Congratulations to John O'Callaghan and Liam McCarthy's whose project involved developing a cheap and efficient way for farmers to detect infection in milk cows, and they now become the Young Scientists of the year.
A long-held belief that a drop of washing-up liquid could help warn of infection in milk cows was the trigger that got John (14) and Liam (13) two first years from Kinsale Community School started on their project, entitled "The Development of a convenient Test Method for Somatic Cell Count and its Importance in Milk Production".
Somatic cells are a sign of infection and these appear in the milk. "If the level is high, the cow is fighting an infection," explained Liam. It is "a big deal for the farmer", who receives less if the cell count is high but enjoys a bonus if it is low, said John.
The only way to test was to send a sample for analysis, but this took days, by which time the milk had already reached the production plant.
The students were aware of the "rural myth" and began checking to see if there was any truth to it. They added the washing-up liquid to high cell count milk and found it thickened. They then began a series of tests to study the effect and to devise a way to use the finding.
They focused on a method where viscosity could be gauged by how quickly a sample ran through a narrow tube. "We have done over 1,000 tests and the test developed dramatically over time," Liam said.
The result is the "Ballymartle Milk Test", named after their townland. "This is a test that farmers can use all over Ireland and all over the world," Liam said. "It is very encouraging when you get good results," John added.
The two won a perpetual BT Young Scientist trophy, a cheque for €5,000 and the opportunity to represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists.
Irish Times
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