14-year-old named America's Top Young Scientist for inventing an AI handheld pesticide detector

3M and Discovery Education named Sirish Subash, a 9th grader at Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology in Snellville, Georgia, the winner of the 2024 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation's premier middle school science competition.

Sirish set himself apart with an AI handheld pesticide detector. As the grand prize winner, he received a $25,000 cash prize and the prestigious title of "America's Top Young Scientist."

Sirish Subash's project, Pestiscand, is a handheld device designed to detect pesticide residues on produce using a non-destructive method. It employs spectrophotometry, which involves measuring how light of various wavelengths is reflected off the surface of fruits and vegetables. A machine learning model then analyzes this data to determine the presence of pesticides. Pestiscand consists of a sensor, a power supply, a display screen, and a processor. During testing, the device achieved an accuracy rate of identifying pesticide residues on spinach and tomatoes of greater than 85%, meeting the project's objectives for effectiveness and speed.

3M Young Scientist Challenge finalists are paired with a 3M scientist who mentors and works with them one-on-one over the summer to transform their idea from concept to prototype. This year's winner was paired with Aditya Banerji, Senior Research Engineer of 3M's Corporate Research Process Laboratory.