One girl in STEM has made a big step towards finding a coronavirus cure, CBS 11 reports. 14-year-old Anika Chebrolu’s research won her $25,000 from the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
Chebrolu originally focused on the seasonal flu, The Quint reports. The severity and impact of the pandemic encouraged her to switch directions and specifically study the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“After spending so much time researching about pandemics, viruses and drug discovery, it was crazy to think that I was actually living through something like this,” Chebrolu said.
“I developed this molecule that can bind to a certain protein on the SARS COVID-2 virus,” Chebrolu said, CBS 11 reports. “This protein by binding to it it will stop the function of the protein… I started with a database of over 682 million compounds.”
She started the project as an eighth-grader and continued to work on it while attending Independence High School in Frisco, Texas. According to CBS 11, her grandfather inspired her love for science.
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“He was actually a chemistry professor and he used to always tell me learn the periodic table of elements,” Chebrolu said. “Over time I just grew to love it.”
Chebrolu’s mentor, Dr. Mahfuza Ali, expressed admiration for Chebrolu’s ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘tenacity,’ CHRON reports.
“Being a scientist, I know what it takes to work on a scientific project, and beyond her age, that work Anika did is amazing,” Ali said.
According to CHRON, the young scientist plans to use a portion of her prize money toward a nonprofit she founded called ‘Academy Aid,’ a charity that encourages other young students to pursue STEM research.
She’s excited to continue her journey and hopes to become a medical researcher and professor, The Quint reports.
Chebrolu calls her work ‘a drop in the ocean’ that will add the efforts to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus, The Quint reports.
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