Tribune News Network
Doha
The top three innovators of Qatar Foundation’s Stars of Science (SoS) have fought off strong competition to reach the Season 14 final, where two of them hope to claim a share of the Grand Prize.
Shada Bennbaia, a Libyan mechanical engineer graduating from Qatar University; Sumaiya AlSiyabi, an Omani marine biologist and mother of three; and Noraldin Al-Deri, a Jordanian PhD candidate in biology of neurodevelopmental disorders, passed through gruelling elimination stages with their inventions, which span important issues in environmental sustainability and healthcare.
Having Bennbaia and AlSiyabi as the two female finalists represents a milestone for SoS. "To be a part of this accomplishment is an honour! It is a testament to the incredible potential achievement by female scientists, when given the chance in the Arab world, and it highlights how we are ready to develop locally relevant solutions for our communities,” said AlSiyabi.
Throughout the development of her innovative Remediation and Disposal of Micro-Plastics project, AlSiyabi recalls how the jury pushed her to work more efficiently than ever before, especially due to her invention’s ambitious scope. "They would always remind me of the stakes, noting how tonnes of plastic waste were continuing to accumulate on the world’s oceans while my project was still being realized,” she said.
A buoyant sphere comprised of microbial mats and nanomaterials designed to float among plastic patches found on bodies of water, AlSiyabi’s invention attracts and dissolves micro-plastics – pieces of plastic that measure up to 5 millimeters long – before they have a chance to infiltrate marine ecosystems and people’s bodies, which can lead to harmful effects on the health of people and wildlife alike.
Her fellow contestant Bennbaia faced several technical challenges when developing her Continuous Blood Pressure Monitoring Bracelet, a non-invasive device that measures a user’s blood pressure by analyzing vibrations generated within the body’s blood vessels, giving accurate continuous measurements instantly, and even alerting the user if their blood pressure requires further medical attention.
Al-Deri wielded his medical expertise to tackle potential misdiagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. His Infant Intellectual Auto Classifier aims to make it easier to assess a child’s non-verbal intellectual capabilities within their first four months to three years with a unique algorithm that collects a range of behavioral and physiological data from patients.
SoS’ top three innovators will make the case for their inventions in the final episode, set to air on six channels and online on Friday, October 14. Online voting is now open for the public on www.starsofscience.com and ends on Thursday, October 13, at3pm GMT (6pm Doha time).