Project SOY 2014 Competition Winners Named
March 24, 2014 - News Release
Soy-based personal lubricant, biodegradable wound care and an antimicrobial food film won top prizes in this year’s Project SOY (Soybean Opportunities for Youth) competition for University of Guelph students.
The 18th annual event, held Friday at the Government of Ontario building at One Stone Road, showcased 16 projects from 26 U of G students from the Guelph, Alfred, Kemptville and Ridgetown campuses.
Students won cash prizes for diploma, undergraduate and graduate projects: first place, $2,500; second, $1,000; and third, $500. All teams that did not place among the winners received a $250 participation award, courtesy of the Grain Farmers of Ontario.
In the diploma category, Angelica Rigas of Ridgetown campus won first prize for Soyouwanna, a soy-based personal lubricant. Dimé El Hadji Ahmadou Yaba and Gabrielle Legault of Alfred campus took second place for Soychow, a vegan-friendly pet food. Third place went to Sabrina Haerle of Kemptville campus for her soy yogurt, Simply Soy Natural.
Topping the undergraduate category was SojaSkin, the nanofibre wound dressing created by Alexis Wagner. SojaSkin is biodegradable and has enhanced skin-healing properties. Second place went to Katelin Dellandrea and Allan Weller for ECO-IT, biodegradable drinking straws. Third place was awarded to Ambition Dry Shampoo, developed by Andrew McGuire and Maggie Robertson.
In the graduate category, first place went to Rekha Priyadarshini and Albert Dhayakaran for SoyAntiBiosis, an antimicrobial food coating. Second prize was awarded to a novel energy harvesting foam product for use in the auto industry called Soy PZT Inc., created by Vida Poursorkhabi and Ghodsieh Mashouf. Flabran, a cookie made from black soybeans by Hae Won Kim, placed third in the category.
Project SOY is sponsored by Dekalb Brand Seeds, SOY20/20, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the Ontario Ministry of Rural Affairs.
For media questions, contact: Owen Roberts, director, research communications, 519-824-4120, Ext. 58278, owen@uoguelph.ca or Laura Nanne, student co-ordinator, 519-824-4120, Ext. 52667, soybeans@uoguelph.ca
