High school students from around the world are developing the ideas today that will transform the world of the future. Last month, many such students showcased their ideas recently through the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Students from all over the globe participated in the competition, including students from Ukraine , many of whom participated despite having to leave their homes due to war. Check out more details about the participants and their projects here .
Cover photo: Robert Sansone, winner of the 2022 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, at Regeneron's International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Sofiia Smovzh, 17
Kyiv-Pechersk Lyceum, Kyiv, Ukraine
Sofiia Smovzh , originally from Kyiv, is currently in Paris, France. Her father and stepfather stayed behind in Ukraine, and she has been separated from her mother and sister who are now in Spain. She is currently trying to find a legal guardian with the hope of being able to attend university next year, a major concern since she has left her home country. Sofiia won $1,000 from the American Chemical Society and $500 in the Chemistry category for her research to improve drugs that are often used for cancer treatment.
Describe your research in a sentence or two.
The main goal of my research was to synthesize new analogues of the active substance of anticancer drug fotemustine. It is well-known that optical antipodes often have very different biological effects — one can be useful, while another may be harmful for organisms. Thus, obtaining only one “useful” enantiomer in the future in a larger scale will significantly lower drug toxicity. The obtained compounds will be further studied during clinical and preclinical trials to prove their effectiveness against melanoma and brain tumors.
What does it mean for you and your community to be able to participate in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair this year?
The most important thing about my participation in ISEF this year is to represent Ukraine as a strong and well-developed country in the field of science. Furthermore, I want to donate a portion of the money that I won for the Ukrainian army. Of course, my participation in ISEF is also a great personal achievement and the start of my scientific career.
Fun fact : I have also participated in Olympiads and other competitions. When I used to be an ordinary teenager in Ukraine, I enjoyed hanging out with friends, spending time with my family and going to school. But of course, the war has broken the normal ways that my life once was.
Mykhailo Shynder, 17
Richelieu Scientific Lyceum, Odesa, Ukraine
Mykhailo Shynder is from Odesa, Ukraine has created a scratch-like code editor that can translate text blocks to code and vice versa to help students move from visual languages to classical programming as easily as possible. Shynder won a $500 award in the Systems Software category at this year's competition, left Odessa with his parents and their cat on Feb. 26, traveling by car to an area near the Ukraine-Moldova border. The family then drove through several countries, including Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland and eventually made it to Riga, the capital of Latvia, in mid-March.
Describe your research in a sentence or two. In my research, I worked to make the process of writing code easier for elementary school students. I believe that education is always important and that making it more efficient and effective is one of the greatest ways to improve our communities. What does it mean for you and your community to be able to participate in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair this year? For me, it is a good feeling to see my work is getting noticed; that it is not a waste. Participating in ISEF this year, well, it is an achievement that makes me proud to be a part of the Ukrainian community.
Fun Fact: When I speak, I enjoy substituting some of my phrases to lines from songs and poems.
Rishab Jain, 17
Westview High School, Oregon
Rishab Jain , 17, of Portland, Oregon, received the second Regeneron Young Scientist Award of $50,000 for developing an AI-based model to enable rapid and cost-effective production of drugs, such as recombinant COVID-19 vaccines, using synthetic DNA engineering. His model is trained to optimize the selection of genetic codes in DNA.
Describe your research in a sentence or two. A lot of medicines and vaccines are made through recombinant expression — a technique where we can manipulate a cell to produce a protein we want. In my research, I used artificial intelligence to make a tool that is able to improve the rate of recombinant expression by optimizing the design of synthetic genes.
How can your research lead to solving challenges or addressing needs in your own community? The COVID-19 pandemic has unequivocally affected communities worldwide. I was inspired in part by the emergence of this global pandemic to look into vaccine and pharmaceutical production. My research can help increase recombinant protein production by an average of 236% which can help us manufacture more recombinant pharmaceuticals for the same amount of time, input plasmid, and cost. I noticed multiple recombinantly-produced vaccines that face efficacy concerns due to low production; my research can help expand the horizons for these medicines in the long-run.Fun fact: I make technology videos on YouTube and have almost 100,000 subscribers!
