π¬ Teen tests blood cancer drugs in clams, wins big prize
Seventeen-year-old Iris Shen tested potential blood-cancer drugs on clams as part of a science project. She conducted this research in Woodlands, Texas, utilizing marine bivalves as a model for human leukaemia. In her studies, the drugs showed effects similar to those seen in human cells, and another compound slowed tumor growth. This research could make early drug discovery more ethical and cost-effective than traditional animal testing. Shen's work earned her a $150,000 third-prize award in the Regeneron Science Talent Search. π¬