Editor's note: We're celebrating this year's impressive 20 Google Science Fair finalist projects over 20 days in our Spotlight on a Young Scientist series. Learn more about each of these inspiring young people and hear what inspires them in their own words.
Name: Krtin Nithiyanandam Surrey
Age Category: 13-15
Home: United Kingdon
Project: Improving diagnosis and treatment for Alzheimer’s with new molecular “Trojan Horse”
Krtin benefitted from the power of medical science as a young child who underwent a successful procedure to restore his hearing. He was curious to see if that same power could cure another ailment he learned of on television – Alzheimer's disease. He found that the Aβ oligomers biomarker is present in high concentrations in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and also appeared during the earliest stage of the disease. Current diagnostic tools identify certain brain activity only present during the later stages of the disease, making it extremely difficult to diagnose the disease early. Krtin’s new molecular 'Trojan Horse' can potentially be used to diagnose Alzheimer's at a much earlier stage, leading to better treatments for patients.
What was the inspiration behind your project?
I was always fascinated by neuroscience, but the inspiration for this project came from when I was reading various journal articles on cancer immunotherapy. Cancer immunotherapy works by using antibodies to alert the immune system to cancer. I wanted to extend the use of antibodies to other diseases, so my project has a slightly similar concept to immunotherapy, but a completely different principle. I also chose Alzheimer's because in Britain, we have a growing aging population and dementia is becoming extremely relevant. Also, Alzheimer's disease is considered to be one of the greatest medical challenges of the 21st century, with the fight against dementia becoming an international effort, so I felt that Alzheimer's disease would be a very relevant topic to focus my project on.
When and why did you become interested in science?
I would say there were multiple moments that triggered my interest in science. I first started to take an interest in medicine after I had a series of operations and a transplant to restore my hearing. I truly admired how doctors and medicine could make a difference in people's lives and I wanted to be able to do the same for others. I also learned in school detail to the applications of science. My teachers were able to extend science out of the classroom and made it more interesting for me.
What words of advice would you share with other young scientists?
Don't be afraid of making mistakes; every great scientist has made mistakes. What made them great was that they persevered regardless of what happened, and they never stopped asking “Why?” That's how they were able to change the world.
Name: Krtin Nithiyanandam Surrey
Age Category: 13-15
Home: United Kingdon
Project: Improving diagnosis and treatment for Alzheimer’s with new molecular “Trojan Horse”
Krtin benefitted from the power of medical science as a young child who underwent a successful procedure to restore his hearing. He was curious to see if that same power could cure another ailment he learned of on television – Alzheimer's disease. He found that the Aβ oligomers biomarker is present in high concentrations in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and also appeared during the earliest stage of the disease. Current diagnostic tools identify certain brain activity only present during the later stages of the disease, making it extremely difficult to diagnose the disease early. Krtin’s new molecular 'Trojan Horse' can potentially be used to diagnose Alzheimer's at a much earlier stage, leading to better treatments for patients.
What was the inspiration behind your project?
I was always fascinated by neuroscience, but the inspiration for this project came from when I was reading various journal articles on cancer immunotherapy. Cancer immunotherapy works by using antibodies to alert the immune system to cancer. I wanted to extend the use of antibodies to other diseases, so my project has a slightly similar concept to immunotherapy, but a completely different principle. I also chose Alzheimer's because in Britain, we have a growing aging population and dementia is becoming extremely relevant. Also, Alzheimer's disease is considered to be one of the greatest medical challenges of the 21st century, with the fight against dementia becoming an international effort, so I felt that Alzheimer's disease would be a very relevant topic to focus my project on.
When and why did you become interested in science?
I would say there were multiple moments that triggered my interest in science. I first started to take an interest in medicine after I had a series of operations and a transplant to restore my hearing. I truly admired how doctors and medicine could make a difference in people's lives and I wanted to be able to do the same for others. I also learned in school detail to the applications of science. My teachers were able to extend science out of the classroom and made it more interesting for me.
What words of advice would you share with other young scientists?
Don't be afraid of making mistakes; every great scientist has made mistakes. What made them great was that they persevered regardless of what happened, and they never stopped asking “Why?” That's how they were able to change the world.
