July 25th, 2017

2017 ISS R&D Conference Photo Gallery

Five US Finalist teams gathered at the International Space Station Research & Development Conference in Washington, D.C. from July 17th - 20th, 2017. Along with Genes in Space sponsors, mentors, teachers, judges and family they celebrated space and biology.

The celebration started with a Genes in Space Welcome Dinner hosted by Genes in Space sponsor, New England Biolabs that included a surprise visit from astronaut and biologist, Kate Rubins. During the conference the Finalists heard from leaders in the space industry including SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, members of congress, and Kate Rubins who discussed her groundbreaking biology experiments aboard the ISS. The Finalists also traveled to the National Air and Space Museum for a scavenger hunt and enjoyed bonding with their mentors, the Genes in Space sponsors, and each other. 

The finalist teams presented their Genes in Space proposals to a panel of judges on July 19th, and on Thursday the 2017 Genes in Space US winners were announced by astronaut Kate Rubins. In a surprise, two Finalist teams tied for the win! Sophia Chen and Elizabeth Reizis will both have their experiments launched to the International Space Station. 

Here are some memories from the conference: