Indian American researcher, Harsh Patel, is developing advanced treatment methods for alternative water supplies
Written by: Team GI Youth
(April 15, 2023) The demand for water and energy is increasing at an unprecedented rate across the globe. Driven by steep population growth, urbanisation, and industrialisation, this increase in the demand has serious implications for the environment, as well as for economic development and social stability. While the world leaders are yet to find a solution for this urgent issue, a young Indian American researcher has come up with a potential solution for the rising water and energy demands.
A Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, Harsh Patel is working on establishing novel low water content membranes, which are capable of selectively removing targeted ions from aqueous solutions like seawater, groundwater, and brines. The young researcher recently received the prestigious American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) and United States Bureau of Reclamation Fellowship for Membrane Technology, along with a cash prize of $11,750. “I am extremely pleased to have received this honour,” the researcher said, “Especially knowing that successful work in this area will have direct implications on global problems like water scarcity as well as technologies needed to implement the research at a larger scale.”
For a noble cause
A curious kid, Harsh felt quite strongly about the water shortage issues faced by various parts of the world, since he was in the school. While he did work on several small ideas to save water at a local level, it was during his graduation years that the idea of developing a low water content membrane system that could distill even seawater. After finishing his school, the young researcher went on to obtain a BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and later joined the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, for his Ph.D.
Harsh’s experiment showing differences in ion selectivity in varying water content membranes
Harsh’s work investigates establishing novel next-generation ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) capable of selectively removing targeted ions from aqueous solutions to meet the rising water and energy demands. The results of this research will allow the discovery of design parameters to synthesise desirable IEMs for various ion separation applications which are critical for industrial applications such as lithium extraction, water softening, and nitrate recovery.
Explaining about his innovation, the Global Indian said, “IEMs are polymeric materials that possess charged functional groups on the polymer and can facilitate the transportation of counter-ions, while effectively rejecting co-ions. Most commercial IEMs cannot efficiently discriminate between different counterions, which hinders the effective isolation of lithium or nitrate as the solutions containing these two species possess other monovalent and divalent ions in high concentrations.”
Harsh, after receiving the AMTA and Bureau of Reclamation Fellowship for Membrane Technology
His research, however, will be crucial for the advanced treatment of alternative water supplies. “My research will have significant potential to reduce the cost, energy, and environmental impact of advanced treatment of recycling waste water and seawater that would offer clean, safe, abundant, and cost-effective water supplies in arid western states and across the globe.” The researcher’s work is currently revolving around synthesising inexpensive IEMs with controlled water content and charge density over broad ranges, creating opportunities to tune ion selectivity by exploring molecular-level phenomena that affect the competitive ion transport in IEMs.
Harsh is also a part of the University-funded Kamcev Lab, a research group that aims to develop next-generation polymeric materials for water treatment and energy generation and storage applications.
(October 21, 2023) Her inaugural US concert in San Jose last month was sold out even before the young Carnatic singer Sooryagayathri had boarded the flight for her 22-city US tour between September 9th and October 23rd 2023. The 17-year-old mesmerised classical music enthusiasts with her luminous voice in places like Portland, Sacramento, Dallas, Memphis, Boston, Seattle, Detroit, Raleigh, Greensboro, Hartford, Chicago, and Washington to name a few. A few days ago, in a packed hall in Atlanta, Sooryagayathri infused a sense of divinity with her ethereal rendition of bhajans and kirtans during the devotional concert. The Gandhi Foundation of USA honoured her with ‘The Young Ambassador of Peace and Ahimsa Award’ in recognition of her outstanding performance of soulful renditions that enhanced the spirit of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr’s teachings of peace and non-violence. [caption id="attachment_33683" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Sooryagayathri[/caption] “Receiving an abundance of love and support from people all over the USA. Thank you all for turning up in big numbers for all the programmes,” the gifted artist shared on social media during the tour. Performing tirelessly across 22 cities throughout the USA, the young artist graciously fulfilled numerous audience requests with a smile, showing no signs of
“Receiving an abundance of love and support from people all over the USA.Thank you all for turning up in big numbers for all the programmes,” the gifted artist shared on social media during the tour.
Performing tirelessly across 22 cities throughout the USA, the young artist graciously fulfilled numerous audience requests with a smile, showing no signs of the strain of her whirlwind tour.
Touching chords globally
Apart from stage performances in India and abroad, in places like Singapore, Bahrain, and now USA, the teen Carnatic singer sings for famous music labels like Times Music, Strumm Spiritual, Ishtar Devotional and Strings of Pebble Productions. Owing to her effervescent talent, Sooryagayathri often gets compared to none other than the music legend, M.S. Subbulakshmi.
