BioBridge – Bio Innovation Hackathon
Terms & Conditions
Theme: Bio-based Solutions for a Sustainable Tomorrow
KSRCT (Dept. of Biotech) · Marabanu · StartupTN
Free – No Registration Fee
2 to 4 Members (Same College)
Laws of India
1. About BioBridge
BioBridge – Bio Innovation Hackathon is an innovation-focused hackathon designed to encourage students to identify, understand, and develop practical solutions to real-world challenges in biotechnology and allied sectors.
The event brings together biology, biotechnology, healthcare, agriculture, environmental science, food technology, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, engineering, design, entrepreneurship, and other interdisciplinary domains to encourage the development of technology-enabled biological solutions.
BioBridge is structured around multiple challenge areas covering healthcare, diagnostics, genomics, agriculture, food, environmental biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, and emerging biological applications.
The objective of BioBridge is not limited to software development or conventional laboratory research. Participants are encouraged to think across disciplines and develop solutions that demonstrate:
- Scientific relevance
- Practical applicability
- Innovation
- Technical feasibility
- Responsible biological innovation
- Social or environmental impact
- Scalability
- Potential for real-world implementation
- Entrepreneurship and deployment potential
The hackathon provides participants with an opportunity to transform an identified biological or biotechnology-related challenge into a structured solution concept, prototype, technology demonstration, research pathway, or deployable innovation.
Participation in BioBridge is subject to the eligibility criteria, submission requirements, timelines, safety requirements, evaluation procedures, and other conditions specified in these Terms & Conditions.
2. Organisers
BioBridge is organised collaboratively by:
- K.S. Rangasamy College of Technology (KSRCT) — Department of Biotechnology
- Marabanu
- StartupTN
The organisers may appoint coordinators, mentors, technical experts, scientific experts, jury members, volunteers, partner organisations, and other authorised personnel for conducting various stages of the event.
The organisers reserve the right to issue additional instructions, guidelines, templates, schedules, submission formats, or operational instructions during the event where necessary.
Such instructions, when officially communicated through the designated communication channels, shall be treated as supplementary to these Terms & Conditions.
3. Nature of the Event
BioBridge is an innovation and problem-solving hackathon. Depending on the selected challenge and the participant's proposed approach, a solution may involve one or more of the following:
Participants are not required to use a particular programming language, framework, platform, laboratory technique, or technology stack unless specifically required by the selected problem statement.
4. Eligibility
BioBridge is intended primarily for student innovators and interdisciplinary teams interested in biotechnology and allied fields. Participants should provide accurate academic and institutional information during registration.
Students from different academic disciplines may participate, provided that their proposed solution is relevant to the selected BioBridge challenge. Relevant disciplines include:
Biotechnology · Bioinformatics · Microbiology · Biochemistry · Biomedical Engineering · Medicine and allied health sciences · Agriculture · Agricultural Engineering · Food Technology · Chemical Engineering · Environmental Science · Life Sciences · Computer Science · AI & ML · Information Technology · Electronics & Communication · Electrical Engineering · Mechanical Engineering · Design · Management · Entrepreneurship · Data Science.
Interdisciplinary participation is encouraged.
The organisers reserve the right to verify participant eligibility at any stage of the event. Submission of false, misleading, incomplete, or unverifiable information may result in disqualification.
5. Team Participation
BioBridge shall be conducted through team-based participation. The official application specification provides for a team size of 2 to 4 members. Each team must register its members through the designated registration process.
5.1 Team Size
Minimum: 2 members · Maximum: 4 members. A team may not exceed the maximum permitted number of members.
5.2 Single Institution Requirement
All members of a team must belong to the same college or institution. A participant may not simultaneously represent multiple teams for the same problem statement or hackathon submission where such participation creates a conflict with the official event rules.
5.3 Team Lead
Each team must nominate one member as the Team Lead, who acts as the primary point of contact for registration, submission communication, shortlisting announcements, queries, presentation coordination, and clarifications.
5.4 Team Member Information
Each member may be required to provide full name, email address, mobile number, college/institution, course/programme, and year of study.
5.5 Changes to Team Composition
Once registration closes, changes to team composition are restricted. Any request to add, remove, or replace a member is considered only at the sole discretion of the organisers.
6. Registration
6.1 No Registration Fee
There is No registration fee, No application fee, No participation fee, and No payment required to submit an entry. Participants should not make any payment to any individual claiming to represent BioBridge unless officially communicated.
6.2 Registration Information
Participants must complete the official registration form within the specified window. It collects team lead details, institution details, team members, category selection, problem statement selection, wildcard details where applicable, and the one-pager document.
6.3 Accurate Information
Participants are responsible for ensuring all submitted details are accurate, complete, current, verifiable, and belong to the actual participating individuals.
7. Problem Statement Structure
The official problem statement document contains 36 problem statements across six core categories and an Open Bio Track:
Precision Biotherapeutics & Drug Discovery
Drug discovery, repurposing, protein structures, molecular interactions, AMR, antimicrobial peptides, biologics.
Diagnostics & Medical Devices
Low-cost diagnostics, screening, medical devices, point-of-care technologies, digital health, clinical decision support.
Bioinformatics, Genomics & Bio-AI
Genomics, variant analysis, bioinformatics, eDNA, pharmacogenomics, biomedical artificial intelligence, AI reliability.
Climate-Resilient Agriculture & Agri-Biotech
Agricultural biotechnology, crop health, biological inputs, soil health, traceability, tissue culture, climate resilience.
Functional Foods, Nutrition & Smart Proteins
Alternative proteins, food biotechnology, fermentation, food safety, nutrition, edible coatings, food adulteration.
Environmental, Industrial & Waste-to-Value Biotech
Bioremediation, waste valorisation, plastic degradation, industrial biotechnology, groundwater monitoring, agro-residue utilisation.
Open Bio Track
Space life support, biosafety compliance, regulatory pathways, herbal authentication, virtual labs, and participant-proposed Wildcard.
8–10. Selection, Codes & Wildcard
8. Problem Statement Selection
Each team selects one problem statement. Once shortlisted, it is treated as locked unless permission is explicitly granted. Solutions must directly address the selected challenge.
9. Problem Statement Codes
Follows BB-[TRACK]-[NUMBER] (e.g. BB-PB-01, BB-DM-01, BB-BG-01, BB-CA-01, BB-FN-01, BB-EW-01, BB-OB-01). Must be quoted accurately on all submissions.
10. Open Bio Track – Wildcard
Teams may propose their own challenge, which must be genuinely biological, defined, safe, and lawful. Wildcard ideas are reviewed by organisers prior to approval.
11–12. Round 1 – Idea Submission & Deadlines
11. Round 1 – Idea Submission
Teams submit a structured one-pager in PDF format following the supplied template (max 5 MB).
Should communicate: Problem understanding, target user/beneficiary, proposed solution, biological/scientific basis, technology approach, innovation, impact, feasibility, implementation, scalability. Recommended filename: TeamName_StatementCode.pdf.
12. Submission Deadlines
Submissions must be completed before the deadline. Technical issues or device errors do not guarantee extensions.
13–15. Evaluation, Build Phase & AI Tools
13. Evaluation & Shortlisting
Evaluated by an expert panel of faculty, researchers, industry specialists, and entrepreneurs. Panel decisions are final.
14. Hackathon / Build Phase
Shortlisted teams advance to the 4-week build sprint with 4 mandatory online weekend sessions, developing prototypes, decks, and validation pathways.
15. Use of AI and Digital Tools
AI tools are permitted, but participants are strictly accountable for scientific claims, data accuracy, and citations. Fabricated citations lead to immediate disqualification.
16–18. Biosafety, Health Solutions & Data
16. Biological Safety and Responsible Innovation
Biosafety and responsible innovation are fundamental. No unauthorised laboratory experiments, handling of hazardous biological agents, or unapproved human/animal testing. BioBridge does not provide external laboratory access or regulatory permits.
17. Medical and Health-Related Solutions
Must distinguish between prototypes/concepts and clinically validated medical products. Any medical decision-support must acknowledge the requirement for professional clinician involvement.
