Guwahati: '23228 Nandinisarma' - this is the name of an asteroid discovered on November 21, 2000 by the Lincoln Laboratory Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) team in Socorro, USA.

The asteroid has been named after Nandini Sarma, an 18-year-old girl of Assamese origin, who won the first place at the 2007 Intel International Science & Engineering Fair for her Microbiology project.

Nandini Sarma, currently residing in US, has been conducting research to find solutions to common health hazards and her prize-winning research focused on natural food preservatives. She has proved that garlic can effectively replace synthetic chemical preservatives.

LINEAR, a programme of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in collaboration with US Science Service and with the approval of International Astronomical Association, has named the asteroid after Nandini Sarma to honour her research.

Nandini, who is currently on a visit to her grandparents at Pathshala in the Barpeta district, said, "I am very happy with the honour they have given me."