Young scientists from Rainbow Schools to compete nationally

Six young scientists from Rainbow Schools who wowed the judges at the Sudbury Regional Science Fair held on April 5th and 6th will represent our community at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Fredericton from May 31st to June 7th. They will be among hundreds of young scientists showcasing their works of discovery and innovation at the national level.

Emmett Prodan and August Zhao, Grade 7 students from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, impressed the judges with their project “Filter Face-Off”, which tested how different natural resources affect the pH levels of water. The duo used a copper filtration column with a coffee filter and a nozzle to test various resources including limestone, sand, charcoal, top soil and sphagnum moss as the medium. For testing, they poured water with a pH of 6.1 to 6.4 into the filter. They theorized that limestone would have the greatest effect on the water’s alkalinity, and were surprised to see the top three were sand, which adjusted the pH to 7.96, the limestone which scaled the pH to 8.74, and charcoal which raised the pH level to 9.65. In addition, the sphagnum moss brought the acidity up, as it lowered the pH to 6.20. They believe the results could have a great impact on humanity by increasing the quality of drinking water for those living in regions where water is overly acidic. These results could also impact the water used in mine drainage by reducing the environmental damage in the areas where it is dumped. For their project “Filter Face-Off”, Emmett Prodan and August Zhao garnered First Place, Junior Division, Physical Sciences.

Antonia Gonzalez Cubillos and Helia Dabiri, Grade 9 students from Lockerby Composite School, earned their spot at the Canada-Wide Science Fair for their project “Will this stop bacteria?” Their experiment observed the effects of allicin, quercetin, and devil’s claw – different quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) – on the growth of both antibiotic-resistant and non-resistant E. coli. Bacterial cultures were grown on agar mixed with each QSI, as well as on control plates containing ampicillin and plain agar. Quorum sensing is a form of cell-to-cell communication in bacteria that allows them to share information using chemicals. They predicted that the plates with QSI would show reduced bacterial growth compared to regular agar but equal to or slightly more than ampicillin. Bacterial growth was compared across different conditions to analyze the results. This experiment provides insight into QSI’s potential use as an alternative strategy for controlling bacterial resistance. For their efforts, Antonia Gonzalez Cubillos and Helia Dabiri took home First Place, Intermediate Division, Life Sciences, and the Jack and Maija Ceming Chemistry Award.

Felix Naghi, a Grade 9 student from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, prepared a project “BIOGEN: Bone Implant Optimization & Generation”. Annually, 178 million people suffer fractures and, in severe cases, lose bone fragments that need to be replaced. Traditional methods such as metal plates, bone grafts and prefabricated implants are costly, ill-fitting, and have failure rates of 5 to 10 per cent. To counter this, Felix developed an AI-driven bone reconstruction system that aims to improve implant fit, increase accessibility, lower costs, and reduce hospital strain by analyzing the X-ray or CT scan of a fractured bone and generating a reconstructed implant for the missing segments. His system is one hundred times faster than traditional methods and twenty times more cost effective – saving hospitals and patients millions while increasing accessibility to developing regions. The implants can also offer improved biocompatibility and osseointegration, contributing to a more personalized and effective treatment. For his project “BIOGEN: Bone Implant Optimization & Generation”, Felix captured First Place, Intermediate Division, Computer Sciences, the Bharti School of Engineering and Computer Science Award, the Founding Members’ Award, and the Ontario Power Generation Innovation Award.

Eden Abols, a Grade 9 student from Lockerby Composite School, captured top honours for his project “Ferrum Fungi”, which aimed to determine if blue oyster mushrooms were capable of absorbing copper, nickel and iron out of straw. Greater Sudbury is an environment with many mine tailings – which contain copper, nickel and some iron residue. Eden’s design allowed for the growth of mushrooms on straw that contained different amounts of iron sulfate, copper sulfate and nickel sulfate. The experiment was performed at Laurentian University, where an atomic absorption spectroscopy analyzer was used to detect the amount of metals present in the mushrooms. The metals tested have been shown to cause diseases, infections and breathing problems. Results show that mushrooms could potentially be used to remediate environmental pollutants nickel, copper, and iron from mining activities. For his project “Ferrum Fungi”, Eden Abols took home First Place, Intermediate Division, Life Sciences, the Biotechnology Award, the Modern Mining and Technology Sudbury Award, the Ontario Power Generation Environmental Award, and the Best in Fair Award.

“These young scientists from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School and Lockerby Composite School earned the honour of showcasing their discoveries on the national stage,” said Director of Education Bruce Bourget. “We are certainly very proud of them for their outstanding achievement. We also thank our staff for their tremendous leadership and support of our students.”

Rainbow District School Board congratulates all Sudbury Regional Science Fair winners.

