Teenager Won Award For Cellulose Research
Janelle Tam, 16 year old teenager won award in
Sanofi
BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC) competition for her ground breaking work on
anti aging properties of tree pulp.
NCC is obtained from the pulp of trees in a process that is similar to how pulp is isolated for paper making. It is a rod-shaped nano scale material with exceptional strength and physicochemical properties that makes it a promising reinforcing agent.
The theme of the competition is “How
will you change the world?” inspired the hundreds of students to participate in
the SBCC competition. Janelle Tam presented her findings that the cellulose, the woody material
found in trees that enables them to stand, also acts as a potent anti-oxidant. Cellulose is made up of tiny nano particles called nano-crystalline cellulose (NCC). Her research has won her $5000
(Rs. 2.68 lakh).
NCC is
non-toxic, stable, soluble in water and renewable, since it comes from trees,”
says Janelle, a Grade 12 student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute.
Her super anti-oxidant compound
could one day help improve health and anti-aging products by neutralizing more
of the harmful free-radicals found in the body," Bioscience Education
Canada said in a statement.
NCC is obtained from the pulp of trees in a process that is similar to how pulp is isolated for paper making. It is a rod-shaped nano scale material with exceptional strength and physicochemical properties that makes it a promising reinforcing agent.
Janelle, chemically ‘paired’ NCC with a well-known nano particle called a Buckminster fullerene. These ‘buckyballs’ are
already used in cosmetic and anti-aging products she says. The new
NCC-buckyball combination acted like a ‘nano-vacuum,’ sucking up free radicals
and neutralizing them.
The results were really exciting,”
she says and especially since cellulose is already used as filler and
stabilizer in many vitamin products. One day those products may be
super-charged free radical neutralizers thanks to NCC, she hopes.
When we founded the Sanofi
BioGENEius Challenge Canada 19 years ago we believed then, as we do now, in the
potential of our youth to develop the next big breakthrough in science,"
said Sanofi Pasteur Canada President Mark Lievonen,
who presented the first place prize.
Posts
This blog is very good & informative.I have gain so much information from this blog.I like your blog.Thanks for the post.I am waiting for your new post.
ReplyDelete