Shilo Karakkattu

Hydrogel beads for clean water

Independent researcher, ASU SCENE program

I designed a low-cost hydrogel bead that removes copper and microplastics from water in one step. It's made from sodium alginate and prickly pear cactus mucilage with a chitosan coating. The bead takes about four ingredients and can be made at home. I built it for communities near abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation. I ran the project through ASU's SCENE program. A co-authored manuscript is in preparation with AzCATI.

Awards for this project

• 1st Place, Environmental EngineeringArizona Science and Engineering Fair
• NOAA Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award
• Stockholm Junior Water PrizeArizona regional winner

Dr. Adrienne Scheck's lab

Research intern, Autism Discovery and Treatment Foundation

The lab studies metabolic therapies for brain tumors and autism. I do cell culture, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and DNA isolation. I also genotype SNPs for the lab's autism study.

ScamSafe

Founder

ScamSafe is a free AI tool for checking suspicious messages. You paste in a text or email, and it explains the warning signs in plain language along with what to do next. It works in seven languages. There's no account, and messages are never stored. The National Adult Protective Services Association backs the project, and I'm speaking at its conference in November 2026.

• scamsafe.us

Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research

Statewide co-chair

SSBTR is Arizona's largest student-run nonprofit. It raises money for pediatric brain tumor research. I joined as an ambassador in ninth grade and I'm now a statewide co-chair.

• ssbtr.org

Arizona Governor's Youth Commission

Commissioner, 2026-27

The Governor appointed me to the commission for the 2026-27 term. I'm in the Substance Use Prevention work group.

Addiction Awareness Association

Founder and President, Arizona chapter

I started the Arizona chapter of this student-led nonprofit. We raise money for rehabilitation facilities and coordinate volunteers.

• addictionawareness.us

Tomorrow in Focus

Junior Producer

Tomorrow in Focus is a UN-accredited nonprofit that uses AI filmmaking to help impact organizations communicate complex issues and imagine possible futures. I was the only American high school student on the production team for Imagine Land 2040, a film created with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It premiered at COP16 in Riyadh in December 2024, and the UNCCD later featured it at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. The organization has since worked with UN partners including the UN System Staff College, UNDP, UNESCO, and UNICEF Innocenti. Through a partnership with the Nadam Foundation, I was selected as the only high school representative at the UN High-Level Political Forum.

• tmrinfocus.org
• Imagine Land 2040

Governor's Celebration of Innovation

Future Innovator of the Year, 2026

I was named a Future Innovator of the Year at the Governor's Celebration of Innovation. The award goes to standout Arizona Science and Engineering Fair students and is presented by the Arizona Technology Council and the Arizona Commerce Authority.

Three Dot Dash

2026 Global Teen Leader

The We Are Family Foundation selected me as a 2026 Global Teen Leader for my work with Tomorrow in Focus and my hydrogel bead project. I'm one of 30 teens chosen worldwide. The program includes a year of mentorship and the Just Peace Summit in London.