15-year-old Designs Low-Cost Device to Monitor Airborne Bacteria in the Environment; Wins $25,000 Top Award at the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge

Young innovators awarded more than $100,000 for research on dementia-related proteins, alternatives to agricultural plastics and wildfire prevention Key Takeaways:…
2026: The top five Thermo Fisher JIC winners pose onstage with their awards.
Lisa Fryklund Photography/Licensed by Society for Science

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2026: The top five Thermo Fisher JIC winners pose onstage with their awards.
Lara and Maya Hammoud pose beside their research on ASXL3 and neurodevelopmental disorders at Regeneron ISEF 2024.
Finalist Bailey Frank shares her research with visitors at the 2026 Thermo Fisher JIC Public Exhibition of Projects.
Conversations with Maya: John Pardon
Michael Woodford being welcomed and addressing students in class the day of the announcement of his economic sciences prize.
Science can happen anywhere Thermo FIsher blog post, featuring Miles Wu.

Science starts anywhere

Yanna Queiroz, Ashley Chifamba, and Aadya Kanchan, ISEF 2026 award winners.
Finnegan Sommer and Olutayo Oyewusi present their research at Regeneron ISEF 2026
Milene de Farias, a teacher at Southcrest Christian School in Lubbock, Texas, helps students build confidence and curiosity through independent research.
Siddharth Vazhkudai building his battle robot for his STEM summer experience.
Lia Camil González and Anya Zahira Terón Villodas - Public Day for the finalists of the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge