Founder18
Srihan Sankepalle
16 Y/O•Northville, Michigan, USA•Other

Srihan Sankepalle

Built a microplastics-removal system that he reports costs ~90% less than comparable commercial solutions and runs on UV light — recognized in the 2025 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes winner profile (Barron Prize, 2025).

What they built

At age 15–16, Srihan developed a low-cost, scalable system to remove and degrade microplastics from rivers, lakes, and coastlines. His method coats biodegradable foam with titanium dioxide nanoparticles; when exposed to UV light, the foam captures microplastics and chemically breaks them down — eliminating the need for electricity or expensive infrastructure. The system costs 90% less than commercial alternatives, uses nontoxic, readily available materials, and is designed to work in under-resourced communities worldwide, with potential large-scale applications such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

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The F18 Thesis

Verified track record

  • Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes 2025 Winner profile (age 15–16) (source)
  • Detroit News — "Northville teen wins 2025 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes" (Sept 28, 2025) (source)
  • Yahoo News — "High school student awarded Young Hero prize for groundbreaking solution to massive health crisis" (2025) (source)
  • Email ssankepalle@gmail.com publicly visible in LinkedIn activity section (source)
Updated April 27, 2026