Ottawa high school student's flu glue wins national prize
07.05.2008 22:00
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
A 17-year-old Ottawa high school student has won a national student biotechnology competition by making a molecule that flu viruses stick to, which could potentially be used to diagnose or eventually prevent flu infections.  Maria Merziotis, 17, will compete at the international BioGENEius Challenge in San Diego June 16-18.(CBC)Maria Merziotis, a Grade 12 student at Hillcrest High School, beat 13 other regional winners from high schools across the country to take first prize in the 2008 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge on Wednesday. "It was such a shock and I was shaking when I got my award, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me so far in my life," Merziotis said after the winners were announced at the National Research Council headquarters in Ottawa. For her first-place finish, Merziotis wins $5,000, along with a $1,000 prize for the project with the greatest commercial potential. The money will be shared with her school. She and the second-place team, from Toronto, will go on to compete at the international BioGENEius Challenge in San Diego June 16-18. With her mentor Michel Gilbert, a scientist at the National Research Council's Institute of Biological Sciences, Merziotis developed a way to make sialyllactose, a substance on the outside of human cells, by joining two components — sialic acid and lactose — using an enzyme. Flu viruses can bind to sialyllactose, allowing them to attack cells. Merziotis's form of sialyllactose is identical to that found on cells, but is free floating instead of attached to the cell. Health Canada conducting testsThe research has not yet been published, but is being tested by Health Canada as a way of telling the difference between influenza viruses that target human cells and those that target avian (bird) cells, which contain two different types of sialyllactose, Merziotis told CBCNews.ca.  Michel Gilbert, the scientist who mentored award-winning Grade 12 student Maria Merziotis, said she has the patience to succeed in research.(CBC)So far it seems to be working, she added. Further research could eventually allow sialyllactose to be administered to a person as a nasal spray, for example, so that flu viruses would stick to it instead of the person's cells, preventing a flu infection, Merziotis said. "It probably wouldn't work yet," she cautioned, adding that a flu virus doesn't just stick to sialyllactose, but also eventually cuts the sialyllactose off the cell and destroys it. In order to use the sialyllactose to prevent the flu, she said, "you have to somehow modify it so that the floating sialyllactose could destroy the virus." After that, it would still have to be tested on animals and humans to ensure it was safe. Merziotis plans to study biochemistry at the University of Ottawa. Her mentor, Gilbert, said she has what it takes to succed in research. "She is very careful about doing the experiment," he said. "She has the patience to do it. I've seen bright kids in the past who weren't as patient in the lab." As part of the contest, students submitted research proposals and mentors were assigned to each team to provide advice and access to equipment and supplies. The projects were judged by student, government, business and academic representatives. The contest is partly funded by the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program, and supported by companies including Sanofi-Aventis and VWR, as well as several government agencies, including BioTalent Canada, the National Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Foundation. The second-place winners were Grade 10 students Jonathan Scheider, Josh Alman and Norman Yau of University of Toronto Schools, who identified genes that help a certain type of plant survive in salty soil. Vandana Rawal, a 15-year-old student at Centennial Regional High School in Montreal, won third prize for her research on bipolar disorder. Post a commentPeople have commented on this storyRecommend this storyPeople have recommended this storyStory Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKStory comments (0)Sort:Most recent | First to last | Most recommendedPost your commentNote: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are pre-moderated/reviewed and published according to our submission guidelines. 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