Imperial student wins Daily Telegraph Science Writing Competition

Talented Biology student impresses the judges - News

Tuesday 10 October 2006
By Naomi Weston

An Imperial College London student has been named one of Britain's outstanding young science writers after winning The Daily Telegraph's Science Writing Competition, which attracted over half a million entries.

Leili Farzaneh, 19, who studies Biology, won the 16-19 year-old category with her piece on genetic modification.

Leili's piece centred around the idea of using a bacterium's natural method of genetic modification to adapt plants, enabling them to work as a factory to produce different substances. This works when the bacterium invades a plant and makes it produce proteins, potentially leading to increased food production in developing countries - for example, by modifying cultivated species of rice.

The panel of judges included President of the Royal Society Lord Rees, writer Bill Bryson and Sir David Attenborough, plus Daily telegraph science editor Roger Highfield.

The competition is now in its nineteenth year and aims to find Britain’s future popularisers of science, engineering and technology, backed by the Royal Society.

Leili hopes to go on to study for a PhD after completing her first degree and has recently returned from three months in Los Angeles where she was conducting research into cancer. "Next summer I am planning on visiting Guyana with my fellow biologists at Imperial, to help conduct a biological survey to examine the health effects of road construction in the area," she adds.

An awards ceremony is being held on 10 November 2006 where the winners will be presented with their prize of £1,000.