Taught by champion educators and PhD scientists from Harvard, Tufts, MIT, and Boston University, this program is targeted to rising 10th-12th graders who want to engineer biology to make the world a better place.
APPLICATIONS FOR 2026 will open in January!
Rolling Admission cycle will close June 1st, 2026
Limited to 24 students
CHECK OUT OUR 2025 APPLICATION MATERIALS:
Preview the 2025 application >
Applications for next year open January 1st, 2026 >
Summer research students will use BioBuilder content to launch independent biodesign and bioengineering projects.
Held in BioBuilder’s Learning Lab, a state-of-the-art bioengineering lab inside Ginkgo Headquarters in Boston’s Seaport District.
“BioBuilder was the first experience where I could take all the concepts I had learned and apply them to a project where I could define the problem and also what aspect I wanted to solve.”
Jacob participated in BioBuilder’s Summer Research Program as part of InGenius Prep.
BioBuilder taps into the potential of high school students and their teachers to be world changers. We do this by teaching them to build with biology. DNA is the programming language for a cell, instructing it to make things that can mitigate climate change, alleviate food insecurity, and produce renewable energy and clean water. BioBuilder’s roots are in the undergraduate major for Biological Engineering at MIT, and was organized as an independent nonprofit in 2011 thanks to support from MIT and the National Science Foundation. We provide openly accessible lessons, hands-on laboratory content, and novel problem-based learning modules. BioBuilder has emerged as a national model for education, making a substantial impact in secondary and post-secondary schools in nearly every state and in 55 countries.
“Thinking back at that BioBuilder experience, it was the first time my entrepreneurship spirit was awakened”
Tian participated in BioBuilder’s Summer Research Program as part of InGenius Prep.
If you can’t find your question here, please contact us at info@biobuilder.org
The program is open to high school students entering grades 10–12. Students should have a strong interest in science and be prepared for hands-on lab work and team collaboration. We recommend that students apply after taking at least a high school level introductory biology course. Prior research experience is not required.
At this time, we are not able to offer scholarships or financial assistance for our Summer Research Program at the Ginkgo Learning Lab.
The program takes place at our Learning Lab @Ginkgo, located in the Seaport District of Boston, MA. For directions, public transit information, and parking options, please visit our Ginkgo Learning Lab webpage. This page includes everything students and families need to plan their commute.
We are a day program and do not provide housing or accommodation services. Students and their families are responsible for arranging all housing, transportation, and supervision outside of program hours. Programming runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM for the duration of the two-week session.
Yes. International students are welcome to apply. However, please note that we do not provide housing or visa support, and students must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
A non-refundable deposit of $850 is required to reserve your spot in the program. The full balance is due by June 15th. If your summer plans change, we are able to offer a 50% refund (excluding the deposit) up to 15 days before the start of the program. We are unable to provide refunds within 15 days of the program start date.
The program does not offer academic credit. However, students will gain valuable hands-on lab experience and exposure to cutting-edge research skills that can strengthen future academic and career opportunities.
Due to the fast-paced and collaborative nature of the program, we are unable to accommodate students who cannot attend from the first day of the program. Full participation is expected for the entire two-week session.