Three high school students from Antalya produced bioplastic from acorns. The project they developed won the first prize in the TUBITAK High School Students Pole Research Projects Competition. The bioplastic material, which is 20 times more durable than the market bag, can dissolve in nature in 45 days. TÜBİTAK will send high school students from Antalya to Antarctica with an application it has implemented for the first time. Girls will have the opportunity to test their projects on the White Continent by joining the 2023th National Antarctic Science Expedition in 7.
“The success of Antalya”
Azra Ayşe Bıçakcı, Hilal Başak Demirel and Zeynep İpek Yanmaz from Antalya Wish Schools competed in the 2204-C High School Students Pole Research Projects Competition organized by the TÜBİTAK Scientist Support Program Presidency (BİDEB).
“They attended the workshop”
The students, who were deemed worthy of the first prize with the project “Indigenous and National Production of Bioplastic Materials to Prevent Microplastic Pollution in the Arctic Oceans”, attended the 6th National Polar Sciences Workshop held at Karadeniz Technical University. 3 students, who are counting down for the White Continent, made a presentation at the workshop and introduced their projects.
“They will test their project”
Making a speech at the workshop, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal stated that the students will do field research on their projects and said, “They will have the opportunity to test the bioplastic they have developed, which can dissolve quickly in nature. In addition, they will spend time with the scientists who will participate in the expedition and learn about the research and field studies. Apart from that, they will visit the science bases of different countries in Antarctica and have the opportunity to meet foreign scientists.
“One thousand applications last year”
TÜBİTAK MAM KARE Director and Expedition Coordinator Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy stated that the call for Pole Research Projects for High School Students received applications from all over Turkey and said, “The competition, which has been held for two years, has applied for nearly a thousand projects each year. We have four branches in polar studies as social sciences, earth sciences, life sciences and physical sciences.” he said.
Explaining the project for which they won the first prize, Yanmaz said, “We synthesized a bioplastic film using acorns to prevent pollution both in our world and in the poles. Since bioplastic does not contain any toxic substances, it does not harm living things. While conventional plastics dissolve in 450 years, the plastics we produce dissolve in as little as 45 days.
Stating that the plastics they produce are 20 times more durable than grocery bags, Yanmaz said, “I didn't think it would come here when I entered the competition. The most important thing for me is that we will try our sample in Antarctica, and we will take microplastic samples from there and examine them as well.” he said.
Ayşe Bıçakcı stated that food materials such as corn, wheat and rice are used for bioplastic production and said, “These products are difficult to find in the world market in terms of sustainability. But acorns are not like that. It is also unique in that it is the first time in the literature that an acorn has been used in such a project.” he said.
“Under the Presidency”
Students who will participate in the 7th National Antarctic Science Expedition, which is carried out under the auspices of the Presidency, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and under the coordination of TUBITAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) Polar Research Institute (KARE), will receive training before the Antarctic expedition. To the students who will go to the 7th National Antarctic Science Expedition with the team, TÜBİTAK MAM KARE Director and Expedition Coordinator Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy will accompany you. Students will undergo special training before the journey.
“They received their awards at TEKNOKENT”
In the competition opened in 2022, 60 students with 134 projects qualified for the final stage. In the final exhibition of the competition held at Çotanak Sports Complex in Giresun, students competed in 4 research themes. As a result of the competition, a total of 4 projects received awards, including 7 first place, 10 second place, 4 third place and 25 incentive awards. Project owners received their awards from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at TEKNOFEST 30, held in Samsun on 4 August – 2022 September 2022.
Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank, during his visit to TEKNOFEST Black Sea held at Çotanak Sports Complex, examined the projects within the scope of the 2204-C High School Students Pole Research Projects Competition organized by TÜBİTAK BİDEB. Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank, who was impressed by successful projects, stated that the Pole Research Projects Competition is a new field and that they attach particular importance to this competition and that these students should go to the Poles. Preparations were started upon the recommendation of Minister Varank. Award-winning projects were evaluated from different perspectives by a jury of experts in their fields, and as a result of these evaluations, the "Domestic and National Bioplastic Material Production to Prevent Microplastic Pollution in the Arctic Oceans" project was entitled to participate in the 7th National Antarctic Science Expedition.
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