British Columbia Student's New Method for Diagnosing HIV in Newborns Wins Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada - Seite 2

3rd place, $3,000 - Ontario: Anoop Manjunath, 17, grade 11, University of Toronto Schools, Toronto investigated image processing techniques for the analysis of ultrasound stimulated bubble interactions with fibrin clots. Project description: http://sanofibiogeneiuschallenge.ca/2014/05/23/

4th place, $2,000 - Manitoba: Ryan Wang,18, grade 12, St. John's-Ravenscourt School, Winnipeg, found that a protein called scleraxis is directly involved in cardiac fibrosis, which is characterized by the stiffening of the heart muscles. Project description: http://sanofibiogeneiuschallenge.ca/2014/05/23/

5th place, $1,000 - Quebec: Julien Sénécal, 18, 1^st year CEGEP, Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, Montreal, used the defense system of the Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria to inhibit the replication of HIV-1) Project description: http://sanofibiogeneiuschallenge.ca/2014/05/23/

Sanofi Canada President and CEO Jon Fairest, who presented the top national prize, said, "The Sanofi Group is very proud to be founding sponsors of the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada and participate in this inspiring competition. With its 21-year heritage, the SBCC shows how critical partnerships are to advance science and talent in Canada. From the mentoring provided by dedicated academics, to the support of government and the private sector, the SBCC truly stands out as a model for collaboration. The program is one response to Canada's national priority of encouraging skills development, education and jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields."

The SBCC gives young scientists access to professional labs and academic mentors, encouraging the pursuit of future studies and careers in the country's fast-growing biotechnology sector.

Each of the students worked for months conducting research and collaborating with university mentors.

1^st Place Project Title: Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification System for Point-of-Care HIV Diagnosis. The project presents a novel method of HIV detection in developing countries. The test is capable of diagnosing HIV in newborns under the age of 18 months and for adults before three months post-transmission. It is the first test capable of analyzing HIV viral nucleic acids in a point-of-care, low-resource setting.