"Intel ISEF provides students from Sri Lanka and around the world the opportunity to share ideas, showcase cutting-edge technology and compete with the best young talent," Indika de Zoysa, Country Business Manager, Intel EM Limited, Sri Lanka Liaison office said in a statement.

"Excellence at this level drives innovative thinking and acts as an impetus for acquiring greater scientific knowledge and understanding."

Chandula Padmasiri, a student of Colombo's Ananda College, was selected from 1,563 young scientists from 56 countries, regions and territories.

His mobile phone based microscope, provides researchers with the ability to examine their specimens on-site when attached to mobile phone cameras.

The device is small and portable, is cheap, has a magnification of more than 600 times and could be used to capture images and videos of the specimen being viewed.