Her YouTube channel has amassed an impressive 374,000 subscribers through which she has captured the hearts of the music lovers spread across the globe. During her ongoing US tour, Sooryagayathri even managed to host a live FB session for her followers because it was a special occasion. “We are happy to announce that our first original composition - Gopigopalam has crossed the 10 million views mark,” she shared with her fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIT496-9KgA
“In a digital landscape filled with content, hitting the 10 million views mark is an extraordinary testament to the power of creativity, connection, and the ability to capture the hearts and minds of a vast online audience.And doing this with an original composition can be a challenging but rewarding journey,” she added.
Three years back, Sooryagayathri had sung the song Gopigopalam with her friends, and had uploaded it on her channel. The theme of the song revolved around a ‘musical celebration with Gopis playing with their Krishna’. It was the first attempt at a group song by the artist which was also sung by her friends, Gatha, Ganga, Hridya, and Anugraha. The five girls appeared in the artistically shot video, which has been viral ever since it was uploaded on YouTube.
The Carnatic prodigy
When Sooryagayathri was just nine years old, Kuldeep M. Pai, a Carnatic singer and independent music composer from Bengaluru who was creating caller tunes for mobile companies, used her voice for a rendition of the Hanuman Chalisa. Following the recording of the Hanuman Chalisa, Pai uploaded the song, along with a short video featuring still photos of Sooryagayathri in his studio and a few Lord Hanuman images. This release, along with her performances of ‘Ganesha Pancharatnam’, ‘Vishnu Sahasranama’, ‘Annamacharya Keerthans’, and ‘Vaishnava Jana’ - renditions that were famously performed by MS Subbulakshmi, marked the beginning of Soooryagayathri’s rise to stardom.
“With faith, discipline and selfless devotion, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve,” remarked the star singer during this year’s launch of ‘Namaskaratha Shiv Mantra’ by Times Music.”
Making traditional music relevant to youth
The teenage artist is determined to broaden her audience beyond just the older generation who appreciate Carnatic music. To bring this traditional genre into the modern era and captivate today's youth, she introduced her live band, 'Sooryagayathri - The Band,' in June. This ensemble combines both traditional and contemporary instruments, featuring a talented team of artists.
“Team Sooryagayathri presents a devotional fusion band with a modern touch for our newer generation audience,” she shared. “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything and to combine all these together, our band will take you to a divine spiritual musical journey in coming months,” remarked Sooryagayathri.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCeZpTLVo0U
From Kerala’s village to global stage
Soorygayathri, a native of Purameri in Kerala, comes from a family of artistic talent. Her father, P.V. Anil Kumar, is a highly skilled Mridangam artist in Kerala, while her mother, P.K. Divya, is a gifted poetess with a natural flair for words.
When Sooryagayathri was merely three, her innate aptitude for pitch and rhythm became evident, prompting her parents to introduce her to formal music lessons. In fact, her father became her first teacher. She received formal training in Carnatic music under the expert guidance of her gurus, S. Anandi and Nishant Nadapuram.
In addition to her classical vocal training, Sooryagayathri is also mastering the Veena under the tutelage of Ramana Balachandran, with the fundamentals initially imparted by Krishnendu G. She also practices Mridangam alongside her father.
[caption id="attachment_33689" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sooryagayathri during a performance[/caption]
Despite her absolute commitment to music, Sooryagayathri remains dedicated to her studies. This year she excelled in her class 12 exams, scoring 100 percent in Sanskrit, and excellent marks in all other subjects. With a packed schedule of performances throughout the year, the Carnatic star never neglects her studies, and even utilises her time on flights to catch-up with her academics.
(July 10, 2024) For a boy who has just turned 18, Ashish Kumar Verma has accumulated a lifetime of experiences. At eight, he learned to write with his left hand due to circumstances and has come a long way, inspiring many with his multifaceted achievements. Due to his innovative science and technology projects Aashish has had the opportunity to interact with the Prime Minister and President of India that helped strengthen his determination to be of use to the society. “I have not only met the Prime Minister twice but also shared the stage with him as an anchor during Pariksha Pe Charcha,” he tells Global Indian. On another occasion, the winner of Rashtriya Bal Vaigyanik Puraskar showcased one of his science projects to the Prime Minister, at an event. This presentation also led to a discussion where the Prime Minister suggested the idea of an app to control students' screen time. Inspired by this, Ashish has launched NamasteScreen, an app designed to help students become more focused. [caption id="attachment_38560" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Ashish with PM during Pariksha pe Charcha and with President at Rashtrapati Bhavan[/caption] Adding to his impressive list of experiences, the youngster had the opportunity of visiting the Rashtrapati
ontrol students' screen time. Inspired by this, Ashish has launched NamasteScreen, an app designed to help students become more focused.
