BioHackathon Edinburgh 2026
Building a Collaborative Bio-AI Innovation Community
Spring 2026, TBC — Nucleus Building, University of Edinburgh
Opens to undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research students, postdocs, and academic staff from all UK universities interested in biological and computational innovation. No coding experience required.
Overview
BioHackathon Edinburgh is a first-of-its-kind, interdisciplinary event at the University of Edinburgh that connects biologists, programmers, and industry partners through a series of preparatory workshops, networking sessions, and challenge-based team projects. The initiative aims to create a sustainable ecosystem for collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship at the interface of life sciences and artificial intelligence.
Objectives
Build a cross-disciplinary innovation community
Unite life scientists and programmers through collaborative problem-solving on real-world biological and computational challenges.
Foster academia-industry partnerships
Co-design challenges with academic and industrial partners to expose students to authentic problem-based learning and professional mentoring.
Create sustainable pathways for innovation
Provide post-event mentoring and support for project continuation, growing into a recurring "Bio-Innovation Series."
Challenge Tracks
To cater to diverse backgrounds and interests, BioHackathon Edinburgh 2026 will feature several challenge tracks, each designed to bring together participants from life sciences, computing, and related disciplines.
Academic Research Track
Collaborate on open-ended research challenges proposed by academic groups — such as modelling gene regulation, analysing imaging data, drug discovery/design or exploring machine learning approaches for biological datasets. Teams will get access to sample datasets, academic mentors, and opportunities for follow-up collaborations.
Industry Innovation Track
Work on problem statements proposed by industry partners from biotech, health, and data-driven companies. These challenges are practical, outcome-focused, and aim to translate ideas into prototypes, pipelines, or analytical insights. Participants gain direct exposure to industrial R&D workflows and potential recruitment opportunities.
Data Sonification & Visualisation Track
Bridge science and creativity by transforming biological data into sound or interactive visual experiences. This track welcomes artists, musicians, and communicators alongside scientists and coders, exploring how multisensory representations can make complex data more intuitive and engaging.
Non-Coder Problem-Solving Track
For participants without a coding background, this track focuses on designing experimental frameworks, conceptual solutions, and project management strategies for interdisciplinary challenges. Activities include problem-based team exercises, scientific storytelling, and collaborative design thinking.
Teams participating in each track will compete against each other in a final presentation and pitch session, with awards for winners which are selected by a judging panel.
Structure & Timeline
Oct-Dec 2025
Consultation & Planning
Surveys, partnerships, and organising committee formation completed.
Jan-Feb 2026
Pre-Event Workshops
Technical, entrepreneurial, and communication workshops co-delivered with Edinburgh Innovations and the Centre for Engineering Biology.
Late Mar 2026
Flagship BioHackathon
2-3 day event at The Nucleus, featuring an opening ceremony, challenge introductions, team sprints, and final project pitches with prizes.
Apr 2026 onwards
Post-Event Continuation
Mentoring, project refinement, and launch of a recurring Bio-Innovation community.
The Team
FAQs
Not at all — while some challenges involve coding, there are dedicated non-coding tracks focused on experimental design, problem-solving, and communication, ensuring everyone can contribute meaningfully.
Participants can apply as individuals or as teams of 3-6 members. Individual applicants will have the chance to form teams during in-person networking and team formation sessions prior to the event.
Yes — winning teams will receive prizes and certificates of participation, recognising creativity, innovation, and collaboration.
Participants will have access to pre-event workshops (on technical skills, entrepreneurship, IP, Python, and Git) and mentorship from academic and industry experts linked to each challenge.
Travel support will be available, with partial to full reimbursement (up to £60 per person) based on competition and need.Workshops are optional and can be selected based on individual skill levels. The hackathon itself will likely run over a weekend (2-3 days) or as a hybrid week-long event with in-person sessions at the beginning and end, and flexible online collaboration in between.
Interested academics or partners can email the organising team at [email protected] to discuss challenge proposals, mentoring, or sponsorship opportunities.
Final dates for the workshops and the main BioHackathon are to be confirmed, but the event is planned for Spring 2026.
Yes — selected projects may receive continued mentorship or sponsorship support, depending on partner interest and participant initiative.
The event is organised by Ian Yang (Swain Lab, School of Biological Sciences) in collaboration with the Centre for Engineering Biology and partners across the University of Edinburgh. For all inquiries, contact [email protected].
Building a Collaborative Bio-AI Innovation Community