Armidale Year 12 student Nevada Guiance has been announced as the recipient of the Australian Grand Prize for Inquiry for 2025 in the ASTA iCubed Science Awards.
Guiance, from PLC Armidale, was awarded the prize by a panel of esteemed STEM professionals who came together recently to judge the ASTA iCubed Science Awards, where eight exceptional senior high school students from across Australia showcased their groundbreaking scientific research and engineering projects.
Organisers of this national science fair, which provides opportunities for students from all backgrounds to pursue their dreams and push the boundaries of innovation, say their young minds demonstrated “an incredible level of sophistication, creativity, and passion as they tackled complex challenges—proving that the future of STEM is in great hands”.
Guiance’s passion for chemistry and physics soon focused on fluorescent sensing after she heard about an unexplained experimental result conducted by a PhD student.
Fluorescent sensing is a way of using molecules that emit a specific wavelength or colour of light when they become excited. By glowing, they can detect the presence of small ions and molecules.
Guiance focused on a type of fluorescent sensing that is a really promising method of chemical sensing, given it does not require a chemical reaction and is very sensitive.
“Fluorescent sensing is a highly applicable and emerging field in chemistry that has countless applications,” she said.
“In my project, the application of my sensor is to food samples to test for spoilage and if samples have gone off.”
The ASTA iCubed judges say the process is highly applicable to a range of emerging fields in chemistry and health, including trying to reliably determine if food has spoiled.
Head of STEM at PLC Armidale, Mr Jonathon Shumack, says Guiance’s project serves as a reminder that scientific progress often comes from unexpected turns.
“The ability to adapt, question, and pursue anomalies is what leads to breakthroughs,” Mr Shumack said.
“As we continue to foster a culture of inquiry at our school, we celebrate students who, like the great scientists before them, are willing to follow the data wherever it leads.”
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