Tan iyo 2016, Minnetonka Research waxay siisay ardayda fursado aan la barbar dhigi karin inay si qoto dheer ugu dhex milmaan daraasadaha horumarsan, iyagoo raacaya su'aalo la xiriira xiisaha iyo xiisaha ay qabaan. Hal arday, oo ah arday fasalka 26aad ee Milan Darji, ayaa "waayo-aragnimo buuxda" u leh barnaamijka. 

Darji wuxuu ka soo qayb galay Shir-madaxeedka Cilmi-baarista Minnetonka tan iyo markii uu ahaa arday dugsi hoose. Sawirka kore, Darji (bidix) waxaa lagu arki karaa isagoo la hadlaya Parthiv Krishna '19 (midig), oo ah arday ka qalin jabiyay Minnetonka oo ka qayb qaatay barnaamijka muddo saddex sano ah. 

Daqiiqaddii xiriirka lala yeeshay ardayda Cilmi-baarista ee da'da weyn intii ay sharraxaad ka bixinayeen mashaariicdooda munaasabadda ayaa ku dhiirrigelisay Darji inay raacaan raadkooda. "Parthiv Krishna, oo ka mid ahaa kooxdii ugu horreysay ee ardayda Cilmi-baarista, runtii way igu dhiirrigelisay inaan ku biiro markii aan weynaa," ayuu yiri Darji. 

Krishna was one of the first Minnetonka Research students to become an International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) finalist and the first to place at ISEF, earning the 4th Grand Award for the Robotics and Intelligent Machines category. He joined Minnetonka Research in 2016, seeking an opportunity to explore self-directed project. “I found the possibility exciting and decided to work on projects that involved my budding interest in embedded computing and robotics,” said Krishna. “Over my three years in the program, it grew significantly in both membership and the breadth of projects [that students were working on].” 

In Krishna’s first year, he developed a dashboard-mounted eye tracking device to predict distracted driving. His second and third year were spend building autonomous drones to navigate and map indoor environments. During the Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair, a judge encouraged him to pursue a patent for aspects of his work, which “led to a whole different area of learning,” Krishna shared. “I worked with a patent attorney and agent to draft a patent application, file it, and prosecute it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It’s yet another opportunity that I would never have had without Minnetonka Research. Plus, it’s pretty cool to be able to say that I’ve had a patent granted!” After graduating from MHS, Krishna attended Stanford, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s of Science in Computer Science. He currently works as a system architect with NVIDIA. 

Now a second-year Research student himself, Darji’s current project is building on the research he conducted last year, when he focused on protein design. “I’m working on engineering specificity into enzymes using some new methodologies I’ve developed using computational techniques and building on my discoveries in protein design from last year,” said Darji. “I think it’s a really fascinating problem that has been one of the top unsolved problems in chemistry. If it’s successful it could allow us to design new drugs at a much faster rate than before. Who knows, it could even make the day when we can create personalized medicines closer.”

In Darji’s experience, the most surprising thing about his field of study is how quickly it is evolving. “Just in the time I’ve been working on it, there have been huge advances that have completely reshaped the field,” he shared. “The most rewarding part about the protein design is when you can see it all come together. You can literally see the proteins getting shaped and binding the way you want. It’s so cool to see something you’ve just created from scratch work.”

Laga soo bilaabo ka qaybgalka Shir-madaxeedka Cilmi-baarista isagoo marti ah ilaa soo bandhigiddiisa sannadkii hore iyo ku-dhisidda natiijooyinkiisa sannadkii labaad ee uu la qaatay Minnetonka Research, Milan si buuxda ayay uga qayb qaadatay barnaamijka. 

"Waxaan ka qayb galay Shir kasta oo Cilmi-baaris ah, marka awood u lahaanshaha inaan soo bandhigo sannadkii hore aad bay ii ahayd mid aad u gaar ah," ayuu la wadaagay. "Waxay ahayd nooc ka mid ah dib-u-noqoshada doorarka, laga bilaabo barashada dhammaan mashaariicda cajiibka ah ee ardayda Cilmi-baarista dugsiga sare ay sameynayeen ilaa awood u lahaanshaha inay wadaagaan shaqada aan qabanayo iyo rajo ahaan dhiirigelinta kuwa kale."

The community of curiosity fostered within the Minnetonka Research program is one of its unique strengths. “Everyone is doing such cool work, [and it is awesome] how much our research teachers are able to help us,” said Darji. “Even though each of us is doing a detailed project in several different fields, the teachers help us whenever we need it. They are dedicated and super amazing.” 

“I’ve really gotten to grow in Minnetonka Research and really appreciate the teachers and the school for making this opportunity available,” he concluded. “I’m a junior now, and I’m really looking forward to being one of the few students next year who do research three years in a row, like Parthiv, and hopefully inspire some younger students to be the next generation of Minnetonka Research!”

“Minnetonka Research was the starting point where my research interests began,” said Krishna. He encourages students to work on ideas that excite them and to be willing to change directions when motivations change. “Your work may take longer than you expect to reach the state that you hoped for, but as long as you have that drive to keep going, you’ll do great things,” he shared. “The world is changing faster than ever, and the more you can learn, the more you can do. Staying curious and up-to-date on the latest developments, both inside and outside of your direct fields of interest, will help you think about new problems to solve and new ways to solve them.”

Students interested in learning more about Minnetonka Research can visit the program’s website at minnetonkaschools.org/Minnetonka-Research or attend the program’s Open House on Wednesday, February 12 from 6-7 p.m.