly found in paper wares such as plates and cups.
On the other hand, Melissa Cheng and Tiffany Lao won the bronze medal for “A Study on the Varying Amounts of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH) and Cassava Starch (Manihot Esculenta) as Biodegradable and Water Soluble Alternative for Polystyrene Packaging Loose Fill.”
Through the use of polyvinyl alcohol and cassava starch, Cheng and Lao presented an alternative plastic in non-toxic, “green” loose fills to replace the non-biodegradable polystyrene packaging “peanuts” to be used to fill gaps in transporting boxes.
GENUIS Olympiad is an International Event that introduces exceptional research projects which can serve as environmental solutions to Global Issues. It caters different fields such as Science, Arts, Engineering, Creative Writing, Design and Business Development.
