AHS student cleans up at state science fair

Austin High School sophomore John Register knows his science.

That's clear because he recently returned from the Minnesota State Science Fair Competition with several awards for his project titled "Sustainable Controls of Septoria on Solanum Lycopersicum."

In simpler terms, Register found a way to increase tomato production by decreasing disease.

Register said he came up with the idea through a project he's been working on for two years.

"I've been doing tomato production involving how to increase the production," he said. "I found out that I was losing 80 percent of the production due to disease. This year I realized that if I wanted to increase production, I'd have to reduce the disease."

According to Register, a bacterium called "bacillus subtilis" destroys the disease while keeping the tomatoes organic and increasing production by 100 percent.

"This could work for a commercial grower or a home grower," he said.

The state science fair, held March 25-27 in St. Paul, is an annual event showcasing Minnesota's brightest students in the field of science. It is a culmination of regional fairs held throughout the winter.

Register received the Ecolab Green Award, which is given to the top senior high project that demonstrates long-term benefits for a clean environment and the use of "green" products or systems. He was also the Gold Grant Award recipient, which is the third time he has won the award. It goes to competitors whose projects are in the top 5 percent of the total projects. At the Tri-State Symposium, Register presented a research paper on his project and finished in sixth place. He also received one of the American Junior Academy of Science award, which are given to the top four presenters.

Register credits his mother, who has a master's in plant physiology, for his interest in science. "She helps me during my experiments," he said.

Austin High School principal Brad Bergstrom said the awards say a lot about Register, and believes his success comes from an internal source, in addition to his family.

"It absolutely says a lot about the hard work that John is willing to put in, and his commitment to the sciences," Bergstrom said. "It's obviously an area that he enjoys; he gets family support for it; and most importantly, he's putting in the time to put together a quality project year after year."

Bergstrom said that although there are opportunities to participate in science fairs at the elementary level, at the high school level, students who want to participate in science fairs can do so at events in Austin.

Science fairs "aren't necessarily part of the high school curriculum," Bergstrom said. "It is motivation that comes from the students themselves to want to be a part of something like this."