This is not a bullet point on many resumes, much less a teenager’s: “Using quantum computing, I discovered a molecule that could revolutionize water treatment.” Not.
But that’s exactly what Diana Bilgovikova She accomplished this at the age of 17 by modeling a molecule that can remove pollutants from water when exposed to sunlight.
Originally from Slovakia, Vilgovikova went on to study computer engineering at the University of Toronto on a Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship and founded Xatoms, a startup that uses quantum computing and AI to discover water-purifying molecules. . -Ongoing global health issues.
“We want to be the world’s leading water purification company, providing affordable and efficient solutions and reaching some of the world’s most vulnerable communities,” says Virgovicova. .
This young company is already making waves.
In March, Xatoms won the top prize in the early-stage startup category at U of T’s annual Entrepreneurship Week’s Desjardins Startup Award and Pitch With a Twist competition. A few days later, the product was selected for the first Compute for Climate Fellowship, awarded by the International Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, an organization supported by Amazon Web Services and UNESCO.
Vilgovikova’s list of awards continues to grow and includes being selected for the NEXT 36 Entrepreneurship Program and 776 Climate Fellowship (supported by the Reddit co-founders). Alexis Ohanian) and the Stockholm Junior Water Award from Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
She says she first realized the urgency of the global water crisis when she was 14 years old. She traveled to India with her mother, where she encountered the heavily polluted beaches of Mumbai. “It really got me thinking about how we can solve this problem,” she says. “I decided to make it my life’s mission to purify contaminated water.”
After returning to Japan, Virgovikova contacted Slovak University and inquired about water treatment research. Her professor explained to her how quantum chemistry could be used to identify photocatalysts, substances that use sunlight to start chemical reactions that break down pollutants.
Virgovicova says she began teaching herself how to use quantum chemistry software and within three years was using it to create a model of a new photocatalytic molecule.
How does it work? Most existing photocatalytic materials required ultraviolet (UV) radiation, but the structure Virgovicova modeled works when exposed to simple visible light. “What I did was model a structure that would function even when exposed to radiation from the sun, eliminating the need for expensive UV reactors,” she says.
The next step was to consider forming a company based on this discovery, Virgovikova says. “I wanted to start a company in the water sector, so I chose U of T, which is one of the best research-based universities in the world when it comes to entrepreneurship,” she says.
Xatoms is part of U of T Scarborough’s The Bridge accelerator program and builds on Virgovicova’s photocatalytic discoveries by incorporating AI to discover more and more efficient materials and molecules. “Now it’s much more advanced and it’s not just about her one material, it’s about multiple materials. [materials] “Because different types of environments require different materials to clean water,” she says.
Xatoms currently consists of a team of three, including a co-founder and chief technology officer Kerem Topal Ismail OgluU of T Computer Engineering Student and Chief Operations Officer shirley cheongStudent at Western University.
The goal is to create two product lines: an industrial water treatment powder that can remove viruses, pesticides, and bacteria, and a portable water filter for consumers. To this end, the company is collaborating with: Alexandra TavasoliVirgovicova, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of British Columbia, estimates that the process of synthesizing the photocatalytic molecules in the lab will take several months.
Xatoms is also pursuing partnerships with water treatment agencies in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and India, and working with foundations in the UK and the Netherlands.
Bilgovikova said access to safe drinking water is not just a health issue, but also a gender equality issue, as women and girls often bear the burden of securing water for their homes in many parts of the world. He says it is also true.
“We want fewer people without access to clean drinking water and fewer women and girls able to invest up to eight hours of their time. [a day] In some cases, we even take home a container of water,” says Bilgovikova. “Our goal is to introduce more solutions to make a bigger impact and reach as many people as possible.”
