On April 30, 2014, high school students across the GTA gathered to attend the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada awards ceremony held in the George Vari Engineering Building at Ryerson University. It was a great opportunity for students to showcase their poster projects to family, friends, judges, and other distinguished guests.
Sackville, NB – May 5, 2014 – Nineteen students in twelve teams squared off in this year’s Regional 2014 “Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC)” on April 29, 2014. Each team presented their biotechnology research and life-changing discoveries, addressing issues ranging from cancer, obesity, Parkinson’s Disease, and diabetes to finding new sources of alternative energy. The competition was hosted at Mount Allison University, in Sackville, New Brunswick.
Guelph, ON – May 1, 2014 – 20 students squared off in this year’s Regional 2014 “Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC),” each of them presenting their biotechnology research and life-changing discoveries. The competition was hosted by the University of Guelph through the College of Biological Science.
Projects ranged from the of testing new therapies for beast cancer, using DNA barcodes to understand biodiversity distribution, identifying new antibiotics from mango ginger and understanding the role of growth factors in spine development.
Toronto, Ontario – May 1, 2014 – 44 students in 24 groups squared off in this year’s Regional 2014 “Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC),” each group presenting their biotechnology research and life-changing discoveries. Projects ranged from Bipolar Disorder, Alzheimer’s, Crohne’s Disease, Renal Cell Injury and Cancer to plastic-degrading bacteria, photoactive carbon-fixing bacteria, organic waste-fueled microbial fuel cells, fruit fly microbes and combating antibiotic resistance.
Ottawa, ON – April 29, 2014 – 7 students squared off in this year’s Regional 2014 “Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC),” each of them presenting their biotechnology research and life-changing discoveries. Projects ranged from HIV to cancer to stem cell research.
Edmonton, AB, April 28, 2014 – Eighteen high-school students squared off in this year’s Alberta Regional 2014 Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC), a biotechnology research competition that encourages students to pursue future studies and careers in the exciting field of biotechnology. Each of 12 teams presented their research and life-changing discoveries ranging from investigating diagnostic tools for the detection of Multiple Sclerosis, understanding hydrocarbon biodegradation by tailings pond microbial consortia in addition to exploring the microbial cause of Crohn’s disease.
All of the students are deserving of recognition for their efforts, however seven students have been named Alberta Regional winners.
Jessica Wickware of Harry Ainlay High School in Edmonton won first place with a study titled “Tumour Origami: A Three-Dimensional Visualization of Drug Resistance in Malignant Tumours.” Dr. Ratmir Derda of the University of Alberta mentored Jessica throughout her research. Jessica will enter the national SBCC competition held at the headquarters of the National Research Council in Ottawa, on May 22, 2014, followed by the SBCC National Awards Ceremony, co-presented with the Partners In Research National Awards, on May 23.
Arjun Nair, a 17-year-old Calgary student from Webber Academy, took second place for his project titled “Investigating Novel Diagnostic Tools for the Detection of Multiple Sclerosis.” Arjun’s mentor was Dr. Wee Yong of the University of Calgary. Arjun participated in the SBCC 2013 and won first place with his futuristic study focused on research of developing a nano-bullet to defeat cancer.
Third place was awarded to Sujay Nagaraj a 16 year old student from Western Canada High School in Calgary. Sujay was mentored by Dr. John Kelly of the Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute, who supported Sujay throughout his innovative project titled: “Synergistic Treatment of GBM BTSC’s through Growth Factor Stimulation and Anti-Neoplastic Therapy.”
Ali Haghani and Jack Du, grade 12 students from Sir Winston Churchill High School in Calgary, formed a team winning fourth place. Dr. Lisa Gieg, University of Calgary, mentored Ali and Jack throughout their exploration of the “Hydrocarbon biodegradation by tailings pond microbial consortia under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.”
Cash prizes were also awarded for the “Most Commercially Viable Project” and the “Best Elevator Pitch” as follows:
Congratulations to the team of Andrea Lin and Alice Xue for winning the Best Elevator Pitch prize. The team did an awesome job on communicating the market potential of the “The Microbial Cause of Crohn’s Disease.”
Fifth place was awarded to the team of Andrea Lin and Alice Xue both from Old Scona Academic High School in Edmonton. Dr. Christine Szymanski, from the Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, mentored this team throughout their challenging research titled “The Microbial Cause of Crohn’s Disease.”
Winnipeg Manitoba– April 24, 2014 – 21 students squared off in this year’s Regional 2014 “Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC),” each of them presenting their biotechnology research and life-changing discoveries. Projects ranged from bioengineering a kidney, to how prostate cancer cells circulate in the body; from global warming, to how food can effect cancer and much more.
