Tokyo Tech News

2016 bio-creations presented at 12th Tokyo Tech BioCon

RSS

Published: December 16, 2016

The 12th Tokyo Tech BioCon, or bio-creativity contest, was held at Suzukakedai Campus on November 12, 2016.

The foundations of the competition

Preparing for the final presentations
Preparing for the final presentations

Bio-Creative Design 1 and 2, which form the basis of the Tokyo Tech BioCon, are courses offered to first-year students.

During these courses, students work in small groups to plan and design easy tools that can be utilized to teach bioscience and biotechnology to the public, or are otherwise useful to society. While boosting creativity, the courses also aim to provide students with the fundamentals of bioscience.

This year, 20 groups made up of a total of 150 students carried out investigations, experiments, and surveys to gather data for their bio-creative design project.

The presentation

The Tokyo Tech BioCon is a public contest, which also functions as the final assessment for the Bio-Creative Design courses. Students regularly received advice from professors and teaching assistants until the big day when each group had 11 minutes to present their project aims, methods, and data to the audience.

Presentations - colorful and amusing

Presentations - colorful and amusing

Presentations - colorful and amusing

Bio-play with Tokyo Tech students

After the presentations, elementary and middle school students were invited to test out the groups' creations during the "Bio-play with Tokyo Tech students" session. Groups set up booths to further explain their projects and encouraged children to get more involved. With the younger generations getting a chance to experience bioscience and biotechnology through interesting and challenging games, feedback was again excellent.

Children trying out groups' creations

Children trying out groups' creations

Children trying out groups' creations

Booths set up to explain the students' projects

Booths set up to explain the students' projects

Booths set up to explain the students' projects

Evaluation and competition results

In addition to the seven judges selected from within and outside the Institute, fellow students and other participants at the event evaluated the projects and had a say in the selection of the winners. Group E claimed victory with their project on "Cabbage – The edible paper."

Winning group receiving certificate and commenting on their victory

Winning group receiving certificate and commenting on their victory

Winning group receiving certificate and commenting on their victory

x
Winners
Group E: Cabbage – The edible paper
2nd place
Group N: Three-minute cooking
3rd place
Group T: Bio-soap
Industry Collaboration Award
Group S: Cotton-de-pon
Judges' Award
Group H: Bac-ter the Agar game
Group J: A packed ant theater
Collaboration Center for Design and Manufacturing Award
Group L: Find the yeast!!
Yokohama City Board of Education Award
Group P: From DNA to protein

Congratulations to the winners and all the groups who worked hard for the past six months to design creative, original projects.

School of Life Science and Technology

School of Life Science and Technology
—Unravel the Complex and Diverse Phenomena of Life—

Information on School of Life Science and Technology inaugurated in April 2016

School of Life Science and Technology

Schools, Departments, and Institute for Liberal Artsouter

Contact

Office of Bio-Creative Design

Email biocreat@bio.titech.ac.jp

RSS