[caption id="attachment_38560" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Ashish with PM during Pariksha pe Charcha and with President at Rashtrapati Bhavan[/caption]
Adding to his impressive list of experiences, the youngster had the opportunity of visiting the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raksha Bandhan, where he gifted a Rakhi to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. He also witnessed the launch of Chandrayaan 3 in the presence of the Union Minister of State in the Department of Space, Jitendra Singh. "Such opportunities have been humbling and inspiring. They have increased my appreciation for our nation's leaders, cultural traditions, and technological prowess," he says.
His scientific acumen has also earned the Delhi based youngster a fully funded trip to Japan as part of the Sakura Science Program. With three research papers and numerous awards and speaking opportunities to his credit, Ashish won a bronze medal and a cash award of Rs 50,000 at the WorldSkills national championship. He also secured second place at the national-level Microsoft Fastest Coder Hackathon, winning a medal. Having cleared JEE this year, he is all set to join IIT-Delhi to pursue a bachelor's in engineering.
NamasteScreen
In 2022, Ashish created the project 'AR Prayogshala,' aimed at accelerating the implementation of NEP 2020. The project has already garnered over 25,000 users. His teachers at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Delhi have also utilised it to create content for the PM eVidya Channel.
During Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) 2024 Aashish had the opportunity to showcase his project to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who presided over the event. During their interaction, PM Modi suggested developing an application to help students reduce mobile phone distractions, decrease screen time, and improve focus.
"The conversation inspired me to create NamasteScreen," Aashish says. "It's more than just an app; it offers a complete screen makeover to reduce distractions and increase focus. The project is being developed as open-source and is currently in the alpha-testing phase.
"Developers from all over are contributing to create this launcher for anyone looking to overcome phone addiction," he adds. "This collective collaboration helps us achieve our goals faster and allows us to directly address the needs and concerns of our target users. We are actively collecting feedback through an open GitHub repository where users can raise issues and request features."
In love with technology
Ashish had developed an interest in working with computers at a young age, which sparked his early passion for programming. Although he will be joining IIT-Delhi soon, he has been at the prestigious institution before. As part of Code Day Delhi, an initiative by Hack Club - an international organisation promoting scientific culture among youth and partially funded by Elon Musk - he participated in an event that encourages young people to build innovative projects.
During this event, Ashish and his team created a real-life human interaction AI. “This AI can engage in conversation and perform various tasks, functioning like a super-intelligent assistant. It's not just a concept—it's a working system,” he mentions.
[caption id="attachment_38563" align="aligncenter" width="573"] Ashish at IIT Delhi[/caption]
He not only won the Code Day Delhi award but also had the opportunity to showcase his AI innovation at Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) 2024, where it was used to welcome the Prime Minister of India upon his arrival. “The AI greeted the Prime Minister, demonstrating its capabilities in a high-profile setting using facial recognition technology,” he shares.
Just before the launch of Chandrayaan 3, Ashish had scored a perfect 10 in the Space Innovation Challenge organised by NITI Aayog and ISRO. For this challenge, he designed a spacecraft for a Mars mission capable of accommodating humans. “I named it KDMMH (Kyunki Dil Mein Mars Hai - Because Mars is in the Heart), inspired by the movie 'Mission Mangal',” he tells.
A memorable trip to Japan as part of Sakura Science Program
As part of a cohort of 63 talented students from across India, Ashish had the opportunity to visit Japan thanks to his successful project AR Prayogshala. It's an experience he cherishes not just for the learnings but also for the camaraderie that developed while travelling and staying together in a hotel.
Organised by the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the Sakura Science Program is an international youth exchange program that invites young people from across the world to Japan for a short period. This opportunity enables young scholars to learn about leading-edge science and technology and interact with scientifically inclined young minds in Japan.
[caption id="attachment_38564" align="aligncenter" width="717"] Ashish Kumar Verma with the cohort from India at Sakura Science Program[/caption]
Growing up as a fan of Doraemon and Shin-chan, Ashish excitedly shares how he saw houses similar to Nobita's from Doraemon and ate Shin-chan's favourite choco chips. “It was like living out scenes from the anime I watched as a child,” he remarks.
One of the highlights of the event was attending a lecture by Nobel Prize winner Hiroshi Kitagawa. They also visited several labs at Kyoto University, which further ignited Ashish’s passion for STEM. “This experience made me realise that I want to combine technology and pure science to create innovative solutions, as I believe true breakthroughs now lie in interdisciplinary approaches,” says Ashish, who also visited Tokyo and Osaka during the trip. He soaked in the diversity that the two bustling cities offered in comparison to the calmness of Kyoto, ending with a feeling of being 'in two different worlds.'
“We visited many pilgrimage sites and temples. The experience was so surreal, it felt like being in a movie. Later, we explored various scientific institutions. I was particularly impressed by our visit to the RIKEN Science Centre, where we witnessed a real-life 'invisible frog' experiment - the frog was only visible under blue light, reminiscent of the movie 'Mr. India',” he remarks.
[caption id="attachment_38578" align="aligncenter" width="416"] Ashish during his Japan trip[/caption]
Although the opportunity clashed with another prestigious offer to visit Oxford University, Ashish chose the Japan trip instead. “The event aligned more with my future goals,” remarks the youngster who has lived in different parts of the country owing to his father’s transferable job.
The trip culminated in a cultural performance where members of each country showcased their culture. “I was selected to give the closing speech. We had just five minutes to showcase India's rich and diverse culture through our performance. The Japanese hosts and other international delegates particularly enjoyed our presentation.”
Rising above odds
Ashish is a great example of rising above odds. In 2014, a tragedy struck. Through sheer willpower and support from his parents, Ashish persevered. “When I was eight, my right hand was caught in a lift. The following year was a blur of hospital stays, five to six operations, and numerous minor surgeries. I struggled to perform basic tasks, and writing became a challenge. Throughout it all, my parents, though worried about my future, never let their tears show. Instead, they fuelled my spirit with motivation,” he recalls.
He learned to write with his left hand and honed his motor skills by learning to play the piano. His determination didn’t stop there. “I trained rigorously and clinched a gold medal in Taekwondo. My passion for puzzles led me to set a national record of 17 seconds in a Rubik’s Cube championship. At 12, I won my first hackathon, followed by the top prize in a Google competition and victories in over 10 more hackathons,” he adds.
[caption id="attachment_38569" align="aligncenter" width="721"] Ashish with Sara Kemp, Vice President, Intel Government Affairs and Gokul V Subramaniam. Intel India President[/caption]
Venturing into freelance work and founding his startup, AI Navya, Ashish started exploring the world of AI, working on innovative projects that fetched him the Rashtriya Bal Vaigyanik Puraskar and a trip to Japan.
The multifaceted youngster has been invited to speak at prestigious events including Google DevFest in Noida, the INTEL AI Student Community platform, and the National Apprenticeship Awareness Workshop organised by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), among others.
“Throughout my journey, I have been blessed with great mentors who have guided and supported me. Our real treasures are our parents, teachers, and mentors who nurture and believe in us,” he signs off.
(February 26, 2022) When inventor Nicola Tesla remarked, “Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born,” a brilliant 15-year-old girl from Chandler, Arizona, inadvertently followed his diktat. Teen inventor Prisha Shroff sat alone, contemplating solutions to world problems. Et Voila, she solved some, and is on her way to solving many more. Finding a problem, solving it, and moving on to the next is Prisha's modus operandi. A mind that runs riot on witnessing something disconcerting, the teen inventor dives into her cauldron of extensive tech and coding stack - and out of that Stem hat a solution is born! An Intel Innovator, she also had a national honourable mention at the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. Included in the Smithsonian Sixteen Innovators to Watch in 2022, the honours, they keep on coming. Her 2021 invention – An AI-based Wildfire Prevention System won the Broadcom Masters Lemelson Award for Invention, Wells Fargo Sustainable Earth Innovation Award and the 3M Young Scientist Award. [caption id="attachment_11477" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Prisha Shroff with one of her inventions[/caption] How a wildfire triggered a fire in her Prisha witnessed the devastation by wildfires on her way back
"Teen innovator | Prisha Shroff " width="700" height="525" /> Prisha Shroff with one of her inventions[/caption]
How a wildfire triggered a fire in her
Prisha witnessed the devastation by wildfires on her way back from LA. Troubled, she researched into AI and tech. Her answer was a Wildfire Prevention System which uses real-time NASA and NOAA meteorological data to predict wildfires. The system alerts and even deploys a drone carrying flame retardant. Just 15, her proclivity to use tech began at just six years of age. Yes, that young.
