Hear from a BioBuilderClub Teacher

What kind of teachers and classes participate? 

BioBuilderClub teams come from virtually every kind of school and setting—public, private, and charter; rural, suburban, urban, and international—and every kind of classroom, from intro 9th-grade biology to AP, IB, and biotech CTE/CTAE courses; from research courses to afterschool clubs to homeschool co-ops. If you have students and curiosity, you have what it takes to join. 

Materials Needed to Participate

What if we don't have lab access at all?

Not every team builds or tests their design in a single season — that's completely normal. Good design takes time, and teams are encouraged to complete a lab inventory early on if they do plan to build.

Many teams feel intimidated if they don’t have the opportunity to complete the hands-on building aspect of their project. We want to emphasize that the design process is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than the final build. You’ll find that at the Final Assemblies, everybody loves discussing a solid biodesign concept.

Students sometimes equate success with having data. In reality, developing a thoughtful experimental design, gaining a clear understanding of the underlying science, and communicating their ideas effectively are among the most valuable outcomes students can achieve.

How the Season Works

1. Explore & choose a challenge area — Food/Energy, Environment, Health/Medicine, Manufacturing, etc.

2. Get matched with a mentor — a working bioengineer who advises on biodesign and (if relevant) experimental design

3. Develop the project — teams use a biodesign abstraction hierarchy with mentor guidance

4. Present at the Final Assembly — short talks and poster presentations in March; many teams go on to publish in BioTreks

Cost of Participation

• Registration: $400 per team

• Title I schools: may register two teams at no cost (Title I schools are schools where 40% or more of the student body is eligible for free or reduced lunch. To find out if your school is Title I, ask a school or district administrator. Massachusetts schools can be looked up using the School and District Profiles tool from the Massachusetts Department of Education.)

• Other possible costs: lab materials (if doing wet-lab work), travel to an in-person Final Assembly

• Fundraising: many teams successfully fundraise or get school/community funding to cover costs. Webinars with tips from past teams and resources to support your request are available to registered teams or by request.

Resources for Registered Teams

• Select free reagents from NEB (New England Biolabs), a program sponsor

• A $100 supply coupon from Carolina Biological Supply (mailed each November)

• Frugal, low-cost lab equipment build guides from the Frugal Science Academy at Georgia Tech

Support for Teachers and Teams

Setting teachers and teams up for success is one of our to priorities. Students and teachers consistently report that a highlight of their experience is connecting with other teachers and students who share interests in synthetic biology and advancing biotech education. Every team gets:

• The BioBuilder Textbook — full access to the online text covering all aspects of biodesign; new teams receive a physical copy

• The BioBuilderClub Handbook — a step-by-step guide with dates, deadlines, and resources, updated throughout the season

• A dedicated mentor — a practicing bioengineer paired with your team for 10 hours of virtual guidance

• A program director — reachable by email throughout the season for any questions

• Live and recorded webinars — covering biodesign fundamentals, literature research, fundraising, and more

• A student/teacher Discord server and Reddit community for connecting with other teams

• Office hours on Reddit— ask questions of the BioBuilder team, other BioBuilderClub participants, and mentors