An 18-year-old Blenheim student’s study on levels of Vitamin D in oyster mushrooms has won him the 2013 Prime Minister’s Future Scientist Prize.
Tom Morgan, grew oyster mushrooms in the dark and then exposed them to ultraviolet light for varying periods of time before testing their concentration of ergocalciferol or Vitamin D.
The work highlights the potential for others to investigate ways to improve Vitamin D concentrations in food stuffs with a goal of addressing Vitamin D deficiency, which is linked to osteoporosis and is a major cause of suffering and disability around the world.
You can see more winners at Radio New Zealand News.
