Creating a Popular Foundation for the Bio-Age

Abstract

In 2020, Stanford University abruptly shut down laboratory operations due to the pandemic. A team of undergraduates competing in iGEM, the global bioengineering competition, were left in a quandary. How could they develop their novel COVID-19 diagnostics for this competition without a proper lab? Luckily, they heard about BioCurious, a community biology lab in Santa Clara CA, that was operating with pandemic precautions. Not only did it have the equipment to enable meaningful progress on the team's project, it also had mentors. The students ended up winning a gold medal at the competition. More importantly, they felt empowered as leaders in scientific research moving forward. In hindsight, the team came to see the closing of Stanford's labs as a silver lining. At BioCurious, they had the opportunity to learn in a different environment than an academic campus alongside a diverse group of scientists and entrepreneurs who enthusiastically supported them. BioCurious, which has been sponsoring community iGEM teams since 2014, was designed to foster exactly this kind of community in a supportive environment that teaches and reinforces responsible biosafety practices.