HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-11-25, Page 28Thanks in part to Blyth student
Grant Sparling, seniors could enjoy
easier, less-invasive vaccinations in
the near future, due to his work at
the Shad Valley Program.
Sparling was one of 500 students
selected to be a participant in the
Shad Valley Program, a program
aimed at exceptional and motivated
high school students who are
brought in from all over the country
to work together to create entirely
new products or services based on a
theme.
This year’s challenge was to
develop a product for Canada’s
aging population.
Sparling’s group developed a non-
invasive vaccine delivery system
called Formulation V720, which has
now been granted a one-year
provisional patent.
Sparling was sent to Lakehead
University in Thunder Bay where
his group’s product was deemed
to be the best at the university
(students were sent to 10
different universities throughout
Canada).
As the top project, Sparling’s
product then went up against the
other top nine products where the
V720 finished in second place
overall. Sparling’s group had the
best marketing plan and the best
application of scientific principles,
but placed third in the business
plan.
The product is a pill designed to
deliver the influenza vaccine to
senior citizens. Sparling says it’s a
specially-designed capsule that will
release the vaccine in the small
intestine.During the development process,the group spoke with several expertsin the science that they were dealing
with, including a chemist, who
explained that the science behind the
product should work and that the
chemistry behind it is “sound”.
“If you’re over the age of 65,
you’re at a greater risk of influenza,”
Sparling said. “We worked to
develop a capsule that’s protected
from the digestive enzymes. It’s a lot
simpler, less expensive and less
painful.”
Sparling explained that the pill is
designed around fibre, which
cannot be digested, which
encapsulates the vaccine. The fibre
is held together by fatty acids. Once
in the small intestine, they are
broken down and the vaccine is then
released.
After speaking with a biochemist
and an immunologist, Sparling and
his group decided to patent the idea.
He travelled to Toronto to speaking
to one lawyer in regards to filing the
paperwork and then to another about
setting up a company, therefore
getting the wheels of the process
moving.
Under the provisional patent, the
product is protected for one year,
which gives Sparling and his group
one year to perfect the product and
do further research. When looking
into a patent, he said, there were no
products similar enough to his to
worry about. He said that there were
some products that were vaguely
similar, but nothing too close to
what they were trying to
accomplish.
“Right now, there’s no great
threat,” he said.
Sparling attended Shad Valley inJuly. He was first inspired to attendafter his sister, Jessica, who iscurrently attending Cornell
University, was a part of the
program. He admits, however, that
he hadn’t always been enthusiastic
about the program.
“Initially I thought it would be
like nerd camp,” he said. “My sister
explained that wasn’t the case.”
Sparling says there was a lot of
work involved, but that it was one of
the most fun experiences he has ever
had.
He said it was thrilling to be
surrounded by highly-motivated
students who all had a passion for
learning.
The final week leading to the
launch of his group’s product,
however, was “extremely intense”
he says.
“We were up until four or five in
the morning every night working on
our business plan,” he said.
He says the program has given
him more confidence in his abilities
and that he now sees what he is
capable of.
He said that initially, he had never
given much thought to pursuing
business in his post-secondary
studies, but that this experience at
Shad Valley has got him excited
about the potential he could have in
the world of business.
Seventeen-year-old Sparling
currently attends St. Anne’s Catholic
Secondary School in Clinton. While
he has not yet committed, he has
visited Dartmouth College in
Hanover, New Hampshire and really
liked the campus. He also hopes to
pursue track and field in his post-
secondary education.
A good start
Blyth high school student Grant Sparling placed second
overall, along with his group, at the Shad Valley Cup this
summer, where hundreds of students take a shot at
entrepreneurship and product development. Sparling’s
group developed a non-invasive vaccine tablet for which he
has received a one-year provisional patent. (Shawn Loughlin
photo)
PAGE 28. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010.Sparling develops vaccine tablet at Shad Valley
If you don’t know about nurse practitioners, they’re worth learning about. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional education and experience.
They can diagnose and treat most diseases, prescribe medicine, perform specific procedures and provide ongoing health care to patients of all ages.
They can be found as part of a Family Health Team or in Nurse Practitioner-Led clinics. You’ve got health care options nearby. Get to know them better.
Apply stitches if there’s a cut
Order X-rays
Diagnose a concussion
All of the above
A Nurse Practitioner can:
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen