Creative Teams to Use Biotechnology to Reimagine the Future of Consumer Electronics

Biodesign Challenge and the Google Hardware Design Studio issue call for projects that prioritize sustainability in the first-ever Biodesign Sprint.

September 1, 2021, New York, NY - Biodesign Challenge, a nonprofit student biotechnology competition, today announced a program with the Google Hardware Design Studio. The two will collaborate on the first-ever Biodesign Sprint, a month-long innovation challenge to reimagine how biotech could be integrated into consumer electronics to create a more sustainable future.

The competition will launch on October 7 at an online kickoff event and culminate at the Sprint Finals on November 4. The Finals, which will be broadcast live, will take the form of a pitch competition and will include speakers from Google, BDC, and leaders from the biodesign field. 

Applications are currently open and Google and BDC are recruiting teams from across the world. Participants can come from any disciplinary background, including students, scientists, engineers, artists, designers, or hobbyists. Applications to participate are due by September 29.

Teams of 1 to 6 participants will create projects that explore better ways to reduce carbon, create more sustainable materials, increase biodiversity, and bring positive change to both people and the environment. They will present their projects to a panel of judges comprised of experts from both Google and BDC. The teams will compete for cash prizes and the potential  opportunity to collaborate on their ideas with leaders in the consumer electronics industry.

Biodesign—a discipline that bridges art, design, and biology—is becoming instrumental in harnessing new biotechnologies to address the sustainability and environmental crises. Daniel Grushkin, Executive Director of Biodesign Challenge and Nathan Allen, Head of Experiential Design & Special Projects at Google, have partnered to develop this initiative over the past year to raise awareness and find creative ways for biodesign to help solve global issues. Apply to participate.