“I used an engineering design process to build the WPS. The first time, it used only one input parameter, temperature, and image processing to predict hotspots, and had low accuracy. I revised it, and it uses real-time data of six input parameters from Nasa and Noaa to accurately identify hotspots,” teen inventor Prisha Shroff explains in an exclusive with Global Indian. One nods, not fully comprehending, but yes, a serious problem has a solution.
Her WPS is 98.6 percent accurate today. And it combines artificial intelligence to analyse temperatures, soil moisture, precipitation, vegetation, health and wind.
“The fire lasted 86 days, causing 1,032,648 acres of land burnt, and 935 structures destroyed,” recalls Prisha. “I was happy to realise that the solution can be used in the real world to prevent wildfires,” says the teen inventor who is now exploring patents, and working on improving it.
When tech calls, Prisha answers
Her interest in computing and technology thanks to her project-based learning elementary school saw her master ‘all things coding.’ “My teachers encouraged me to keep asking questions. The scientific method and engineering design process were stepping stones to computing and technology. They were the life changing- foundation blocks of my education,” reveals the teen inventor.
Soon, Prisha was leveraging this power to “make things happen,” while peers and experts looked on in awe.
“One day, my mom showed me the code of a digital clock which used an arduino board to tell time. A few lines of code to tell the time…,” left her wonderstruck, and suddenly the world of coding became the framework to mind-boggling inventions for a wee girl – a WPS, a self-cleaning solar panel, a water-saving showerhead, a solar-powered drone, and an arduino-based leak detection device.
A clubber who Stems change
Shroff inhabits a world of block codes, and programming ozobots. A self-taught coder, she learnt on code.org, and soon transformed a few lines of code into a functioning website. As part of the drone club, Prisha wasn’t just flying drones for fun, but learning about the physics of flight. “I discovered that the drone’s flight time was so small, which hindered functioning. So, I developed solar-powered drones,” says the teen inventor. At the 3D printing club in school, more inventions followed – a medi-kit. Unsurprisingly, even the video game design club saw her create an educational game.
AI fascinates this little genius. An Udacity course followed by a Kaggle one, Prisha is now ever-ready to solve real-world problems. That is, if she hasn’t already.
On winning the Broadcom Masters Lemelson Award for Invention 2021 with a prize of $10,000, the teen inventor says, “My thoughts were happiness as I had created a solution that had a positive impact. It boosted my confidence, and inspired me to never give up.”
Nurtured in academics
Prisha’s parents Romish (from Mumbai) and Prital Shroff (from Baroda) have strong academic credentials. Her father, a computer engineer, did his MBA from Chicago, and now works at a US Fortune 500 company. Her mother, was motivated by her father to study further, and has an MS in computer science from Penn State. She works at a tech firm, also a Fortune 500. Prisha’s Gujarati upbringing ensures she visits her grandparents and cousins in India frequently.
“She’s always been this motivated kid who wants to go change the world,” says her mother Prital while her brother is inspired by how Prisha’s mind works.
The ninth grader from Hamilton High School, LA is not all geek. She plays the piano, sings and reads. “When I play the piano, I feel peaceful, calm and in my element. Singing boosts my confidence. I am the happiest when I am composing my own songs,” says the artsy scientist.
Elon Musk, a role model
Teachers, project heads, parents, have all mentored this sponge of knowledge. Yet the the teen inventor's bigger inspiration is, “Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai, a peaceful, enlightened master, and spiritual visionary. He teaches us to become better people through practical examples and stories. His mission is to realise one’s true self, and serve selflessly. He teaches us 5 S’s - satsang (timeless wisdom), sadhana (spirituality applied), seva (selfless service), sanskruti (culture), sports.” It does explain Prisha’s single-minded focus on doing good.
[caption id="attachment_11426" align="aligncenter" width="721"] Prisha Shroff with family[/caption]
Elon Musk, her role model, she feels is an “amazing visionary with brilliant ideas” “His electric self-drive Tesla cars, SpaceX, exploring commercial flights to both Earth and the lunar orbit, Musk has even created Boring, a company that works on building the hyperloop,” says an excited teen inventor who advices, “Be curious, dream big and never give up.”
A 15-year-old teen scientist who understood a Nasa problem then went on to invent a self-cleaning solar panel, she explains “Solar panels face dust that decreases efficiency. Nasa declared its Opportunity Mars rover unresponsive after its solar-powered robot went silent during a dust storm.” Prisha increased efficiency with her self-cleaning, self-detecting solar panel system (with a dust sensor that activates a wiper system).
