160 students from all over Thuringia presented their ideas and projects at the state competition Jugend forscht Thüringen on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
In Jena, the young researchers presented a total of 80 projects in the seven subject areas in the two competition categories “Jugend forscht” and “Jugend forscht Junior”. The best three in each category were awarded prizes. While the competition for the “Juniors” ends at the state competition, the winning teams of the state competition for 15-21 year olds will represent Thuringia at the national competition from May 28 to 31 in Herzogenaurach.
In addition, numerous projects and schools received special prizes for their innovative approaches, including those from the state sponsors and organizers of the competition: the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia, which recognizes special commitment from schools, and JENOPTIK AG for innovative business ideas. The state sponsors were represented by Adrian König, Head of Innovation Management at Jenoptik, and Dr. Sven Günther, Chairman of the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia.
Jenoptik and the Foundation would like to thank everyone involved in making the competition possible: students, parents, competition organizers and the many jury members from and throughout Thuringia.
Adrian König is a state sponsor at Jenoptik AG. He adds: “At Jenoptik, we experience every day that innovation begins with curiosity. It is all the more impressive to see the creativity, technical depth and enthusiasm with which the young researchers in Thuringia develop their ideas. They show what becomes possible when you have the courage to ask new questions and think beyond the obvious. This is exactly where the ideas and solutions of tomorrow come from.”
The winners of Jugend forscht
1st Prize Biology (3 prizes in total)
Green scaffolds for new tissues: analysis of decellularized leaf structures
Elina Grüning (18) Lara Ostrowski (18) Kim Dufft (18) | Staatliches Gymnasium “Albert Schweitzer” Erfurt
Green lungs in miniature: algae power against CO2
Annabell Nonnenmacher (15) | Käthe-Kollwitz-Gymnasium, Lengenfeld unterm Stein
National award for the best interdisciplinary project
From the craft table to the biosignal: quality of ECGs with electrically
conductive plasticine
Magdalena Felber (16) | Goethe School Ilmenau
1. Price Chemistry
From colour change to measurement curve: optimization of lactose detection via electrical parameters
Linda Möckel (17) | Goethe School Ilmenau
1. Price Physics
HaloGenesis
Ben Waldmann (17) | Ulf-Merbold-Gymnasium Greiz
1st prize technology (2 prizes)
Modeling, construction and characterization of a low-cost tripod demonstrator
Janina Leistritz (17) | Goethe School Ilmenau
SORS
Ben Waldmann (17) | Ulf-Merbold-Gymnasium Greiz
The winners of Jugend forscht Junior
1. Place working world
Semi-automatic inventory system
Daniel Szabó (14) Joshua Roschka (14) | Friedrich Adolf Richter School, Rudolstadt
1st place Biology
Do herbal teas work against colds? The antibacterial effect of kitchen herbs
Charlotte Jochmann (14) | Carl-Zeiss-Gymnasium Jena
1. Place Chemistry
Pop or perfect? In search of the most stable soap bubble
Danea Lamprecht (11) | Student Research Center Gera
1. Place Geo- and Spatial Sciences
Soak it up like a sponge
Max Meyer (11) Moritz Frey (12) | Gymnasium “Albert Schweitzer” Sömmerda
1. Place Physics
High-tech from the pencil case: graphite instead of cables
Farell Nonnenmacher (11) Käthe-Kollwitz-Gymnasium | Lengenfeld unterm Stein
1st place Mathematics/Computer Science
Get the hang of it: Which twists of the elements of a Rubik’s cube will keep it solvable?
Jochmann, Theodor (11) | Carl-Zeiss-Gymnasium Jena
1st place technology
Development of an environmental data measuring device for pain research
Samuel Komann (14) Leonard Schmidt (13) | Carl-Zeiss-Gymnasium Jena
National award for the best interdisciplinary project
Fantastically colorful – colors from nature
Ella Sophie Merboth (9), Tonia Muriel Voigt (9), Emilija Zunic (9) | Grundschule am Steigerwald, Erfurt