sanofi-aventis international
BioGENEIus Challenge

The sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge is the premier competition for high school students that recognizes outstanding research in biotechnology.

Congratulations to the
2010 sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge finalists!

First Place, $7,500.00

Raina Jain
11th Grade,
Freedom High School,
Bethlehem, Penn.

Project Title:
Engineering Glass Bone Implants to Enhance the Adhesion of Precursor Osteoblast Cells

Jain (center) accepts the first place award from Allan Jarvis of sanofi-pasteur (left) and Paul Hanle of the Biotechnology Institute.

Second Place, $5,000.00

Sherwin Wu
12th Grade,
Detroit Country Day School,
Novi, Mich.

Project Title: Glucosaminyl (N-acetyl) Transferase 2 (GCNT2) Gene Expression Highly Influences Breast Cancer Metastasis and Promotes an Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)

Third Place
$2,500

Anirudh Saraswathula
12th Grade,
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology,
Oak Hill, Va.,

Project Title:
The Implementation of Functional Pancreatic Endoderm Derived from Human Spermatogonial Stem Cells In Vivo

Fourth Place
$1,000

Stephanie Axelson
12th Grade,
Airline High School, Bossier City, La.received a

Project Title: Identification of a New Link in Gene Silencing: Acetylation of the Methyl Binding Protein MeCP2.

Each remaining participant received an honorable mention award and $500. The other finalists are:

Frances Harvey from Shenton College in Mt. Hawthorn, Western Australia, was named a finalist for her project titled, Sustainable Mining Development Using Molecular Systematics of Spiders.
Shaina Hasan from Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., was named a finalist for her project titled, EGFR and mTOR Inhibitors on Cell Proliferation in Glioblastomas.
Kevin Jiang from Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, Calif., was named a finalist for his project titled, Novel Sialyltransferase Psp26ST for the Synthesis of Cancer Vaccines and the Sialyl Tn Antigen.
Brian Krug from John F Ross CVI in Guelph, Ontario, was named a finalist for his project titled, Catechin's anti-angiogenic effects in epithelial ovarian cancer.
Jiayu (Angela) Liu from Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas, was named a finalist for her project titled, Signaling mechanisms of extracellular ATP and ABA in Arabidopsis stomatal guard cells.
Prithwis Mukhopadhyay from Woodbury High School in Woodbury, Minn., was named a finalist for his project titled, Rood Additive or Carcinogen? Carrageenan Inhibits ASB Activity and Induces Cell Invasion Involving RhoA Activation and MMP-9 Secretion.
Muna Oli from Eastside High School in Gainesville, Fla., was named a finalist for her project titled, A Novel Interdisciplinary Application for Personalized Tumor Treatment Using Nanothermal Radiation.
Emily Phillimore from Shenton College in North Perth, Western Australia, was named a finalist for her project, Fueling Our Future - unlocking the potential of an ancient oil crop.
Rui Song from Walter Murray Collegiate Institute in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was named a finalist for her project titled, Racing to Find a Marker: Development of Molecular Markers for Races of Colletotrichum Truncatum.
Alice Turski from Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas, was named a finalist for her project titled, Identification of Transcription Factors Regulating the Mesenchymal Signature.

Click here for

2010 winners
2009 Winners
2008 Winners
2007 Winners
2006 Winners
2005 Winners
2004 Winners

USA

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Choose your region:

Click on your state for more information on how to participate.

Canada

The top two finalists of the sanofi-aventis BioTalent Challenge (SABC) are invited to compete at the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge.

Click here for more information.

Western Australia

Two finalists from the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge of Western Australia compete in the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge. Click here for more information.

The Path to the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge:

PLEASE NOTE ONLY INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PROJECTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPETITION.

US Students:
To enter the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge, follow this path:

Step 1
First, submit your application and research project description to the Biotechnology Institute.

A panel of judges will review the research project descriptions and select two finalists from each state. These two finalists will advance to the
sanofi-aventis Regional BioGENEius Challenge.

Step 2
If you are selected as a state finalist, you are eligible to receive a $400 travel award and an invitation to compete in a spring sanofi-aventis Regional BioGENEius Challenge event. At the Regional Challenge, finalists will present their projects to a panel of judges who will select two finalists from each region. These two finalists will advance to the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge.

Step 3
If you are selected as one of the two regional finalists, you will receive an all-expense paid trip to compete at the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge.

Western Australia Students:

To enter the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge, follow this path:

Step 1
Visit Western Australia Region information page by clicking here.

Step 2
Contact regional sponsor to learn how to apply. The regional sponsor is the Government of Western Australia, Department of Industry and Resources. Click here.

sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge
The regional finalists from the United States, Canada, and Western Australia will compete in the International competition that is held in conjunction with the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (BIO) Annual International Convention. Finalists will present their projects to a panel of expert biotech judges and display their projects to convention participants.

The first place winner receives a $7,500 cash award. Other awards include $5,000 for second place, $2,500 for third plase, and $1,000 for fourth place. Each remaining finalist will receive a $500 Honorable Mention Award.

Click here to learn more about the BioGENEius Challenge from BioGENEius finalists

2010 International Sponsor