Grace Students Win at International Biodesign Challenge

This June, a team of Grace juniors competed in the international Biodesign Challenge Summit,

a prestigious program that brings together students from more than 50 high schools and colleges across 20+ countries to explore the intersection of biology, design, ethics, and art. Held at the Museum of Modern Art and Parsons School of Design, the Summit challenged participants not only to develop innovative biotechnology concepts, but also to grapple with how those technologies should be used and communicated to the world.

Grace’s team of Aran, Siena, Nifemi, Izzy, and Audrey spent months developing MicroShield+, a living paint additive designed to prevent black mold growth before it starts. Inspired by mold-related challenges affecting members of their own communities, the team explored how biology could offer a safer, more sustainable alternative to traditional antifungal treatments. Their design incorporated Bacillus subtilis, a beneficial bacterium that naturally produces antifungal compounds, which the team proposed genetically modifying to produce even higher levels of those compounds, creating a living paint that works with biology rather than against it.

The two-day program included a 10-minute presentation before a panel of expert judges, an exhibition session, and conversations with researchers and industry professionals. The Grace delegation’s groundbreaking work was awarded the Twist Prize for DNA Futures—recognizing the team that best investigates and creatively imagines how DNA, genomics, and related biotechnologies could shape tomorrow’s world. The win was a remarkable achievement for Grace’s students, who competed against colleges and universities with far greater resources.

A huge congratulations to Aran, Siena., Nifemi, Izzy, and Audrey—and a heartfelt thank you to their teacher, Ms. Dilley, without whom, as one student put it, “none of this would have been possible.”