Teen Scientist’s Discovery

At just 19 years old, Adam Kovalcík from a small village in Slovakia stunned the science world by winning $100,000 at an international fair for developing a faster, cheaper way to make an experimental antiviral drug—using corn waste. His method slashes the cost of galidesivir, a drug that targets viruses like COVID-19, Ebola, and Zika, from $75 to $12.50 per gram and cuts the production steps from 15 to 10. He completed the process in just five days, compared to the usual nine. Kovalčík also used his technique to create a brand-new molecule that early computer models suggest could be even more effective. He’s now filing patents, planning to scale production, and dreaming of launching an eco-friendly perfume company using the same sustainable chemistry.

Image via AOL

Read other stories from the 6/9/25 newsletter:

Swimming for Shark Conservation

Memory Cafés Helping Elderly

Lost Gecko Species Rediscovered