Emma Graham, a 16-year-old Lisgar Collegiate student with a keen interest in the environment and botany, is representing Eastern Ontario in the national finals of an annual National Research Council competition.
After winning the Ottawa regional Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge, Graham will vie for top honours Tuesday when the national prize winners will be announced at a ceremony at the National Research Council.
Working with Prof. Tony Durst in his chemistry lab at the University of Ottawa, Graham, extracted a natural insecticide from Indian dill oil, created two forms of a compound with a pesticide, and then tested the mixture on Colorado potato beetles.
Her formula proved 95 per cent effective against the pest, which is higher than popular commercial pesticides and less toxic.
The 14 finalists range in age from 14 to 17 years old, representing every province and territories.