The ultimate bioengineering challenge

Nature Reviews Bioengineering is launching ‘The ultimate bioengineering challenge’ competition, asking students and Postdocs around the globe to theoretically tackle some of the most pressing bioengineering challenges. Three challenges are awaiting innovative and creative solutions – from the idea to the sketch of a prototype. We call on bioengineering students and Postdocs to work in teams of up to 4 people to pick a challenge, come up with an innovative solution, outline how it works and the materials and resources required, illustrate a prototype and investigate possible evaluation and validation routes. Our judges, comprised of leading researchers in the fields of frugal and translational bioengineering, will pick the best idea for each challenge, and Nature Reviews Bioengineering will publish the winning ideas in the form of a Comment article. In addition, the authors of the winning entries will receive a year-long personal online subscription to all Nature journals. Who knows, perhaps some of the ideas will materialize into actual solutions! Ready to take on the challenge and get your idea out into the world? Things are only impossible until they’re not.

The challenges

1. Off-grid bio-based cooling technology for short-term cold storage

Cold storage of medicines, reagents and samples often remains difficult in resource-limited settings, in particular, during transport. The challenge is to design a bio-based cooling technology that does not require external power and that allows short-term cold storage of samples and reagents at around 4-6°C. Bio-based refers to the use of biological and/or natural materials and resources. Please provide an outline of the technology, the materials and resources that are required (think of frugal engineering concepts and local resources and manufacturing), a draft of the prototype (as a schematic figure), how the technology may be evaluated and validated, and how it can be applied. Do not be afraid to be creative in your innovation, exploring new design concepts and materials.

2. Edible vaccine in a low-maintenance plant

Vaccine technology remains costly and complex, and the manufacturing of vaccines typically requires high-tech laboratories and resources. Making vaccines in edible plants would allow the local production of vaccines in resource-limited settings and may considerably increase access to vaccines. The challenge is to engineer an edible vaccine in a low-maintenance plant that can be grown across various conditions and that can be eaten to provide immune protection. Please provide an outline of the technology, the materials and resources that are required (think of frugal engineering concepts and local resources and manufacturing), a draft of the design (as a schematic figure), how the technology may be evaluated and validated, and how it can be applied. Do not be afraid to be creative in your innovation, exploring new design concepts and materials.

3. Self-sustained oxygen mask

Oxygen masks typically rely on external oxygen supply, whether in the form of oxygen tanks or capsules. However, in settings in which oxygen supply is not available or cannot be guaranteed, potentially life-saving oxygen masks cannot be used. The challenge is to engineer a self-sustained oxygen mask that does not rely on external oxygen, based on a technology and/or material that can generate oxygen. Please provide an outline of the technology, the materials and resources that are required (think of frugal engineering concepts and local resources and manufacturing), a draft of the prototype (as a schematic figure), how the technology may be evaluated and validated, and how it can be applied. Do not be afraid to be creative in your innovation, exploring new design concepts and materials.

How it works

Pick a challenge and assemble a team of up to 4 undergraduate students, graduate students and/or postdoctoral researchers; decide on one corresponding author
Think of a creative solution to the problem, considering local manufacturing and resources, costs, accessibility, feasibility, application, resource-limited settings
Draft a short manuscript (max 1,200 words), briefly outlining the problem, describing your solution, resources and materials, as well as possible evaluation and validation routes, and providing a short outlook for your technology
Draft a single figure (comprising not more than 4 panels, if needed) that schematically illustrates the prototype and/or design.

Eligibility

You must be an undergraduate student, graduate student and/or postdoctoral researcher to enter the competition. Manuscripts can be co-authored by up to 4 undergraduate students, graduate students and/or postdoctoral researchers, with one author serving as the corresponding author, who is responsible for the submission of the manuscript and communication with the editorial team. Only one entry is permitted per person and team.

How to submit

Submit the manuscript as a proposal Comment to Nature Reviews Bioengineering, indicating in the submission that this proposal is part of the ultimate bioengineering challenge competition: https://mts-natrevbioeng.nature.com/cgi-bin/main.plex

Each submission must include:

1. A short cover letter that clearly states the corresponding author’s and co-authors’ current positions and contact details, as well as the selected challenge.

2. The article text, in English, strictly limited to 1,200 words, with up to 10 references and one figure (including a figure legend). The article word count does not include the title, author affiliation or references. Additional formatting instructions are available here https://www.nature.com/documents/natrev-articleformatguide-comment.pdf

The cover letter and manuscript should be submitted as separate files, with Microsoft Word of PDF file types supported.

Entrants’ contact details will only be used in conjunction with this competition. For details about how Springer Nature protects and uses personal information, please see our privacy statement at http://www.nature.com/info/privacy.html.

The manuscripts must be original and should not have been previously published elsewhere, including online-only sources.

The deadline for submission of the manuscript is 14^th October 2024.

Decisions

The Nature Reviews Bioengineering editorial team and a panel of independent judges from outside Springer Nature will review the submissions and make all decisions on the winning manuscripts — these decisions are final and not subject to appeal. For each challenge, the winning idea will be published as a Comment article in Nature Reviews Bioengineering. In addition, the authors of the winning entries will receive a year-long personal online Nature+ subscription. Before publication, the winning manuscripts will be edited by the Nature Reviews Bioengineering editorial team, in consultation with the authors, before final publication. In addition, our art team will redraw and optimize the figure. If none of the entries are deemed by the editorial team and judges to be of sufficient quality to feature in Nature Reviews Bioengineering, then the journal is under no obligation to publish any of them.

Applicants will receive decisions on their submissions and competition winners will be provided with more information about preparing their manuscripts for final publication. Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide feedback on manuscripts that are not chosen for publication.

The authors of the manuscripts chosen for publication will be asked to assign copyright to Springer Nature in agreement with our standard publishing policy (more details can be found at http://www.nature.com/authors/policies/license.html ) and will be required to complete a declaration of competing financial interests. Manuscripts cannot be published if an author does not provide these signed forms and cannot, therefore, be considered as winning entries.

Should you have any questions regarding the competition, please contact us at natrevbioeng@nature.com and include ‘The ultimate bioengineering challenge' in the subject line.

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Competition Details

These Competition Details set out the specific details on which the Competition will operate:

Competition Term: The Competition will run between 14 May 2024, 09:00 GMT (UTC+0:00) and 14 October 2024, 23:00 GMT (UTC+0:00).

Eligibility: To be eligible to participate in the Competition you must be an undergraduate student, graduate student and/or postdoctoral researcher. Manuscripts can be co-authored by up to 4 undergraduate students, graduate students and/or postdoctoral researchers, with one author serving as the corresponding author, who is responsible for the submission of the manuscript and communication with the editorial team. Only one entry is permitted per person and team.

Entry Criteria: To enter the competition you must: submit the manuscript as a proposal Comment to Nature Reviews Bioengineering, indicating in the submission that this proposal is part of the ultimate bioengineering challenge competition: https://mts-natrevbioeng.nature.com/cgi-bin/main.plex
Each submission must include:
1. A short cover letter that clearly states the corresponding author’s and co-authors’ current positions and contact details, as well as the selected challenge.
2. The article text, in English, strictly limited to 1,200 words, with up to 10 references and one figure (including a figure legend). The article word count does not include the title, author affiliation or references. Additional formatting instructions are available here https://www.nature.com/documents/natrev-articleformatguide-comment.pdf
The cover letter and manuscript should be submitted as separate files, with Microsoft Word of PDF file types supported.
Entrants’ contact details will only be used in conjunction with this competition. For details about how Springer Nature protects and uses personal information, please see our privacy statement at http://www.nature.com/info/privacy.html.
The manuscripts must be original and should not have been previously published elsewhere, including online-only sources.
The deadline for submission of the manuscript is 14th October.

Additional Entry Criteria: We actively encourage submissions from countries in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Country Classification System. Note that a number of weighting points will be added to such submissions, based on the country of origin’s position in the classification. Originality and feasibility of the idea will remain the overriding consideration of the judges but the weighting points will be used to ensure that these are viewed in the context of the entrant’s access to opportunity and resources.

The authors of the manuscripts chosen for publication will be asked to assign copyright to Springer Nature in agreement with our standard publishing policy (more details can be found at http://www.nature.com/authors/policies/license.html ) and will be required to complete a declaration of competing financial interests. Manuscripts cannot be published if an author does not provide these signed forms and cannot, therefore, be considered as winning entries.

Prize: The Nature Reviews Bioengineering editorial team and a panel of independent judges from outside Springer Nature will review the submissions and make all decisions on the winning manuscripts — these decisions are final and not subject to appeal. For each challenge, the winning idea will be published as a Comment article in Nature Reviews Bioengineering. In addition, the authors of the winning entries will receive a year-long personal online Nature+ subscription. Before publication, the winning manuscripts will be edited by the Nature Reviews Bioengineering editorial team, in consultation with the authors, before final publication. In addition, our art team will redraw and optimize the figure. If none of the entries are deemed by the editorial team and judges to be of sufficient quality to feature in Nature Reviews Bioengineering, then the journal is under no obligation to publish any of them..

Licence: an exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide, fully paid, royalty-free, transferable license, for the maximum duration of the rights afforded under applicable law to reprint, adapt, modify, display, reproduce, perform, use, and exhibit your entry in any medium in our sole discretion, will be exclusive for a period of three (3) months.

Contact details: For any queries relating to the Competition (including in respect of use of personal data), please email natrevbioeng@nature.com or write to us at The Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London N1 9XW, UK.

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