61st Annual STS (2001–2002)
Finalists
Kevin Kuan Gao

TEXAS
Kevin Kuan Gao, 17, of Austin, entered the Intel Science Talent Search with a botany project, a study of the bacterial activity of five desert plants and their ability to overcome resistance to three broad-spectrum antibiotics, including tetracycline. Kevin gathered his plant samples from a ranch in the hot West Texas Chihuahuan Desert. His results indicate that all five plants, to varying degrees, showed bactericidal activity (the ability to kill bacteria) and four of them showed synergistic activity in overcoming antibiotic resistance. He believes these plants offer new possibilities in the fight against drug resistance. Kevin has conducted studies about antibiotics for the past three years. Last year, he tested the antibiotic resistance of sewage water areas. At John B. Connally High School, he is vice president of Science Olympiad, a varsity tennis player, and captain of the district champion swim team. He describes scientific research as addictive and hopes to pursue his studies in microbiology or biotechnology at Stanford. Born in the People's Republic of China, he reads Mandarin and French fluently. He is the son of Dr. Ye Gao and Hong Yu.