Genes in Space logo with DNA illustration
  • HOME
  • Contest
    How to Apply
    Timeline
    Awards
    Past winners
    faq
  • TOOLKIT
    Tools
    Platform
  • Resources
    Classroom resources
    TIPS FOR STUDENTS
    LAB IN A BOX
    Workshops
    Publications
    Videos
    Digital
  • News
    Blog
    Press
  • Meet us
    Team
    Mentors
    Sponsors
  • Subscribe

Contest details

If you've ever wondered how astronauts would survive a deep-space mission or how we will use biology to transform new worlds, Genes in Space is for you

Propose a space biology experiment for the chance to have your idea sent to the ISS

  • The contest is open to students in the U.S. in grades 7-12
  • Apply individually or in teams of two
  • Win biotechnology prizes for your school
  • One grand prize winner will send their experiment to space

APPLYING IS EASY

STEP 1
Choose a space biology topic that’s interesting to you
  • Explore our Student Resources page for space biology inspiration
  • Your focus should have a molecular or genetic basis that can be tested
STEP 2
Identify an open question and define your hypothesis or research goal

Review a sample application and this year’s scoring criteria

STEP 3
Choose an experimental approach
  • Learn about the Genes in Space Toolkit available to astronauts
  • Your experiment should make clear and reasonable use of one or more of the elements of the Toolkit
STEP 4
Click submit!
  • The 2025 Genes in Space contest is no longer accepting applications for the 2025 competition. Watch for awardee announcements on our blog, and check back to apply for our next contest in 2026!

AWARDS

All participating schools will have a chance to win one of 25 DNA Discovery Systems, each including a miniPCR® thermal cycler and a blueGel™ electrophoresis system.

We celebrate all of these values

  • Creativity and innovation – meet our past winners
  • Youth Engagement – learn about our Junior Scientist Awards
  • Class participation – read about our Constellation Awards
  • Mentorship – meet the Genes in Space mentors
DDS-miniX.png

TIMELINE

Open
January 6, 2025
Develop your idea
Submit
April 14, 2025
Awardees & semifinalists
May 5, 2025
Finalists
May 19, 2025
Mentoring
June - July
Winners announced
July 31, 2025
Space Biology Camp
Fall 2025
Your DNA experiment in space
2026

FAQ

What is the deadline again?

You must submit your experimental idea online on or before April 14, 2025 at 11:59pm PDT.

Do I need any biotechnology equipment or access to a lab to enter the competition?

No. Your submission will be judged on creative and scientific merit of your idea. If selected as the winner, you will attend Space Biology Camp to prepare your experiment for space travel.

Does my experiment need to use Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)?

Not necessarily! You may use any tool in the Genes in Space Toolkit - alone or together. However, access to these tools or prior knowledge of how to use them is not required.

Can I access other molecular biology tools aboard the ISS?

For the purposes of your proposal, yes. Your Genes in Space proposal may include any tool that is necessary for your experiment. For example, many prior Genes in Space experiments have involved analysis by gel electrophoresis after samples have been returned to Earth. Genes in Space-6 incorporated CRISPR and direct DNA sequencing of samples amplified on-orbit. Genes in Space winners will work alongside their mentors, astronauts, and space biologists to push the boundaries of DNA analysis in space!

What biotech equipment will finalist schools be awarded?

Finalists’ schools will be awarded a complete DNA Discovery System for their schools. Each kit includes a miniPCR thermal cycler, a blueGel™ electrophoresis system, and a 20 µl micropipette- a $950 value

If I win, will my experiment be done in space?

Yes! The winning experimental design will be conducted aboard the International Space Station, pending approval from The ISS National Laboratory. The exact launch date will be determined after winners are announced.

Can my experiment utilize quantitative PCR (qPCR)?

miniPCR is a conventional (end point) PCR thermal cycler. However, you can propose an experiment that uses quantitative PCR (also referred to as real-time PCR or qPCR). It won’t affect your chances of winning the competition.

Can I use artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT to complete my proposal?

AI tools may not be used for idea generation or writing content, but there are acceptable uses of this technology. Continue here to read our framework for how A.I. tools can be used responsibly in our competition.

How will I know if I win?

All finalists will be contacted, and the results will be announced on this website, in the Genes in Space newsletter, and on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Where will the finals round of the 2025 competition be held?

2025 finalists will present their ideas to contest judges at the ISS Research & Development Conference, which will be held July 28 - 31st, 2025 in Seattle, WA. At least one student from each finalist team must be available to present at the conference.

Where can I find information about previous finalists?

You can use the “Finalists” tag on our blog. You can also see the Finalists from 2020, 2021, 2022 , and 2023, and 2024 present their proposals to our judges, or read their proposals in the Journal of Emerging Investigators (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022,and 2023). Our 2024 Finalist proposals will be published soon!

