13-Year-Old Minnesota Student Turns Peanut Shells into Pesticide-Removing Material

Arika Kundu, a 13-year-old seventh-grader at Minnetonka Middle School East in Shorewood, Minnesota, devised a novel biosorption technique that transforms peanut-shell waste into a material capable of removing pesticide residues from fresh fruits and vegetables. Her project, called LIGNEX, was selected as one of ten finalists in the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a national contest for middle-school innovators. Over the summer, each finalist will collaborate with a 3M scientist to refine their work before the final showdown in October at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul.

The winner will receive a $25,000 grand prize and the designation of America’s Top Young Scientist. Kundu, who previously won a Minnesota State Merit Award, aims to develop her invention for broader food-safety applications and envisions future work in astrobiology and radiation protection for space missions. Discovery Education CEO Brian Shaw praised the finalists for demonstrating that scientific curiosity knows no age limit.