Translator: Yoshinari Fukuzawa Reviewer: Denise RQ
Five years ago, on April,20,
the most disastrous oil spill in history occurred on the Golf of Mexico.
Nearly 8 million liters of oil were estimated to have been spilled,
affecting 170,000 square kilometers of the surrounding water area.
Oil spills are one of the causes of water pollution.
It is something that involves each and every one of us.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency,
it is estimated
that there are 14,000 oil spills occurring each and every year.
Unfortunately,
the solution to such a problem is even more harmful than good.
Although the current methods such as dispersants, effectively clean oil
they do so at the expense of the environment and marine life.
But, what if I were to tell you that the answer to such a problem may lie
in the tiniest organisms we have on Earth?
Bacteria.
I'm a 19-year old who's always been interested
in understanding how science can be used in solving real problems.
We all know how devastating
water pollution and oil contamination are,
but sometimes, it takes something more than that
to really realize the gravity of a situation.
And that's what happened to me
when the Lac-Mégantic oil spill occurred two years ago.
It opened my eyes to the disastrous realities of oil spills
and how the aftermath of pollution
not only affected the environment but the people and the city as well.
I knew I wanted to do something, but at first, I really didn't know what.
I'd previously completed an internship
studying microorganisms and their role in cleaning pollutants.
I knew the scientists in this field of research
were still racing to find
an effective-enough solution to be applied in the oil contamination industry.
Essentially, some bacteria are capable of producing
these really interesting compounds known as biosurfactants,
which are lipids capable of breaking down and dispersing hydrocarbons
which form the basis of all oils.
If we take a look at the image right here,
we see a bacterial colony surrounded by halo.
This plate has been sprayed with oil, and the bacterial biosurfactants
that I'd mentioned have actively degraded and dispersed the oil
in that specific halo region.
Knowing this, I then started reading through a bunch of articles
on bacterial remediation and oil contamination
to better understand the ongoing research in this field.
But then soon enough I said to myself, "Well, what's the point of looking
at the existing research on bacteria that have already thoroughly looked into?
How else can I contribute to this field?"
And that is when I was inspired
to take a somewhat alternative approach to this problem.
My idea?
To see if I can find naturally-occurring strains of bacteria
capable of degrading oil in my own environment.
So I prepared my research proposal, discussed this idea with my mentor,
and after gaining approval to work at a lab, my mentor suggested
that I looked in areas of moist soil to find these types of bacteria.
Where was the most obvious place?
My own backyard, of course.
But I also decided to take samples along the St. Lawrence River
since we all know that it is a fairly industrial site.
So collecting soil samples from my backyard was really not an issue.
But, while dad and I were digging up soil at the St. Lawrence River,
it seemed to be suspicious for one of the park guards.
(Laughter)
Apparently, two people digging up soil with their garden tools
at the St. Lawrence River was a sketchy thing to do.
(Laughter)
Who would've thought?
During the months of analyzing and isolating
the strains contained in these soil samples,
I was faced with many hurdles that rerouted the plan
that I initially envisioned for this project.
For one, since I was dealing with naturally occurring strains,
I didn't know what results to expect at all.
So, I would wait patiently as the bacteria grew,
hoping that my results would amount to something.
Despite collecting the soil samples,
I didn't even know if they contained any oil-degrading bacteria,
which is what I was looking for.
And even if they did,
whether they would be effective enough at degrading oil,
which is their potential use.
What should I focus on?
Was this project even worth it?
Would I able to find a solution?
All of these thoughts raced throughout my mind over the months.
But then I realized that I was truly passionate about this research,
and that it was the cause that I believed in.
And that is what paved my path and brought me here today.
Out of all the strains I tested,
there were three in particular which were effective at degrading oil.
But only one which had very interesting properties.
So we decided to study its genetic makeup
by comparing its bacterial genome to others on the database
and found something that I would've never imagined.
This species of bacteria had not previously been identified.
I had discovered a completely new species of bacteria
capable of not only degrading oil
but also having promising abilities of oil ingestion as well.
(Applause)
Thank you.
(Applause)
Thank you.
I'm currently in the process of naming them,
and I'm also working on publishing these results soon.
It came as quite a shock to us all that my mentor had to repeatedly ask me
if I were sure there was no oil spill in my backyard.
(Laughter)
Despite the discovery though,
the most satisfying feeling for me
was when I realized the potential of this project,
and how it could be a future contender
for an environmental solution to oil contamination.
(Applause)
Thank you.
(Applause)
Throughout this journey though,
ever since high school, when I started researching,
I have had my fair share of negative and judgmental comments
which, at times, made me feel insecure.
It made me question myself, my choices, and my work.
But these experiences were what sculpted me into a stronger person,
a stronger woman who is proud to be passionate about research,
and who believes that every single woman, every girl,
should be proud to be passionate about the sciences and go for it,
regardless of those trying to bring you down.
(Applause)
We are at a stage in our generation where we must realize
that water pollution is no longer something of the future or the past.
It is happening now,
and it will continue to devastate the environment at greater magnitudes.
My belief in reducing water pollution
prompted me to start working on a solution to reduce oil contamination.
Although this is yet to be an actual product,
I wish to pursue this in order to achieve that sustainable solution.
I want to be able to think
that those 14,000 oil spills occurring each and every year can be remediated
in a completely environmentally friendly manner.
This experience has also opened my eyes
to how solutions to some of the most important issues we are facing today
are really closer than we think.
Sometimes, we tend to overlook how much potential we ourselves have,
how much change we can make.
If we are ready to escape our comfort zones, try new things,
and believe in ourselves and our work,
we will know that we all have the power to make change happen
in our own unique ways.
And who knows?
The solution to the problem that you are passionate about
might just be in your backyard.
Thank you.
(Applause)