Robert Sansone, 17
Fort Pierce Central High School, Florida
Robert Sansone won first place in the Regeneron ISEF this year. He received the $75,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award. Robert’s research improved the torque (force) and efficiency of synchronous reluctance motors, which are rugged, efficient, magnet-free alternatives to traditional induction motors. He hopes his research will lead to sustainable manufacturing of electric vehicles that do not require magnets made from strategically important rare-earth elements.
Describe your research in a sentence or two. To help improve the sustainability of electric vehicles, I built and tested my own design of a high-performance electric motor that does not utilize rare-earth materials.
How can your research lead to solving challenges or addressing needs in your own community? To combat issues pertaining to climate change and the uncertain future of fossil fuels in the long term, the automotive industry has been begun the transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles.
The problem though is that most electric motor designs that are used to propel electric vehicles contain rare-earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium. These materials have a very high cost, unstable supply chains, and often severe environmental consequences when they are mined, among several other issues. As the demand for electric vehicles increases, these issues will further threaten the economic and environmental sustainability of the transportation sector. The automotive industry is moving away from the problem with fossil fuels, but I believe we are moving into a much bigger problem with rare-earth elements. Thus, by presenting a new electric motor design that exhibits high-performance without utilizing these materials, my research has the potential to find use in electric vehicle applications and reduce the demand for rare-earth elements.
Fun fact: I love outdoor activities, such as fishing, hunting and four-wheeler riding.
Sofiia Tymofieieva, 16
Chemical-Ecological Lyceum, Ukraine
Sofiia Timofieieva , from Dnipro, Ukraine, is now in Frankfurt, Germany. She created a new type of solid disinfectant that does not rely on antibiotics and that could improve the functionality of disinfectants in clinical settings, particularly as protection against otherwise resistant germs. She was in Kyiv when the war started, participating in ISEF’s affiliate Ukraine Fair. Then a missile hit an airport 6 kilometers from her home. She left the country and is staying with extended family in Germany. Her parents are still in Ukraine. She is in 10th grade.
Describe your research in a sentence or two. I created a type of solid disinfectant with prolonged activity that doesn't use antibiotics and could be used to wound dressings and other applications. For prevention of the formation of super-resistant microorganisms, another type of disinfectant — one that I worked on in my research with active chlorine form — can be used as an alternative. When used in wound dressings, this form will prolong the development of active chlorine without damaging the wound. Thus, the use of this type of disinfectant exempts the use of antibiotics in wound healing. What does it mean for you and your community to be able to participate in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair this year? It's a chance to present my work to the world — a chance to show what new things have been discovered. I was very happy to present my project and results internationally. I worked very long and hard on this project and was happy to share my achievements with many highly qualified people. Fun fact : For eight years I have been studying music (I play the piano) and have participated in many competitions.Anika Puri, 17
Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua, New York
Anika Puri , 17, of Chappaqua, New York, received the Peggy Scripps Award for Science Communication of $10,000 for her low-cost machine learning software that can analyze night-time infrared videos taken by a drone flown over the African wilderness to spot elephant poachers in real-time. In tests, her $300 system worked with 91% accuracy, a fourfold improvement over current systems, without needing high-resolution thermal cameras that can cost up to $10,000.
Despite the 1990 global ban on poaching, one elephant dies every 26 minutes at the hands of a poacher. In my research, I developed a low-cost machine learning software that can analyze movement patterns in night-time thermal infrared videos taken by a drone flown over the African wilderness to spot elephant poachers in real time. In tests, this $300 system worked with over 90% accuracy, a four-fold improvement over current systems, without needing high-resolution thermal cameras that can cost as much as $10,000.
How can your research lead to solving challenges or addressing needs in your own community? Poaching of elephants and other endangered species in Africa has reached crisis proportions, which is also highlighted by the United Nations Sustainability goal of halting biodiversity loss. My high accuracy, real-time wildlife poacher detection solution leverages machine learning-driven and spatio-temporal analysis to potentially save thousands of endangered animals, a significant contribution to the UN Sustainability Development Biodiversity goal. In addition, adapting my technology, ElSa, for other species, can potentially save thousands of endangered species, which will protect biodiversity, the variety of life in ecosystems necessary for us all.Fun fact : I really enjoy playing the harp and fell in love with the instrument in the 3rd grade! I also enjoy having dance parties and waiting for Taylor Swift to drop her new albums.
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