Student invents new way to fight the deadly flu
2013 Google Science Fair Winner Eric Chen combined computer modeling and biological studies and identified a number of novel, potent endonuclease inhibitors to fight highly lethal influenza viruses
A way to diagnose melanoma cancers early. A metallic exoskeleton glove that assists the movement of the human palm. New ways to warn about oncoming emergency vehicles.
The winners of the 2013 Google Science Awards, announced Sept. 23 at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., have some incredible ideas for how to improve the world around us. And these young geniuses have room to grow: The contest is for students age 13-18.
Eric Chen, the 17-year-old winner in the oldest age group and the Grand Prize Winner, devised a way to quickly sift through thousands of potential flu medicines on his computer before winnowing out the most promising lead.
“The flu isn’t this benign virus … flu kills people, and it can kill a lot of people,” he told FoxNews.com.
Each of the winners received prizes from Google and its Science Fair partners: European science group CERN, LEGO, National Geographic and Scientific American. Ann Makosinksi, a 15-year-old Canadian, won in the 15-16 age group for inventing a battery-free flashlight. Fourteen-year-old Viney Kumar from Australia won in the 13-14 age group for a system to signal emergency vehicles. And Elif Bilgin, a 16-year-old from Turkey, won the voter’s choice award for her technique for creating bioplastic from banana peel.
“It was a wonderful and amazing feeling. I had like a million things going through my head,” Chen said.
Read about all the great ideas at www.googlesciencefair.com/en/2013/