Three sixth formers from Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan, Abergele, have won praise from a Nobel Prize winner for their research into plant genes, after they gained places on the prestigious Nuffield Foundation project.

Ben Stone, George Goodall and Mike White have all now been offered places to study sciences at Cardiff University – where the genetic scientist Professor Sir Martin Evans – 2007 Nobel Prize winner for medicine – is Chancellor.

Tackling crop shortages due to climate change was their area of research. They spent five weeks at Aberystwyth University’s world-renowned plant sciences department, working on gene projects, researching what makes some plants more resilient to drought and pests. At the end they presented their findings at a research symposium in Cardiff, where they were handed awards by Professor Evans.

Ben, 18, from Kinmel Bay, is now planning to study for a biology degree after this summer’s A levels.  He said: “ We mainly worked on computers with the project, editing details of the plants.

“I really enjoyed my time there and it has helped me to decide what to study at university. I’ve got offers of places and I am sure that my time with the Nuffield Foundation helped with my applications.”

Mike, 17, is aiming to study chemistry, after being inspired by the project. “We all got offers from five universities, without needing to do interviews, which is unusual.

The research involved a lot of computer work, explained 17-year-old George, from Kinmel Bay, and that has helped shaped his decision to study mechanical engineering.

“This was a great experience, which I found really interesting. I am very interested in computers and this project has shown me how different parts of the world of science come together.”

Thanks to Sara at Ceidiog PR for sharing this story.