{"id":73947,"date":"2022-06-16T03:40:31","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T07:40:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/?p=73947"},"modified":"2022-06-21T08:28:04","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T12:28:04","slug":"bioluminescence-outshines-the-competition-at-2022-utoledo-biodesign-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/06_16_2022\/bioluminescence-outshines-the-competition-at-2022-utoledo-biodesign-challenge","title":{"rendered":"Bioluminescence Outshines the Competition at 2022 UToledo Biodesign Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"

This month a team of art, environmental science and engineering students at The University of Toledo named LumniArbor will compete in the international Biodesign Challenge competition using its concept of bioluminescent trees as a solution for both light pollution and the lack of lighting in regions of the world with limited resources.<\/p>\n

Alex Mcdonnell, who majors in environmental studies and minors in art; Huriyyah Chaudhry, a bioengineering major; Chinmaya, a bioengineering major; and Nash Benton, who studies civil engineering and minors in entrepreneurship, family and small business advanced to the global stage after winning the 2022 UToledo Biodesign Challenge Wednesday, April 27, at the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

UToledo\u2019s LumniArbor team will compete in the international Biodesign Challenge competition using its concept of bioluminescent trees as a solution for both light pollution and the lack of lighting in regions of the world with limited resources. The team includes Chinmaya, a bioengineering major; Alex Mcdonnell, environmental studies major; Nash Benton, civil engineering major; and Huriyyah Chaudhry, bioengineering major.<\/p><\/div>\n

The trees, which would be genetically altered to have bioluminescent leaves, would replace existing outdoor lighting in a speculative future. The team argued that, while being bright enough to see by, they would not interfere with the circadian rhythms of nocturnal plants and animals, unlike electrical lighting.<\/p>\n

LuminArbor next competes against 54 teams from 18 countries June 20-24.<\/p>\n

Students from UToledo prepare for the competition every year through a class offered in the Department of Art taught by Eric Zeigler and Brian Carpenter. The Biodesign Challenge course offers Art, Bioengineering, Environmental Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Honors students the opportunity to envision future applications of biotechnology and biomaterials that address complex global challenges.<\/p>\n

Students are connected to community experts to develop innovative solutions through interdisciplinary research and iterative prototyping.<\/p>\n

This year four teams competed to see which team delivered the best concept for using art, design, science and bioengineering to resolve a real-world problem of their choice.<\/p>\n

Another team, Nella Cell, developed a concept for using microorganisms to extract microplastics that leach out of our laundry into the environment. Their composting device, the Nella Cell, also will compete at the international Biodesign Challenge for the Science Sandbox Prize for Public Engagement. This prize is awarded to the team whose project best explores the multitude of impacts biotechnology can have on society.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The UToledo Nella Cell team\u2019s composting device will compete in the Biodesign Challenge\u2019s Science Sandbox Prize for Public Engagement. The team includes, from left, Justin Wank, who graduated in May with a bachelor\u2019s degree in environmental sciences; Kristin McClelland, art major; Kylie Post, bioengineering major; and Eunice Mobula, bioengineering major.<\/p><\/div>\n

The team members of Nella Cell are art major Kristin McClelland, bioengineering major Eunice Mobula, bioengineering major Kylie Post and Justin Wank, who graduated in May with a bachelor\u2019s degree in environmental sciences.<\/p>\n

The other teams competing this year were VerdeTent, which developed a biodegradable tent that could be utilized by people experiencing homelessness, and Indisposable, which improved upon the burial process for humans by repurposing former industrial sites as places where human remains could be safely composted and provide people with a location to visit their deceased loved ones.<\/p>\n

VerdeTent members are art major Joe Boorom, bioengineering major Chaitanya Koli, civil engineering major Sam Krouse and Loren Hire, who graduated in May with a bachelor\u2019s degree in environmental studies.<\/p>\n

Indisposable team members are bioengineer majors Kaitlin Fugate and Rawan Moussa.<\/p>\n

Jurors for the 2022 UToledo Biodesign Challenge were:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dr. Heidi Appel, dean of the UToledo Jesup Scott Honors College and professor of environmental sciences;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dr. Jonathan Bossenbroek, chair of the UToledo Department of Environmental Sciences and professor of ecology;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dr. Mohammad Elahinia, Distinguished University Professor and chair of the UToledo Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Marc Folk, director of the Arts Commission;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dr. Melissa Valiska Gregory, interim dean of the UToledo College of Arts and Letters and professor of English;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dr. Kashif Haque, a patent technology associate at UToledo;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dr. Adam Levine, director of the Toledo Museum of Art;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Daniel McInnis, associate professor of humanities at UToledo;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Barbara Miner, professor and chair of the UToledo Department of Art;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dr. Jack Schultz, a retired ecologist;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dr. Amy Thompson, former vice provost for faculty affairs;<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dr. Michael Toole, dean of the UToledo College of Engineering; and<\/p>\n

\u2022 Robin Whitney, chief strategic planning and real estate officer at ProMedica.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This month a team of art, environmental science and engineering students at UToledo named LumniArbor will compete in the international Biodesign Challenge against 54 teams from 18 countries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":73950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,34,36,39,1,7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73947"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73947"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74017,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73947\/revisions\/74017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}