The Online BIOTech Futures Challenge hosted by the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Bio Engineering (ARC TCIBE) with support from the ARC Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies was held on 8th & 9th February 2021.
The Challenge provides Year 9 to 12 high school students with the opportunity to pitch solutions to challenges in Health & Medicine and Energy & Environment.
Three teams of Year 10 Victorian High School students who are part of the University of Melbourne Engineering and IT Girl Power Program presented at the BIOTech Futures Challenge after qualifying in the Victorian Challenge that was hosted by ARC CMIT in 2020.
Congratulations to the Victorian team who is a runner up in the Energy & Environment Category, BIOTech Futures Challenge.
The team identified that tennis balls caused a major problem in the environment, with 300 million tennis ball ending up in landfill each year. The team's solution is to develop biodegradable tennis balls.
Project: Biodegradable tennis balls
Team Leader: Caitlyn Smith
Team Members: Anna Franklin, Michaela Mulenga
Mentor: Shareen Chan (PhD student, Faculty of Engineering and IT at University of Melbourne)
Congratulations to the Victorian teams who qualified for the semi finals of the BIOTech Futures Challenge:
Project Name: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty
Team Leader: Nuzhatul Mannan
Team Members: Paris McFarland, Jessie Thomas
Mentor: Yichen Huang (PhD student, Faculty of Engineering and IT at University of Melbourne)
Project Name: Developing a method to monitor the curvature of your spine
Team Leader: Jasmine Karliner
Team Members: Kirsten Gaddie, Jeremy Arndt, Hanah Gomberg, Alicia Kaliner
Mentor: Yihang Yu (PhD student, Faculty of Engineering and IT at University of Melbourne)
Participants were treated to a riveting presentation by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM on 'Great Moments in MedTech and Energy'.
Prof Chris Little, Director from the Kolling Institute of Medical Research in NSW presented on the Translated Achievements from OneHealth.
