Meet Isabella Garry, seventh-grader whose gel removed 93.3% of microplastics
Seventh-grader Isabella Garry has developed a method using plant mucilage to remove microplastics from simulated gastric fluid. Her research, which found that psyllium mucilage could remove over 93% of microplastics, has earned her a spot as a finalist in a national science competition.
Why it matters
This innovation offers a potential low-cost, natural solution to the growing global health crisis of microplastic ingestion.
When Isabella Garry learned that microplastics can enter the human body through food, water and the air, she began looking for a solution that went beyond simply avoiding plastic. The seventh-grader from Central Middle School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, tested natural plant compounds in a laboratory-made stomach environment to see whether they could capture and remove microplastics. According to her profile published by the Society for Science, Isabella found that okra, fenugreek and psyllium mucilages all removed microplastics from simulated gastric fluid within 60 minutes. Psyllium produced the strongest result, removing up to 93.3 percent at the highest concentration tested. Her project has earned her a place among the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge finalists, as per Society for Science.
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