News Tip
May 27, 2002
High school students win big under mentorship of CGC scientists
Two Winnipeg high school students who worked on their science project with oilseeds research scientists at the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) were recently awarded second place in the Manitoba phase of the prestigious Aventis Biotechnology Challenge. They also received the theme Award and Gold Medal for Best Biological Sciences Project in the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium.
Alison Mason and Karl Rink, students from Shaftesbury
High School, worked on their winning project in the
CGC's Grain Research Laboratory under the mentorship
of Jim Daun, PhD,
and Veronique Barthet,
PhD, and with the assistance of the University
of Manitoba's Department of Plant Science.
The Aventis Biotechnology Challenge was held at the University of Winnipeg on April 26, and Manitoba Schools Science Symposium was in held on April 27 and 28. The awards were worth a total of $2000.
The students' project examined the level of erucic acid in wild mustard seed in Canada and compared it to erucic acid levels in wild mustard in other parts of the world. They found less than 10 percent erucic acid in Canadian wild mustard samples and more than 30 percent erucic acid in samples from other parts of the world. Their study was the first report on erucic acid levels in Australian wild mustard.
Wild mustard seed is almost indistinguishable from canola seed. Because low levels of erucic acid are required for canola seed, the presence of wild mustard seed in canola is a key grading factor.
The students also studied what would happen if wild mustard from Europe, were to contaminate canola seed stocks from Europe and cross with North American wild mustard. Their results will lead to further research and a greater understanding of the genetics of this species and the potential risks to the Canadian canola crop.
To find out more about this project, call Jim Daun at 204-983-3350 or e-mail him at jdaun@grainscanada.gc.ca
Last updated: 2002-05-27