The 2026 ISEF global finals have officially concluded. This year, more than 1,700 participants from 67 countries and regions competed at the global final round.

One question immediately sparked intense discussion among students and parents alike: what kind of projects actually win awards, and what are judges really looking for?

This article takes a closer look at the first-prize projects across multiple categories and shows how top student researchers used interdisciplinary thinking, technical rigor, and real-world relevance to tackle urgent global problems.

Animal Sciences (ANIM)

In 2026, the Animal Sciences category included 54 projects and showed a highly diverse disciplinary structure. Animal behavior and ecology accounted for about 33 percent, environmental toxicology and physiological stress for around 22 percent, and disease models and neurobiology for about 15 percent. Agricultural and livestock applications made up about 13 percent, while technology innovation and automated monitoring accounted for roughly 17 percent, highlighting the field’s increasing interdisciplinary and technology-driven direction.

Within this research trend shaped by technical innovation, the first-prize project ANIM005 stood out by combining multimodal deep learning with field experiments. The project integrated multi-convolutional neural network histology analysis with real-world field trials to systematically evaluate the combined stress effects of carbon dioxide and pesticides on bee health and colony performance. The student researcher developed a CNN-based automated pathology image analysis pipeline that enabled high-throughput quantification of tissue damage in bees. At the same time, long-term field exposure data revealed the synergistic toxic effects of different concentrations of CO2 and common pesticides, as well as their nonlinear effects on foraging behavior, fertility, and colony survival. This work not only provides an early warning tool for protecting pollinators under climate-agriculture compound stress, but also demonstrates how artificial intelligence can be deeply embedded in ecological toxicology.

Behavioral and Social Sciences (BEHA)

This year’s Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences category included 58 projects and displayed a strongly interdisciplinary structure. Cognitive neuroscience and neurotechnology accounted for 28 percent, artificial intelligence and human behavior interaction for 26 percent, and social and behavioral economics for 20 percent. Clinical and health psychology represented 16 percent, while developmental and educational psychology made up 10 percent, reflecting the field’s strong application to real-world social problems.

Against this backdrop of deep technological integration, the first-prize project BEHA054 entered the intersection of human factors engineering and public safety through a real-time AI-driven adaptive traffic system. Using edge computing and multimodal perception, the project built a system that could dynamically adjust pedestrian crossing signals by detecting pedestrian and vehicle flow in real time, predicting possible red-light crossing behavior, and using visual and auditory feedback to improve both perceived safety and crossing efficiency. Controlled experiments at real intersections showed that the system reduced perceived waiting time by about 27 percent, decreased red-light violations by 42 percent, and reduced traffic throughput by only 3.8 percent. The project offers a new behaviorally optimized pathway for human-centered traffic infrastructure in future smart cities.

Biochemistry (BCHM)

This year’s Biochemistry category featured 44 projects and showed a clear disciplinary structure. Cancer biology and targeted therapy accounted for about 34 percent, drug design and delivery systems for about 25 percent, and biosensors and diagnostic technologies for around 18 percent. Protein engineering and structural biology made up 14 percent, while environmental biochemistry and biomaterials represented 9 percent, reflecting a strong trend from fundamental molecular mechanisms toward practical application.

Amid many high-technology projects focused on novel cancer targets, nanodelivery systems, and biosensing platforms, the first-prize project BCHM031 offered a distinctive mechanistic perspective by combining a classic fruit fly genetics model with the clinically relevant drug semaglutide.

Semaglutide and “Fake” Semaglutide in a Drosophila Model with Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity
Project ID: BCHM-031
Researcher: Kaya Parikh, Hunter College High School

The project asked how semaglutide and “fake” semaglutide compare in effectiveness and drawbacks, and whether they are effective in fruit flies with diabetes induced by a high-sugar diet.

The comparison framework included:

Category	GLP-1 Agonist (semaglutide)	“Fake” GLP-1 (semaglutide acetate)
Active	Yes	No
Ingredients	True semaglutide	Semaglutide acetate compound
FDA approved	Yes	No
Legal	Yes	No
Cost	$300 to $1,350	$50 to $200

The project examined three main indicators of type 2 diabetes and obesity: insulin activity, growth, and obesity. A smaller and dimmer insulin signal indicated reduced insulin activity, smaller organ size indicated reduced growth, and larger lipid droplets reflected greater fat accumulation.