I have so many great ideas, can I submit more than one proposal to the Genes in Space contest?

No, not to the same Genes in Space contest. We can only accept one proposal per student per contest year. However you are welcome to participate in Genes in Space every year that you are eligible. That means you can submit your best idea this year and save your other ideas to submit in future years. 

I don't attend school in the United States. Can I participate?

Unfortunately no, the current Genes in Space contest is only open to students in 7-12th grade who live on United States soil (US States and territories). In 2016 we offered a contest in the United Arab Emirates and hope to offer more international contests in the future.  

Can I form a team with students from different schools?

Absolutely! In fact, our 2018 winning team was made up of students from different high schools.

I am homeschooled. Can I participate?

Yes! We welcome submissions from homeschooled students.

My question has not been answered. What do I do if I have another question?

You can email us at genesinspace@minipcr.com.

PAST WINNERS

2015 Anna-Sophia-crop.jpg
2015 winner
Anna-Sophia Boguraev

Anna-Sophia Boguraev

Fox Lane High School, NY

Current position: MD/PhD student at Harvard University/Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Project: To test the effect of cosmic radiation and microgravity on the immune system

Launched to space: April 2016

Published in NPJ Microgravity in 2017

Learn more

2016 Julian.jpg
2016 winner
Julian Rubinfien

Julian Rubinfien

Stuyvesant High School, NY

Current position: undergraduate student at Yale University

Project: To measure the length of telomeres in space

Launched to space: April 2017

Published in FASEB BioAdvances in 2019

Learn more

2016 Alia.jpg
2016 winner
Alia Al Mansoori

Alia Al Mansoori

Al Mawakeb School, Dubai

Current position: undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh

Project: To study gene expression changes in space that might help protect astronauts from unwanted cell death

Launched to space: August 2017

Published in PLoS One in 2018

Learn more

2017 Sophia.jpg
2017 winner
Sophia Chen

Sophia Chen

Lakeside High School, WA

Current position: undergraduate student at Princeton University

Project: To measure cancer-inducing genomic instability in astronauts

Launched to space: April 2018

Published in Gravitational and Space Research in 2021

Learn more

2017 Liza.jpg
2017 winner
Liza Reizis

Liza Reizis

Stuyvesant High School, NY

Current position: undergraduate student at New York University

Project: To assess the effects of microgravity on the differentiation of immune system cells

Launched to space: April 2018

Published in Gravitational and Space Research in 2021

Learn more

2018 team.jpg
2018 winning team
Rebecca Li, Michelle Sung, Aarthi Vijayakumar & David Li

Rebecca Li, Michelle Sung, Aarthi Vijayakumar & David Li

Mounds View High School, MN (Rebecca, Michelle, and Aarthi), Woodbury High School, MN (David)

Current positions: undergraduate students at Yale University (Rebecca & Aarthi), Johns Hopkins (Michelle), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (David)

Project: To use CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing as a tool to investigate double-strand break repair in microgravity

Launched to space: May 2019

Published in PLOS One in 2021

Learn more

2019 team.jpg
2019 winning team
Finsam Samson & Yujie Wang

Finsam Samson & Yujie Wang

Troy High School, MI

Current positions: undergraduate students at Stanford University (Finsam) and UC Berkeley (Yujie)

Project: To study how spaceflight affects the expression of genes involved in neural function

Launched to space: November 2020

Learn more

IMG_0863.JPG
2020 winner
Kristoff Misquitta

Kristoff Misquitta

Stuyvesant High School, NY

Current position: undergraduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Project: To probe the basis of spaceflight-induced changes in drug metabolism

Launched to space: August 2021

Published in PLOS One in 2024

Learn more

Selin Kocalar_Genes_In_Space.jpg
2021 winner
Selin Kocalar

Selin Kocalar

Leigh High School, CA

Current position: undergraduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Project: To develop a biosensor to test for water contamination aboard spacecraft

Launched to space: July 2022

Published in ACS Synthetic Biology in 2024

Learn more

Pristine Onuoha-2.jpg
2022 winner
Pristine Onuoha

Pristine Onuoha

East Chapel Hill High School, NC

Project: To understand the basis for telomere lengthening observed in space travelers

Launched to space: June 2023

Learn more

Isabel Jiang
2023 winner
Isabel Jiang

Isabel Jiang

Crystal Springs Uplands School, CA

Current Position: Attending Yale University

Project: Detection and Treatment of LINE1 Retrotransposon Activation in Space

Launched to space: September 2024

Learn more

Julia and Isabelle Edited .JPG
2024 winning team
Isabelle Chuang and Julia Gross

Isabelle Chuang & Julia Gross

The Nightingale-Bamford School, NY

Project: Real-time Tracking of Microgravity-Induced Effects on Phage-Host Interactions Using Fluorescence

Launching to space: 2025