Explore how enzymes work to improve human health and enter our contest for a chance to win.
The Contest
This contest is now closed. Winners will be announced shortly, and you can check back soon for future contest details.
Learn about the amazing properties of enzymes and discover the part they play in human health in our Future Protein Engineers Video Contest! Choose an enzyme, explain its function in our bodies, and then present your idea for optimizing or changing the enzyme to make it work even better.
We want to see you put your protein knowledge to the test using our resources as well as your own research and creativity.
What to Submit
Create a 2-4 minute video that answers the following questions:
- What enzyme are you interested in and why do you want to know more?
Consider: Is the enzyme in your favorite food, does it help athletes perform, or help with brain function? Does the presence or absence of this enzyme affect someone you know, or have a unique structure that makes it special?
- What does this enzyme do and how does it support human health?
- As a future protein engineer, how would you improve this enzyme, and why?
Consider: What would the improved enzyme do differently inside or outside our bodies? Would it work on more substrates, under a wider range of conditions, or be more effective in another way?
- Participants aged 16 or over: please include what approach you could take to start engineering this protein.
You can use visual aids that will help your chosen enzyme shine: drawings, animations, models, get creative with what you have around you!
Awards
The best 5 videos in each age group will be chosen by a panel of judges, which will be posted to this website and be voted on by the public. The top voted videos will receive:
Ages 13-15 Awards
1st Place: $200 gift card
2nd Place: $100 gift card
3rd Place: $75 gift card
Ages 16+ Awards
1st Place: $300 gift card
2nd Place: $150 gift card
3rd Place: $100 gift card
One prize awarded per winning video submission.
Contest Rules
Contest period: The contest runs from February 8, 2021 to March 17, 2021 (inclusive, in Pacific Time).
Age limit: Contestants must be US residents who are at least 13 years of age, and attending middle school or high school as of the date of entry.
Consent forms: Each person who appears in your video must complete and sign a consent form. If the participant is under 18, this needs to be signed by the participant’s parent or guardian.
Entry format: The video must run between 2-4 minutes, and be in one of the following formats: MP4, MOV, WMV, FLV, AVI or AVCHD.
Ready to Submit Your Entry?
Got your video ready to go?
Step 1: Consent forms
Print a consent form for each person who appears in your video. Scan your completed and signed forms, so you can upload it with your video in the next step.
Step 2: Fill in the form below
Congratulations, you’re all set to upload your video! Use the form below to upload your video with your consent forms.
Entries for this contest closed on March 17, 2021.