Columbia University professor Sonya Dyhrman has found unexplored possibilities in the oceanic food chain by examining its smallest link — the microbe. While talk about climate change and the food supply often focuses on the visible world and foods consumed by humans, she is showing how unseen organisms could have huge ramifications for our survival.

Susana López Charretón, a Mexican virologist, is a leading researcher into rotaviruses — the double-stranded RNA viruses that are a top cause of diarrhea in children under five around the globe. Charretón and her team identified the mechanism by which they reproduce in the small intestine.

Ayushi Chauhan, a chemical engineer at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, has designed a test to simplify diagnosing tuberculosis that involves a process similar to at-home COVID testing. It could revolutionize testing for the disease, especially in rural areas.

Dajae Williams, a quality engineer at NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory, is using music to engage underprivileged kids in math and science, and is on a mission to become, in her words, “the Black female Bill Nye — where Fresh Prince and Bel-Air meet.” While making STEM more accessible, she’s using her rise from an underprivileged home in St. Louis to inspire others.

People of Caucasian descent constitute less than 15% of the world’s population, yet they make up 78% of human subjects in genome research. Abasi Ene-Obong is trying to fix that disparity by building a pan-continental bank of African genes to support research that the West has long ignored.

Tamlyn Sasha Naidu, a young chemical engineer in South Africa, has devised a process for remediating acid mine drainage. This process also creates a nutrient-rich sludge that can be used as a fertilizer in hydroponic farming.

Following a near-biblical swarm of locusts that destroyed the crops in her Ethiopian village, Segenet Kelemu turned to science, becoming the first woman from her village to get a college degree. She then devoted years to preventing devastating agricultural losses by fostering a better understanding of the symbiotic relationship between plants and insects.

Emma Horn, a doctoral candidate at the University of Cape Town, is utilizing natural bacteria to create a “bio-cement” that can be made into organic tile — which could help the construction-supply industry reduce its substantial greenhouse gas emissions.