Hilo teen in science semifinals

By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor

A research project investigating whether fungi repel destructive ground termites has earned a Waiakea High School senior semifinalist honors in the prestigious 63rd Intel Science Talent Search.

Kolea C.K. Zimmerman, 17, of Volcano, was one of 300 students — and the only Hawai'i entrant — selected for the honor. The talent search, often referred to as the "Junior Nobels" because a number of past participants have gone on to win Nobel Prizes, considered 1,652 entrants this year representing 527 high schools.

Zimmerman and Waiakea High School will each receive awards of $1,000. The Big Island student also has a chance at being chosen one of 40 finalists who will attend the Science Talent Institute in Washington in March and compete for the top prize of a $100,000 scholarship.

Zimmerman titled his project "Crude Extracts of Polyporaceae Fungi Repel Formosan Subterranean Termites: An Ecological Evaluation." He said that after he found out that some forest logs with fungi had fewer termites than logs without fungi, he conducted tests that showed a chemical produced by the fungi interfered with the insect's digestion.

Don Hemmes, biology and natural sciences professor at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo, was Zimmerman's mentor for the project.

Zimmerman is the son of Elizabeth Kodis of Volcano and Robert Zimmerman of Hilo. He said he has not decided on a college, but would like to teach and conduct research at the university level.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.