International Hackathon on Biotechnology in Agriculture and Health

International Hackathon on Biotechnology in Agriculture and Health

📅 Date: November 21–23, 2026
🌐 Mode: Online
👩‍💼 Convenor: Ms. Suguna B – Co-Founder & CBO, Mastering Up
🔗 Organized by: Mastering Up

1] About the Hackathon

The International Hackathon on Biotechnology in Agriculture and Health aims to foster innovation at the intersection of biology, technology, and sustainable living. This three-day event invites researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and biotech enthusiasts to design solutions that enhance agricultural productivity, disease control, food security, and healthcare delivery.
Participants will explore emerging technologies such as genetic engineering, bioinformatics, synthetic biology, and bioprocessing to address real-world challenges affecting global health and agriculture.

This hackathon serves as a collaborative platform where science meets innovation — empowering teams to ideate, prototype, and pitch biotech-driven solutions with strong social and economic impact.

2] Problem Statements / Tracks

Track 1: Smart Biofertilizers for Sustainable Farming
Problem: Chemical fertilizers degrade soil quality and ecosystems.
Expected Solution: Develop biofertilizer formulations using beneficial microbes that enhance soil health and crop yield while being cost-effective and easy to distribute.

Track 2: Genetic Tools for Crop Stress Resistance
Problem: Climate change increases salinity, drought, and pest stress on crops.
Expected Solution: Create models, databases, or CRISPR-based approaches to develop stress-tolerant crop varieties.

Track 3: Rapid Disease Detection in Livestock and Humans
Problem: Outbreaks in farms and communities spread quickly due to delayed diagnostics.
Expected Solution: Design low-cost biosensors or portable diagnostic kits using biotechnology and IoT for real-time pathogen detection.

Track 4: Precision Agriculture Using Bioinformatics
Problem: Farmers lack access to data-driven crop recommendations.
Expected Solution: Build bioinformatics-driven apps or AI systems that integrate soil, weather, and crop genome data to improve farming decisions.

Track 5: Bioplastics and Green Materials from Agricultural Waste
Problem: Plastic pollution and agricultural residue disposal remain major issues.
Expected Solution: Develop microbial or enzymatic processes to convert crop residues into biodegradable plastics or sustainable packaging.

Track 6: Biotechnological Interventions in Public Health
Problem: Many developing regions lack access to affordable biopharmaceuticals.
Expected Solution: Design scalable production models or synthetic biology approaches for affordable vaccine or therapeutic production.

Track 7: Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods
Problem: Malnutrition and chronic diseases are rising globally.
Expected Solution: Create biotech-based nutraceutical products or formulations from plant or microbial sources with proven health benefits.

Track 8: Water Purification through Bioengineering
Problem: Contaminated water sources threaten both crops and health.
Expected Solution: Innovate biofiltration or microbial-based purification systems to improve water safety sustainably.

Track 9: Waste-to-Bioenergy Innovations
Problem: Agricultural and medical waste disposal remains an environmental challenge.
Expected Solution: Develop microbial or enzymatic technologies to convert organic waste into biofuels or value-added products.

Track 10: Individual Student Innovation
Theme: Open Innovation in Biotechnology for Agriculture and Health
Students may propose independent, original biotech ideas addressing agriculture or healthcare challenges with potential for real-world deployment.

3] Event Schedule (Three-Day)

🗓 Day 1 – November 21, 2026

• Inaugural Ceremony & Welcome Address

• Theme Overview and Problem Statement Briefing

• Team Registration Verification & Networking

• Idea Pitching and Mentorship Round 1

🗓 Day 2 – November 22, 2026

• Coding, Prototyping, and Model Development

• Expert Mentorship & Mid-Review

• Workshop: Biotech Innovation to Market Transition

🗓 Day 3 – November 23, 2026

• Final Presentation & Demonstration

• Jury Evaluation & Q&A

• Awards and Closing Ceremony

4] Eligibility & Participation Rules

• Team Size: 2–4 members

• Eligible Participants: Students, researchers, innovators, and professionals from any discipline related to biotechnology, agriculture, or healthcare.

• Code of Conduct:

  • Maintain academic and research integrity.

  • Original work only; plagiarism leads to disqualification.

  • Respect all participants and mentors.

  • Follow ethical research and environmental practices.

5] Evaluation Criteria

1. Innovation & Creativity – Originality and uniqueness of the idea.

2. Practical Application / Social Impact – Relevance to agriculture or healthcare needs.

3. Technical Implementation – Depth of scientific or technical execution.

4. Scalability & Feasibility – Market or research viability.

5. Presentation Quality – Clarity and engagement of the final pitch.

6] Prizes & Recognition

🏆 Top 10 Ideas/Winners

• Receive USD 1000 worth of “Idea to Startup Scheme” Voucher from SUKISH GROUP.

🥇 Top 3 Ideas

• Shared with leading companies and research organizations for seed funding support, including:

  1. Bayer CropScience

  2. Syngenta

  3. Thermo Fisher Scientific

  4. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

  5. Biocon Limited

🎖 Additional Recognition

• Certificates of Participation for all.

• Special Category – Innovation Awards during MU International Awards 2026 Series.

• Opportunity to showcase projects at related MU International Conference.

• All selected ideas will be abstracted in MU International Journal.

7] Registration Section

• Indian Team of 4 Members: ₹499
  🔗 Registration Link (Indian)

• International Team of 4 Members: USD 50
  🔗 Registration Link (Foreigner)

• Deadline for Registration: November 14, 2026

8] Contact Information

📧 Email: contact@masteringup.com
🌍 Website: www.masteringup.com/events