A Plus: Andover High's Puloma Bishnu and Veni Dole

JUNIORS IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND ALREADY ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY FIELD. >> ANTOINETTE ANTONIO INTRODUCES US TO TWO TEENAGE GIRLS MAKING A NAME FOR THEMSELVES IN THE SCIENCE WORLD WITH A RESEARCH PROJECT THAT WOULD HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. SHE TAKES US TO ANDOVER HIGH SCHOOL FOR THIS WEEK'S A PLUS! >> IT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF ALL THESE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES >> 16 YEAR OLD PULOMA BISHNU AND 17 YEAR OLD VENI DOLE HAVE A GENIUS IDEA TO TACKLE THE ISSUE OF PLASTIC WASTE GETTING INTO THE OCEAN. >> OUR PROJECT IS CALLED ENGINEERED BACTERIA FOR OCEAN PET DEGREDATION. SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS DESIGNED A BACTERIA THAT WE WOULD GENETICALLY ENGINEER. >> THAT BACTERIA SINCE IT'S ACTIVATED BY SALTWATER, IT WOULD BEGIN TO BREAK DOWN THE PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN >> GOT THAT? OK.. IT WAS HARD WRAP MY HEAD AROUND IT AT FIRST TOO. SO THEY PUT TOGETHER THIS VIDEO TO SHOW THE POTENTIAL OF ' ‘BOTTLES BE GONE'. IT'S BASICALLY A SELF-DISSOLVING BOTTLE. ENGINEERED BACTERIA IS PLACED UNDER THE LABEL IT ACTIVATES WHEN IT HITS THE OCEANAND CAUSES THE BOTTLE TO BREAK DOWN OVER TIME. PRETTY IMPRESSIVE RIGHT?? THEY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA IN ANDOVER HIGH SCHOOL'S BIO-BUILDER CLUB. >> THEY'RE DOING RESEARCH AT ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT, THEY'RE SKYPING WITH OTHER SCIENTISTS ON THE WEEKENDS, WE SKYPE SUNDAY NIGHTS WE GET TOGETHER AND TALK AND THEN THEY APPLY TO COMPETITION ON TOP OF THAT >> WE ALSO RUN THE WOMEN IN STEM CLUB HERE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL SO WE STARTED THAT BECAUSE AS WE GOT MORE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT WE REALIZED THAT NOT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES ARE OPEN TO THEM >> WITH THE PUSH TO GET MORE GIRLS INVOLVED IN STEM SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH THEY KNOW THE YOUNGER GENERATION IS LOOKING TO THEM FOR INSPIRATION. >> THE MESSAGE WE WANT TO SEND TO YOUNG GIRLS IS YOU CAN DO IT. IF YOU PUT IN THE TIME, IF YOU MAKE THE EFFORT TO LEARN THE THINGS YOU WANT TO LEARN YOU CAN FIND SUCCESS IN STEM >> AND WE CAN BET THEY'LL FIND SUCCESS IN THE WORLD OF BIO-TECHNOLOGY. PULOMA BISHNU AND VENI DOLE OF ANDOVER HIGH SCHOOL. THIS WEEK'S A PLUS! >> THEY ARE ALSO MAKING SURE THEIR RESEARCH IS GETTING ATTENTION THEY'VE PRESENTED AT SEVERAL BIOLOGY COMPETITIONS AND CONFERENCES RECENTLY. THEY ARE ALSO WORKING WITH SCIENTISTS AROUND THE COUNTRY AS MOVE TOWARD THE EXPERIMENTAL PHASE OF THEIR PRO