A STUDENT from Our Lady of Sion school in Worthing has won the top prize category at a national youth competition.

Blaise Cloran, 14, was victorious at the British Science Association’s Youth Grand Challenges, an education initiative run in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Blaise wowed the judges with her innovative project in which she developed a quicker and more efficient method for diagnosing hepatitis in developing countries.

She took an existing test, called the ELISA test, and combined it with silk fibroin to create a cheap and quick tool that can be easily transported without needing refrigeration and doesn’t need to be administered by a trained professional.

A group of students from Davison CE High School for Girls in Worthing also won in the bronze category of the competition.

Isabel Clack and Beth Hoare, both 14, were the highest ranked in their category with their innovative project to design and create a period sanitation kit for girls in developing countries.

Isabel and Beth wanted to find a way to tackle the huge drop-out rate in education from girls in India when they hit puberty – due to poor period sanitation.

Girls just simply stop going to school as it is too hard to manage.

They have created their own kit to disseminate in schools which includes a pair of knickers fitted with a plastic sleeve, washable cotton pads and a template to make their own, and a washable and discreet bag to carry it all in.

Blaise will receive a £1,500 travel bursary to continue her studies in honour of her incredible achievement.

Isabel and Beth will receive a day’s field trip with the Anturus team to experience being a field scientist.

The awards ceremony was hosted by TV presenter Rick Edwards.