14 Year Old Indian American Teen Who Won $25,000 Prize For Potential COVID-19 Treatment

An Indian-American girl has been awarded $25,000 for her research to find a treatment for the coronavirus. According to CNN, Anika Chebrolu, a 14-year-old from Texas, has just won the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her work on a potential drug to treat COVID-19.

She has developed an antiviral drug for COVID-19 by researching protein spikes in the ongoing pandemic. Anika used in-silico methodology to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the Spike protein.

"The most recent two days, I saw that there is a ton of media publicity about my venture since it includes the SARS-CoV-2 infection and it mirrors our aggregate wants to end this pandemic as I, similar to every other person, wish that we return to our typical lives soon," Anika said. 

The 14-year-old started dealing with approaches



to battle the occasional influenza. Nonetheless, her arrangements changed when the pandemic hit. Anika utilized a few PC projects to distinguish how and where the particle would tie to the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Anika said that she wants to be a medical researcher and professor one day. She also told that her grandfather inspired her interest in science.

"My grandpa, when I was younger, he always used to push me toward science. He was actually a chemistry professor, and he used to always tell me learn the periodic table of the elements and learn all these things about science, and over time I just grew to love it," she said.

The coronavirus has killed more than 1.1 million people globally since China reported its first case to the World Health Organization (WHO) in December.