Design Thinking by BioBuilders
Upper school students draw praise as they present their innovative biological design solutions at BioBuilder assembly.
Eight upper school members of the BioBuilder Club presented their originally-designed product at the recent Biobuilder Final Assembly held at LabCentral in Cambridge, MA.
The Montrose students designed sunglasses that were engineered to detect when the wearer was experiencing UV damage, in order to lower skin cancer rates. "Our team's project focused on a problem of high societal need," explained team advisor Dr. Jason Boock, a post-doctoral researcher at MIT. "They successfully brainstormed biological design solutions, resulting in the desire to construct a device to be embedded in sunglasses to alert the user when their dose of UV radiation had become high."
The presentation by the Montrose BioBuilder team, led by Yvonne Niebuhr '18, drew praise from attendees and LabCentral staff for its professionalism and maturity. In addition to Yvonne, Ciara Young '18, Emily Bowman '19, Julia Convery '19, Sofia Conte '19, Julia Daher '19, Donna Phinney '21 and Ieva Sereiva '21 participated. Four teams at the BioBuilder Final Assembly will advance and see their work published in a scientific journal.
Earlier this year, the Montrose BioBuilder Club earned $500 for their entry into a video contest sponsored by local biotechnology company Biogen. The team's video described the genetic mutation of hemophilia and its relation to the Russian aristocracy in the 1900s. Club members plan to use their winnings to purchase equipment which will allow them to do gel electrophoresis in the lab. Click here for the BioBuilder video.
The Final Assembly at LabCentral was the culmination of many months' efforts by the Montrose BioBuilders. "During the year, the girls communicated their discoveries with teams across the United States, opening up collaborative thought as they begin the next design cycle," said Dr. Boock. "They also toured a biochemical engineering laboratory space to learn about the steps to make their biological device a reality as well as how to market and patent bioproducts."
BioBuilderClub aims to challenge students to to develop novel biotechnologies, with high school teams using a combination of engineering methods and scientific know-how to design, build and test their original projects. "Design challenges such as BioBuilder are unique in the High School classroom, and stretch the students creativity while utilizing all their past coursework and life experiences," said Dr. Boock. "I am proud of the accomplishments of the Montrose BioBuilder team in their first year."
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The Montrose students designed sunglasses that were engineered to detect when the wearer was experiencing UV damage, in order to lower skin cancer rates. "Our team's project focused on a problem of high societal need," explained team advisor Dr. Jason Boock, a post-doctoral researcher at MIT. "They successfully brainstormed biological design solutions, resulting in the desire to construct a device to be embedded in sunglasses to alert the user when their dose of UV radiation had become high."
The presentation by the Montrose BioBuilder team, led by Yvonne Niebuhr '18, drew praise from attendees and LabCentral staff for its professionalism and maturity. In addition to Yvonne, Ciara Young '18, Emily Bowman '19, Julia Convery '19, Sofia Conte '19, Julia Daher '19, Donna Phinney '21 and Ieva Sereiva '21 participated. Four teams at the BioBuilder Final Assembly will advance and see their work published in a scientific journal.
Earlier this year, the Montrose BioBuilder Club earned $500 for their entry into a video contest sponsored by local biotechnology company Biogen. The team's video described the genetic mutation of hemophilia and its relation to the Russian aristocracy in the 1900s. Club members plan to use their winnings to purchase equipment which will allow them to do gel electrophoresis in the lab. Click here for the BioBuilder video.
The Final Assembly at LabCentral was the culmination of many months' efforts by the Montrose BioBuilders. "During the year, the girls communicated their discoveries with teams across the United States, opening up collaborative thought as they begin the next design cycle," said Dr. Boock. "They also toured a biochemical engineering laboratory space to learn about the steps to make their biological device a reality as well as how to market and patent bioproducts."
BioBuilderClub aims to challenge students to to develop novel biotechnologies, with high school teams using a combination of engineering methods and scientific know-how to design, build and test their original projects. "Design challenges such as BioBuilder are unique in the High School classroom, and stretch the students creativity while utilizing all their past coursework and life experiences," said Dr. Boock. "I am proud of the accomplishments of the Montrose BioBuilder team in their first year."
An independent school for girls in grades 6-12
Inspired by the teachings of the Catholic Church
Inspired by the teachings of the Catholic Church