18. Data, Privacy and Confidential Information
Do not submit confidential patient records, unanonymised genetic data, or proprietary third-party datasets without authorization.
19–22. Originality, IP Rights & Third-Party Tech
19. Originality and Plagiarism
Work must be original. Plagiarism, data fabrication, or copying other teams results in immediate disqualification.
20. Intellectual Property Rights
Participants retain ownership of intellectual property that they independently create, subject to existing institutional policies or open-source licences.
21. Third-Party Technology
APIs, open-source libraries, and models must comply with their respective licences.
22. Project Ownership & Team Responsibility
The team is collectively responsible for internal arrangements regarding contribution and IP.
23–26. Conduct, Fair Participation & Platforms
23–24. Conduct & Fair Participation
Professional conduct, mutual respect, and fairness are strictly enforced. Cheating, bribery, impersonation, or platform abuse will trigger immediate removal.
25–26. Communication & Platforms
Official communication flows through email, Unstop, and the official website. Participants are responsible for having standard laptop and internet resources.
27–30. Presentations, Jury, Mentoring & Certificates
27–28. Presentation & Jury Evaluation
Shortlisted teams pitch before a grand jury evaluated on problem understanding, scientific relevance, innovation, feasibility, impact, scalability, and responsible innovation.
29–30. Mentoring & Certificates
Mentoring offers guidance without commercial guarantee. Participation certificates are awarded to eligible teams who satisfy all requirements.
31–33. Prizes, Recognition & Disqualification
31. Prizes and Recognition
The currently announced prize structure is:
| Position | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st Prize | ₹10,000 |
| 2nd Prize | ₹5,000 |
| 3rd Prize | ₹3,000 |
Total announced prize pool: ₹18,000
32–33. Prize Distribution & Disqualification
Prizes are distributed to the registered team upon verification. Disqualification may occur at any stage for violations of rules, eligibility, or safety guidelines.
34–40. Operations, Media & Liability
34. Right to Verify: Organisers may request additional academic, institutional, or dataset proof.
35. Format Modification: Organisers reserve the right to modify schedules, rounds, or formats when administratively required.
36. Force Majeure: Delays caused by natural disasters, government restrictions, or outages will be rescheduled where reasonably possible.
37–39. Photography, Media & Confidentiality: Event proceedings may be recorded for legitimate institutional and promotional purposes. Presentations are public; teams with patentable inventions should take precautions prior to demo day.
40. Limitation of Liability: Organisers and partner institutions are not liable for participants' personal equipment or data loss.
41–47. Regulatory Compliance, Claims & No Refund Policy
41. No Commercial Guarantee: Participation does not guarantee funding, employment, or commercialisation.
42. Regulatory Compliance: Participants are responsible for understanding applicable regulations (CDSCO, FSSAI, GEAC, BIS, etc.).
43–44. References & Claims: Credible scientific references must be acknowledged; teams are held strictly accountable for claims in their pitches.
45. Participant Data: Data collected is used solely for legitimate event administration.
46. Official Decisions: Operational and evaluation decisions by the organisers and jury panel are authoritative.
47. No Payment or Refund Policy: As BioBridge is 100% free with no fee at any stage, no refund policy applies.
48–52. Acceptance, Jurisdiction & Acknowledgement
48. Acceptance of Terms: By registering, participants confirm they have read, understood, and agreed to all Terms & Conditions.
49. Amendments: Officially published updates supersede earlier versions.
50. Governing Law: Governed by the laws of India, under the jurisdiction of competent courts in Tamil Nadu.
51. Contact & Communication: For official queries, contact organizers at: +91 9751664966 or +91 9489243775.
52. Final Acknowledgement
BioBridge is designed as an innovation platform where students can explore biological challenges and develop responsible, technology-enabled solutions with scientific curiosity, ethical thinking, and entrepreneurial drive.
By registering for BioBridge – Bio Innovation Hackathon, every participant and team agrees to abide by these Terms & Conditions and all official instructions issued by the organisers.