“Ideas can come from anywhere,” acclaimed author and entrepreneur Rashmi Bansal once wrote, “You could be sitting in a tub and have a eureka moment. Or in a bus or at your dining table.”
For 14-year-old Sirish Subash, his “eureka moment” came at the kitchen sink.
“My parents always insist that I wash my produce before consuming it,” Subash told Minnesota Public Radio. “I wondered, how necessary is this really, and how effective is the washing. Does it really work to ensure that your produce is clean?”
That line of thinking led him to a deep dive into the world of pesticide use and the reality of how “clean” grocery store produce actually is.
He was shocked by the results.
According to a 2024 study by the Environmental Working Group, “75% of all conventional fresh produce sampled had residues of potentially harmful pesticides.”
So, Subash set out to create an invention that could identify pesticides on fruit and vegetables, in real time, at the grocery store.
“There’s a significant amount of pesticides entering our diet, but they’ve been linked to a variety of health issues, from Alzheimer's to Parkinson's, even certain cancers,” Subash explained in his video submission to the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, an annual contest geared towards middle-school students.
“The current methods of detecting pesticides, the ones that are designed for at-home use… typically require the chopping up of produce, and applications … that render the produce un-consumable,” Subash continued.
He went on to explain that other methods, that leave the produce consumable and intact, require study in a lab with expensive equipment.
“That’s why I designed PestiSCAND, a handheld app that’s a pesticide detector,” Subash said, holding up his invention — a device that uses AI machine learning to measure the wavelengths of light reflecting off produce and analyze the data.
After the teen, who is based in Snellville, Georgia, threw his hat in the ring for the competition, he went on to become one of nine other top finalists in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
Under the mentorship of 3M senior research engineer Aditya Banerji, he was able to fully develop his device and even begin the steps of turning the invention into an iPhone app.
Earlier this month, Subash was selected as the official winner of the 2024 challenge and given a $25,000 cash prize.
“Like many other students, my fundamental passion is science, though I believe a novel idea is like a seed, such that it will only get so far without the proper guidance and cultivation,” Subash told 3M when asked why he sought out the summer mentorship program.
He said that “recognition for the countless hours” he’s dedicated to his research was gratifying, but he places real value in the opportunity to work with accomplished scientists who are experts in their field of research — like Banerji.
“[They] may help not only to expand my current project into something so much greater,” Subash said. “But to impart guidance and inspiration that will define my educational career and cultivate more, and potentially more important, scientific research in the future.”
With a hefty cash prize in hand to fund his next endeavors, Subash’s future is bright — and he wants to do his part in making sure the future is bright for everyone else, too.
“In 15 years, I hope to be designing and building devices that can help make the world a better place,” Subash told 3M, “especially with climate change and environmental issues.”
Header images via 3M and Tero Vesalainen / Free Range Stock
