15-year-old US student invents low-cost device to collect airborne bacteria; wins $25,000 at science competition

The Confident Child Masterclass: Public Speaking & Storytelling ExcellenceRegister Now TOI Young Leaders: Junior Journalist MasterclassRegister Now TOI Young Leaders: New Age Careers In the Era of AIRegister Now The Confident Child Masterclass: Public Speaking & Storytelling ExcellenceRegister Now TOI Young Leaders: Junior Journalist MasterclassRegister Now TOI Young Leaders: New Age Careers In the Era of AIRegister Now The Confident Child Masterclass: Public Speaking & Storytelling ExcellenceRegister Now NewsEducation NewsNews15-year-old US student invents low-cost device to collect airborne bacteria; wins $25,000 at science competition 15-year-old US student invents low-cost device to collect airborne bacteria; wins $25,000 at science competition Bailey Quinn Frank along with the top winners of the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Credit: Society for Science) On October 27, Society for Science and Thermo Fisher Scientific named the winners of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC) at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The top prize, the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award, went to Bailey Quinn Frank, 15, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.“Middle school is where a spark of interest can become a lifelong passion for science,” said Maya Ajmera, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Society for Science, in the organisation’s announcement.What Bailey built According to Society for Science, Bailey made a low-cost environmental DNA (eDNA) sampler that uses a small fan and filter paper to collect airborne bacteria.

The fan pulls air through the paper, which holds on to what is in it.She sees the device as a way for rural communities to monitor possible health threats, the organisation said, particularly where limited resources make traditional disease surveillance hard.Ajmera pointed to the project in her statement.

“Bailey’s research on using eDNA samplers to detect pathogens is a remarkable example of that spark in action,” she said, according to Society for Science. The Thermo Fisher JIC is a programme of Society for Science and describes itself as the nation’s leading middle school science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competition.

Society for Science says it reaches 60,000 students a year through its Affiliated Fair Network.This year’s 30 finalists were picked from nearly 2,000 applicants from 47 states and five territories. Together they received more than $100,000 at the ceremony, and a panel of scientists, engineers and educators chose the winners.

Each finalist’s school also received a $1,000 grant for STEM programming.Team challenges Finalists were not judged on their research projects alone. According to the announcement, each took part in team challenges built around project-based learning, designed to test critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration.The tasks were varied:Coding micro:bit processors to design sustainable citiesInvestigating an outbreak of several illnesses and deciding which patients to treat firstExploring how artificial intelligence (AI) could help scientists identify turtle speciesDesigning and building protective enclosures for diamondback terrapin eggs Ajmera congratulated Bailey and the other 2026 finalists.

“Their talent and creativity give me great hope for the future,” she said, according to Society for Science. Get the latest Education News and Live updates. Download the TOI app. Mumbai’s Rs 13,856-crore Metro Line 12A project gets cabinet approval, with an 18.4-km elevated corridor connecting Manpada-Katai Naka to Taloja via Kalyan Phata; here’s a look at the route, 12 elevated stations, integrated road flyovers and expected connectivity benefits I get breathless on stairs: Is it just being unfit, or could it signal a heart or lung problem?

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