Teen Innovator Transforms Antiviral Drug Production with Corn Husks

Quick Smiles:

• A brilliant 19-year-old from Slovakia has created a groundbreaking method to produce antiviral drugs more efficiently.
• Adam Kovalčík’s innovation reduces the cost and time needed to produce galidesivir, a drug used against several RNA viruses.
• His achievement earned him the top prize at America’s renowned Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.

Imagine a young innovator from a quaint Slovakian village capturing the spotlight on an international stage.

This is precisely what Adam Kovalčík did when he introduced a revolutionary method to produce galidesivir, an antiviral drug, using corn husks.

Adam’s approach slashes the cost from $75.00 to $12.00 per gram and cuts down production time from 9 days to just 5.

This could significantly boost the availability of the drug, which is vital in treating RNA viruses like Ebola and SARS CoV-2.

Kovalčík’s journey took him from Dulovce, Slovakia, to Ohio, where he participated in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, a prestigious pre-college competition.

For his innovative work, he was awarded the $100,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, the highest accolade of the event.

Judges praised his presentation as “bullet proof,” reflecting the robustness of his research.

“I cannot describe this feeling,” Kovalčík shared.

“I did not expect such a huge international competition to be won by someone from a small village in a small European country, so it was just pure shock.”

His method involves a novel approach to synthesizing galidesivir, requiring only 10 steps instead of the usual 15.

The process hinges on furfuryl alcohol, a compound distilled from corn husks.

Chemist Chris RoDee, who judged the competition, remarked, “He was able to shortcut this entire process. He basically halved the number of steps because he just went in through a different door.”

Adam has already laid the groundwork for the future, filing a preliminary patent and planning to collaborate with a research group at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava to refine his method.

Additionally, he envisions using his prize money to start a company focused on eco-friendly perfumes derived from corn.

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