THE Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, on Saturday, commenced its National Science Fair 2023 Competition, Exhibition and Family Fun Day for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) at the GCC Bourda Ground.
Several secondary schools showcased their science projects, competing for a first-place prize of $100,000 and a second-place prize of $50,000 at the Regional Level.

Speaking with the Sunday Chronicle, students of the Annandale Secondary School presented their Biogas project.
Akaila Anthon, a presenter, explained that biogas is a fuel produced when organic manure is broken down by microorganisms without the use of oxygen. Inesh Singh, also of Annandale Secondary, explained the process of creating their model.

“We had to get the bottles and pipes and clean it thoroughly, then we made two holes, one at the top and one at the side, one for putting in the organic waste and the other is to let out the organic waste,” he noted.
He said that the gas is then stored in a tyre, and when needed, they attach a hose linked to the biogas container and stove, and they are able to use the stove.

After the organic waste has been fermented, they also use it to nourish plants.
Aviel Wilson, another Annandale student highlighted the advantages of using biogas. He said that it is cheaper than artificial fertiliser, does not pollute the environment, gives less emission of greenhouse gases; some of those gases such as carbon dioxide is used to help the plants grow.

Another team, students of Hope Secondary School, presented their model of an Aquaponics system, showcasing how it can contribute to food security in Guyana.
Alanca Adams, explaining on behalf of her team, said that the aquaponics system is one used to cultivate fish and crops in a constructed recirculated environment which can be designed in any shape or size. It could also be used as a small indoor unit or a large commercial unit.

She noted that the fish are being fed food, which they eat, excrete and this excretion goes into a bio filter. After this process, it then goes into a pump and into the plants which absorb it and purifies the water, then sends it back into the fish tank.
She said that the organisms depend on each other and that the topic was chosen so that persons would be able to learn from it and also prepare for the future with it.

Another group of students of the Saint Roses High School, showcased their project, Tumor.IA which helps in the improvement of cancer screening accelerates drug discovery and improves cancer surveillance.
Tattiana Jervis, said that an advantage of their programme, when fully developed, as it is only a preliminary tool currently, is providing results faster.

She noted that biopsies results can vary from the minimum three weeks to a maximum of a couple months, so a person with a cancerous tumor, would be at risk because within the waiting period, the tumor could possibly grow.
“So, if this person with cancer does not know the state of the tumor it will be a risk to the person’s health,” she said.
Jervis noted that Tumor.IA is also intended to identify whether a tumor is malignant or benign.
Their hope is that when fully developing the programme, the time period for having to wait on biopsy results would be cut down.