Siddharth Pasari
Hunter College High School
New York, NY
Development of N-glycan Microarrays as Sensors for Glycan Binders
Siddharth Pasari, 17, of New York City, developed a surface that could be used to test for viruses for his Regeneron Science Talent Search biochemistry project.
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Viruses attach to their host’s cells by binding to sugar molecules called glycans on the cell surface. Different viruses can have distinct glycan-binding proteins that bind to specific sugars.
For his project, Siddharth used a light-based printing method called hypersurface photolithography to create a surface covered in glycans that could bind to the viral proteins. He tested his creation with two glycan-binding proteins and found that only one stuck — meaning the surface could distinguish between the two. Surfaces that can bind to proteins on specific viruses could be useful in developing new diagnostic tests.
The child of Kirtee Agrawal and Navin Pasari, Siddharth attends Hunter College High School, where he is associate editor of the tech magazine, BITS.
Beyond the Project
Siddharth is also the founder of Math Mastery 4 All, which offers free tutoring for students in under-resourced New York City schools. He was a volunteer at the National Museum of Mathematics, where he gave daily tours.
FUN FACTS: Siddharth enjoys the outdoors and spends time rock climbing, scuba diving, hiking and birdwatching.
