Australian Teenage Science Prodigys Discover Ways to Reduce Antibiotic Resistance, Among Other "Phenomenal" Findings

Teenagers across Australia are producing scientific findings that could potentially change the way we live and the world we live in. One of the country's brightest young minds has developed a way to make bacteria less resistant to antibiotics. Another has created six new types of bioplastic including one which decomposes at 300 times faster than plastic. Two brothers have come up with a laser device to make road cycling safer.

The students were among 26 finalists in the BHP Science and Engineering Awards. In a testament to the quality of the work, these projects weren't the winners. The four award categories are engineering, investigations, innovator to the market and the teacher's award, with the winners announced at an event in Melbourne on Tuesday. Ever wondered if noxious fireweed, often eaten by sheep, is moving through the food chain and onto our dinner plates? That was Bega student Jade Moxey's experiment, which took out first place in the investigations category.

Have you ever thought about creating a new type of musical instrument? Toorak's Justin Mitchell came first in the engineering section with his design of the "hood-wind" instrument, a device stored in the pockets of a hoodie that allows the user to compose and play electronic music, heard only by the wearer...