Computer Science for Life
Presented by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
This event will be held at 800 Hudson Way NW, Huntsville, AL 35806.
Join us for a dynamic weekend of innovation and collaboration.
HudsonAlpha is passionately exploring and growing the knowledge and possibilities of genomics to generate new discoveries.
An event in which a large number of people meet to engage in collaborative computer programming, visualizations and more.
Are you up to the challenge?
Click here to review agreements and download the legal forms you must fill out to participate.
We can't wait to see you at the event, don't forget your laptop!
If these FAQs don't answer your question, please reach out.
The HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge is a hackathon hosted by the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. During this event, teams take on exciting challenges in biotech and attempt to solve those challenges through innovation and creativity. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about some of the new frontiers in biotech, and work collaboratively to create solutions.
High school students, college students, and adults interested in taking on challenges are welcome! There are two categories of teams: high school and college/adult. You don’t have to be a member of a team to sign up. We’ll make sure to get you on one!
It is not necessary to be a part of a team entering the HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge. At the beginning of the event, we will host a team-building exercise in which you can identify the best “fit” for your interests and skills. You also can choose to work independently - but hackathon participants say half the fun is the collaboration and creativity that occurs within a team dynamic.
The HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge will take place in-person at 800 Hudson Way NW, Huntsville, AL 35806! Participants will also have access to multiple mentors and digital resources to help them complete the challenges.
Good science comes from a combination of a solid background of knowledge, a creative idea, and the ability to work with data. Increasingly, science problems are being solved through the application and manipulation of big data. The HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge is a great opportunity to introduce the coding community – and students – to genomics, genetics and the future of biotechnology.
We are charging $10/person to participate. This holds your spot and includes a t-shirt + swag box.
At it’s core, biotechnology uses biological processes (organisms, proteins, enzymes, genes) to create or enhance products that impact life. Modern biotechnology is powered by our understanding of DNA: specifically how genetic instructions create the building blocks of life and that changes in those DNA instructions alter physical characteristics associated with human health, agriculturally important plants and livestock and bio-based sources of energy. Today’s technologies generate enormous amounts of genetic information, requiring new tools to organize, analyze, and visualize this data.
Absolutely! Learning is a big component of the HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge. We will offer workshops on the science to get you up to speed. Also, mentors will be available on and off throughout the two days to offer advice and answer your questions. The challenges will require a variety of skillsets, so if writing code isn’t one of them, don’t worry.
Students, professionals, scientists, software developers, and more.
Win up to $5,000 in prizes! Cash prize eligibility open to US residents only*
Below is a recommended team makeup, but obviously this is more of a suggestion than a rule!
MOCK TEAM MAKEUP
2x Developers/Programers
1x Front End Designer/Graphics Person
1x In Charge of Marketing Pitch / Presentation
We recommend every team has a dedicated team lead/project manager identified from the members listed above. For additional team members beyond the initial four, we recommend including additional Developers/Programmers.
Please email: techchallenge@hudsonalpha.org
HudsonAlpha wants to inspire creativity through collaboration, and energize the current and next generation of problem-solvers to conceive and construct innovative solutions to biotech challenges.
