BiOrbic Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy is proud to celebrate a fantastic achievement by a young secondary school researcher whose project was supported through our research network.
Arya Satheesh, from Loreto Secondary School, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, earned second place in the Biological & Ecological category (first attempt) at the Stripe Young Scientist competition for her project EcoPurge. Her achievement highlights how curiosity, initiative, and collaboration can empower young people to make meaningful contributions to knowledge creation in the bioeconomy.
Arya was also a winner of the Water category at this year’s Young Environmentalist Awards and reached out to BiOrbic Centre Director, Kevin O’Connor, for guidance on her school science project. Recognising her initiative, Kevin discussed aims of Arya’s project, experimental design and activated BiOrbic’s international research network which opened a unique pathway for Arya, connecting her with experts at Aalborg University, Denmark (Prof. Cristiano Varrone and Dr. Virender Kumar) and the University of Greifswald, Germany (Prof Gert Weber and Parinita Singh (PhD student).
Both sets of scientists generously provided Arya with Plastic degrading enzymes called PETase. These are specialized biological catalysts that break down complex plastics into their original chemical building blocks, allowing materials to be recycled rather than sent to landfills. With additional mentorship and laboratory and technical support from Mary Carr at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo, Arya was able to design and carry out experiments investigating enzyme-catalysed plastic degradation. This support enabled Arya to test how effectively these enzymes could “digest” plastic waste. Her experiments soon impressed the national judges and showcased the real-world potential of her project
From Classroom Curiosity to National Stage
The Stripe Young Scientist competition, held from 7–10 January 2026, is widely regarded as Ireland’s most prestigious science competition, running since 1965. Arya’s success illustrates how access to research expertise and infrastructure can help transform a student’s ideas into nationally recognized scientific work.
Reflecting on the project, Dr. Kevin O’Connor said:
“What really matters in Arya’s project is her curiosity and initiative, not just the award. Through BiOrbic’s bioeconomy network, researchers nationally and internationally enabled Arya to transform her ideas into practice. This project demonstrates how curiosity, initiative, and collaboration can empower young scientists to contribute meaningfully to knowledge creation in the bioeconomy.”
Inspiring the Next Generation of Bioeconomy Innovators
This achievement underscores the value of collaboration between research institutions, educators, and students. By providing access to scientific tools and expertise, researchers can empower young people to tackle global challenges like sustainability and circularity, extending their learning from the classroom into real-world applications.Reflecting on the project, Dr. Kevin O’Connor said:
Arya’s Thoughts and Advice
“Working with the BiOrbic researchers gave me insight into how research works beyond the classroom. My advice for young scientists would be follow your curiosity, ask questions, and be persistent – setbacks are part of learning”
Congratulations and Thanks
We warmly congratulate Arya on her outstanding achievement and wish her every success in her future studies. Our sincere thanks also go to Prof. Cristiano Varrone , Dr. Virender Kumar, (Aalborg University,Denmark), Prof Gert Weber* and Parinita Singh (University of Greifswald, Germany) as well as Mary Carr at ATU Sligo, for their generosity and commitment to education and outreach. We would also like to acknowledge the AAU Plastic Biorefinery and Bioupcycling Group (part of the EU H2020 UPLIFT project: UPLIFT – Upcycling Bio Plastics of Food and Drinks Packaging) for providing the PETase strain that enabled Arya’s experiments.
*Current affiliation has recently changed to Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Germany
