QF’s Stars of Science innovators tackle environmental challenges

Doha: The top seven innovators on Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Stars of Science Season 14 took to the stage this week to prove the feasibility of their projects – inventions that tackled a pressing challenge for communities around the world – environmental sustainability.

Hosted at QF’s tech hub, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), since its inception the show has put young minds in touch with leading environmental experts throughout the region and beyond, helping them realise their dreams and transform their ideas into reliable solutions that overcome the world’s most urgent environmental and sustainability challenges. 

Scientist Sumaiya Said Sulaiman Al Siyabi, from Oman, sought to fight plastic pollution plaguing the world’s oceans. Al Siyabi’s 'Remediation and Disposal of Micro-Plastics' is a floating sphere comprised of microbial mats and nanomaterials that dissolves micro-plastics it comes into contact with. Free of harsh chemicals, the device is an effective and environmentally friendly way of cleaning up plastic garbage in our oceans. 

“When the environment is harmed, our communities get harmed as well. For example, microplastics in the ocean have directly impacted the food chain, and we are now observing those same micro plastics building up inside humans which can lead to dangerous side effects in the future,” said Al Siyabi.

“Protecting our natural surroundings helps us safeguard the health of our communities.”

Youcef Fermi, Phd in Micro Nano-Electronics, aimed to introduce a novel method of harvesting venom from scorpions without endangering their health. His home country, Algeria, has some of the deadliest species of scorpions that are of huge medical interest. One gram of scorpion venom costs around $7,500 to extract, making it one of the most expensive and sought-after materials in the pharma and medical world.

Stars of Science will air every Friday and Saturday until October 14 on six channels in the region and online.