Rishika Porandla published a paper based on research she did in high school. In high school, she had studied the biodegradability of polyvinyl chloride and discovered a new process to break down the plastic. From the outset, Porandla’s project for the class seemed like “a slam dunk,” Andrea DiGiorgio, the course’s instructor, told Retraction Watch. Porandla was a 17-year-old high school student at the time and Dasari was in middle school, she told us. The preprint server declined to withdraw the article but encouraged Porandla and Dasari to submit a correction, which they are working on, Porandla told us.