Finalists, Mentors and Judges
The 2025 3M Young Scientist Challenge Finalists and State Merit Winners have been announced! Use the tabs below to check out their big ideas and explore all finalists, winners, and 3M Scientist mentors!
Today’s Innovators
Get to know the diverse personalities of students, 3M Mentors, and others who have contributed their unique talents to the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Use the tabs below to explore exciting ideas and inspirations from previous years’ challenges.
Amaira Srivastava
FlavoPeel Cups: A Novel Approach to Food Waste, Malnutrition, and Plastic Pollution
Meet Amaira. created biodegradable cups infused with fruit peels to fight plastic waste, reduce food loss, and deliver natural nutrients through flavonoid-rich water.
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Aniket Sarkar
Moisture Capture: Atmospheric Solution to Agriculture
Meet Aniket. Aniket designed a low-cost atmospheric moisture capturing system that pulls water from dry air to help farmers grow crops in increasingly arid regions of the American Midwest and West.
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Anirudh Rao
An Alternative To Electrochemical Batteries Using 4-Layer Graphene Oxide and Fiberglass Substrate
Meet Anirudh. Anirudh developed a moisture-powered nano-generator that provides clean, affordable electricity for health and environmental sensors in areas without reliable access to power.
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Divyam Desai
Foundation Tilt Prevention System
Meet Divyam. Divyam built a smart irrigation system that monitors soil moisture around building foundations and waters each zone only as needed, helping prevent structural tilt while conserving water in clay-rich regions.
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Isha Marla
AlginaFAB - A Novel and Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Fiber Textiles using Alginate-Based Biofabrics
Meet Isha. Isha created AlginaFAB, a fabric made from seaweed and natural ingredients that mimics the strength and flexibility of traditional textiles while breaking down easily in the environment—offering an alternate future for fashion.
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Kevin Tang
FallGuard:A Realtime Fall Detection System for Home Safety
Meet Kevin. Kevin built a real-time fall detection system that uses video analysis and smart alerts to protect older adults at home—even in the dark—by recognizing falls with high accuracy and low latency on everyday devices.
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Kiyara Gunawardena
Continuous Observation and Research for Aquatic Life (CORAL)
Meet Kiyara. Kiyara built CORAL, a low-cost underwater robot that captures 360° reef footage and water data for months at a time—helping scientists monitor ocean health without needing divers.
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Reanna Bhuyan Patel
Reimagining Natural Heat Sources As Versatile Electricity Generation: Revolutionizing The Energy All Around Us
Meet Reanna. Reanna built a device that captures electricity from surrounding heat using thermoelectric principles, offering a clean, low-cost energy source for communities with limited access to reliable power.
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Sheyna Patel
PET Microplastic Removal In Water: Development of Novel Sustainable Hydrogel
Meet Sheyna. Sheyna developed a non-toxic hydrogel that captures and breaks down microplastics in water with over 93% efficiency, offering a powerful new tool to protect aquatic ecosystems.
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Shrey Arora
FreshMate
Meet Shrey. Shrey created FreshMate, a smart fridge device that tracks food expiration dates and helps families reduce waste, save money, and make smarter choices right from their kitchen.
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Aakash Manaswi
Carbon Dioxide to Save the Bees!
Meet Aakash. Aakash developed a natural treatment to save honeybee hives from being destroyed by the Varroa Mite.
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Ankan Das
A Shape Memory Alloy Based Intelligent Walking Robot For Inspection and Surveillance
Meet Ankan. Ankan created a mobile robot whose overall motion is generated by simple motions without having to use motors or gears.
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Hanna Suzuki
Audio Augmentation for Celestial Objects: Sonifying Constellations and Mapping their Sound Logos onto the Night Sky
Meet Hanna. Hanna created an AR experience by using a constellation sonifer to scan AR markers that would identify the data through sound.
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Minula Weerasekera
Creating an Organic Redox Battery
Meet Minula. Minula created a solution for storing energy for longer through organic compounds and a sulfur-based terhiophene.
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Prince Nallamothula
Enhancing Efficiency in Quantum Dot Solar Cells through Quantum Computational Simulations
Meet Prince. Prince created an innovative way to use quantum dots in solar cells and testing the cells through quantum chemistry.
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Rithvik Suren
TektonForecast AI Deep & Ensemble Learning Powered Earthquake Forecasting
Meet Rithvik. Rithvik is creating an alternate method to predict earthquakes using AI technology and identify sequences that will better forecast events in the future.
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Ronita Shukla
Spirulina as a novel means to sequestrate atmospheric carbon dioxide
Meet Ronita. Ronita developed an alternative approach to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide by increasing the rate of photosynthesis with spirulina (blue green algae).
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Sirish Subash
Pestiscand - An AI-based Handheld Pesticide Detector
Meet Sirish. Sirish created a method to detect pesticide residue on consumable produce using an AI based handheld detector.
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Steven Goodman
Synchronous Tropic Growth: A Novel Algorithm for Accurately Modeling Future Plant Growth from Photo- and Gravi-tropic Forces
Meet Steven. Steven created an algorithm that can achieve a more accurate prediction of future plant growth and advance agricultural production.
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William Tan
AI Smart Artificial Reef (AISAR)
Meet William. William created an AI Smart Artificial Reef that encourages coral, seashells, kelp and other marine life to grow in a safe and controlled environment.
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Adhip Maitra
Finding Effective Ways to Remove Carbonates from Ocean Water to Lower Acidity
Meet Adhip. Adhip developed a computer program that can detect cases of Ptosis, a condition in which the upper eyelid droops abnormally low.
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Anish Kosaraju
A Novel Machine Learning Approach to Preventing Account Takeovers for Enhanced Cybersecurity
Meet Anish. Anish built a new method to improve cybersecurity measures by combating cyber account takeovers that does not require Multi Factor Authentication.
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Anisha Dhoot
Using Kelp Seaweed to Improve Food Security and Fight Climate Change: Building Soil Parametric Database and Exploring AI/ML Application to Improve Productivity and Reduce Carbon Footprint
Meet Anisha. Anisha’s project focuses on utilizing kelp seaweed to improve soil quality and crop selection.
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Annie Katz
Automated Ultrasound Hamstring Lesion Detection & Diagnosis
Meet Annie. Annie created an affordable in-home ultrasound device and detection programming that can identify hamstring lesions.
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