The XX Biotechnology Olympiad was, in every sense, an edition for the history books. With 549 registered students from 42 schools across the country, this was the highest participation ever in the competition. The final, held at the Faculty of Biotechnology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, brought together 66 students, accompanied by 45 teachers.
Over the twenty editions of the competition, it is estimated that around 7,400 students have taken part in the Biotechnology Olympiad, an impressive legacy that reflects the growth and consolidation of the event within science education in Portugal.
The winners of this edition
The top prizes in this edition were awarded to two outstanding students. Kaixin Cheng, from the São Martinho do Porto Basic and Secondary School (Alcobaça), and Ana Duarte Abraços, from São João do Estoril Secondary School (Cascais), were the overall winners, each receiving a €300 gift card.
Honourable mentions
The organization also distinguished the best students from each school year with honourable mentions, awarded with €100 gift cards:
- 10th grade: André Cancela, from Dr. Mário Sacramento Secondary School (Aveiro);
- 11th grade: Luciana Fritz, from PaRK International School (Lisbon);
- 12th grade: Filipa Ferreira Sousa, from Colégio Internato dos Carvalhos (Vila Nova de Gaia).
Innovation in the core
In recent years, the assessment format of the Biotechnology Olympiad has evolved, becoming progressively more comprehensive and demanding. Since the previous edition, the competition has combined a practical exam with a multiple-choice test.
The top 20 students are then selected based on their response to an open-ended question. In this edition, the topic focused on genetic determinism and human variability, one of the most fascinating and widely debated issues in contemporary biology.
Science without language barriers
One of the major innovations of this edition was the bilingual format of the exams, an unprecedented initiative in the history of the Biotechnology Olympiad. For the first time, students whose native language is not Portuguese were able to participate on equal terms, which has already attracted some international students to the competition.
This openness reflects a more inclusive and international vision of science and positions the Biotechnology Olympiad as a reference not only nationally, but also with the potential to attract talent from across Europe.
Record participation
Paula Teixeira, from the board of the Faculty of Biotechnology, highlighted the significance of this commemorative edition, noting that around 7,400 students have participated over the twenty editions of the competition, reinforcing the impact of a project that, year after year, brings young Portuguese students closer to biotechnology.
She also noted that the final of this edition was “highly competitive, with many strong results,” reflecting the high level of the participants and the quality of science education in the represented schools.
Scientific competition
The Biotechnology Olympiad is a national scientific competition aimed at secondary school students, designed to promote interest in biotechnology and the life sciences. Over two decades, the event has grown steadily, becoming one of the flagship events in Portugal’s school science calendar.
The competition is organized by the Faculty of Biotechnology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in partnership with the Portuguese Society of Biotechnology.
