Gifted with a flair for science and doing country proud
Two Nalandians win Gold Medals at ISPRO
In 2012, both Rananjaya and Rakitha used cinnamon and tender jack extracts as a treatment for dengue, by enhancing platelet leaves in blood and were awarded ‘Young Inventor of the Year.’ Rakitha is attached to the Medical Research Institute (MRI) as a Scientific Researcher Rakitha Malewana and Rananjaya Subash both leading students from Nalanda College had won Gold Medals at the International Science Project Olympiad (ISPRO) 2015, in Jakarta, Indonesia
Education is the process of facilitating learning, skills, knowledge and values. Education is based on teaching, researching, storytelling and training. Skills are the most prominent role of this education system. To develop skills we all have to learn and gain some knowledge and values. By providing those skills to the society we could make our country proud. Two Nalandians made the country proud when they won Gold Medals at the International Science Project Olympiad (ISPRO) for their successful scientific innovations, which would help the public in future.
Rakitha Malewana and Rananjaya Subash both leading students from Nalanda College had won Gold Medals at the International Science Project Olympiad (ISPRO) 2015, in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror one of the winning colleagues Rananjaya Subash said he had won for his research on the use of micro-organism in water to absorb impurities and consequently its purification. He said they were engaged with these kinds of projects since Grade nine and they had done several projects and won international awards. He noticed that most of their projects were based on water purification. He said they had completed these projects with the assistance of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
This year over 180 young researchers from 31 countries including Germany, Australia, Brazil, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan,and Iraq had entered in the 3rd ISPRO and over 60 projects were presented from several fields like Environment, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Technology. Behind their way to success he specially reminded Deputy Director of the Medical Research Institute (MRI) Dr. Anil Samaranayake and the Science Faculty of the Colombo University. He stated that the Science Faculty of the Colombo University had given laboratory facilities for their researches.
He gave his special thanks to their Principal, Ranjith Jayasundara, teacher-in-charge of their projects Mrs. Upeksha Obesekara and the Old Boys Association (OBA) of Nalanda College. He reminded that the school OBA had given the funds for their research.
In the future Subash wants to continue his higher studies through Molecular Biology and he expects to continue his education overseas.
Recently Rakitha Malewana, the other winning colleague, had participated in a young scientist forum in the Netherlands. His mother Mrs. Upeksha Obesekera had given a statement about her
son’s achievement. She is the Agriculture teacher of Nalanda College and the teacher-in-charge of their projects. She said Rakitha had won a Gold Medal in the 3rd ISPRO, for his use of nanotechnology and plant genes to prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infecting the cells of the immune system.
She stated that last year also Rakitha had won a Bronze Medal at the ISPRO for his research findings on the use of the Chemical, Catechin, extracted from Sri Lankan green tea, in the treatment of Leukemia using Nanotechnology (Catechin Coated Iron Oxide Nano – Particles).
“This was considered the best medical research in Sri Lanka last year, and he was also selected as a qualifier in the Young Scientists’ New Research Forum in Los Angeles,” she added. She said she had provided guidance to both Rakitha and Subash and both had made their path to success. She had reminded the Principal of Nalanda College and said he had provided the greatest support for Rakitha and Subash to complete their tasks. She had also thanked the MRI, the NSF and the University of Colombo.
In 2012, both Rananjaya and Rakitha used cinnamon and tender jack extracts as a treatment for dengue, by enhancing platelet leaves in blood and were awarded ‘Young Inventor of the Year.’ Rakitha is attached to the Medical Research Institute
(MRI) as a Scientific Researcher.