A 14-year-old student from Georgia has earned national recognition for developing a portable device that uses artificial intelligence to detect pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables.
Sirish Subash, a ninth-grade student from Snellville, created the handheld device PestiSCAND after becoming interested in the difficulty consumers face in determining what traces may remain on fresh produce even after it has been washed. As reported by USA Today, the project won him the title of America’s Top Young Scientist in October 2024, along with a $25,000 prize in the annual competition organised by 3M and Discovery Education.
