Martyna’s project, titled Reduction of Perchlorate lon Concentrations in Martian Soil using Azospira oryzae, was submitted under the category of environment, its strong relevance to chemistry, and societal importance is undeniable. The project investigates the soil of the planet Mars, and looks into how its perchlorate content can be reduced in order to make it suitable for agricultural uses, as well as oxygen production. According to Martyna’s project, the key for this is the bacteria Azospira oryzae.
The EUCYS is an annual competition organised by the European Commission, hosted by different EU Countries, aiming to encourage and reward youth engagement with many areas of science, ranging from social sciences, through IT, to natural sciences. One of the categories is focused on chemistry, for which EuChemS offers a special prize for the best chemistry entry since 2014. The awardees were selected by a designated EUYCS scientific jury.
The contest was open for the public from 13-15 September. During this period, EuChemS representatives visited the competition site, and engaged with the contestants.