The experimental groups included wild type, semaglutide-treated, and semaglutide acetate-treated flies.

Results compared insulin activity and organ growth across groups. The findings showed that high-sugar food produced clear type 2 diabetes and obesity phenotypes in Drosophila, including lower insulin activity, reduced growth, and increased fat accumulation. True GLP-1 agonists were effective in the fly model. The fake semaglutide product showed only partial improvement in insulin and fat-related measures and reduced some side effects, but ultimately still produced unhealthy effects and could not be considered an acceptable treatment.

Among many projects centered on cancer targets, nanocarriers, and biosensors, BCHM031 stood out by using a classic model organism to investigate one of today’s most talked-about clinical drugs. The study systematically compared semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, with commercial counterfeit semaglutide products in a type 2 diabetes and obesity fruit fly model. By examining blood sugar, triglycerides, weight change, lifespan, and related metabolic indicators, the student researcher reported that the fake compound not only lacked therapeutic benefit but also worsened lipid accumulation and insulin resistance. The study further suggested that its toxicity may be associated with abnormal activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway. In the context of widespread misuse of weight-loss drugs and the spread of counterfeit products, this project carried both scientific rigor and strong public health relevance.

Biomedical and Health Sciences (BMED)

This year’s Biomedical and Health Sciences category included 70 projects and displayed a highly focused but interdisciplinary pattern. Tumor biology and anticancer treatment accounted for about 31 percent, neuroscience and neurological disease for about 20 percent, and drug delivery and biomaterials for around 14 percent. Infection and immunity accounted for 9 percent, medical artificial intelligence and diagnostics for 11 percent, and environmental health and toxicology for 8 percent, reflecting a broad spectrum ranging from molecular mechanisms to clinical translation and from individualized treatment to public health.

Among many innovative projects targeting cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and drug delivery, two first-prize winners emerged this year. One focused on remodeling the tumor microenvironment, while the other explored noninvasive neural modulation. BMED065 analyzed TBX2-dependent pericyte dynamics in a lung cancer model and identified a new pathway involved in abnormal vascular formation. BMED035 used engineered paramagnetic matrices to remotely regulate astrocyte calcium signaling and achieved noninvasive neuroprotective intervention. Together, these two projects reflected two major directions in modern biomedical research: deep mechanistic investigation and disruptive technological platforms.

Taken together, BMED065 stood out for its mechanistic depth and strong clinical relevance, representing an excellent example of the pathway from clinical observation to molecular mechanism to therapeutic intervention. BMED035, by contrast, won through technical originality and broad platform potential, giving it a more futuristic character. The two projects represent two outstanding paradigms in biomedical research: understanding mechanisms deeply and building entirely new tools.

Biomedical Engineering (ENBM)

This year’s Biomedical Engineering category included 98 projects, making it one of the largest categories at ISEF. It showed a strong pattern of clinical-needs-driven engineering. Diagnostic and monitoring devices accounted for about 32 percent, rehabilitation and assistive technologies for 26 percent, and biomaterials and tissue engineering for 15 percent. Surgical and interventional robotics accounted for 10 percent, treatment and drug delivery systems for 9 percent, and brain-computer interfaces and neural engineering for 8 percent, reflecting a shift from assistance to therapy and repair.

Among nearly one hundred projects centered on wearable sensors, AI diagnosis, and rehabilitation robotics, two first-prize winners emerged this year. One addressed an urgent global public health need through low-cost, high-accuracy malaria detection, while the other proposed a new paradigm for addiction intervention through bioactive nanoparticle therapy for vaping-related lung injury.

MalariaX: One Device. Every Species. Anywhere.
Researcher: Nattapong Thaworn, Natakarn Sukit, and Poomjai Pongsriwat, The Prince Royal’s College, Chiangmai, Thailand
Project ID: ENBM075T

The project began from a stark global health reality: every 60 seconds, a child dies from malaria, and a misdiagnosis of severe strains can become fatal within 24 hours.

The project identified two key challenges. First, existing methods often have low sensitivity and limited species-level accuracy. Second, many standard tools are expensive and inaccessible in resource-limited settings.

