53 Finalist Teams to Present Biotech Designs at BDC Summit 2021

Students partnered with artists, designers, and scientists to envision the future of biotechnology.

June 21-25, 2021 – 53 finalist teams from 20 countries will compete for the Glass Microbe at the online Biodesign Challenge Summit 2021. Teams have spent the academic year creating projects that bridge art, design, and biology to reimagine more equitable and sustainable futures. Their innovative ideas explore topics such as medicine, architecture, fashion, food, materials, bioethics, and more. There will also be an online student gallery exhibition on June 21.

 Over 60 leading experts in academia, industry, and the arts will judge and award prizes. This year’s sponsored prizes include the Barilla Prize for Regenerative Living Ecosystems and the Science Sandbox Prize for Public Engagement.

Summit speakers include Janina Jeff, geneticist and host of the podcast In Those Genes; Kathy High, artist, curator, and scholar of bioart; and Lisa Margonelli, author and senior editor of Issues in Science and Technology. Speakers will give their talks on Friday, June 25th. 

BDC aims to foster the first generation of biodesigners who use the life sciences as a tool to create and critique applications of biotechnology. The students come from across disciplines to explore the ethical implications of current and future biotech. 

“To serve society as an entirety, science and technology need to be equally accessible to everyone at each stage of creation. I’m looking forward to this year’s Summit dialogues around what we want from our technologies,” says Daniel Grushkin, founder and Executive Director of Biodesign Challenge.

Over the last six years, BDC alumni have gone on to form sustainability-based startups (raising over $6M+ collectively), receive patents, and win notable awards including the H&M Global Change Award, National Geographic Chasing Genius Award, LVMH Innovation Award, Prix Ars Electronica, among others. 

Alumni have traveled the world to engage the public at museums and festivals, including the V&A, London Design Biennale, Gregg Museum, World Economic Forum, the Tech Museum, Dutch Design Week, MIT, and the United Nations.