Ishan Bhatia is a 17-year-old high school student who is interested in researching scientific ideas and topics and studying specific fields such as biology and chemistry.

 

After stumbling upon an article describing a species of fungi that could digest plastics, something previously thought to remain in our environment for hundreds of years, he realized the immense, yet untapped, potential of these organisms. Through 3 years of research and experimentation, he has explored the ability that C. militaris has to prevent the health and environmental risks that current commercial pesticides pose to us.

 

Over the past year, Ishan delivered a 16-minute TEDx speech, presented his findings to a college horticulture class, wrote a 19-page research paper about insect-killing fungi, and will publish a 28-page research paper on his research study. He hopes to spread awareness among the general population and encourage scientific research of fungi to explore the capabilities of these organisms. This experiment is just the beginning, but it’s an important step in pushing our society towards sustainability without sacrificing efficiency.