14-year-old Indian-origin student develops handheld AI pesticide detector, named America’s Top Young Scientist

A 14-year-old student from Georgia has earned national recognition for developing a portable device that uses artificial intelligence to detect pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables.

Sirish Subash, a ninth-grade student from Snellville, created the handheld device PestiSCAND after becoming interested in the difficulty consumers face in determining what traces may remain on fresh produce even after it has been washed. As reported by USA Today, the project won him the title of America’s Top Young Scientist in October 2024, along with a $25,000 prize in the annual competition organised by 3M and Discovery Education.

According to 3M, PestiSCAND was tested on spinach and tomatoes and achieved an accuracy rate of more than 85%. Subash has said the device is not meant to take the place of washing produce. Instead, he developed it as an additional way for people to check food before eating it, preparing meals or serving it at home.


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From a kitchen concern to an AI-based detection device

Subash’s project centred on a straightforward question: how can consumers know whether pesticide traces remain on produce after it has been cleaned?

Although washing is a routine step before eating fruits and vegetables, it does not give consumers a direct indication of whether residues are still present. Subash sought to address that information gap by creating a device that could potentially be used outside a laboratory.

PestiSCAND uses artificial intelligence to help identify pesticide residues. During testing, the device was used on spinach and tomatoes, with 3M reporting an accuracy of above 85%. The result met the performance goals set for the project in terms of speed and effectiveness.

Subash has stressed that the technology was designed to work alongside normal food preparation practices. His approach is to wash produce first and then use the device as another means of checking it, rather than treating the invention as an alternative to rinsing.

Why the teenager focused on pesticide residues

The project also drew on pesticide residue data from the US Food and Drug Administration’s monitoring work. Subash referred to an FDA finding that 70.6% of produce samples contained reported residue findings.

However, the presence of a pesticide residue does not by itself establish that consuming the food will cause illness. The potential health impact can depend on factors including the specific chemical involved, the quantity present and the extent of exposure.

Subash’s project focused on the detection problem rather than on making a medical determination. His interest was partly linked to broader concerns about possible health effects associated with pesticide exposure, including references in his project to conditions such as some cancers and neurological diseases.

PestiSCAND, however, was developed as a school science project for identifying a contaminant. It was not presented as a medical device for diagnosing or preventing disease.

How PestiSCAND evolved into a portable system

The device that Subash presented at the competition was the result of changes made during the development process. He initially worked with a larger setup before turning his attention to making the system smaller and more portable.

The later version was designed to communicate wirelessly using Bluetooth, allowing it to be used more conveniently outside a traditional laboratory environment. The shift from a larger experimental setup to a handheld format was aimed at making the concept more practical for everyday settings such as a kitchen.

By the time he entered the competition, Subash had carried out multiple rounds of testing. The results were strong enough for the project to meet the performance objectives outlined for the competition, although the invention remained an experimental-stage project rather than a commercially established consumer product.

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America’s Top Young Scientist competition

Subash’s work gained wider attention through the America’s Top Young Scientist competition, an annual programme organised by 3M and Discovery Education. The competition focuses on middle school STEM projects that attempt to address practical problems through science and technology.

Hundreds of students compete for a place in the final stage, with 10 finalists selected in June. Those finalists then spend roughly four months working virtually with scientists from 3M, who provide mentorship as the students continue developing their projects.

The finalists later travel to Minnesota for the final event, where their projects are evaluated on factors including creativity, communication and ingenuity.

According to USA Today, Subash won the competition following the event held on October 14 and 15, 2024. Along with the America’s Top Young Scientist title, he received a $25,000 prize.

3M has said the competition can also provide a platform for students to pursue further work on their ideas. Previous participants have gone on to pursue patents, launch companies and receive recognition including spots on 30 Under 30 lists.