The first Venezuelan Nanotechnology Olympics 2026 come to an end

Published at: 28/09/2026 11:32 AM

The first Venezuelan Nanotechnology Olympics (OVN) 2026 culminated in a closing ceremony held at the facilities of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MINCYT), an emblematic event that marked a milestone in the country's scientific development and during which authorities and organizers congratulated the participants, highlighting the high talent and ingenuity of Venezuelan youth.

In this regard, the Deputy Minister for the Communalization of Science for Production, Danmarys Hernández, highlighted the importance of all the projects presented, highlighting their high level for the development and scientific and technological support of Venezuela.

“Each one of you is already a winner for having come this far, representing the 3986 young people registered nationwide. From this large group, we selected 100 finalists and, after the evaluation of the submissions by the jury, the winners were defined. Although some are recognized today, these Olympics are just one more step for all of you to fall more and more in love with science,” he said.

This nationwide deployment, according to a press release, became the stage for middle school students to demonstrate their potential. Throughout the day, young people competed and exchanged ideas through avant-garde projects, characterized by their technical and creative level.

For his part, Eloy Sira Galíndez, Deputy Minister of Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education (MINEducación), mentioned that the coordination with the MINCYT allowed the participation of young people with innovative projects that promote motivation towards scientific knowledge.

“This generation will be the generation of scientists in the country, together with the Ministry of Popular Power for Education, to carry out this task of socializing to guarantee that generation of success and relief in order to move the country forward,” he said.

UFO 2026 Honor Roll

CATEGORY A PROJECTS

1- FAGOCLEAN: Chitosan nanocapsules (169—190 nm) with lytic bacteriophages, for the disinfection of surfaces with release activated by bacterial biochemistry.

2- Core-Dual-Shell Nanocatalyst: used in the in situ aquathermolysis process for the extraction of heavy and extra heavy oil on a laboratory scale.

3- PLGA-PEG nanovectors: functionalized with APBA for the subcutaneous release of insulin for type 1 diabetic patients.

Category A

First place:

A-09 Team (Eliezer Martínez - Delta Amacuro, Isaac Romero - Táchira, Isaías Ramírez - Barinas, María Salinas - Yaracuy, Yoangel Zurita - Sucre).

Second place:

A-07 Team (Diego Febres — Monagas, Camila Álvarez — Apure, Larry Sanchez — Lara, Leonardo Terán — Caracas, Emmanuel Laya — Amazonas).

Third place:

A-13 Team (Junior Garcia — Amazonas, Noemí Yari — Falcón, Yamir Soteldo — Yaracuy, Letizia Fernandez — Lara).

CATEGORY B PROJECTS

1- Theranostic platform for the purification of uremic toxins in blood plasma based on superparamagnetic nanoparticles immobilized in nanostructured networks under the action of a magnetic field and quantum carbon dots as toxin detectors using tunable fluorescence.

2- Evaluation of oxygen nanobubble (O²-NB) technology in irrigation water for the mitigation of root hypoxia in corn (Zea mays) crops under the soil conditions of the Venezuelan Plains.

3- Development of a nanomagnetic immunochromatographic platform for the detection of HIV p24 in cervicovaginal secretions.

Category B

First place:

Team B-02 (Lorena Ugueto — Miranda, Hector Marulanda — Carabobo, Eimy Perez — Apure, Juan Mendoza — Lara, Emily Figueras — Sucre).

Second place:

Team B-04 (Gleyber Cárdenas — Apure, Hans Delgado — Táchira, Victoria Ladrón De Guevara — Lara, Miguel Lagente — Monagas, Valentina Marín — Falcón).

Third place:

B-07 Team (Ángel Gil — Mérida, Luis Tamayo — Yaracuy, José Chávez — Zulia, Miguel Mota — Monagas).

Absolute Awards and Honorable Mentions

Category A:

First place: Yoangel Zurita (Sucre).

Second place: Gabriela Ramírez (Amazon).

Third place: Eliezer Martínez (Delta Amacuro).

Honorable mention: Leonardo Terán (Caracas).

Honorable mention: Yaretzi Arias (Barinas).

Category B:

First place: Lorena Ugueto (Miranda).

Second place: Victoria Ladrón De Guevara (Lara).

Third place: José Chávez (Zulia).

Honorable mention: Valentina Marín (Falcón).

Honorable mention: Mairelith Rojas (Monagas).

Mazo News Team