NUCLEAR AMAZING RACE GOES INTERNATIONAL!
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NUCLEAR AMAZING RACE GOES INTERNATIONAL!
The Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) hosted a Nuclear Amazing Race on June 20, 2019 with participants representing 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region as part of the Regional Training Course for Teachers to Introduce Nuclear Sciences in Secondary Schools through Innovative Approaches.
The course is conducted under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Project RAS0079 on Educating Secondary Students and Science Teachers on Nuclear Science and Technology.
PNRI at 2019 NSTW: Director Arcilla at FAST TALK
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PNRI at 2019 NSTW: Director Arcilla at FAST TALK
PNRI Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla dispels the myths and misconceptions about nuclear science and technology during the Facts for Awareness on Science and Technology (FAST) TALK on July 19, 2019 as part of the 2019 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
Forceful but engaging, Dr. Arcilla emphasized the indispensable roles and advantages of nuclear science and technology not only in the field of energy, but also in the medical field, where early diagnosis and treatment of cancer could save thousands of Filipino lives.
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Original Post: July 23, 2019
"NuLab" Mobile Science Facility Rolled Out at 2019 NSTW
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"NuLab" Mobile Science Facility Rolled Out at 2019 NSTW
Students from San Francisco High School and researchers from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) were among the first to experience one of DOST's newest mobile science facility - the "nuLab" bus.
NuLab is a bus designed to enable secondary school students to discover their potentials in various disciplines in Science, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), including nuclear science and technology, and eventually consider careers along these lines. It is equipped with audio-visual and educational tools and equipment useful in introducing concepts and developing skills among the students relevant to building the future human resource of an IR 4.0-ready Philippines.
Among the modules being used in the nuLab are nuclear science-related experiments, including detection of radiation in the environment using survey meters.
The facility also includes a strategic campaign called “#Push4Science: Maging DOST Scholar Ka!” at the end of every session, to persuade the student participants to apply to the DOST-SEI undergraduate scholarship programs.
The nuLab was rolled-out by the DOST-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) as part of the students' activity during the 2019 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) from July 17-21, 2019 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City.
See more photos at https://www.facebook.com/PNRIDOST/posts/901033333575406
Original Post: July 15, 2019
Filipino Scientists to use Radiation to Sterilize, Reduce Dengue Mosquito Population
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PNRI researchers conducting experiments on an Aedes mosquito colony at the PNRI laboratory
Filipino Scientists to use Radiation to Sterilize, Reduce Dengue Mosquito Population
With the Department of Health declaring a national dengue alert due to the increasing number of dengue cases in several regions, the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) continues to harness nuclear S&T to help mitigate the perennial dengue problem in the Philippines.
Using radiation to sterilize mosquitoes, PNRI scientists are starting to develop the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to reduce the population of Aedes aegypti, which serves as the vector for dengue, chikungunya and zika virus.
Male mosquitoes are reared in the laboratories to be exposed to gamma radiation which sterilizes the insects, after which they will be released to partner with females in the target areas.
Under natural conditions, female mosquitoes mate only once in their lifetime, and, unlike male mosquitoes, are the ones which transmit the dengue virus by biting a person since it feeds on human blood. Mating with sterilized male mosquitoes produces no offspring, and when sterile males are continuously released in the target area, the population of mosquitoes can be reduced.
Researchers aim to use the SIT along with other conventional methods of pest control. But unlike pesticides, sterilizing male mosquitoes does not pollute the environment and affects only the target insect while sparing many other natural mosquito predators. Moreover, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for the mosquitoes to become resistant against radiation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an international organization within the United Nations system, also supports the development of SIT in many countries for use against pests as well as vectors of various diseases.
More recently, the SIT was successfully able to help suppress the mosquito populations in a pilot trial in Guangzhou, China, according to the IAEA.
PNRI has previously used the SIT to help control the population of fruit flies in Guimaras Island, famed for its export-quality mangoes.
As the SIT for Aedes mosquitoes is still being developed in the Philippines, researchers are focusing on the improvement of rearing protocols, studying various radiation doses at which sterilized male mosquitoes are still capable of competing for mates with mosquitoes in the wild, mosquito fertility and population dynamics, among others.
