BT Young Scientist & Technology: Bright minds and brilliant discoveries

An explosion of sound and colour, walking into the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) feels light years away from dry science lessons in the classroom.

There are projects tackling biodiversity loss and climate change, others exploring mental health and teenage burnout, one investigating the perfect potato to make chips, and even another measuring Irish peoples’ heads and shoulders to test the veracity of the claim ‘The big Irish head on you!’

Students are enthusiastic, curious and bringing science to life in refreshing ways.

For over 60 years, the science competition has provided a platform for students to get involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). This year 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of BT Ireland hosting the exhibition. There are 550 innovative projects on display spanning the five exhibition categories of technology; biological, and ecological sciences; social and behavioural sciences; chemical, physical and mathematical sciences; and health and wellbeing.

“The BTYSTE is doing an incredible job to get people involved in science even if they didn’t think they liked science that much,” says Dr Émer Hickey, who was part of the BTYSTE 2013 winning group.

At the time, Émer attended Kinsale Community School, Co Cork and she and her teammates Ciara Judge and Sophie Healy-Thow looked at the impact of Rhizobia bacteria on the germination rates of barley, wheat and oat.

After their win, the trio went on to win the European Union Contest for Young Scientists and Google Science Fair, earning themselves a place in Time magazine’s Most Influential Teens of the Year in 2014 alongside names like Sasha and Malia Obama, Kylie and Kendall Jenner and Shawn Mendes.

Returning as a judge for the BTYSTE Primary School Fair, Émer says the competition changed her life.

“It had so much impact on where I took my career. When I first entered the BTYSTE, I liked science but it wouldn’t have been my favourite subject. Doing the project in 2013, I fell in love with the idea of research, and it was the first time I had been exposed to microbiology as a subject. Transfixed – that’s the only way I can describe it. From then on, I knew that I wanted to study microbiology. I don’t know if I would have come to that conclusion without BTYSTE.”

Émer studied microbiology at University College Cork and completed her PhD in biological sciences at the University of Exeter. She is now a post-doctoral researcher at the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology in Exeter.

Émer says that BTYSTE allowed her to see science not as something prescriptive and boring but as creative and interactive.

“When I was a teenager, I saw myself as more creative. I really liked music and speech and drama. But a really big part of our project was that we built the lab ourselves in Ciara’s bedroom. It was filled with stuff like Lego and styrofoam boxes. I really liked the idea of DIY science and the BTYSTE taught me that you didn’t need access to this big lab to do really cool things.”

Over the past 12 years, Émer has enjoyed seeing how the projects at BTYSTE have continued to evolve.

“I think the projects really move with current affairs. In more recent years, there’s been a lot more projects incorporating AI. Sustainability and climate have become much more prevalent, and a lot more projects are based around gender and equality, as well as wellbeing and mental health.”

BTYSTE winners 2025

Sisters Ciara Murphy (17), Saoirse Murphy (15), and Laoise Murphy (12 ) from Presentation Secondary School in Tralee, Co Kerry took home the top prize with their project, ACT (Aid Care Treat): App-timising emergency response.

The sisters designed a medical assistance app (ACT) to support emergency healthcare responses, integrating crucial features to provide swift and effective aid during critical situations.

Tomás Markey (18) from St Brogan’s College, Bandon, Co Cork placed as Best Individual for his project entitled: PM-DAC: A system for removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Students Aoife Fadian (15) and Jessica O’Connor (16) from Ursuline College, Co Sligo placed as runners up for their project ‘Sheep Strength’: Using wool to reinforce concrete, and Luke Blackwell (16) from C.B.S. Thurles, Co Tipperary took home the Runner Up Individual Award and the ABP Farm Sustainability Award for his forward-thinking project entitled: A novel approach to regenerative agriculture through the use of Comfrey as a sustainable soil enhancer.

Irish Country Living spoke to Luke Blackwell about his award.

Explaining the rationale for his project, Luke says he wanted to provide an alternative to artificial fertilisers within the framework of regenerative agriculture.

“I wanted to see if there’s a way to provide an alternative to artificial fertilisers within the framework of regenerative agriculture. We face a crisis in terms of the environmental effects of artificial fertilisers, such as damage to soil quality, water quality, and air pollution.”

“Comfrey is a plant native to Ireland that grows in ditches and hedgerows. It’s very high in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other minerals,” explains Luke.

“Regenerative agriculture is a system of agriculture where you put more into the environment and society than you take out. There’s emphasis on soil enhancers, crop rotation, and improving the sustainability of farming.”

Luke created the fertiliser himself through aerobic decomposition and analysed Comfrey’s effectiveness on spring barley, grass, and winter barley. He conducted the trials on a beef and tillage farm on the Tipperary/Offaly border.

It is Luke’s third time at the BTYSTE which he describes as “a brilliant experience”.

He is particularly impressed at the range of sustainable agriculture projects this year aimed at improving the environment. “There are different projects every year, but I just keep coming back because I love it so much.”

Project ideas

Aoibhín McDonald (13), Rhiannon McMahon (14) and Zyon Muringayi (14) who feature on our front cover are from Castleblayney College, Co Monaghan.

As well as being our cover stars, they have a great connection to our publication as they got their idea for BTYSTE from an article in the Irish Farmers Journal.

Their project on avian influenza and the transmission of the H5N1 virus to the Irish dairy herd avian influenza placed as highly commended.

“I found an article in the Irish Farmers Journal in August, which was less than a week old at the time, about H5N1 dairy cattle in America,” says Aoibhín. “Avian influenza is an infectious disease and it’s primarily known for affecting poultry but it can also affect cattle and humans.”

“Our project is really significant because we’re actually the first [documented] people to ever survey Irish dairy farmers about H5N1 and their awareness and concerns and challenges,” says Rhiannon.

Zyon says that they acquired many new skills working on the project. “We learnt about modelling, surveying, data analysis and teamwork. We researched literary reviews and read so many articles. We were contantly talking about our project. We’re all good friends and we work together really well.”

Innovation within agriculture

Emily O’Brien (16) from Meán Scoil an Chlochair in Co Westmeath got her idea for her project: Forever farming – Sustainable Pest Control upon seeing chemicals killing flies on her dairy farm in Offaly.

“I looked into neem oil and treating flies on cows as an alternative to chemical-based pesticide. I wanted to find out if it was effective, efficient and an economically viable alternative so I surveyed farmers in my area.”

According to Emily, neem oil is more efficient and more economical.

“It’s mad, it was about 12 cent per cow per treatment whereas the chemical base is about €1.”

Emily placed second in the Intermediate Individual Category, and has “loved” the experience.

“It’s given me something to focus on as part of my transition year. You’re chatting to loads of new people and you learn so much.”

Julie Johnson (16) and Ella Frend (16) from Ursuline Secondary School in Co Tipperary took home The One Health AMR Award for their project on antimicrobial resistance.

“Antimicrobial resistance is a big problem in the world,” says Julie, who is from a dairy farm in Co Limerick. “WHO predicts that by 2050 there’ll be 10 million human deaths worldwide due to antimicrobial resistance. That’s why it really grabbed our attention as it’s more [deaths] than cancer. “

Julie and Ella enjoyed the process of putting their project together, visiting six different farms and collecting 60 samples from the cows with a high somatic cell count.

“Visiting the farmers and talking to them really helped with our research,” says Ella. “They were telling us their experience with antimicrobial resistance and they taught us a lot.”

See btyoungscientist.com