Shawn D. Lewis

The Detroit News

Detroit — A simple herb might prevent pneumonia.

A type of filter might save millions of gallons of fuel in vehicles.

They are just two projects created by more than 2,000 students in the sixth through 12th grades displayed at the 60th Science and Engineering Fair of Metropolitan Detroit featured at Cobo Center. Students represented usually come from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb. But new this year, according to fair director Tim Fino, the fair expanded the participants to include Washtenaw, Lenawee, Livingston and Monroe counties.

“This is excellent, superb,” Fino said. “We have a record number of projects this year with a 50 percent increase from last year.”

He attributed the increase to an overall interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

The herb for pneumonia project’s tongue twister title is: “Mechanism by which Holy Basil protects human lung cells from pneumonia.” It belongs to Arundhathy “Ami” Suresh, 15, a sophomore at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor.

Holy basil, not to be confused with the basil used in pesto, can be found as tea bags or capsules in health food stores, and as a powder in Indian grocery stores. It also is known as tulsi. Originally from India, it has myriad uses, including treating the common cold, flu, asthma, heart disease and tuberculosis, among other illness. The plant also is used in cooking.

But Ami’s focus was pneumonia.

“I added tulsi powder in water and added it to lung cells that had been frozen,” she said. “The pneumonia bacteria kills 90 percent of cells, but when the holy basil was added, almost 80 percent of the cells did not die.”

She explained some of the frozen lung cells were pretreated with the holy basil, and after 24 hours, she added the bacteria to compare with the ones not pretreated.

“The ones treated with the holy basil and bacteria, pretty much none had died.”

Ami said she often uses holy basil when she is in India. She takes the actual green herb and grinds it up to take as a tea.

“If I am sick, that is my go-to remedy,” she said.

While the students took a lunch break, the judges visited each booth. They placed pink congratulation sheets on the projects that would advance to the next level. Ami was one of the students to receive that notice, which read: “Your project has made it to the final round of judging. During the afternoon, you will be judged by several additional judges who will be selecting 6 individual students and one team project as finalists.”

Ami smiled when she saw her pink notice.

“I’m really happy but also pretty nervous,” she said.

Rohit Mital, 14, is a freshman at Adams High School in Rochester. His project title is: “Mat Innovation for Mounting Ceramic Substrates.” The subtitle is: “Can a catalytic converter mat innovatoin allow use of weaker substrates in production, saving millions of gallons of fuel and human lives?”

He also received a pink congratulatory notice, advancing him to the next level of judging.

It took him a few minutes to respond when asked to explain his project.

“It involves supporting filters in automotive exhaust systems,” he said. “My mat can support weaker substrates where normal mats cannot.”

He added: “It can support better filters leading to better pollution reduction.”

Still puzzled? Well, at least one industry giant is not.

“I have talked to some organizations who are interested in these designs,” he said.

Like whom?

“Like 3M,” he said.

Rohit’s dad, Rahul Mital, a mechanical engineer at General Motors Co., confirmed it.

“But my son had to sign an agreement that any patents that come out of this belong to them,” he said.

Ed Sellers, president of the board of the Science and Engineering Fair of Metropolitan Detroit, said some of the students in past fairs have gotten patents on their projects.

“They have been contacted by professional organizations to assist them and some have gotten scholarships so it is a wonderful opportunity.”

The local senior grand award winners will compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair from May 14-19 in Los Angeles.

SLewis@detroitnews.com

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