Cubist and Cambridge Science Festival Announce 2014 Germ Challenge Science Contest Winners
April 23 2014 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
Teens Submit More than 20 Video Entries
Describing Germs
Cambridge Science Festival and Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(NASDAQ: CBST) today announced the winners of the 2014 Germ
Challenge, a contest designed to engage young people in science by
inviting them to develop educational and creative videos that
demonstrate their knowledge of germs and ability to communicate
scientific concepts in a way that appeals to the general
public.
The Germ Challenge contest yielded more than 20 entries
submitted by individuals and teams age 15-20 years old.
Participants submitted a 30-second to five minute video answering
the question: “What is a Germ?” Entries were first evaluated by a
panel of Cubist scientists for scientific accuracy. The entries
were then judged based on audience appeal and understanding by more
than 100 fifth graders in Massachusetts.
The Germ Challenge individual winner is Christine Conley, a
16-year-old from Boston, Mass. She will receive a GoPro video
camera for her winning submission. The team winner is the Boston
Latin School’s Illuminate Club, which will receive a $1,500 gift
certificate to purchase science supplies. Honorable mention
awardees are Emma J. Lichtenstein, science teacher at Newton North
High School, for having her entire class participate in the
contest; and Extended Arms after-school program in Randolph, Mass.
for their submission.
The winners were recognized at the Cambridge Science Festival’s
science video event on April 22, and their videos will also be
shown at the official closing ceremonies on April 27. The winning
videos can be viewed here:
http://www.cambridgesciencefestival.org/2014Festival/TheGermChallenge.aspx
Michael Bonney, Chief Executive Officer of Cubist, said, “Making
science fun and engaging is an important way to ignite curiosity to
learn more, and we were delighted by the strong showing in this
year’s Germ Challenge. The quality of the submissions were
impressive as many of the entrants combined science and creativity
to produce engaging videos that educate their peers about germs as
well as what they can do to help prevent them. We are proud to
collaborate with the Cambridge Science Festival on this initiative
and our mutual goal of building enthusiasm for science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning.”
P. A. d’Arbeloff, Director of Cambridge Science Festival and
Science on the Street, said, “We were thrilled with the response to
the Germ Challenge. The Germ Challenge illustrates the Festival’s
mission of providing a hands-on, fun approach to science while
highlighting the impact science has on our daily lives. We are
pleased to collaborate with Cubist, a leader in antibiotics
research and development, to make this program an important part of
the Festival.”
About Cubist
Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical
company focused on the research, development, and commercialization
of pharmaceutical products that address significant unmet medical
needs in the acute care environment. Cubist is headquartered in
Lexington, Massachusetts, with a central international office
located in Zurich, Switzerland. Additional information can be found
at Cubist’s web site at www.cubist.com. Also, connect with Cubist
on Twitter @cubistbiopharma and @cubistcareers, LinkedIn, or
YouTube.
About Cambridge Science Festival
The Cambridge Science Festival is a celebration showcasing the
leading edge in STEAM. A multifaceted, multicultural event every
spring, the festival makes science accessible, interactive, and
fun, while highlighting the impact of science on all our lives.
Additional information can be found at
http://www.cambridgesciencefestival.org.
Cambridge Science FestivalP.A. d’Arbeloff,
617-519-0428padarb@mit.eduCubistJulie DiCarlo,
781-860-8063julie.dicarlo@cubist.com