The Technion and the Ministry of Education Hold the Ninth Biotechnology Olympiad

The Ninth Biotechnology Olympiad was held at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. This is a joint initiative of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering and the Biotechnology Supervision Unit at the Ministry of Education. At the event, the finalists – high school students from across the country – presented their research projects, and the top three winners were selected.

The Olympiad was conceived about a decade ago by Professor Ayelet Fishman of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering. Speaking at the event, she said: “I felt it was unreasonable that there were Olympiads in mathematics and in various scientific fields, but not in our field. That’s how the idea was born, and we brought it to life together with the outstanding people from the Ministry of Education.” She noted that the event takes place on a highly significant date, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Professor Maya Davidovitch, vice dean for undergraduate studies, pointed out that this is the only faculty in Israel, and one of the few in the world, that bridges biotechnology and food engineering. “Many people ask me what the connection is between the two fields, and I say, ‘the yogurt you ate this morning, that’s the connection.’ Biotechnology is the key to developing healthy food in the future, and here at the faculty, we provide students with the full range of knowledge and skills they need. As far as I’m concerned, you are students as well, and I hope that everything you have learned so far will lead you in the future to our faculty.”

Tamar Peretz-Menachemov, national supervisor of the Biotechnology track at the Ministry of Education, who oversees the teaching of the subject in schools, said: “I, too, studied biotechnology in high school. We were the third graduating class to take the matriculation exams in the field, and I’m happy to see you all here today. Thank you to Prof. Fishman and the Faculty staff and thank you to Sisi Kramerman and the rest of my team at the Ministry.”

The series of greetings concluded with remarks by Amit Winkler, who won third place in the fifth Olympiad (2022) and is now studying in the Faculty. “I’m excited to be here with you, because you are the future generation of biotechnology. Thank you for the opportunity to stand here on stage and close the circle. This is a meaningful day in your life journey, and I hope we’ll meet again in the faculty’s corridors.”

Following the greetings, the students presented their research projects, and doctoral student Eden Freundlich presented her Technion research, the Microneedle Revolution.

First place in the Olympiad was awarded to Isaac Juan, a 12th-grade student at Amal B High School in Petah Tikva and a volunteer with Magen David Adom, who studied the effect of treatment with lithocholic acid on various characteristics of breast cancer cell lines. Second place went to Noa Berko from Horev Ulpana in Jerusalem, who immigrated from Philadelphia five years ago and whose project examined the activity of biosensors under the influence of various lavender-scented fabric softeners. Third place was awarded to Eran Shoham from Makif Alef High School in Be’er Sheva, who investigated the effect of sodium propionate on different types of breast cancer. Also reaching the finals were Stav Barkolin from Makif Hei in Ashdod and Michal Aminov from Ort Lilienthal Ramla.

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