It hard to fully grasp a teen and her brilliant scientific mind. “Prisha the scientist and Prisha the 15-year-old are the same person! I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing board games with family, and baking with my brother!” she giggles.
Onward with an incredible sense of self, the years ahead can only be meteoric. She wants to be an entrepreneur, and create solutions. “I am going to change the world with solutions that improve day-to-day lives and the planet. The future will only decide what I will build, but I will be solving real-world problems,” vows the teen inventor.
(February 16, 2022) Frantically scribbling away ideas for a startup in 2019, Freya Thakral stumbled upon the huge plastic waste menace. The then 13-year-old created an app that recycles plastic, and even helps ragpickers live dignified life. The same year, India generated over 34 lakh tons of plastic waste, and the teenager knew it was time to take matters into her hand. Freya’s Recycler App, a free door-to-door waste collection service won her the Diana Award 2020. “I had no idea that my work was creating such a huge difference. The award was a validation of sorts, and has made me more comfortable about the path that I have taken,” she tells Global Indian. Incredibly, this isn’t the only app that made Freya a global name. The 15-year-old won the British Citizen Youth Award 2021 for empowering girls to express themselves through her wellbeing app Curiousify. An initiative that began during the pandemic, it helps women deal with mental health issues. [caption id="attachment_10922" align="aligncenter" width="493"] Freya Thakral at Young Founders Summit[/caption] When adventure gave her ideas Born in 2006 to a teacher-father and a homemaker-mother in the UK, Freya moved to Nepal with family at six owing to her dad’s
c1684-c02f-47a3-9d54-e084185d53901.jpg" alt="Diana Awardee | Freya Thakral " width="493" height="657" /> Freya Thakral at Young Founders Summit[/caption]
When adventure gave her ideas
Born in 2006 to a teacher-father and a homemaker-mother in the UK, Freya moved to Nepal with family at six owing to her dad’s sense of adventure. “After a year-and-a-half in Nepal, we moved to Delhi which was my home for almost five years,” says the 15-year-old who enrolled in the British School then. Fitting in was a task as neither was she “academically inclined” nor did she have “any particular hobbies.” However, things shifted for the teenager when she decided to participate in the Young Founders Summit, a global start-up competition and accelerator programme. There, Freya came up with the recycling app.
“Since I stayed in the UK and Nepal, I had seen the way waste was disposed. If England has a set system of disposing, open dumping of solid waste was a common practice in Nepal. In Delhi too, plastic was mixed with other waste, making it difficult to recycle. I realised no one was encouraged to recycle. That’s when the idea of a Recycler App struck me,” smiles the innovator who then involved ragpickers to help them in their vulnerability.
From “rags” to sustainable riches
It was after speaking to marginalised ragpickers in her locality, many of them children, Freya realised the need to build a more sustainable method of recycling. Driven by a passion to transform the lives of ragpickers, she decided to build the app to connect users with ragpickers.
The summit helped her find her first investor. With funds pouring in, she set up a warehouse in Ghaziabad and paid money to ragpickers. “A judge liked my idea, and even got me in touch with an investor who helped me understand the business side,” says the Class 10 student who had to learn coding online to develop the app with a little help from her father.
Launched in June 2019 on iOS, the app was initially available in South Delhi. “Anyone who wanted to avail the services could simply slot a date and time, and the ragpicker would collect plastic at the doorstep, which was sent to a recycling plant,” explains the young activist who at first started with only three collectors, and soon the number grew to 10.
[caption id="attachment_10924" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Freya Thakral with the middleman[/caption]
However, convincing ragpickers to work wasn’t easy. “Being so young, not many believe in your vision. So, it took time building trust. We worked with a middleman who had access to the app, and would send ragpickers to homes as not everyone had a touchscreen phone,” explains the Diana Awardee. Her motto was to improve the lives of ragpickers, and employ them. “Instead of roaming the streets, they could reach people who required their services. We would also pay a large part of the money we received from recycling to them,” adds the Brighton School Bangkok student who had 500 active users on the app that she calls the “Uber of recycling.”
Awards & glory thanks to a vision
Freya won the Diana Award 2020 for her app, and it completely “surprised” her.
“I had no idea that my work was getting noticed. While I couldn’t receive the award in person due to the pandemic, it was great connecting with those doing noteworthy work,” smiles the Diana Awardee.
