The 2023 EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) was held on 13-15 September in Brussels. EuChemS donates a special prize to award the best chemistry entry, which, this year, was received by Martyna Kniazevaitė.

Martyna’s project, titled Reduction of Perchlorate lon Concentrations in Martian Soil using Azospira oryzae, was submitted under the category of environment, its strong relevance to chemistry, and societal importance is undeniable. The project investigates the soil of the planet Mars, and looks into how its perchlorate content can be reduced in order to make it suitable for agricultural uses, as well as oxygen production. According to Martyna’s project, the key for this is the bacteria Azospira oryzae.

Learn more about her project and EUCYS in EuChemS Magazine. You can learn about previous awardees here.