Indian American teen Anika finds clue to Covid-19 cure, wins $25,000

 Anika used in-silico methodology for drug discovery to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the Spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an attempt to find a cure for the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Indian American teenager Anika Chebrolu from Frisco, Texas has won the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her research to find a treatment for the coronavirus.

Anika used in-silico methodology for drug discovery to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the Spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an attempt to find a cure for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 14-year-old Nelson Middle School student took home a prize of $25,000 for her research.

Speaking to local media networks later, Anika said: "I developed this molecule that can bind to a certain protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This protein by binding to it will stop the function of the protein."

"After spending so much time researching about pandemics, viruses and drug discovery, it was crazy to think that I was actually living through something like this," Anika was quoted as saying by CNN.

She added, "Because of the immense severity of the Covid-19 pandemic and the drastic impact it had made on the world in such a short time, I, with the help of my mentor, changed directions to target the SARS-CoV-2 virus. My effort to find a lead compound to bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus this summer may appear to be a drop in the ocean, but still adds to all these efforts"