2025 SUDBURY REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS FROM RAINBOW SCHOOLS:

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION – COMPUTER SCIENCES

First 
BIOGEN: Bone Implant Optimization & Generation
Felix Naghi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

JUNIOR DIVISION – ENGINEERING 

First
Flame Terminator 2.0 Take to the Skies
Jett Gasteiger
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Second
VibeGuide
Taniah Venkadesan and Jessie Fu
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Honourable Mention
The Sunflower
Owen Kolari and Kaden Saidi-Smith
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION – ENGINEERING 

Third
Fermented Fashion
Dayne Belgica and Emily Dickson
Lockerby Composite School

Honourable Mention
U-RAD (Unconscious Rescue Assistance Device)
Jake MacLean and Dominic Smith
Lockerby Composite School

JUNIOR DIVISION – LIFE SCIENCES

Second
The Effects of Road Salt on Plants
Sofia Kalviainen and Clara Roberts
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Honourable Mention
Can lefties puzzle their way to the top?
Ava Zanini and Alexis Pavacic
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION – LIFE SCIENCES

First
Ferrum Fungi
Eden Abols
Lockerby Composite School

and

Will this stop bacteria?
Helia Dabiri and Antonia Gonzalez Cubillos
Lockerby Composite School

Third
How Does Migration Affect A Bird’s Anatomy
Kees Bouman
Lockerby Composite School

Honourable Mention
Kombucha Scoby as Biofuel
Dakshatha Lanka
Lockerby Composite School

SENIOR DIVISION – LIFE SCIENCES 

Second
Pollen Time Machine
Ronin Beauchamp and Orion Sarrazin
Lockerby Composite School

JUNIOR DIVISION – PHYSICAL SCIENCES 

First
Filter Face-Off
Emmett Prodan and August Zhao
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Honourable Mention
Taming Tailings
Camille Landry
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION – PHYSICAL SCIENCES 

Second
pH of Sudbury’s Soil From The Peatland’s
Alexander Crossgrove and Maria Luisa Dos Santos
Lockerby Composite School

SPECIAL AWARDS

BHARTI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE – COMPUTER SCIENCE AWARDS
Restless Rhythms
Lexi Dubreuil and Julia Cecutti
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

and

BIOGEN: Bone Implant Optimization & Generation
Felix Naghi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

BHARTI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE – ENGINEERING AWARDS
Flame Terminator 2.0 Take to the Skies
Jett Gasteiger
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

and

Rope of The Future
Jaxon McMahon
Lockerby Composite School

BIOTECHNOLOGY AWARD
Ferrum Fungi
Eden Abols
Lockerby Composite School

FOUNDING MEMBERS’ AWARD
BIOGEN: Bone Implant Optimization & Generation
Felix Naghi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

HARQUAIL SCHOOL OF EARTH SCIENCES – EARTH SCIENCES AWARDS
Taming Tailings
Camille Landry
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

and

pH of Sudbury’s Soil From The Peatland’s
Maria Luisa Dos Santos and Alexander Crossgrove
Lockerby Composite School

JACK AND MAIJA CEMING CHEMISTRY AWARD
Will this stop bacteria?
Helia Dabiri and Antonia Gonzalez Cubillos
Lockerby Composite School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES – BEHAVIOURAL NEUROSCIENCE AWARD
Can lefties puzzle their way to the top?
Ava Zanini and Alexis Pavacic
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES – BIOLOGY AWARDS
The Grass is Greener on This Side
Logan Larose
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

and

Pollen Time Machine
Ronin Beauchamp and Orion Sarrazin
Lockerby Composite School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES – CHEMISTRY/BIOCHEMISTRY AWARDS
Sanitary Drying
Gabby Therrien and Mya Whissel-Reaume
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

and

Taming Tailings
Camille Landry
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES – ENVIRONMENT AWARD
The Effects of Road Salt on Plants
Sofia Kalviainen and Clara Roberts
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES – FORENSIC SCIENCES AWARDS
Sanitary Drying
Gabby Therrien and Mya Whissel-Reaume|
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

and

Restless Rhythms
Julia Cecutti and Lexi Dubreuil
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES – PHYSICS AWARD
Used Tires; The Future Of Insulation
Avery Auger
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES – SCIENCE COMMUNICATION WRITING AWARD
Can lefties puzzle their way to the top?
Ava Zanini and Alexis Pavacic
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

MCEWAN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AWARD
How Much Wood Could a Wood Glue Hold?
Fletcher Loken
Alexander Public School

MODERN MINING AND TECHNOLOGY SUDBURY AWARD
Ferrum Fungi
Eden Abols
Lockerby Composite School

ONTARIO POWER GENERATION ENERGY AWARD
The Sunflower
Owen Kolari and Kaden Saidi-Smith
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

ONTARIO POWER GENERATION ENGINEERING AWARDS
Shot Spotter
Violet Boisvenue
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

and

Flame Terminator 2.0 Take to the Skies
Jett Gasteiger
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

ONTARIO POWER GENERATION ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
Ferrum Fungi
Eden Abols
Lockerby Composite School

ONTARIO POWER GENERATION INNOVATION AWARD
BIOGEN: Bone Implant Optimization & Generation
Felix Naghi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

SNOLAB UNDERGROUND INNOVATION AWARD – JUNIOR 
Flame Terminator 2.0 Take to the Skies
Jett Gasteiger
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

SNOLAB UNDERGROUND INNOVATION AWARDS – INTERMEDIATE 
pH of Sudbury’s Soil From The Peatland’s
Maria Luisa Dos Santos and Alexander Crossgrove
Lockerby Composite School

and

Fermented Fashion
Emily Dickson and Dayne Belgica
Lockerby Composite School

STUDENT’S CHOICE AWARD
From Wind to Watts
Ewan Huang and Ben Cole
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

CANADA-WIDE SCIENCE FAIR PARTICIPANTS

BIOGEN: Bone Implant Optimization & Generation
Felix Naghi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Ferrum Fungi
Eden Abols
Lockerby Composite School

Filter Face-Off
Emmett Prodan and August Zhao
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Will this stop bacteria?
Antonia Gonzalez Cubillos and Helia Dabiri
Lockerby Composite School

BEST IN FAIR
Ferrum Fungi
Eden Abols
Lockerby Composite School

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-3171, ext. 7217.