Jinju Yi of Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School placed fourth in the team category of the national finals of the Siemens Competition. Jinju is one of only two students from Long Island to place nationally in the highly prestigious national science competition.

Jinju, who worked with Vijay Jain of Herricks High School, did her project on Surface Molecular Imprinting of a Nanoscale Biosensor for the Rapid Detection of Bioterrorist Agents and Early Diagnosis of Cancer. Using molecular imprinting this device can screen for viruses with both anti-terrorism and cancer applications. The final round of the competition was held over the weekend at New York University.

The Siemens Foundation provides nearly $2 million in college scholarships and awards each year for talented high school students in the United States. Its signature programs, the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology and the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, reward exceptional achievement in science, math and technology.