Finalists, Mentors and Judges

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.

Amritha Praveen
ASD Screener - Early Risk Assessment of Autism Spectrum disorder using Machine Learning
Autism is one of the most common developmental disabilities that impact social and communication skills. While there is no cure, intensive early intervention can make a big difference in the quality of life for many children
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Asvini Thivakaran
Piezoelectric Power Generation from Automotive Tires
Global warming, climate change, and air pollution are some of the most prevalent global issues of today. Asnavi developed the Piezoelectric Power Generation from Automotive Tires
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Daniel Thomas
A Novel Dosing Pump to Prevent Clogs and Organic Overgrowth In AC Condensate Lines
Daniel developed a Novel Dosing Pump to Prevent Clogs and Organic Overgrowth In AC Condensate Lines
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Harini Venkatesh
The Comptometrist: An Efficient Way to Determine Myopic Power
Harini developed The Comptometrist, a prototype designed to cut down the time needed to determine myopic power in a patient’s eyes.
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John Lee
A Novel MoS2 Electrode for Enhancing Electrochemical Hydrogen Production
Hydrogen (H2) can improve energy consumption by producing an alternative energy source to carbon-based fuels.
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Leanne Fan
Finsen Headphones: Treating Mid-Ear Infections Using Machine Learning and Phototherapy
Leanne developed the Finsen Headphones: Treating Mid-Ear Infections Using Machine Learning and Phototherapy
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Sahasra Swargam
Soil Fungi Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Fights Climate Change using Artificial Intelligence and IOT
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas responsible for rising global temperatures and abrupt climate changes which threaten food production and ecological systems.
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Samaira Mehta
OVision - The Automatic Assessment of Ovarian Cancer Features & Mesothelin Protein Overexpression from Histopathological Images using Deep Learning
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the deadliest cancer of the female reproductive organs. 65% of ovarian cancer patients die each year in the United States alone. The best way to reduce that number is for doctors to develop a treatment plan that is specific to the patient and their condition.
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Shanza Sami
Pura Aerem: Leveraging Catalytic Converters for Enhanced Filtering Efficacy
Shanza developed a five-stage prototype with a diffuse filtration system, carbon nanotube (CNT) screening, electrolysis chamber, hydrogen fuel cells, and photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO) technology.
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Aadrit Talukdar
Smart and Reusable Packaging Solution for Online Order Shipments
Meet Aadrit. Aadrit developed a scalable and reusable shipping box that can be used for online order shipments to reduce or eliminate the use of oversized boxes and excess packing materials.
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Abhinav Anne
Revolutionary Next Generation Blood Storage Bags
Meet Abhinav. Abhinav developed a way to extend the safety and shelf-life of blood products with Nitric Oxide producing Polyurethane bag.
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Danielle Steinbach
Improving Brain Disease Outcomes
Danielle used deep neural networks to more accurately diagnose and treat neurological disorders and brain diseases.
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Moitri Santra
Innovative Engineering Tools for Controlling Harmful Algal Bloom
Meet Moitri. Moitri developed a novel optimized gel composed of Chitosan and Citric acid to induce algae coagulation and settlement in Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) effected bodies of water to reduce the suffocation and death of animal life and toxins that could lead to health problems for humans.
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Samarth Mahapatra
Accessibility Friendly Guidance System for Optimal Cooking Operations Based on Machine Learning
Meet Samarth. Samarth deployed edge computing and advance vision algorithms to help people with vision impairments cook with ease.
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Sarah Park
Spark Care+: Personalized Music Therapy for Mental Health Disorders
Meet Sarah. Sarah developed Spark Care+, a personalized music therapy treatment for mental health disorders using artificial intelligence (AI), galvanic skin response (GSR), and photoplethysmography (PPG).
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Snigtha Mohanraj
Ferro-Sponge: A Novel Way of Removing Microplastics and Oil from Water
Meet Snigtha. Snigtha discovered Ferro-Sponge, a novel way to remove microplastics and oil from contaminated water.
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Sydney Zhang
Developing a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity Method for Early Diagnosis of Dry Eye Diseases
Meet Sydney. Sydney developed a low-cost, high-sensitivity method for early diagnosis of dry eye disease (DED).
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Veda Murthy
Cognitive Emotion Interpretation Application (CEIA)
Meet Veda. Veda developed the Cognitive Emotion Interpretation Application (CEIA) that helps teachers and caregivers interpret the emotions an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) child is expressing.
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Viraj Pandey
Graphene Quantum Dots in the Conservation of Endangered Species
Meet Viraj. Viraj synthesized and innovatively applied graphene quantum dots (GQDs) to help track endangered species.
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Anika Chebrolu
Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic: In-Silico Molecular Docking Study of Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus to develop Novel Antiviral drug
Anika used in-silico methodology for drug discovery to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the Spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an attempt to find a cure for the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Ekansh Mittal
Modeling Gut Microbiome using 3D Microfluidics for Cancer Detection
Meet Ekansh. Ekansh developed a microfluidic device that mimics conditions of the gut microbiome to help test the relationship between bacteria and cancer, as well as new treatments against the disease-causing microorganisms and cancer cells.
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Harsha Pillarisetti
Honey Comb: An alternate approach to reduce indoor air pollution
Meet Harsha. Harsha identified an alternate, low-cost approach to reducing indoor air pollution using leaf-like structures inside the home.
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Kyle Tianshi
A Portable Microscopic Particle Meter Using Image Processing and Laser Microscopy
Meet Kyle. Kyle designed a portable Total Suspended Solids (TSS) device that easily and clearly detects invisible particles in water to monitor water quality and contamination levels.
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Laasya Acharya
An Approach to Detect Fruit Disease using Images
Meet Laasya. Laasya developed a solution that will allow farmers to easily and effectively detect diseased and unhealthy crops to reduce food waste and loss during the harvesting phase.
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