Sirish Subash, a 14-year-old 9th grader of Indian descent from Snellville, Georgia, has taken first place in the prestigious 3M Young Scientist Challenge with his groundbreaking invention, PestiSCAND.
This portable device leverages AI-based spectrophotometry to detect pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables with impressive accuracy exceeding 85%.
Sirish, who envisions a future at MIT, plans to enhance the $20 device’s capabilities and hopes it will help consumers make safer, healthier choices.
He received a $25,000 prize, which he plans to put toward his education, bringing him closer to his dream of pioneering new technologies.
