Shepton High School Sophomore Awarded at BioGENEius Event

June 5, 2009

Shepton High School Sophomore Tess Michaels was among 15 finalists and one of two science researchers selected to be ambassadors of the BioGENEius international science competition held recently in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Michaels' research project “Diet and Longevity” earned fourth place at the contest and a $1,000 award.

Winners were announced on May 19 at the 2009 BIO International Convention keynote luncheon in front of an audience of 2,000 industry professionals. The biotech convention is the largest global event for the industry.

Students were evaluated not only on the quality of their research and display but also on their responses to questions relating to their scientific knowledge and potential commercial applications of their research. The panel of judges included scientists, researchers, educators and key members of the biotech industry who selected the first- through fourth-place winners.  

Miss Michaels reported to her teacher in Plano ISD, "There were four winners, and I placed fourth. The other three are all seniors who went to ISEF and are going to Stanford, Columbia and U Penn. I also beat two going to Harvard and one to MIT. So I was really in the company of geniuses, and I feel lucky to be the only sophomore and only girl to win.

"Before the winners were announced, they also chose two out of the fifteen, to do a detailed interview to be the ambassadors of the BioGENEius video, and I was one! So it was a great experience. Thank you so much again for this opportunity."

The sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge is organized by the Biotechnology Institute, the national organization dedicated to biotechnology education, and sponsored by sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, and its vaccines division, sanofi pasteur.

About the Biotechnology Institute
The Biotechnology Institute is an independent, national nonprofit organization dedicated to education about the present and future impact of biotechnology. Its mission is to engage, excite and educate the public, particularly students and teachers, about biotechnology and its immense potential for solving human health, food and environmental problems. For more information, visit www.biotechinstitute.org.

About sanofi-aventis
sanofi-aventis is a leading global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to help improve the lives of patients. For more information, visit www.sanofi-aventis.us or www.sanofi-aventis.com.