Young scientist takes shrimp shells, chicken feathers to create degradable bioplastic

Granbury High School junior Scout Skaggs won first place in her division at the Texas Science & Engineering fair held virtually March 15-April 11.

Skaggs won first in the Environmental Engineering Division for “A Hybrid Bioplastic and Its Properties.” 

“This puts Scout in an elite group of young scientists and engineers since she represents one of the top 20 science research projects in the state of Texas,” said GHS science teacher Priscilla Lumbreras. “She has dedicated three years to creating a completely degradable hybrid bioplastic out of shrimp shells, chicken feathers and plants.”

As part of the award, Skaggs also received a full scholarship to the Governor’s Science and Technology Champions Academy at SMU during the summer.

“While at the academy, Scout will be able to work in the laboratories of several leading scientists and engineers,” Lumbreras said. “Some of the topics studied by the laboratories she will be able to access include drone-powered research, cyber security, fossil research and exhibit preparation, micro-robotics and geothermal heat mapping.”

Skaggs was among three GHS students advancing from the 70th Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair held virtually in February. She was joined by juniors Zachary Massey and Isabella Sanchez, who both have been state contestants the past two years.

Massey competed with “Talk to Me: A Translating Device for the Deaf,” while Sanchez entered with her project “The Effect of Red 40 Lake of the Aggression of Subsequent Generations of D. melanogaster.”