Can plastic waste be repurposed as fuel? That's the winning idea pitched last week in a competition for students in the Master of Medical Biotechnology (MMB) and Master of Materials Chemistry and Engineering (MMCE) programs.
The BioTech Entrepreneurship "Pitch to Win" competition saw close to 200 students, scientists, and industry professionals in full networking swing Dec. 5.
Close to 200 students, scientists, and industry professionals attended the Dec. 5 BioTech Entrepreneurship Pitch to Win competition.
This event challenged teams of students to use creative thinking to address a problem in biotechnology and to learn tools to bring their solutions to life.
"The engagement and energy during the event were further evidence of the community we are building within our international students, and particularly amongst our MMB and MMCE students," said competition founder Zareen Amtul, a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Students in her Biotechnology Entrepreneurship course Marzieh Khorrami, Sudipta Saha, Oluwafunmilola Christiana Adetunji, and Gazi Maknuna Manaz won the "Novelis Best Pitch" award, established by Dr. Amtul with funding from Novelis Inc., for their presentation on "Plastic to Power." They proposed the use of bioengineered Ideonella sakaiensis and genetically modified enzymes like FAST-PETase to convert plastic waste into ethanol and acetate as a sustainable, scalable, market-ready alternative to traditional recycling.
The winning team was also invited to join WEtech Alliance as clients.
"The winning team delivered a pitch so compelling that the entire judging panel instantly shifted into advisory mode, brainstorming ways to help bring their vision to life," said Adam Castle, director of venture services and partnerships for WEtech Alliance, which partnered in the event.
"I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the students and their ideas. Each team leveraged their diversity to approach markets with a naturally global perspective, crafting solutions that were not only forward-thinking but also truly viable in a sector where demand is growing every single day."
In the audience choice category, attendees voted Mehak Rajput, Tarokh Arzani Birgani, and Archana Devi Ramachandran as the one-minute pitch winners.
The annual event also featured panel discussion with advice on careers, job hunting, barriers to employment, business development, best professional practices, problem-centric ideation, problem-solution fit, market and competitive environment scanning, seeking and analyzing feedback, intellectual property fundamentals, sales, and more by experts from industry, academia, and the Office of Career Development and Experiential Learning.
"Hosting such events brings a unique experience for our international students, participating both as contestants and volunteers," said James Gauld, head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
