Nisarg Patel

I am passionate about turning technological innovation into social impact, inspiring others to maximize their potential, communicating about and collaborating over world-changing ideas, and using entrepreneurship as a vehicle to grow solutions to global challenges.

I founded HydroGene Biotechnologies, a biotech startup, to harness the power of synthetic biology to rapidly detect water contamination in developing countries. I'm also working on applying synthetic biology principles to cancer immunotherapy by developing novel methods of vaccine delivery.

Between research projects, I'm working with students across the world to build an international network that connects student researchers in synthetic biology with industry professionals for teaching, career, and volunteering opportunities. I also serve as a Community Manager for the Kairos Society and a Campus Representative for the Clinton Global Initiative.

I've had the opportunity to open the awards ceremony at the 2012 iGEM World Championship at MIT in front of over 1,000 people, organize workshop events for non-profit organizations at global conferences, and work with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama on projects to expand crowdsourcing of field research data.