Its comparative results included:

Metric	Existing Technology	MalariaX
Pan-species identification	Less than 65%	94.43%
A. knowlesi detection	43%	95.20%
Cost	More than $35,000	$257
Power requirement	Continuous grid power required	Low power

The engineering goals were to develop XenoRapid-Sight, a low-cost, robust, off-grid microscopy system for malaria diagnosis, and MALA-Sight, a novel AI pipeline enabling autonomous pan-species detection in remote and care-limited settings.

Validation results showed a 99.27 percent whole-slide imaging scanning percentage, a 52.20 percent increase in A. knowlesi detection performance, and an overall pan-species accuracy of 94.43 percent. In field validation, the full system cost only $257, achieved 94.43 percent sensitivity and 95.20 percent specificity, and delivered results in under one minute per slide.

ENBM075T embedded expert diagnostic logic into an integrated AI-optoelectromechanical platform and achieved rapid, submicron, pan-species malaria detection.

BREATHE: Bioactive Respiratory Extracellular Vesicles for Vaping Addiction Therapy and Healing of Epithelium
Project ID: ENBM062
Researcher: Jamie Cheng, Green Level High School, Cary, North Carolina, USA

This project addressed vaping as a widespread public health problem affecting more than 100 million people, especially teenagers. Vaping causes lung damage and nicotine addiction, yet current interventions do not target cell-level injury directly.

The project aimed to deliver plant-derived extracellular vesicles through heatless ultrasonic nebulization in order to reduce vaping-induced cellular damage.

The design included isolating and characterizing plant-derived extracellular vesicles, generating an EV aerosol using an ultrasonic nebulizer, testing whether vesicle structure remained intact after nebulization, and assessing therapeutic effects under stress conditions.

Results showed that ultrasonic nebulization preserved EV structure. Tomato-derived EV treatment increased antioxidant activity, restored cell viability, reduced apoptosis, and downregulated damage-associated genes. The study concluded that ultrasonic nebulization enables alveolar deposition while preserving EV morphology, and that the vesicles can reprogram lung cells from an oxidative injury state toward regeneration.

The project also suggested that inhalation behavior itself could be repurposed as a therapeutic route, creating a strategy that addresses both lung epithelial recovery and behavioral withdrawal.

Together, ENBM075T and ENBM062 reflect the mission of modern biomedical engineering: making high technology accessible and using new biology to reshape treatment. One project excelled through extreme cost control and real-world deployment, representing engineering for public health at scale. The other stood out for its novel therapeutic biology and dual-target design, showing how biomedical engineering can penetrate deeply into molecular medicine.

Cellular and Molecular Biology (CELL)

This year’s Cellular and Molecular Biology category included 45 projects and was dominated by disease models and molecular mechanisms. Neuroscience and neurological disease accounted for about 31 percent, cancer biology for around 27 percent, and cell signaling and regulation for 18 percent. Genetics and epigenetics represented 11 percent, technology platform development 8 percent, and infection and immunity 5 percent, reflecting the field’s extension toward precision medicine and cross-disciplinary technology.

SILENCE: On-demand seizure suppression via closed-loop sonogenetics
Project ID: CELL038
Researcher: Evan Morik, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

The central question of this project was whether closed-loop sonogenetics could be used to dynamically suppress seizures while minimizing side effects. The project responded to the current limitations of epilepsy treatment, including drug side effects and the invasiveness of surgery.

Using a Drosophila melanogaster model, the project built a closed-loop system in which ultrasound stimulation activated mechanically sensitive ion channels to modulate neuronal activity. Core components included ultrasound, the TRPA1 channel, and a closed-loop control system.

Results showed that seizure burden decreased by 29.8 percent only when ultrasound was paired with the mechanical-channel condition. The study also found time-dependent relationships between ultrasonic stimulation duration and seizure suppression. The recurrence rate of seizures within two seconds in the fly model reached 79.1 percent, but longer ultrasonic trains increased suppression effectiveness.

The project concluded that a closed-loop sonogenetics platform could detect and suppress seizures in real time while minimizing side effects, offering a new treatment paradigm that is wireless and virus-free.

Among many projects focused on particular pathways, drug screening, and gene editing, CELL038 stood out for using the forward-looking technology of closed-loop sonogenetics to address treatment-resistant epilepsy. The work showed how noninvasive ultrasound could regulate engineered mechanosensitive channels in neurons and achieve real-time seizure detection and immediate suppression. It provided a novel, wire-free and virus-free model for epilepsy treatment and demonstrated a remarkable fusion of synthetic biology and biomedical engineering at the high school level.

