The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) has long been a stage for showcasing the remarkable talents of young scientists and engineers from around the globe.

In recent years, the fair has brought to light numerous innovative projects that have had a profound impact on a variety of fields.

From groundbreaking advancements in healthcare to pioneering developments in sustainable technologies, these projects represent the best of what the scientific community has to offer.

Lets take a closer look at the top five winning ISEF projects in recent years, celebrating the ingenuity, creativity, and potential of these young minds as they shape the future of science and technology.

What is ISEF?

The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is the pinnacle of pre-college science competitions, drawing thousands of the world’s most talented young scientists from over 80 countries.

At ISEF, students present cutting-edge research across various scientific disciplines, vying for scholarships, internships, and grand awards.

The fair not only showcases student achievements but also promotes global scientific collaboration and networking, providing a unique platform for participants to engage with experts and explore future scientific careers.

Getting to ISEF is a rigorous journey that begins at local and regional science fairs, where students must impress with their original research and presentation skills.

Success at these initial levels can lead to state or national competitions, with the top contenders advancing to ISEF.

This journey fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and public speaking skills, culminating in an opportunity to compete internationally, gain recognition in your field, and join a community of like-minded young scientists and innovators.

And, an added plus: a win looks KILLER on your college applications, because it shows them that you’re one of the best of the best in the world.

Why science research?

Science research is the key to understanding the world around us and finding solutions to complex problems.

When you engage in research, you develop critical thinking skills and learn how to ask meaningful questions.

It allows you to explore topics you’re passionate about and discover new information.

Science research fosters innovation, encouraging you to experiment and think creatively.

By conducting research, you’re not just learning—you’re contributing to a broader understanding of science and potentially making a difference in your field.

1. Synthetic DNA Engineering With ICOR Rishab Jain‘s project delves into the field of synthetic biology, focusing on improving protein production in E. coli, vital for vaccine development.

The core of his work is codon optimization, which involves selecting the best DNA sequences to enhance protein synthesis.

Traditional methods often overlook cellular dynamics, leading to inefficiencies.

Jain introduced ICOR, a tool that applies a recurrent neural network (RNN) with a bidirectional long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture, analyzing a dataset of high-expression E. coli genes.

This approach allows for a nuanced optimization of DNA sequences, aligning more closely with the cellular environment and improving protein production.

ICOR’s effectiveness was demonstrated through rigorous testing against standard methods, showing significant advancements in protein expression efficiency.

This breakthrough offers a sophisticated strategy for enhancing recombinant protein production, with broad implications for biotechnology and vaccine development.

Award: Regeneron Young Scientist Award (i. e.

TOP 3, winning $50,000!) at ISEF 2022 Category: Biomedical Engineering (ENBM) https://www. youtube. com/watch?list=PLY_65to5psrulJ49Db6j2nR_hn7M2FLQ2&time_continue=656&v=TKHlaiPVXgE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fblog. rishabacademy. com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo  If you want to hear more about Rishab’s work and how he did it, check out his Youtube videos on how to get started in science research and win those gold medals! 

2. Neurobiology of Suicide: Claudin-5 Is a Biomarker Natasha Kulviwat‘s study explores the possibility of identifying biological markers for suicide by examining the breakdown of claudin-5, a key component of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), in human postmortem brain tissues.

The research assessed claudin-5 levels along with cytokines IL-6 and IL-8, which were found to be elevated in individuals who had died by suicide, suggesting a link between BBB disruption and suicide.

Additionally, the study analyzed stressful life events, claudin-5’s localization in the brain, and gene expression related to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

Molecular docking was used to explore how well current medications interact with claudin-5 and related proteins, finding potential for targeting specific pathways in suicide prevention.

The findings indicate that claudin-5 could be a biomarker for suicide risk, pointing to new directions for therapeutic interventions.

Award: Gordon E.

Moore Award ($50,000) at ISEF 2023 Category: Biomedical and Health Sciences “Every forty seconds, suicide steals a life, yet no biomarkers exist for suicide. ” Natasha Kulviwat

3. The Inchworm Robot with Skateboard Yuyang Wang‘s project focuses on creating bionic robots inspired by the movement of caterpillars and inchworms, designed to navigate challenging environments like power grids and cable systems where human intervention is risky.

These robots, developed through four generations, have evolved from basic wire-pulling and friction control capabilities to advanced designs that allow for bending navigation, obstacle avoidance, and simultaneous multi-pipe traversal.

The latest model can switch between grabbing and wheel modes, enhancing its efficiency and adaptability.

With the ability to maneuver under sticks of varying diameters, these robots hold promise for applications in grid maintenance, breakage detection, and more, pushing forward the possibilities in robotics with biomimetic design principles.

Award: Craig R.

Barrett Award for Innovation ($10,000) at ISEF 2023 Category: Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics

4. BIO-PLEX: An Innovative Biocomputational Approach In 2022, as the world was still grappling with the aftermath of COVID-19, Mpox emerged as a new threat with increased infectivity, leading to 30,000 cases in a short span.

This resurgence raised urgent questions about the changes in the virus that enhanced its infectivity and how these changes might impact drug efficacy.

To understand why Mpox was spreading so fast and if it would affect medication effectiveness, Saathvik Kannan created BIO-PLEX, a computer tool that helps study the virus’s structure and mutations.

BIO-PLEX showed how parts of the virus, especially two changes in its DNA-copying protein, might make Mpox spread easier and impact how well treatments work.

This project helps us learn more about Mpox and shows how computers can quickly help study diseases.

Award: Regeneron Young Scientist Award ($50,000) at ISEF 2023 Category: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (CBIO)

5. Self-Supervised 3D Human Motion Reconstruction Michelle Hua‘s project proposes a novel approach for reconstructing 3D human shape and motion from monocular video, addressing the challenges of existing methods that rely on large training datasets and suffer from performance issues.

Her method, called geometric consistency-based self-supervised neural network (GC-SSN), utilizes geometric representations based on joints and silhouettes extracted from video frames.

By enforcing consistent alignment between reconstructed 3D models and extracted features, GC-SSN achieves high accuracy without manual annotations or ground truth data.

This self-supervised approach improves domain adaptation and outperforms current state-of-the-art algorithms, offering promising advancements for applications like 3D broadcasting, virtual reality, sports analysis, and telepresence.

Award: FIRST PLACE!

George D.

Yancopoulos Innovator Award ($75,000) at ISEF 2021 Category: Robotics and Intelligent Machines (ROBO) Taking your project to the next level.

The achievements of these young scientists and engineers not only reflect their individual ingenuity but also embody the spirit of innovation that drives progress across diverse fields.

By solving real-world problems and advancing knowledge, these projects serve as a testament to the potential of the next generation to shape a brighter, more sustainable future for all — and YOU can do it too.

Want to elevate your project, but don’t know where to start?

Take a look at Rishab’s FREE STEM STUDENT GUIDE full of straightforward, practical advice tailored for students aiming to step into the science fair arena and take their projects all the way to internationals.

This guide offers tips on planning and conducting research, presenting your project, and how to get yourself stellar opportunities in the STEM world.

Whether you’re troubleshooting a tricky part of your project or looking for ways to present your conclusions more persuasively, Rishab can help you take your research and presentations to new heights!

Cover image of ISEF top winners at ISEF 202

2. Rishab Jain pictured on left.