HÀ NỘI — Lưu Hải Long has never been an outstanding student.

He’s just your average 11th grader at Phan Đình Phùng High School in Hà Nội. 

When he told his teachers that he wanted to participate in the SWIS contest – an annual contest for students with start-up ideas organised by the Ministry of Education and Training – no one believed he would get anywhere. 

Most national contests, including SWIS, attract gifted students from top-ranking high schools who are trained to compete.

Long’s only knowledge of start-ups came via television programmes and Youtube.

But he, together with four classmates, surprised both teachers and students. Their project to manufacture nano-rutin dietary supplements won first prize at SWIS 2018. 

“I was mostly in disbelief to hear our project won first prize. Competing with outstanding contestants and winning the highest prize is such a milestone achievement for me,” Long said.

Formulating nano-sized rutin

The idea of making a dietary supplement to help prevent people suffering from strokes popped into Long’s head early last year when he witnessed his grandfather at risk of paralysis due to a stroke. He, together with Dương Xuân Anh, Nguyễn Đức Hiếu, Phạm Quang Huy and Bùi Hương Ly, started researching rutin as a possible means of preventing strokes.

In an introductory clip, the group said rutin was mostly extracted from hoè (sophora japonica), which grows widely in Thái Bình Province.

Flower buds and seed pods are an important source of rutin, which is used in the treatment of conditions characterised by increased capillary permeability and fragility. 

In addition, rutin is also a natural molecule with anti-oxidative properties and free radical clean-up, so it has the potential to treat diseases like cancer, cardiovascular problems, diabetes and Parkinsons.

The problem was that rutin is tiny and doesn’t dissolve well.

Reducing the particle size of rutin to sub-micrometre scale was my solution for the problem, Ly said.

In September, the group sought support from teachers, biochemical specialists and laboratory equipment from the University of Science and Technology.

In just two months, they managed to formulate rutin particles of less than 50 nanometres.

In this form, the rutin is more easily digested and more effective.

Two months later, the group managed to make their first test products at the Trường Thọ Medical Factory in Nam Định Province. A kilogram of nano-sized rutin capsules was successfully produced. The products were on display at the contest’s exhibition last December. 

After winning first prize, the group has transferred the research results to a private nanotechnology company in Hà Nội with the hope of contributing to the production of rutin-extracted supplements to protect and cure people from stroke.

Source of success

The success of Long and his classmates has been attributed to his father, PhD Lưu Hải Minh.

As an economic post-graduate in Brazil and chairman of a private nanotechnology company, Minh was able to support his son.

“It’s not easy for high school students to do everything by themselves. They need support with ideas and maps to find the right path to success,” he said.