13-year-old student targets hidden urban emissions with energy-free carbon capture – and earns place at MIT

While global attention focuses on large-scale carbon emissions, a 13-year-old student in the UAE is tackling an often-overlooked contributor to climate change – urban micro- pollution.

Lochanashree Adhinarayanan, a Year 9 student who joined The British International School Abu Dhabi in August 2025 from Sharjah, has developed a passive carbon capture system designed specifically for small-scale urban emission sources such as building generators and exhaust vents.

These everyday outputs, though individually small, collectively contribute significantly to rising CO2 levels, yet remain largely untreated due to the cost and complexity of conventional carbon capture technologies.

Her solution is striking in its simplicity, requiring no electricity, no complex infrastructure, just biology and smart design. Polluted air is channelled through a two- stage filtration system: first, a layer of activated charcoal absorbs carbon dioxide, then the air passes through an algae-coated biofilm, where microalgae use natural photosynthesis to convert CO2 into oxygen and biomass.

The result is a low-cost, decentralised system that can be installed directly at emission points, transforming buildings themselves into active participants in reducing urban carbon footprints.

Lochanashree’s innovation earned her a place on the prestigious Nord Anglia-MIT Student Trip, taking place from 1-6 November 2026 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, she will collaborate with 68 fellow students from more than 50 schools worldwide, exploring real-world solutions to global challenges.

Reflecting on her selection, Lochanashree said: “I feel incredibly honoured and excited… Being chosen motivates me to keep working hard, and I’m really looking forward to learning new things and experiencing such an inspiring environment.”

Looking ahead, she aspires to pursue a career in medicine and become a neurosurgeon, bringing the same scientific curiosity and problem-solving mindset to the complexities of the human brain.

Her project carries a powerful implication: The fight against climate change may not only happen in power plants, but within the walls of everyday buildings.