Announcing the 2026 Junior Scientist Awards

The Junior Scientist Award recognizes outstanding submissions from middle school students. This year, we received 130 applications from 7th and 8th-grade students. After careful consideration of these applications, we selected five that exemplified an innovative approach to solving space biology problems.

All awardees will receive a prize package for their educational institution that includes a miniPCR DNA Discovery System, so they can put the same technology used aboard the ISS in their classrooms.

2026 Junior Scientist Awards

John Silas Gajary (13) from Dublin, OH

Topic: Exploring the Influence of Microgravity on the Expression of Aquaporin-4 in Human Retinal Cells

Avi Novotny (13) and Evelyn Collyar (13) from Greenwood, CO

Topic: Strawberry Pollination Capacity in Space!

Rohan Sathish Babu (13) from Cumming, GA

Topic: Does Microgravity Silence DNA Repair Genes Through Epigenetic Methylation?

Aryash Shyam (13) from Bethlehem, PA

Topic: Validating a Cell-Free CRISPR Fluorescent RNA Diagnostic in Microgravity

Londyn Christmas (13) from Houston, TX

Topic: Beyond Earth’s Daylight: Probing CRY1‑Driven Circadian Changes Within Space Environments

From the entire Genes in Space team: CONGRATULATIONS to our Junior Scientist awardees! And thank you for doing your part to advance space exploration. Later this week, we will announce our Semifinalists, who are in the running for Finalist and Honorable Mention Awards.