Now Reading: US Teen Builds AI Tool to Improve Algae Biofuel Production
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US Teen Builds AI Tool to Improve Algae Biofuel Production
Fourteen-year-old Millie Pradawong has developed MACRO, a computational tool that combines machine learning with CRISPR-Cas9 to predict gene edits that could increase oil production in microalgae without harming their growth. She is…
The Story in Brief
Fourteen-year-old Millie Pradawong has developed MACRO, a computational tool that combines machine learning with CRISPR-Cas9 to predict gene edits that could increase oil production in microalgae without harming their growth. She is among 10 finalists in this year’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Microalgae grow quickly, absorb carbon dioxide and produce oils that can be converted into fuel, but higher oil output can slow growth. MACRO is designed to help researchers identify promising edits before laboratory testing, rather than conduct the experiments itself. Pradawong hopes to become a physician scientist, combining medical practice with biotechnology research.
The Indian Opinion
The exaggerated version is that a teenager has solved the biofuel problem. The opposite lazy claim, that a school project has no value, is just as unhelpful. MACRO appears to be a prediction tool, and the source gives no evidence of laboratory validation, fuel yields or large-scale performance. The fair test is whether its suggested edits improve oil output while preserving algae growth in controlled experiments.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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