A talented Indian-American teenager from Missouri has been honored with the esteemed Regeneron Young Scientist Awards, receiving a cash prize of $50,000 for his groundbreaking research on the mpox virus.
Seventeen-year-old Saathvik Kannan, a student at David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri, was recognized for his remarkable achievement in using biocomputational techniques to unravel the factors behind the heightened infectivity of the mpox virus after its re-emergence in 2022.
Saathvik developed a novel approach called Bioplex, which incorporates machine learning and three-dimensional comparative protein modeling to decode the structures that facilitate the replication of the mpox virus.
By utilizing this method, he successfully identified specific mutations in the virus that likely contributed to its increased infectiousness, as well as mutations that might confer resistance to antibiotics.
Saathvik expressed his gratitude to his mentor, Kamlendra Singh, an assistant professor of veterinary pathobiology at the University of Missouri, attributing his success to Singh’s guidance and mentorship over the past few years.
“I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement!” Saathvik exclaimed in an email to the Columbia Daily Tribute, when asked about winning the prestigious prize.
“I believe this award reflects not only our work but also Dr. Singh’s unwavering support and guidance throughout my journey.”
The young scientist is confident that the Bioplex approach can be adapted for future outbreaks of various viruses, demonstrating its potential for significant contributions to the field of virology.
The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair saw participation from over 1,600 young scientists and engineers representing 49 states and 64 countries worldwide.
Saathvik’s remarkable achievement also earned him first place in the computational biology and bioinformatics division of the fair, which came with an additional cash prize of $5,000.
Regeneron, a leading biotechnology company, emphasized that the award recipients were selected based on their commitment to innovative research practices, tackling complex scientific questions, and generating solutions for future challenges.
Last year, Rishab Jain, another Indian-American student from Portland, claimed the same prestigious award for his development of an AI-based model that enables rapid and cost-effective production of drugs, including recombinant Covid-19 vaccines, through synthetic DNA engineering. (Edited)
