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Cross Lane, Bebington,
Wirral. CH63 3AQ
Tel: 0151 6440908

School News & Features

Upper Sixth Student Mathew Smith receives the Shell UK Special Award for Sceince

Posted on: 16.02.2009

Mathew Smith U68PBS applied to complete a Nuffield Bursary project through school in the summer of 2008. His successful application allowed him to join an impressive research team at Liverpool John Moores University for four weeks.

The aim of the project was to develop methods of creating more effective drugs against the parasitic infection malaria, which kills up to 3 million people each year. Having achieved a Gold CREST award, Mathew's project won through at the local North West CREST science and technology awards finals to the National Science Competition at 'The Big Bang - UK Young Scientist & Engineers Fair'.

This competition brings together young scientists from across the country and "pits the best against the best". Mathew's work was up against 183 other projects such as 'Induction and quantification of g-H2AX foci following 1-10 Gy g-irradiation' and 'Natural variation in circadian clock function in the plant Capsella bursa'. On the second day of competition, Mathew was told that he was through to the last three in the entire competition and that he would be having tea with Lord Drayson (Minister for Science & Innovation) at Downing Street!

The three final candidates were interviewed by five high profile judges including Dr Marcus du Sautoy, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, and Dr Colin Blakemore, "one of the most powerful scientists in the UK" and Professor of Physiology, also at Oxford. Decisions were not revealed until the final award ceremony, hosted by TV's Kate Humble. Mathew was told at the ceremony that he was to receive the Shell Special Prize as runner up in the National Young Scientist of the Year Competition. He receives a notebook computer, and a trip to Germany, hosted by Shell Oil, to participate in a prestigious science and technology event. He will also act as an ambassador across the whole country publicising science as part of Gordon Brown and Lord Drayson's 'Science: So what? So Everything' initiative.

Well done, Mathew on your excellent and impressive work! Mathew would like to thank Dr Fyaz Ismail, who mentored Mathew's project at the School of Pharmacology and Chemistry, at Liverpool John Moores University.

Mr A White (Head of Biology)