A Westview High School student Kara Fan was named "America's Top Young Scientist" by 3M for creating a liquid ( 液体) bandage last October.
The prizes of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge included $25, 000 that Kara Fan can spend however she wishes — she said it would likely be saved for college — plus a family trip to New York City.
A traditional bandage is a thin piece of cloth which you tie around a wound. But Fan's new creation is liquid. She used lemon leaf, a polymer (聚合物) and silver nitrate (which is often used to treat wounds and burns on the skin). Silver nitrate also plays a key role in her invention: it creates a thin layer to protect a wound while killing harmful bacteria (细菌).
From around 1, 000 young scientists nationwide who offered videos of their work, 3M made the top 10 finalists known publicly. The finalists traveled to Minnesota for the three-day competition finals. Fan said they first paired up to compete in a few challenges that showed how well they worked with others. On the final day they gave a five-minute speech, followed by a five-minute question and answer meeting on their work that was supposed to solve a global problem — drug-resistance. This is a global antibiotics (抗生素) problem.
Fan said her attention was drawn to these drugs a few years ago, when her grandmother became very ill and was "saved by antibiotics."
"Our communities want science to solve the world's hardest challenges. This year's finalists have truly encouraged us to solve real-world problems," said Denise Rutherford, senior vice-president of corporate affairs at 3M. "We believe they will do more on their continued journey."
Fan has a great interest in science, which Fan said she found to be "fun." She is now interested in becoming a doctor because of her interest in biology.
