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Experimenting with E-coli

Science fair winner tests strains

Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 06/01) - After 14 year-old Alex Tam came up with a nifty science fair idea, he asked folks at the hospital lab if they could help.

He walked out with a petri dish of E-coli bacteria and another with a harmless strain of Staph bacteria.

While the words E-coli strike fear in the hearts of many, Tam swears the kind he got was not a harmful variety. Things worked out fine because he won Yellowknife's science fair.

"I wanted to see if extracts from lemon, cranberry, garlic and echinacea had any anti-bacterial effects," says the Grade 9 student.

He found that garlic killed the most bacteria, almost half the amount in the dish.

The echinacea didn't do well but that's no surprise - people buy it because the plant extract is said to kill viruses, not bacteria.

Tam wants to design airplanes when he's old enough, but on May 12 he'll fly in one to Kingston, Ont.

That's where the Sir John Franklin student will be one of Canada's science fair winners.

Despite pride in winning, Tam feels bad being singled out for the trip, because many other students had great projects. He's not going east alone, however.

Another local science fair winner on his way to Kingston is Adam Hassan of William MacDonald School.

He won the Grade 8 category for his project on blood pressure.

Mildred Hall student Sean Praetzel, also in Grade 8, will be making the trip for his project which tested the strength of different bridges. Joining them will be Grade 7 winner Tiffany Ayalik, of Mildred Hall, who researched scientific proof of the Bible.