This 14-year-old girl won a $25K prize for any discovery that can lead to relief from Covid-19

by Glenn Maxwell

This 14-year-old girl won a $25K prize for any discovery that can lead to relief from Covid-19
As scientists all over the world race to locate a strategy to the coronavirus, a youthful girl included in this sticks out.

Anika Chebrolu, a 14-year-old from Frisco, Texas, just won the 2020 3M Youthful Researcher Challenge — along with a $25,000 prize — for any discovery that may give a potential therapy to Covid-19.

Anika’s winning invention uses in-silico methodology to uncover a lead molecule that may selectively bind towards the spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

“The final 2 days, I saw that there’s lots of media hype about my project because it requires the SARS-CoV-2 virus also it reflects our collective wishes to finish this pandemic when i, like everybody else, wish that people return to our normal lives soon,” Anika told CNN.

The coronavirus has wiped out greater than 1.a million people globally since China reported its first situation around the world Health Organization (WHO) in December. The U . s . States has greater than 219,000 deaths, based on data in the Johns Hopkins College Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

Anika, who’s Indian American, posted her project when she is at eighth grade — however it wasn’t always likely to be centered on finding relief from Covid-19.

Initially, her goal ended up being to use within-silico techniques to identify a lead compound that may bind to some protein from the influenza virus.

“After making an effort researching about pandemics, infections and drug discovery, it had been crazy to consider which i was really coping with something similar to this,” Anika stated.

“Due to the immense harshness of the Covid-19 pandemic and also the drastic impact it’d made around the world in this small amount of time, I, with the aid of my mentor, altered directions to focus on the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”

Anika stated she was motivated to find potential cures to infections after researching the 1918 flu pandemic and discovering the number of people die each year within the U . s . States despite annual vaccinations and anti-influenza drugs available on the market.

“Anika comes with an inquisitive mind and used her curiosity to inquire about questions regarding a vaccine for Covid-19,” Dr. Cindy Moss, the court for that 3M Youthful Researcher Challenge, told CNN.

“Her work was comprehensive and examined numerous databases. She also developed an awareness from the innovation process and it is a masterful communicator. Her readiness to make use of her some time and talent to really make the world a much better place provides for us all hope.”

Anika stated winning the prize and title of top youthful researcher is definitely an recognition, but her work is not done.

Her next goal, she states, is to do business with scientists and researchers who’re fighting to “control the morbidity and mortality” from the pandemic by developing her findings into a real remedy for herpes.

“My effort to locate a lead compound to bind towards the spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus this summer time may seem like stop by the sea, but nonetheless contributes to each one of these efforts,” she stated. “The Way I develop this molecule further with the aid of virologists and drug development specialists determines the prosperity of these efforts.”

Obviously, Anika also finds time for you to be normal 14-year-old. When she is not inside a lab or going after her objective of being a physician or investigator, Anika trains for that Indian classical dance known as Bharatanatyam, which she’s been practicing for eight years.

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