Jake Set for BTYSTE

South Eastern Regional College (SERC) is very proud to have four finalists representing the college at the 2023 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE). Among the bright young minds flying the SERC flag is Level 3 Applied Science student Jake Stothers.

Jake (17) from Bangor will be carrying out an experiment called ‘Testing Aspirin Using an IR Spectrometer’. Jake will be testing different brands of aspirin using titrations and infrared spectroscopy to determine if there is a link between the price of the tablet versus the amount of active ingredients.

Speaking of his tests, Jake said: “Across Northern Ireland, there are a variety of brands of aspirin to choose from with a wide range of prices (from 80p-£3).  My aim is to investigate whether cheaper brands of aspirin are as effective as more expensive brands by quantifying the aspirin content in different brands and qualitatively analysing the other constituents.”

Jake added “The motivation behind this project was influenced by the current economic climate. My project hopes to determine if there is a direct correlation between price and efficacy, or if it is simply down to branding. To date, the project has been going well with 90% of the experiments completed and I am starting to get the results collated into the report book.”

Jake concluded by talking about his experience at SERC: “My time at the College has been excellent, my tutors are lovely and my fellow students have been great. SERC has helped me tremendously in acquiring my qualifications, and I would certainly recommend studying there to others.”

Best of luck to Jake and his fellow SERC BTYSTE exhibitors: Cara Colvin- ‘Cigarette Smoke Causes Scarring of the Lungs - How?’'; Daya Philpott- ‘Following Sol: The Antibacterial and Cooling Effect of a Natural After Sun Emulsion’; and Natali Arnaudova and Taneesha Mccaughran- ‘The Effect of Hypoxia-Induced Lung Injury on Fibroblast Activation’. 

Visit www.serc.ac.uk to unlock your future #BetterOffAtSERC.