Sociable Science Wins Top Prize
Students break down information barriers to natural health
New to YouTube, the winning Comvita Science Challenge video entry announced last night, Omeganation, did what some would find surprising – it made an entertaining link between fish* and the human ability to form
connections.
Challenged with creating a short video that explains the science behind some of Nature’s healthiest foods, Jacob Monash,
Tessa Monash, and Carlos Espinoza Tapia took out the $5,000 prize, successfully showing how Omega 3 promotes healthy
brain activity in a fun clip relevant to all viewers – not just those in lab coats.
Click here to see the winning clip and runner-up: www.comvitasciencechallenge.co.nz
“One of the barriers to natural health is that the science is not understood. Unfortunately, this means that people
don’t benefit from the health enhancing properties of foods right at their fingertips,” said Dr. Ralf Schlothauer, Chief
Technology Officer at Comvita.
“That’s why we challenged Auckland University Students to present a short clip that makes the science behind the
wellness properties of natural foods relevant to general consumers.”
Announced on Thursday 6 May at 6:00pm, Omeganation was the clear winner with a 10 point margin. Tapping into our human
need to be sociable, the Omeganation clip highlighted the role Omega 3 plays in creating more connections in the brain
and the health effects.
[FROM CLIP: Okay, so in your body there are cells called neurons that communicate information. On these calls are little
arms called neurites that pass messages from neuron to neuron. The more neurites there are, the more messages can
exchange and more sociable neurons lead to better functioning minds and bodies. So keep those neurons sociable by giving
them enough Omega 3 a day for a healthy and more active brain.]
“We were really impressed with the Omeganation clip. It was professional, had a very clear message that was easy to
understand and it grabs your attention. It was snappy, catchy and cool,” said the judges.
Winner Jacob Monash and his team were looking for an opportunity like the challenge when calls for entries went out: “We
really enjoyed the challenge of presenting information in a way that everyone can grasp it. With Omeganation we took a
solid analogy that everyone could get and made that the basis of our story.”
About the Science Challenge www.comvitasciencechallenge.co.nz
The Science Challenge was a joint initiative run by Comvita, the University of Auckland, and the student initiative
CHIASMA, and judged by Nikki Bezzant (food writer and founding editor of the Healthy Food Guide); Peter Griffin
(founding manager of the Science Media Centre and former Technology Editor of the New Zealand Herald); Brett Hewlett
(CEO of Comvita); Dr Ralf Schlothauer (Chief Technology Officer of Comvita); Kerry Loomes (Senior Lecturer in
Biochemistry within the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland) and Dick Bellamy (microbiologist and
molecular biologist and the former Dean of Science at the University of Auckland).
Entrants could choose from Manuka Honey, Broccoli, Propolis, Omega 3, Olive Leaf Complex and GreenTea as the Natural
food subject for their clip.
* Fish refers to Omega 3
About Comvita Ltd. www.comvita.com
Comvita enjoys a reputation as a premium global natural health brand and is committed to the development of innovative
natural health and wellbeing products backed by credible scientific research. With a proud 30-year heritage in
therapeutic bee-based products, Comvita is the world’s largest manufacturer and marketer of Manuka (Leptospermum) honey, however the Company has also developed its range of ingredient platforms, unique IP and products that meet
global consumer preferences in natural health. Comvita offers products in the categories of Woundcare, Healthcare,
Skincare and Functional Foods. The Company sells its products in over 20 countries with offices in New Zealand, Hong
Kong, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and the UK.
ENDS