Thank you 2018 US contestants!

It has been a record year for Genes in Space! We received 559 entries from nearly 1200 students. That is almost 1.5 times the number of applications we received last year! Once again we were completely blown away by your creativity, knowledge, and curiosity. Thank you for inspiring us and for pioneering DNA science in space! 

This year's applicants came from 116 educational institutions from across the country, as far away as Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Collectively you submitted nearly 290,000 words on topics ranging from viral reactivation in space, to silk production in microgravity, to engineering plants and other organisms to support future space exploration. You have all made us extremely excited to see what your generation will contribute to scientific discovery and space exploration and made the task of selecting this year's awardees very difficult. 

All contestants have helped to advance DNA science in space. You should all be proud of your achievement. Thank you for your contributions to Genes in Space and for giving us great optimism about the future.

Sincerely, 

The Genes in Space Team