Columbus: A team of Taiwanese students won six awards at the 75th Annual Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) in Columbus, Ohio, the National Taiwan Science Education Center (NTSEC) said Saturday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the NTSEC selected 19 students who submitted 12 projects to the competition. These talented students secured one Third Award, three Fourth Awards, one special Second Award from the American Chemical Society, and one special award from the American Mathematical Society.

This year’s competition took place in Columbus, Ohio from May 10 to May 16, attracting 1,657 students from 63 countries and regions who submitted a total of 1,334 projects.

The judges were particularly impressed by the work of Shih Hsiang-cheng and Fan Zhong-yue from Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School, who discovered a virus from wastewater capable of killing the Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria. This achievement earned them an award in microbiology. Klebsiella pneumoniae is known to cause pneumonia, urethral infections, and bacteremia, and has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics, posing a significant medical challenge.

Chen Yun-jen from Taipei First Girls High School also garnered accolades, winning an award in chemistry and a special award from the American Chemical Society for her research that optimized material combinations for brighter and more efficient LED displays.

In addition, Taiwan established the Taiwan International Science Fair Special Award, which was given to two foreign students, enabling them to participate in the 2026 Taiwan International Science Fair. The NTSEC highlighted that this initiative underscores “the importance of international science research and interaction to science education.” They expressed hope that the award recipients would share their research with students in Taiwan in 2026.