Join the Biodesign Challenge 2021!

Biodesign Challenge preview
 
The Biodesign Challenge is simple to join and fun to participate in…remotely! Due to COVID-19, Biodesign Challenge 2021 will be held online rather than in person at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This is a great opportunity for new teams to compete in the Biodesign Challenge  without incurring travel costs!
Amino Labs and the Biodesign Challenge are collaborating to facilitate learning biology fundamentals offsite. Amino Labs is offering a 25% discount on minilabs and kits for BDC participants. With the use of Amino Labs ecosystem and the Zero to Genetic Engineering Hero handbook, your team can learn the fundamentals of biotechnology safely at home.
Learn more and register for Biodesign Challenge by December 18 (discounted registration ends on September 15). You will receive a coupon code for Amino Labs products once you sign up!
 

How does it work?

Participating in the Biodesign Challenge requires team members to be part of an institution (high school, college, university, or community lab). This means that if you’re a student, you’ll need to have at least one instructor involved.
Step 2: Design your project with help from expert consultants
A fundamental part of the Biodesign Challenge is learning the basic skills and knowledge of biology and design. Biodesign Challenge and Amino Labs are part of a large community of experts that are passionate about sharing their skills, knowledge, and inspiration with others. Throughout the semester, teams are matched with artists, designers, scientists, and other experts who can help shape projects and ideas.
Step 3: Present your Biodesign Challenge project to judges and audiences around the world
At the end of the semester, classrooms will choose one finalist team to present their project at Biodesign Challenge Summit 2021 before a global audience and expert judges. Judges will provide feedback, critique projects, and award prizes, including the Grand Prize, the Glass Microbe.
 
Dates to Remember:
 September 15, 2020: Discounted Registration for Biodesign Challenge Closes
December 18, 2020: Registration for BioDesign Challenge closes
January 15, 2021: Late Registration for BioDesign Challenge closes
June 21, 2021: BioDesign Challenge Summit begins
 

What is the BioDesign Challenge?

Join the Biodesign Challenge
Did you know that Biodesign Challenge (BDC) has a rich history of introducing design principles and biology concepts to artists, designers, and students? The BioDesign Challenge is an inspiring competition for high school, university, and after-school students to envision, create, and critique transformational applications in biotech.
The Biodesign Challenge is the first education program and competition that is shaping the first generation of biodesigners. 
 
BioDesign Challenge Projects Make a Difference
Past BioDesign Challenge projects have responded to globally pressing issues in food security, climate change, pollution, and more. Participants have gone on to exhibit in international galleries and design festivals, win other prestigious awards, and launch eco-forward companies, including Algiknit, Werewool, and Olombria.
 
BDC Winners 2020
Overall Glass Microbe Winner: Zebra Glass
EMILY MARQUETTE, WEI HUANG, MAHSA BANADAKI
Zebra Glass proposes using zebra and quagga mussels, which are invasive to the Great Lakes ecosystem, as a source of calcium carbonate in the creation of region-based artisanal soda lime glass. The project seeks to transform these species from an “othered” ecological threat to an over-abundant resource that can be harvested for local crafts.
 
Judges Recognition Prize: Tômtex Biomaterials
UYEN TRAN
Tômtex is a sustainable leather alternative that uses waste from seafood and coffee grounds.