- Science & Technology
- Understanding the Effects of Technology on Economics and Governance
In 2020, Stanford University abruptly shut down laboratory operations due to the pandemic. A team of undergraduates competing in iGEM, the global bioengineering competition, were left in a quandary. How could they develop their novel COVID-19 diagnostics for this competition without a proper lab? Luckily, they heard about BioCurious, a community biology lab in Santa Clara, California, that was operating with pandemic precautions. Not only did it have the equipment to enable meaningful progress on the team’s project, it also had mentors. The students ended up winning a gold medal at the competition. More importantly, they felt empowered as leaders in scientific research moving forward.