Recycler’s operations are on hold since the pandemic began in 2020. “Collectors weren’t allowed into people’s houses. Since many came from squatter settlements, people were uncomfortable having them near during Covid-19. I, too, moved to the UK, thus it was hard to manage,” reveals Freya who wasn’t sure of “putting the burden of the business on someone else” in her absence. A handful of old users still use the app, and avail services.
Helping those struggling in the pandemic
As lockdown put a spade on everything, Freya was busy creating the app Curiousify which focusses on wellbeing and the mental health of young women. After experiencing emotional difficulties, she needed a constructive outlet to express herself. “I realised many young women going through issues were exposed to negative and incorrect information, thus exacerbating the situation. So, I decided to bring a sense of community with Curiousify,” reveals the girl who offers a curated collection of bite-sized articles and videos that are positive and helpful. The mental health campaigner won the British Citizen Youth Award 2021 for empowering girls to express themselves.
[caption id="attachment_10926" align="aligncenter" width="516"] Freya Thakral at the British Citizen Youth Award 2021[/caption]
Freya is now bettering the app by adding new features like a language convertor to make it accessible to a larger audience. Looking forward to working for something bigger than her, the Diana Awardee avers, “Joining the United Nations is definitely on my list.”
She credits the awards for opening her mind to possibilities. “The current generation needs to get out of their comfort zone,” she implores.
(December 1, 2023) Five years ago, Atreya Manaswi was on a fishing trip with a friend and his grandfather. The friend's granddad, who was an experienced beekeeper, was entertaining the two eleven year olds with stories about his bees. "He was telling us about how, decades ago, he would get dozens of barrels of honey and how that season, he'd gotten merely three," Atreya told Frederick Dunn, Cornell University's Master Beekeeper, in an interview. "He was describing this almost tearfully." Atreya was so moved by the story that he came home and began to do some research. It was the start of a new interest and profound breakthroughs for the young scientist. Five years on, the young Global Indian, who began his university-level research at the age of 12, has a slew of awards to his name, the most recent being the Barron Prize 2023. Now an eleventh grader at Orlando Science High School, Atreya has been conducting research in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture and the University of Florida since the age of 12. He has developed a novel, eco-friendly, low-cost organic pesticide that acts against small hive beetles and varroa mites, some of the leading causes
en conducting research in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture and the University of Florida since the age of 12. He has developed a novel, eco-friendly, low-cost organic pesticide that acts against small hive beetles and varroa mites, some of the leading causes of hive collapse and the decline in honey production. He is also the author of The Bee Story, a children's book about bees, environment and agriculture, meant to raise awareness about the pollinator crisis. That apart, Atreya is an active public speaker and has spoken at numerous international conferences, with the support of the UN and the World Food Forum. He is a Top Honors Awardee at the BioGENEius Challenge US, made it to the top 30 at the Broadcom MASTERS, won third place at the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals & Society for Science and is a published author in the Journal of Applied Entomology.
Atreya’s research led him to the South Florida Bee College's bi-annual conference, where he first crossed paths with Dr Jamie Ellis, a world leading entomologist. "That's where things really took off and I began my honeymoon research journey," he says. Dr Ellis would go on to become his first mentor. "After the seminar, I went up and asked him a question and we started speaking," Atreya recalls. He made an elevator pitch, daunting as it was for an elementary school student to approach a world class scientist. His other mentor is Dr Charles Stahl, at the US Department of Agriculture, and his ninth grade Chemistry teacher, Mrs Bright, he says.
Born to scientifically-inclined parents in Gainesville, Florida, Atreya's interest in STEM had been encouraged right through his childhood. His father is a physician and he was exposed to science always. "My parents would buy me chemistry kits and tools to play with, like different skeletons I could put together, and Legos, that fostered my interest in science," he said. Although he didn't get early access to labs, he learned early on how to use the cold call approach, which worked out well for him with Dr Ellis. "That's what the real world is like," Atreya remarks, showing remarkable wisdom for his age. "Nobody is going to hand you an opportunity."
Atreya's work and his elevator pitch impressed Dr Ellis, who invited him to take a tour of his labs at the University of Florida. That's where Atreya's own research began, really. During his first year, at the age of 12, he studied nutrition management with pollen substitutes. It was a laboratory study, with ten honeybees in ten different cages. "I was looking at different diet substitutes that can be given by beekeepers where there is a dearth of pollen or if the pollen isn't diverse in the natural environment," he explains. He experimented with wildflower pollen and three forms of commercially made substitutes to see what the bees preferred. He found that the bees preferred wildflower pollen, followed by a substitute called AP 23. He went on to co-author a research paper with his team, which included Dr Ellis, which was peer reviewed and then published in the Journal of Applied Entomology.
