Winners Named in 2011 Virginia BioGENEius Challenge

--Will now represent Virginia in the National BioGENEius Challenge in Washington, D.C.--

RICHMOND, Va.--()--The Chesapeake Bioscience Education Foundation (C-BEF), today announced the names of the three winners of the 2011 Virginia BioGENEius Challenge, co-sponsored by the Virginia Biotechnology Association (VABIO). The Challenge is a rigorous, statewide competition among high school biology students from across the Commonwealth. The students will now advance to the U.S. National BioGENEius Challenge and have a chance to compete at the International BioGENEius Challenge competition, which will be held June 27, at the 2011 Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) International Convention in Washington, D.C.

"Once again, the sophistication of the students' research amazed the judges. It was hard to choose among so many excellent bioscience research projects," said Mark A. Herzog, VABIO executive director. “Virginia has an excellent team competing for the national title.”

“The quality of projects submitted for the competition was outstanding. I am enthusiastic about the depth of research being conducted by these Virginia high school students, ” said Dr. Martin Chapman, chairman of C-BEF and president of Indoor Biotechnologies in Charlottesville, Virginia. “Students like this will ensure that the biotechnology industry continues to provide solutions to many of today’s health challenges.”

The winning students are:

  • Riley Ennis, Age 17, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Fairfax County: “Cancer Immunotherapy Research Vaccine: Mannose Glycoprotein Encapsulated PLGA Fluorescent Nanoparticles Biotinylated for Conjuga.
  • Prasannappa Rithvik, Age 17, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Fairfax County: “Investigating wingless-mediated signaling in class specific dendrite morphogenesis.”
  • Venkatesan Radha, Age 14, York High School, York County: “Study of over expression of C-MET Receptor Tyrosine Kinase signaling in liver cancer.”

Ten U.S. National finalists will be selected to join students from Canada and Australia to compete in the International BioGENEius Challenge. The Virginia, U.S. National and International BioGENEius Challenges are competitions for high school students who demonstrate an exemplary understanding of biotechnology through science research projects.

The U.S. National BioGENEius Challenge and the International BioGENEius Challenge competition will be held June 27, at the 2011 Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) International Convention in Washington, D.C. The BIO International Convention is the largest global event for the biotechnology industry attracting between 14,000 and 20,000 attendees each year. The convention attracts the biggest names in biotech, offers key networking and partnering opportunities and provides insights and inspiration on the major trends affecting the industry. Winners of the competition will be announced at the June 28th keynote luncheon.

The International BioGENEius Challenge is organized by the Biotechnology Institute, the national organization dedicated to biotechnology education, and sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, a leading global pharmaceutical company, and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD), one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies.

“Surveys continue to show that U.S. students lag behind the rest of the world in math and science,” notes Damian Braga, President of Sanofi Pasteur US and Vice President, the Americas. “Science-based corporations need to do all we can to encourage and support young students’ interest in the sciences, and this competition is one way to do that.”

“There continues to be immense potential in the future of the biotechnology industry,” says Jay P. Siegel, M.D., Chief Biotechnology Officer and Head, Global Regulatory Affairs, J&JPRD. “As a science-based organization, our goal is to nurture the biotech leaders of tomorrow.”

At the Local, U.S. National and International competitions, students are evaluated on the quality of their research and display, as well as on their responses to questions relating to their scientific knowledge and potential commercial applications of their research.

“For more than 15 years, the aim of the International BioGENEius Challenge has been to engage, excite and educate students about biotechnology and its immense potential for solving human health, food and environmental problems,” says Tom Wiggans, Chairman of The Biotechnology Institute. “By highlighting the amazing research of these students, we hope to encourage other students to consider pursuing a career in biotechnology.”

At the BIO International Convention, the panel of judges will include scientists, researchers, educators and key members of the biotechnology industry and academia. Judges will select the top four winners from 14 U.S. National, Western Australia, and Canada finalists. The first place winner of the BioGENEius Challenge will receive $7,500; second place will receive $5,000; third place will receive $2,500 and fourth place will receive $1,000. Each remaining participant will receive an honorable mention award and $500.

The International BioGENEius Challenge, which emerged from the Sanofi Pasteur (then called Connaught) BioGENEius Challenge, was launched at the first BIO International Convention in 1994. Today, the initiative has grown in both national and international prominence.

Sanofi Pasteur has supported the BioGENEius Challenge since its inception. In addition to Sanofi Pasteur and J&JPRD, additional support for the BioGENEius Challenge is provided by International Sponsors Genentech and Amgen and U.S. National Sponsors Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inspire Pharmaceuticals and Sangamo BioSciences.

About the Chesapeake Bioscience Education Foundation (C-BEF):
The Chesapeake Bioscience Education Foundation (C-BEF) is a non-profit education foundation focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives related to the biosciences. For more information please visit www.c-bef.org.

About the Virginia Biotechnology Association (VABIO):
The Virginia Biotechnology Association (VABIO) is the statewide trade group that promotes the considerable scientific and economic impact of the life sciences industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia. VABIO is the official state affiliate of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). For more information, visit www.vabio.org.

About the Biotechnology Institute:
The Biotechnology Institute is an independent, national nonprofit organization dedicated to education about the present and future impact of biotechnology. Its mission is to engage, excite and educate the public, particularly students and teachers, about biotechnology and its immense potential for solving human health, food and environmental problems. For more information, visit www.biotechinstitute.org.

About Sanofi Pasteur:
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, is a world leader in the vaccine industry offering a broad range of vaccines protecting against infectious diseases. For more information, please visit www.sanofipasteur.com or www.sanofipasteur.us.

About Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. and Janssen:
At Janssen we are dedicated to addressing and solving some of the most important unmet medical needs of our time in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and vaccines, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Driven by our commitment to patients, we develop innovative products, services and healthcare solutions to help people throughout the world. Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. is one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies.

Contacts

Virginia Biotechnology Association (VABIO)
Mark A. Herzog, 804-643-6360

Release Summary

Three Virginia students have been named as finalists in the Virginia BioGENEius Challenge and will go on to compete in the National BioGENEius Challenge in Washington, D.C.

Contacts

Virginia Biotechnology Association (VABIO)
Mark A. Herzog, 804-643-6360