Bhaskar Mookerji, third from left, receiving the $20,000 check. (Photos: Courtesy, Siemens Foundation)

Among the group of talented teen scientists across the United States that competed in the 2004-05 Siemens Westinghouse Competition, three Indian Americans reached the national finals and won top honors. The winners for the nation’s premiere high school competition were announced at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 6.

Samir Zaidi got cracking on his project after he saw his grandmother suffering from osteoporosis.

These Indian Americans qualified for the finals after winning the regional finals held at leading research universities on Nov. 20.

Samir Zaidi, 17, a senior at Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY, won the third prize ($40,000 scholarship) in the individual category. Bhaskar Mookerji, 17, a senior at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, NC, won the fifth place in the individual category. He earned a $20,000 scholarship for his project.

Alex Thachara, 16, an 11th grader at Wheatley School, Old Westbury, NY, earned the fifth place in the team category. His teammate for the project was an 11th grader Allyson Ho, who is from William P. Clements High School, Sugar Land, TX.

Allyson Ho, left, and Alex Thachara won the fifth place in the team event by exploring ways to control the permeability of thin plastic films.

The $100,000 Grand Prize scholarship in the individual category was won by Aaron Goldin, a senior at San Dieguito High School Academy in Encinitas, CA. Yueqi Guo and Xianlin Li, senior students at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, NC, won the $100,000 prize in the team category. In the 2004-05 competition, 1,213 students participated, which is an increase of 24 percent over the 2003-04 competition.

About 14 students of South Asian descent (they were mostly Indian Americans) were named runners-up in regional contests in South, New England, Southwest, West, Midwest and Middle States. Winners from each region competed for the top prizes, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 in each category in the national finals.

Thirty teams and 30 individuals –– five teams and five individuals in each region –– were shortlisted as regional finalists to compete in the six geographic regional finals. The New Jersey-based Siemens Foundation had introduced this competition in 1998 to recognize America’s best students in math, science and technology. The finals are judged by an eminent panel of scientists and mathematicians.

South winner Mookerji’s project focused on the fundamental coordination chemistry of zinc. The winning entry created and characterized new chemical compounds that could work wonders for the pharmaceuticals industry and other applications.

“These are essential new chemical molecules known to exist but not studied.” While researching his subject he also discovered a potential model of an enzyme used in making DNA.

Mookerji, who is an only child of a civil engineer father and a computer programmer mother, loves math and science, especially chemistry.

He says he would have pursued this research independent of the competition. But when he entered the competition he was fairly confident that he would do well. “My work is something that others would be interested in. When I won I considered it a stamp of approval of what I believed in.” But the whole journey wasn’t without difficulties.

“Chemistry is a difficult subject. Often understanding concepts was tough.” Also, working in summers was tough. “It is humid. Most compounds are air-sensitive and water in the air sometimes did hamper the experiment,” said Mookerji.

This avid lover of books didn’t give up at any point. “I kept on going. You pick up the subject after a lot of reading,” said Mookerji. He plans to be a research professor of physical sciences and mathematics at some point.

Zaidi, too, was determined to get his project going. His “overwhelming curiosity and his grandmother’s struggle with osteoporosis” set him to look for a solution. “I often wondered why she had a hunch back. This disease at the time is a major health concern. About 44 million Americans suffer from this disease,” said Zaidi.

He started his research in 2003 by looking at basic conceptual aspects of osteoporosis. “During menopause, there is bone loss. This is often thought to be due to low levels of estrogen and failing ovaries,” said Zaidi.

He also found out that elevated FSH levels also could lead to bone loss. His research shows that by blocking the action of FSH on the osteoclast, a cell that reabsorbs bone, may help reduce osteoporosis and its associated fractures.

His research could lead to new solutions to prevent post-menopausal osteoporosis. Results from his project have shown that elevated follicle-stimulating hormone levels contribute to post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Zaidi found out about the competition from a friend and his doctor parents told him to participate in the event. All he did then was work hard. He got the fruits of his labor too. “It is always a surprise to win, especially when the contest had great projects,” said Zaidi.

He plans to study molecular research when he goes to college. When Zaidi is not following his deep love for science, he plays tennis, squash, and also the violin.

For Thachara, science and English is a passion. And for that reason he decided to enter the Siemens competition. “I thought I could excel in science by entering this competition,” he said. Thachara, whose parents are speech pathologists, picked up a project at Stony Brook University over the summer.

The research paper that he presented with his partner Allyson Ho looked at ways to improve, modify and control the permeability of thin plastic films. This can be used for many things, including gas masks which filter out large molecules, viruses and bacteria while allowing free flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide, specialized food wrappings as well as specialized permeable bandages for burns. Such devices could be useful against bio-terrorism.

The project was done long distance as Ho lives in Texas. This sometimes led to anxiety for the two contestants. “Distance was a big obstacle,” said Thachara. So when they won the regional finals it was all worth it. But “we knew we had to step it up and know our project better.”

Ho and Thachara combined two techniques to modify the permeability of thin polymer films made from polystyrene and poly (methyl methacrylate). They added assorted nanoparticles, and then subjected the films to treatment in high pressure, super-critical carbon dioxide –– pressure greater than 1,073 pounds per square inch and at temperatures greater than 88.34 degree Fahrenheit. These treatments affect the permeability of the plastic. After that they carefully controlled and measured the resulting oxygen permeability of their films.

Thachara’s parents were really excited about their son’s achievements. They put up a banner at home which read ‘Congrats and Welcome Home.’

Thachara, who is fluent in Malayalam and Spanish, may even consider law as a career. “Law, apart from science, really interests me. So you never know what I will end up doing,” he said. When he is not studying or thinking about his future, he plays football, fencing or the clarinet.