On Saturday, April 15, 2023, the NC State BioMade team hosted the “Dolphin Tank,” an interactive workshop focused on the intersection of emerging biotechnologies and responsible innovation. With support from KIETS, 20 undergraduates and 13 graduate students participated, representing at least five colleges at NC State. The full day of activities included creative icebreakers, mini-lectures on “Responsible Research and Innovation” (RRI), and a fast-paced team activity that resembled a cooperative and collaborative version of Shark Tank. Teams received innovation scenarios for emerging biotechnologies in the fields of conservation, health, biofuels, and consumer products.
They developed short “pitches” for their products, followed by two rounds of challenges inspired by the literature on RRI. The final challenge was to integrate all the material into a final pitch by each team. Prizes were awarded for creativity, incorporation of RRI principles, and most persuasive to a funder. The Dolphin Tank Workshop is part of a larger project to develop a comprehensive online course. Development of the course is being funded primarily by BioMADE. The course covers a range of topics, all related to bio-industrial manufacturing, and is targeted to both university students and professionals new to the biomanufacturing industry. Gary Gilleskie, Jason Delborne, Bob Kelly, Melissa Srougi, and Katie Barnhill-Dilling were involved in the planning and execution of the Dolphin Tank event.