Chemistry (CHEM)

This year’s Chemistry category included 67 projects and showed strong traits of sustainability and cross-technology integration. Environmental chemistry and water treatment accounted for about 25 percent, catalysis and energy materials for 22 percent, and functional materials and sensors for 18 percent. Medicinal chemistry and bio-related chemistry represented 15 percent, synthetic methodology 12 percent, and computational chemistry and AI 8 percent, illustrating the field’s move from core molecular science toward application and intelligent systems.

Among many projects focused on pollutant degradation, CO2 conversion, and battery materials, two first-prize winners emerged. One addressed an emerging environmental contaminant problem by targeting 6PPD tire additive derivatives in stormwater, while the other pursued green catalysis through a new sustainable iridium catalyst. CHEM047 used renewable nanocellulose water sponges to adsorb and degrade toxic 6PPD-quinone efficiently. CHEM032 designed a next-generation iridium catalytic system with strong principles of atom economy and greener synthesis. Together, these projects reflected two central questions in modern chemistry: how to repair environmental damage caused by human activity and how to rebuild chemical synthesis on a more sustainable foundation.

CHEM047 was especially strong for its environmental urgency and material innovation, while CHEM032 excelled through its systematic application of green chemistry concepts and its full-chain design from biomass to catalyst.

Earth and Environmental Sciences (EAEV)

This year’s Earth and Environmental Sciences category included 68 projects and centered on two main pillars: environmental remediation and pollution control, and climate and disaster prediction. Water and soil pollution treatment accounted for about 28 percent, climate and meteorological modeling for 22 percent, and ecology and bioindicators for 18 percent. Remote sensing and data analysis represented 15 percent, marine and freshwater science 10 percent, and geology and geochemistry 7 percent, showing a field that now ranges from local monitoring to planetary-scale understanding.

Among many projects focused on microplastic removal, algal bloom prediction, and disaster warning systems, two first-prize winners emerged. One addressed water safety in resource-limited regions using waste animal bones to build low-cost filtration devices. The other explored the origin of life by studying how meteorite impact hydrothermal systems may have preserved prebiotic molecules.

Investigating the Stability of Prebiotic Uracil Under the Conditions of Impact-Generated Terrestrial Hydrothermal Systems
Project ID: EAEV044
Researcher: Makaia Eagleton, Somers High School, Lincolndale, New York, USA

This project asked whether uracil, a key prebiotic molecule, could remain stable within hydrothermal systems created by meteorite impacts on early Earth.

The project used high-temperature, high-pressure experiments to simulate impact-generated hydrothermal conditions and analyzed uracil degradation or preservation under different temperatures, pressures, and pH conditions. HPLC and related analytical methods were used to identify products and measure stability.

The experimental data showed that uracil remained stable under certain hydrothermal conditions. The study concluded that impact-generated hydrothermal systems may indeed have served as environments for preserving prebiotic molecules and provided experimental evidence relevant to origin-of-life chemistry.

EAEV052 represented a highly practical “waste into clean water” engineering approach to real drinking-water problems in developing regions, while EAEV044 addressed a profound scientific question about how the building blocks of life may have been preserved on the early Earth. Together, they captured the full breadth of earth and environmental science, from humanitarian engineering to deep-time planetary origins.

Materials Science (MATS)

This year’s Materials Science category included 83 projects and was driven by two major engines: sustainable materials and green chemistry, and advanced functional materials. Bio-based and biodegradable materials accounted for about 30 percent, biomedical and drug delivery materials for 20 percent, and smart or responsive materials for 15 percent. Energy and environmental materials, additive manufacturing and composites, and electronic or sensing materials each accounted for about 11 to 12 percent, showing a field moving beyond performance optimization toward functional integration and circular economy design.

Among projects focused on water treatment, smart packaging, biomedical devices, and sustainable alternatives, two first-prize winners stood out. One developed chipless RFID tags based on MXene for intelligent sorting of plastic waste. The other transformed food waste into biodegradable tissue products. MATS054 used the high conductivity and printability of two-dimensional MXene to produce ultra-low-cost chipless RFID tags that addressed a major bottleneck in plastic recycling. MATS040 extracted cellulose and pectin from food waste and used calcium crosslinking to create eco-friendly tissue products with performance comparable to commercial products. Together, the projects illustrated how materials science can help reduce waste, improve efficiency, and enable circularity.

