Virginia teen uses AI and CRISPR to boost biofuel from microalgae

Fourteen-year-old Millie Pradawong has developed an AI-powered computational tool that predicts how CRISPR gene editing could improve microalgae for biofuel production. Her project, MACRO, aims to increase oil production without reducing algae growth. A finalist in the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, Millie hopes her work will support future research in clean energy and biotechnology.