here's what the participants are saying...

I have participated in the BioGENEius program for two years now. Last year I was a finalist, where I gained such quality experience that I had to make it a priority to come the next year. I joined during the 2005 year because I thought it would be a new and fun learning experience in my life. This program would essentially open many doors that would influence my choices and possibly my career in the future. Biotechnology is a new and exciting industry, which has the potential to revolutionize current science and technology for the better.

The BioGENEius program did not only meet my expectations but exceeded it by opening my world to the field of biotechnology. I was able to gain a feel for the new and exciting research being done the scientists of today. The BioGENEius program had a profound affect on my career choices. I am now more focused in pursing a career in biology or biotechnology.

For others considering participating in the BioGENEius program, continue your research and purse a career and/or project based on your interests. Who knows, you might just be the person that finds a cure or a significant discovery for a disease that is currently plaguing our society.

Tejal U. Naik
11th Grade
The Charter School of Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
2006 BioGENEius Challenge Pariticipant


I participated in the BioGENEius program for a variety of reasons, the most important of which were to present my research project before professionals and receive feedback; to experience the BIO convention and see all the amazing projects going on around the world related to biotechnology; and to meet new people, students and professionals alike, who were as excited about science and research as I was.

The BioGENEius program was amazing and definitely met or exceeded my expectations. We were flown into a beautiful hotel at the Palmer Hilton and were treated as honored guests at the BIO convention in Chicago's convention hall (which was enormous). There were so many people at the conference and so many cool things going on all related to biotechnology so it was like being in science heaven. We (the students) went to a lot of the other booths from different states, countries, and companies to look at other research; in the process, we picked up tons of neat freebies (laser pens, reading lights, posters, etc.). The BioGENEius judging wasn't too stressful and the judges were all nice (but still very knowledgeable). The final awards ceremony was incredibly cool because the BioGENEius finalists were presented before 3,000 people at a plenary luncheon. We met with the top executives of major companies (Abbott and sanofi-aventis) and even NBA great Magic Johnson.

I think BioGENEius will definitely be a boost towards my career development just because the event exposed me to so many projects going on in the biotechnology industry around the world. Most of my prior experience had been in academia or government research, which is much different from, for example, having to market products. It is advantageous just having the opportunity to talk with all the professionals and see how their lives are like. Furthermore, the BioGENEius program was an important component within the BIO Convention so plenty of the industry leaders were made aware of our (the students') presence and ability and hopefully the bedrock for networking will already have been set.

I would definitely encourage everybody with a research project related to biotechnology to participate in the BioGENEius program. It really is amazing (and it is a free, international, prestigious competition). Just know your project thoroughly and anticipate questions beforehand. Beyond that, soak in the experience because it really is rare to be in a professional conference while still a high schooler!

John Zhou
12th Grade
Detroit Country Day School
Detroit, Michigan
2006 BioGENEius Challenge Participant

 

BioGENEius exemplifies high level competition for high school students with an obvious love for research. This experience allowed Malari Coburn (winner of SE regional) to see the bio industry in Chicago and reconfirm her desire to go into this field. She also made a number of great contacts while in Tennessee (sight of the regional competition) as well as in Illinois (site of the national competition).

We really enjoyed the company and people that we met through the regional competition. Being one of the elite in high school is a boost for the competitors as they go to college.

I have done everything in my power to promote the BioGENEius competition--from school board meetings to newspaper articles. I'm excited about the opportunities that may await my students in the years to come!

Sassy Williams
Science Department chair and teacher
Parkway High School
Bossier City, LA
2006 Southeast Regional Participant

 

Anna Lisa De Obaldia

Duke University, Durham, NC

I was the overall winner for the 2003 BioGENEius competition in Washington, D.C., and it was fantastic to win the competition and travel to Washington. There, I learned about cutting edge research that most high school students would not have the opportunity to see!

I was recruited to enter the BioGENEius Competition after I placed at the 2003 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and received the Intel Foundation Achievement Award. I was a senior at Moorestown High School in Moorestown, New Jersey. My project was titled "The Role of Multi-drug Resistance (MDR) Pumps in Resistance to the Immunosuppressive Drug FK506 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae." My research studied two genes that conferred resistance to antirejection drugs given to transplant patients. I was fortunate to have Dr. Kyle Cunningham, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, as my mentor.

As a participant in the BioGENEius Competition, I attended the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Convention; I was able to see the new and ongoing research and development at biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. The BioGENEius competition was not all work, but a lot of fun also. I attended a luncheon where President Bush spoke. There were many fun things planned for us, a haunted house tour of D.C., and a tour of TIGR (The Institute for Genomic Research) Labs, where we were able to see what they were doing with genome sequencing.

Now, I'm a sophomore at Duke University majoring in biology. I chose to attend Duke because of my love of science. I also work at the Duke University Medical School, in Dr. Joseph Heitman's laboratory. My project under the direction of Dr. Kirsten Nielsen looks to determine whether mating type in Cryptococcus neoformans affects virulence in a murine model. My future plans are to either go to medical school or to continue in research. I would like to work with companies that are developing new drugs.

My participation in BioGENEius has helped me in determining my future goals. It made me more aware of what was going on in the field of biotechnology, and I can now have a more focused path once I'm finished with college. It's really important for students to get involved in competitions like BioGENEius because students gain research experience and are able to follow through with an original idea while contributing something to the field of research.

I would strongly recommend participating in the BioGENEius competition because it provided me with the opportunity to pursue research beyond a typical science fair. BioGENEius opens a lot of doors for anyone interested in research and science. You're able to get a wider view of what's out there, what types of jobs are available, and new research in the biotechnology field. Thanks to competitions like BioGENEius, I now have a better view into the real world of research.