Meet Sirish Subash: The 14-year-old who invented an AI-powered pesticide detector for fruits and vegetables and won $25,000
A 14-year-old Georgia student has turned a common kitchen concern into an award-winning science project. Sirish Subash, a ninth grader from Snellville, built PestiSCAND, a handheld device designed to detect pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables. As reported by USA Today, his invention earned him the title of America’s Top Young Scientist in October 2024, along with a $25,000 prize in the annual 3M and Discovery Education competition. Subash developed the device after becoming interested in the difficulty consumers face in knowing what may remain on produce even after it has been washed. Reportedly, using artificial intelligence, PestiSCAND was tested on spinach and tomatoes and recorded accuracy of more than 85%, according to 3M. Subash says the device is intended to complement washing, not replace it, by offering consumers another way to check their produce.
How a 14-year-old created an AI-powered portable pesticide detector
Subash’s invention, called PestiSCAND, is intended to give people a way of checking produce at home rather than relying solely on washing.Pesticide residues can remain on food crops after they have been harvested, and consumers generally have little way of knowing whether traces are still present. Subash wanted to create a portable method for detecting them.For his project, he tested the device on spinach and tomatoes. The system used artificial intelligence to help identify pesticide residues, and according to 3M, its accuracy was above 85%, meeting the project’s targets for speed and effectiveness.That did not turn PestiSCAND into a replacement for washing. His suggestion is to rinse produce first and then use the device as an additional check. The purpose, as he described it, is to give consumers another piece of information about what is left on their food. The invention was not presented as a way to make washing unnecessary, but as a possible tool to sit alongside the habits people already have in their kitchens.
Why pesticide residues became the focus
Subash’s presentation drew on figures from the US Food and Drug Administration’s pesticide residue monitoring work. The FDA reported that 70.6% of samples produce items. The presence of a residue does not, by itself, establish that eating the food will cause illness. The health implications depend on factors such as the substance involved, the amount and the level of exposure. Subash’s project instead focused on the basic problem of detection: if consumers cannot easily see residues, they have limited information about what remains on their produce.That question led him towards a device that could be used outside a laboratory. His interest was also connected to concerns about possible health effects associated with pesticide exposure. In explaining his project, he referred to conditions including certain cancers and neurological diseases. Those health questions formed part of the reasoning behind his effort, but the invention itself was focused on detecting residues rather than diagnosing or preventing disease.PestiSCAND was a school science project designed to identify a contaminant, not a medical device.
From a larger machine to something that could be carried
The version Subash presented at the competition was not the first form of his invention. He initially worked with a larger device before concentrating on making the system smaller and easier to carry. The newer version was designed to communicate wirelessly through Bluetooth, giving it a more practical form for use outside a laboratory or classroom.That change reflects the difference between proving an idea can work and thinking about how somebody might actually use it. A device sitting on a workbench can be useful for an experiment. A handheld detector that can be taken into a kitchen is a different proposition. Subash’s work moved towards the second idea, even though the project remained at the experimental stage. He had conducted multiple trials by the time he entered the competition. The results were encouraging enough for the project to meet the competition’s stated performance goals, but PestiSCAND was still an early-stage invention rather than an established consumer product.
The competition that brought the project national attention
Subash’s win came through the annual America’s Top Young Scientist competition, run by 3M and Discovery Education. The programme has been highlighting middle school STEM projects for 17 years and is built around students attempting to solve practical problems through science and technology.The route to the final is competitive. Hundreds of students apply, with 10 finalists selected in June. Those finalists then spend about four months working virtually with 3M scientists who mentor them as their projects develop.The students eventually travel to Minnesota for the final competition, where their work is assessed on areas including creativity, communication and ingenuity. USA Today reported, Subash came out on top after the competition held on Oct. 14 and 15, 2024. The prize was $25,000, but the programme has also become a route into further opportunities for some of its participants. According to 3M, past competitors have gone on to pursue patents, establish companies and receive recognition such as being named to 30 Under 30 lists.
