A group of six outstanding young scientists from South Africa are showcasing their exceptional scientific endeavours at the world’s largest pre-college science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition in Los Angeles, California in the USA.
Keamogetse Precious Monna and Alutha Botha are among the young SA scientists participating at Regeneron ISEF in Los Angeles, USA.
These young scientists won the opportunity to represent the country at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) from 11 to 17 May 2024, following their successful entries in the Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF), held in October last year.
More than 1 600 young scientists from around the world are competing at this year’s ISEF at the Los Angeles Convention Centre, with a chance to win prizes valued at more than R168 million. These are the South African learners competing.
Alutha Botha, 18, Grade 12, Nombulelo Secondary School, Makhanda (Grahamstown), Eastern Cape will present his project entitled ‘Exploring seasonal habitat use by juvenile fish species in Algoa Bay, South Africa, using remote underwater video surveillance’. Botha studied the behaviour of juvenile fish in different habitats in the shallow areas of Algoa Bay. In earlier studies of these shallow coastal areas, the methods used did not allow for targeted data collection without damaging the habitats. Botha used remote underwater videos to access these areas. His research is an important benchmark for future studies on diversity and population counts in these specific habitats, using the technology of underwater surveillance systems.
Likitha Chundru, 18, Grade 12, Bryanston High School, Johannesburg, Gauteng will present her project entitled: ‘Analysis of the effect of rhizobium bacterial spp. on seed germination and plant growth of non-legume monocotyledon and dicotyledon plants’. Chundru used the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Rhizobium spp. to enhance the growth of non-legume staple crops such as maize. Her project has the potential to save farmers time and resources and offers a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilisers to increase crop yield. The solution is inexpensive, simple, and environmentally friendly, making it safe for farmers to use.
Matthew Collier-Reed, 19, Grade 12, Pinelands High School, Cape Town, Western Cape shares his project entitled: ‘Community support: connecting in-need individuals with essential services in South Africa through an accessible instant messaging service’. Collier-Reed developed a Node.js program that could be integrated into the backend of a popular messaging app. The program provides important support services to people and facilitates interactive chats with users. It also provides reports on local events, such as fires and floods, and allows users to report such events. The program guides users to suitable services from a list that encompasses homeless shelters, hospitals, police stations, rehabilitation facilities, and centres for child and youth support.
Keamogetse Precious Monna, 17, Grade 12, Ramotshere High School, Ngaka Modiri Molema, North West is presenting her project on: ‘Improving retail security using a metallic barcoding system’. Monna used recycled materials to develop her own reliable security system to address the issue of retail store theft and has made significant progress in developing the system. Her innovation is a foundational step towards creating advanced security measures to protect retail businesses from losses due to theft.
Nicholas Zhang, 17, and Zaahid Sader, 17, Grade 11, UJ Metropolitan Academy, Gauteng are presenting their project entitled: ‘Enhancing bobsleigh performance through biomimetic design inspired by the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)’. The duo share a passion for bobsledding and designed two sleds that are inspired by nature, showcasing their growing interest in this field. It is refreshing to see South African learners take a keen interest in winter sports to the extent that they set out to design sleds to outperform existing ones. Their analytical approach and extensive knowledge of biomimicry have led to new insights into bobsleigh aerodynamics. Their designs demonstrate improved performance compared to that of standard bobsleighs.
Chief Executive Officer of the Eskom Development Foundation (Acting), Ms Mologadi Motshele, said, “As the young scientists embark on their journey to compete at the Regeneron ISEF, we at Eskom feel proud of the value of the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists in the lives of young South Africans and the many opportunities that are open for them to showcase their innovation and talent. Their dedication and passion are inspiring, and we are confident they will represent South Africa with distinction on the global stage. In participating, the learners share their individual talents – and, at the same time, the opportunity they have to do this highlights the importance of investing in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and innovation (STEMI) education through initiatives like the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. These youngsters open the way to unlocking South Africa's full potential and their contributions to the field of science and innovation are invaluable. We believe in their ability to make a positive impact and we extend our well wishes and support to them, wishing them all success in their participation at the Regeneron ISEF.”
All the ceremonies and major panels will be livestreamed via the Science for Society website: www.societyforscience.org/isef.
Registration to take part in the 2024 Eskom Expo is now open with District Expos currently under way. Learners in grades 4 to 12, as well as learners from TVET colleges (NC2 to NC4) can register their projects on the Eskom Expo website: www.exposcience.co.za.