Microbiology (MCRO)

This year’s Microbiology category included 46 projects and centered on two major themes: antimicrobial and antifungal resistance, and pathogen control. Resistance mechanisms and novel antimicrobial strategies accounted for about 35 percent, environmental and host-microbe interactions for 22 percent, and microbial biotechnology and applications for 20 percent. Microbes and disease represented 12 percent, and microbial ecology 11 percent, reflecting a field that spans molecular mechanisms and ecosystem-level service.

Harnessing Inhibition of Efflux to Reverse Antifungal Resistance
Project ID: MCRO017
Researcher: Audrey Cowen, Riverdale Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Canada

This project addressed the enormous global health threat posed by fungal pathogens and antifungal resistance caused by the overexpression of efflux pumps. At present, no repurposed efflux inhibitors are approved for clinical use in humans.

The study screened 640 compounds to identify synergistic interactions with the antifungal drug fluconazole and to quantify efflux inhibition. It also measured cytotoxicity and mammalian-cell effects.

The results showed that doramectin and URMC-099-C acted as potent efflux inhibitors, while doramectin had minimal cytotoxicity. The project concluded that doramectin can reverse antifungal resistance in drug-resistant fungal pathogens by inhibiting efflux, while maintaining low toxicity to human cells. In combination with fluconazole, it offers a novel strategy for combating antifungal resistance and could potentially lead to the first clinically useful efflux inhibitor.

Among many projects focused on phage therapy, quorum sensing inhibition, and probiotic engineering, MCRO017 stood out for addressing antifungal resistance, a highly urgent but often overlooked public health problem. Compared with the more common focus on bacterial resistance, antifungal therapy remains relatively underdeveloped, making this project especially significant.

Plant Sciences (PLNT)

This year’s Plant Sciences category included 51 projects and centered on two main pillars: sustainable agriculture and biological control, and plant stress response and improvement. Plant-microbe interaction and biological control accounted for about 27 percent, plant stress physiology and tolerance for 24 percent, and agricultural technology and precision agriculture for 18 percent. Plant genetics and molecular mechanisms represented 12 percent, plant ecology and conservation 10 percent, and plant secondary metabolism and product use 9 percent, reflecting a field that extends from molecular breeding to ecosystem service.

Development of an Industrially Viable Oxytetracycline Nano-Carrier and Microneedle-Based Detection System (OXYCHECK2) for Citrus and Stone Fruit Disease Management: Year 4
Project ID: PLNT003
Researcher: Meera Sarna, Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Florida, USA

This project responded to major bacterial diseases affecting citrus and stone fruit crops, where traditional detection methods remain slow and complex.

The project developed an integrated platform combining an oxytetracycline nanocarrier with a microneedle-based detection system called OXYCHECK2. Its methodology included synthesizing and characterizing the OTC-PC nanocarrier, testing the formulation’s stability, creating the microneedle-based detection platform, and conducting field validation.

Results included release kinetics of the nanocarrier, inhibition performance against different bacterial pathogens, sensitivity and specificity of the OXYCHECK2 system, and comparisons from field application.

The study concluded that there was a strong nanocarrier interaction between oxytetracycline and the carrier platform, that the nanocarrier significantly reduced bacterial growth under both natural and host-tree conditions, and that OXYCHECK2 enabled rapid on-site detection. Most notably, the project represented four years of continuous iteration and showed clear industrial viability.

Among projects focused on biological control, plant growth promotion, and stress resistance, PLNT003 stood out for its sustained, four-year development path. By integrating rapid detection and targeted treatment into a closed-loop disease management platform, it demonstrated full-chain innovation from nanodelivery to field diagnostics and showed the growing precision trend in plant medicine.

Conclusion

Across these categories, the winning 2026 ISEF projects shared several striking traits. They addressed real and often urgent global challenges. They combined depth in one discipline with tools or concepts from another. They showed rigorous experimentation, strong validation, and in many cases real-world deployment or preclinical testing. Most importantly, they moved beyond simple proof of concept and toward systems-level thinking, scalability, and relevance.

In other words, the judges were not just rewarding technical difficulty. They were rewarding meaningful questions, original solutions, and projects that connected science with impact.