14-Year-Old Texas Girl Wins $25k in a Science Competition after Finding Possible COVID-19 Cure

As scientists continue to search for a COVID-19 cure, a 14-year-old Texan girl who recently won a national-level science competition, has made headlines for discovering a potential medicine for the deadly virus.

Anika Chebrolu is not an ordinary Texan teenager. While most girls her age would play around with friends under the sun, the 14-year-old girl delved into science experiments.

The science wonder, an eighth-grade student from Nelson Middle School, won $25,000 in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a premiere science competition for grades five to eight across the United States.

AN ATTEMPT TO FIND CURE

Chebrolu used in-silico methodology in finding a molecule that can selectively bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This was her attempt to find a cure for the COVID-19.

The teenager has been drawn to watching science experiments. She started taking interest in finding effective cures for Influenza after being infected by the same sickness last year. She said:

"I would like to learn more from 3M scientists to pursue my drug development and with their help, would like to conduct in-vitro and in-vivo testing of my lead drug candidate."

A COLLECTIVE HOPE

When asked about what her favorite invention is, Chebrolu said the internet is the most wonderful human-made creation as it has provided people with easy access to information. Because of it she can do research anytime.

With the power of the internet, she can access additional scientific knowledge. Chebrolu wants to become a medical researcher and professor in the future.

The young girl's invention attracted a lot of media attention. With her science project's growing popularity, Chebrolu said that it shows the public's "collective hopes" to end the pandemic.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

A couple of kids have been making a difference in making the world a better place to live in. In June, nine-year-old Stephen Wamukota of Kenya made a wooden hand-washing machine to prevent the coronavirus spread.

Meanwhile, Bishop Curry, an 11-year-old boy from Texas, created a device that can sense if a child is left alone in a hot car, and will automatically blow cool air inside. While blowing cool air, the device will alert people for assistance.

Amid the difficult times brought by the pandemic, an 11-year-old Nigerian boy earned many heartwarming praises on social media.

LINGERING DEADLY VIRUS

With the ongoing pandemic, many people have been wanting to go back to their normal lives soon. CNN reported that more than 1.1 million people died from the virus since China reported its first case to WHO in December.

In the US, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering recorded more than 219,000 deaths.

Amid the difficult times brought by the pandemic, an 11-year-old Nigerian boy earned many heartwarming praises on social media. The video made every internet users' day better.

In the video, Anthony Madu went viral for gracefully dancing ballet under the rain. The short clip of him showing his dance moves outside their village earned him a scholarship.