Researching hive beetles
In his second year, he began studying hive beetles, which colonise the hives. Found in over 30 states in the US, mostly in places with warmer, more humid climates, these tiny beetles eat and defecate in the hives, leading to the fermentation of honey and in extreme cases, force the bees to abandon the hives completely. There are plenty of treatments available but many are chemical-based. "These chemicals pose a severe risk to wildlife, aquatic organisms, honey bees and humans - and are also extremely expensive, costing anywhere between USD 16-22," Atreya says. Moreover, traces remain in the honey, the wax and the royal jelly, which are either eaten by humans or used in the pharmaceutical industry.
Atreya decided to look into organic substitutes. Apple cider vinegar is the most popular option among beekeepers but is also fairly expensive, leading to very high costs for beekeepers with large apiaries and several hives. "We tested seven organic agents in the form of field trials," he says. "I got stung a lot, and I learned about the hardship and determination that goes into beekeeping. Atreya and his team used seven organic agents - yeasts, scented oils like peanut, grapeseed, cantaloupe puree, mango puree and beer. "They are all odorous, basically. And our control was apple cider vinegar," he says. The beetles are naturally drawn to these substances and are known to feed on sap and rotting fruit. The strategy was to use things that the beetles like, making it easier for beekeepers to lure and trap them.
The beer-loving hive beetles
What they found was transformative. The beetles loved the beer - they had used Miller's High Life because it was inexpensive and readily available. In fact, it worked several times better than the control, apple cider vinegar. "That was the second year of research," he said. "Then we worked to refine that." Beer is up to 95 percent water, and a lab made concentrate would be far more effective. So they got to creating a synthetic blend, that was affordable and also attractive to the beetles.
The process is fascinating. It involves a polymer resin placed in a glass tube, which is attached to a vacuum and placed in a beer bottle. "Air from the beer container is pulled and trapped inside the polymer,” Atreya explains. The chemicals trapped on the polymer are then analysed and “the compounds that weigh less are selected.”, he says, adding, “Then we take beetles under a microscope and extract their antennae. The antennae can function on their own for up to five minutes and were made to respond to different chemicals on a forked electrode. "The electrode picks up what they're sensing. It's very interesting and fun to try in the lab," he smiles. The beer was 33 times more effective than apple cider and the blend they created is only half the cost of the best known chemical substitute.
Finding recognition
It's game changing research, and since it could provide beekeepers everywhere with cost-effective, eco-friendly solution to a significant problem, Atreya's work has generated a lot of interest. At the International BioGENEius Challenge US, where he was named the Global Highest Honors Awardee, Atreya interacted with other brilliant young researchers as well as top pharma companies who set up stalls and scouted for talent. He's a regular in the STEM competition circuit in the US and Canada, which comes with a lot of benefits, apart from substantial cash prizes. "The most important thing is the critical feedback you get at the regional and national levels," Atreya says. "There's also recognition and building a great network, it's an inner circle of like-minded people." Learning to take feedback, he says, is the most important thing. "If you can't do it, you won't get better." It's vital, he says, because at the national and regional levels, everyone is so exceptional.
All this and Atreya Manaswi is still only in the eleventh grade. When he's not studying bees, he practices Taekwondo and holds a second degree black belt. "I also really enjoy theatre," he says, adding with a smile that he enjoys antagonistic roles! He has also started a non profit that conducts workshops on STEM learning for students in local schools. "My aim is to host an international workshop for students around the globe, focussing on different STEM topics, tools and technologies," he adds.
Follow Atreya Manaswi on LinkedIn and read more on his website.
Sooryagayathri[/caption]
Sooryagayathri[/caption]
Sooryagayathri during a performance[/caption]
Ashish with PM during Pariksha pe Charcha and with President at Rashtrapati Bhavan[/caption]
Ashish at IIT Delhi[/caption]
Ashish Kumar Verma with the cohort from India at Sakura Science Program[/caption]
Ashish during his Japan trip[/caption]
Ashish with Sara Kemp, Vice President, Intel Government Affairs and Gokul V Subramaniam. Intel India President[/caption]
Prisha Shroff[/caption]
Prisha Shroff[/caption]
Prisha Shroff with family[/caption]
Freya Thakral with the middleman[/caption]
Freya Thakral at the British Citizen Youth Award 2021[/caption]
Atreya Manaswi[/caption]
