The Aporia · 13-year-old Indian-American wins $25,000 for ocean acidification solution

Raji Doshi, a 13-year-old student from Farmington, Connecticut, won the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her project on ocean acidification. She developed ALKACORE, which uses algae and aragonite to increase seawater alkalinity and remove carbon dioxide, earning her the top prize of $25,000. Doshi competed against nine other finalists aged between 11 and 14, with two more Indian-origin students placing second and third.

Written by AI on 2026-10-15, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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Raji Doshi, a 13-year-old Indian-American student from Connecticut, won the title of "America's Top Young Scientist" in the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, earning her a $25,000 prize. Doshi developed an innovative solution to combat ocean acidification using algae and natural calcium buffers like aragonite. She created a Michaelis-Menten computational model to determine the optimal dose of aragonite, which is crucial for adapting such systems in practical applications. The competition, organized by 3M and Discovery Education, saw Doshi emerge from a field of ten finalists aged between 11 and 14, who each tackled real-world issues with scientific solutions.

Written for “Raji Doshi Wins Science Award” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Raji Doshi Wins Science Award

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Meet Raji Doshi: ‘America’s Top Young Scientist 2026’ who won $25,000 Same event

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The Connecticut student has developed a potential way to tackle ocean acidification using algae and a naturally occurring mineral, earning her the top prize at one of America’s leading science competitions for middle school students, states an online report by 3BL media.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-15

🔮 She also developed a Michaelis-Menten computational model to identify an optimal aragonite dose, an important step towards exploring how such a system could eventually be adapted for practical use, the report adds.

2026-10-15 · Times of India

13-year-old Indian-American wins $25,000 for ocean acidification solution · assertive framing

At 13, Raji Doshi is already thinking about a problem that scientists around the world are racing to solve: what happens when the oceans absorb too much carbon dioxide? asserted

oceans → think → dioxide

report → develop → media

A young scientist takes the top spot asserted

scientist → take → spot

According to 3BL media, an eighth grader from Farmington, Connecticut, Doshi was named the 2026 winner of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a national competition organised by 3M and Discovery Education. uncertain

Doshi → accord → 3

The title came with a $25,000 prize and the distinction of being named America’s Top Young Scientist, the report adds. asserted

report → come → prize

Doshi emerged from a field of 10 finalists aged between 11 and 14, each tasked with identifying a real-world problem and developing a scientific solution. asserted

Doshi → emerge → solution

The finalists spent the summer refining their projects with the guidance of 3M scientists before presenting their work at 3M’s global headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, on October 12 and 13. asserted

finalists → spend → October

Turning algae into a climate solution Doshi’s project focuses on ocean acidification, a consequence of rising carbon dioxide levels that can threaten marine ecosystems and organisms that depend on calcium carbonate to build shells and structures, the report informs. asserted

report → turn → shells

Her system, called ALKACORE, combines macroalgae cultivation with aragonite, a natural form of calcium carbonate. asserted

system → call → carbonate

The idea is to increase the alkalinity of seawater while helping remove carbon dioxide, potentially creating a durable and relatively low-cost approach to reducing coastal acidification. asserted

idea → increase → acidification

Her research went beyond lab work. asserted

research → go → work

Doshi investigated how aragonite affects algal growth and carbon dioxide using carbonate chemistry. asserted

aragonite → investigate → chemistry

She also developed a Michaelis-Menten computational model to identify an optimal aragonite dose, an important step towards exploring how such a system could eventually be adapted for practical use, the report adds. uncertain

report → develop → use

Her interest in seashells led her to notice the damage that increasing ocean acidity can cause to shell-forming marine life, turning a childhood curiosity into a scientific investigation, explains the 3BL media report. asserted

report → lead → investigation

Two more Indian-origin finalists shine Doshi was not the only Indian-origin student to make her mark in this year's competition. asserted

Doshi → make → competition

Aaisha Asif, a seventh grader from Sarasota, Florida, and Sharvi Mahajan, a ninth grader from San Diego, California, claimed second and third place respectively. asserted

Asif → claim → place

Both runners-up received $1,000 prizes, giving the competition a strong showing from young Indian-origin innovators. asserted

runners → receive → innovators

Where curiosity can lead Now in its 19th year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge is designed to give middle school students an opportunity to turn curiosity into practical scientific work. asserted

Challenge → lead → work

Each finalist is paired with a 3M scientist for one-on-one mentoring, helping students develop their ideas, test solutions and communicate their findings. asserted

students → pair → findings

The competition has also become a launchpad for young innovators, with previous winners going on to pursue patents, launch nonprofits, deliver TED Talks and earn places on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. asserted

winners → become → list

13-year-old Indian-American wins $25,000 for ocean acidification solution

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