Sasha will also submit her project virtually in both scientific paper/report, presentation and video form. The projects are judged by several judges over several categories with nearly $6 million in awards, prizes and scholarships to compete for.

Outside of the competition, the students will also be able to attend a STEM College and Career Fair, symposiums, networking sessions & student mixer events and different panels. We look forward to hearing Sasha’s recount of the trip once she returns. Congratulations again Sasha!

Sasha Prokhorov (Yr 11) one of nine Australian students selected to go to Dallas, US to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

Sasha’s project is called Demystifying the Soapberry and her synopsis is listed below.

My project investigates the effectiveness of a natural detergent, sourced from the berry of the soap tree, or Sapindus, found in warm temperate and tropical regions. It investigates the effect of concentration, temperature, and pH on the effectiveness of soapberry as a detergent. It does this by measuring the surface tension and comparing the effectiveness of soapberry to commercial detergent and bio-detergent. The results of my experiment encourage the use of soapberry as a surfactant in both domestic and industrial settings, and as an alternative to bio-detergent, benefiting the environment by decreasing chemical and plastic pollution, and benefiting the economy through its efficiency and low cost.