The MAD Scientist Contest promotes the excitement of science discovery by encouraging participants to undertake a new science experiment using Nano3D Biosciences cell culturing technology. This patented technology uses the Nanoshuttle™ nanoparticle assembly and magnets to levitate cells to form 3D multicellular structures.

n3D’s  technology has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and  the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. n3D is a client of the Houston Technology Center (HTC).

 

Why Participate?
  • Lead the 3D Cell Culturing Revolution!
  • Leverage the power of 3D cell culturing in your life science research to get better results, faster!
  • Be the first to master the latest, newest technology!
  • Win cool prizes! Our first contest offered $6000 in travel grants. The prizes of our second contest is TBD.
  • Get bragging rights – add new skills and awards to your CV!
  • Be a part of the 3D cell culture by magnetic levitation network!
  • Apply for a 3 to 6 month paid internship at Nano3D Biosciences!
  • Apply for a n3D Kit Assitance!
Ideas for your MAD Experiment (These were suggestions for the first MAD Scientist Contest. Suggestions for the second contest will come soon).
  • Show in-vivo like characteristics of your levitated culture by highlighting: ECM production and distribution, cell function (protein expression profile and distribution), tissue morphology, and cell-cell integration
  • Co-culture different cell types
  • Transfect cells
  • Compare levitated cultures with n3D to 2D and other 3D methods
  • Demonstrate a new assay using levitated culture
  • Illustrate how levitated cultures improve your data
  • Display results that levitated cultures allowed you to obtain that were not possible with other 3D technologies
  • Perform an experiment using non-human cells
Overall Project Requirements (These were the requirements for the first MAD Scientist Contest. Requirements for the second contest will come soon).

Participants must submit:

  • At least 1 data file consisting of an image, video and/or graph with caption
  • Descriptive caption

 

 Judging Criteria
  • Innovation
  • Quality of image, video or graph
  • Clarity of the caption
All submissions will be judged by a panel of judges from academia, industry, and n3D.
 Contest Calendar

The contest schedule consists of the following dates:

April 2013 Award Ceremony Winners of MAD Scientist Contest I will be announced and prizes will be awarded.
Summer 2013 Registration Opens MAD Scientist Contest II will open registration with details of the contest
Eligibility
  • The MAD Scientist Contest is open to all life sciences researchers, no matter what state or country they reside in. Special prizes will be given to for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
  • A team must not exceed 5 members and must have a designated team leader.
  • Employees of  Nano3D Biosciences and their families are not eligible for participation.