High school students publish scientific article on essential oils in peer-reviewed journal

Two seventeen-year-old students from a public school in São Caetano do Sul have done something most high schoolers never accomplish: they published original research in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Isabella Almeida Juli and Izzis Nascimento Costa, both students at EME Profª Alcina Dantas Feijão, saw their article appear in the Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research on Monday, May 18th, 2026—the culmination of work that began in their school's Science Club and was guided by their chemistry teacher, Maurizio Fioretti.

The research itself emerged from a practical question: what happens when people use essential oils and other natural substances without proper professional guidance? The two students designed an experiment to examine the risks involved, treating the topic with the kind of critical rigor that distinguishes genuine scientific inquiry from wellness marketing. They presented their findings at the II Science Expo of São Caetano do Sul in 2025, where they had been invited to participate by the local professional development center. What began as a school presentation became something larger.

Fioretti, reflecting on the moment after their expo success, described the students in terms that reveal how he saw their potential: "I had two diamonds in my hands and needed to polish them." That image—of raw talent requiring careful work—captures what happened next. The teacher encouraged them to transform their presentation into a formal scientific article, a prospect that initially frightened them. Both students were seventeen, working within the constraints of a high school schedule, attempting to navigate the conventions of academic publishing. "We were scared," Izzis recalls, "but Maurizio told us, 'You know this subject, you can do this,' and we really did. It was actually fun."

The hardest part came not from the writing itself but from finding a journal willing to consider work from high school researchers at all. Academic publishing operates within strict hierarchies, and most journals assume their authors hold university positions. Fioretti encountered repeated rejections based on this assumption alone. Rather than accept those gatekeeping responses, he persisted. He contacted the Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research directly, explained the situation, and made his case. The journal responded by asking for revisions—a sign they were taking the work seriously—and eventually accepted it for publication. The article was approved on April 2nd, 2026.

For both students, the experience has clarified their futures. Izzis plans to study Biomedicine, a field that builds directly on the biological knowledge she developed through this project. She speaks of the article as a door opener, a credential that signals she belongs in scientific spaces. Isabella has chosen Pharmacy, a decision she credits to Fioretti's patient explanations during the research process. What might have remained abstract—the connection between chemistry and a career path—became concrete through the work of creating and publishing actual research.

Fioretti's role in this story extends beyond mentorship into something closer to advocacy. He saw potential in two students and refused to let institutional barriers prevent them from realizing it. His confidence in them proved justified. When asked about their prospects, he speaks with the authority of someone who has spent years in research: given the depth of knowledge they have already demonstrated, he says, they possess the capacity to work in any research institute. For two high school students in a public school system, that assessment amounts to a kind of blessing—not a prediction of what they might become, but a recognition of what they already are.