Stanford Bioengineering Capstone Team Recognized with DEBUT 2024 NCI Cancer Prize
A team of Stanford Bioengineering Class of 2024 undergraduate students has been honored with the DEBUT 2024 National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Prize for their innovative project, ColoTech: A Pro-Diagnostic for the Early Detection of Colorectal Dysplastic and Cancerous Tissue. This project was a part of the BIOE141 Senior Design Capstone Course. ColoTech enables cost-effective early detection of colorectal cancer through stool sample analysis.
The award-winning team— Gabriel Seir B.S. ’24, Shreya Garg B.S. ’24, Kelly Lopez-Cid B.S. ’24 was recognized at the 2024 BMES Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland on October 25, 2024.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, leading to over 50,000 deaths annually. Early detection is critical to improving outcomes, as survival rates increase with early detection. ColoTech employs a "pro-diagnostic" approach—an emerging area of biotechnology—to identify biomarkers associated with early-stage dysplastic and cancerous tissue. The process starts with the patient ingesting a probe that changes chemical composition when in contact with abnormal tissue. This chemical shift is detectable via a molecular report on colorectal tract health within stool samples. This approach offers a more cost-effective, accessible solution for early-stage dysplastic and cancerous tissue detection than typical methods, potentially saving lives and reducing CRC-related healthcare costs.
In reflecting on the team’s success, faculty advisor Ross Venook shared:
“I want to congratulate the team for their creative and diligent work to conceive of and advance this project. Pro-diagnostics is an approach that is just emerging, and the team’s work is early in what may be an important future area of technology for colon cancer and beyond. The project required the team to think deeply about the gaps in the existing colon cancer screening process, to follow an iterative development approach with their synthesis and measurements, and to be courageous in working on a project that has great potential yet also has many challenges.”
The team's journey extended beyond the classroom, with Gabe, Kelly, and Shreya continuing the project in Spring 2024 with support from Biodesign NEXT, advancing both technical development and other critical aspects of their work. Their efforts culminated in a high-quality submission to the DEBUT competition.
The team also benefited from mentorship across Stanford, including guidance from their faculty advisor Ross Venook, clinical mentor Dr. Stephan Rogalla, and support from facilities such as the Mass Spectrometry Core, NMR Facility, Uytengsu Teaching Lab (UTL), and others. Venook emphasized the collaborative nature of the Bioengineering undergraduate capstone program, expressing gratitude to course faculty and teaching assistants who mentored the team throughout the year.
With a strong foundation in place, the team has opportunities to continue their work, including potential animal studies under the guidance of Dr. Stephan Rogalla. Venook expressed enthusiasm for the next phase of the project and for the next round of BIOE141 capstone projects, remarking:
“It takes a village, and I am grateful to be in partnership with so many folks across campus and beyond who support our students and their learning.”
Congratulations to the ColoTech team for their outstanding achievement and for advancing the future of colorectal cancer diagnostics!
