Applying biomedical engineering to a significant challenge in healthcare settings led to the development of a novel approach to help prevent pressure injuries, also known as pressure ulcers or bedsores, and earning Porter Mikesell, an eleventh grader from Manti Highschool in Manti, UT, a finalist position in the 2024 BioGENEius Challenge.
The esteemed competition, founded by the Biotechnology Institute more than two decades ago, showcases the finest young talent in biotechnology from across the United States. Cure hosted the 2024 BioGENEius Challenge ceremonies, awarding a $500 prize to Iyer and three other finalists as well as top prize of $2,500 to Yifan Ding.
The students also toured labs at CURE and met with biopharma executives to discuss careers in the field of biotechnology. Since its inception, the BioGENEius Challenge has seen its alumni go on to impactful careers as entrepreneurs, physicians, healthcare leaders, and champions for sustainable health and environmental solutions.
Mikesell spoke with Cure about what inspired him, challenges he faced and the journey he took for her project, “Novel Use of Modified Honeycomb Pneumatic Networks for Bed Sore Prevention.” He developed a novel soft-robotics system that leverages air pressure via a pneumatic system.
Bed sores occur when the weight of a person’s body exerts prolonged or concentrated pressure or shearing on their skin and underlying soft tissue, such as over a bony area like a joint or in relationship to device such as sitting in a wheel chair or lying in a hospital bed. Shifting positions is among the measures that can help reduce the risk or severity of pressure injuries.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Cure: Tell us about the inspiration behind your project? What problem were you hoping to solve?
Mikesell: The inspiration for my project came from asking my mother what one of the biggest problems in healthcare is right now. My mom told me that bed sores are a massive problem, so I began to do more research on the topic and basically it all started from there.
Cure: What was the biggest challenge you faced while working on your project, and how did you overcome it?
Mikesell: The biggest challenge I faced was definitely making my project air tight. To try to solve the problem, I made a couple prototypes with varying materials and made a sizable dent in the problem, but I still have a lot left to fix.
Cure: What was the most surprising or unexpected result you encountered during your research?
Mikesell: The most surprising result while making my project was finding that 3D-printed nozzles were airtight and worked very well as a low cost alternative to the brass nozzles I had been using.
Cure: How do you see the findings from your project being applied in the real world or in future scientific research?
Mikesell: I see this project maturing to the stage of being used as a hospital bed replacement, as my system has the potential to replicate all the functionality of a normal hospital bed while offering all the benefits of being able to prevent bed sores.
Cure: What role did mentorship or collaboration play in the success of your project?
Mikesell: I owe it to my parents to helping me drastically improve my presentation skills, and giving me the idea in the first place.
Cure: How has this experience influenced your academic or career goals? Do you have specific fields or industries in mind?
Mikesell: Going into this project I knew I wanted to pursue engineering as my career. But being exposed to the world of biomedical engineering has made it much harder for me to choose a subgenre of engineering.
Cure: What advice would you give to other students interested in participating in the BioGENEius Challenge?
Mikesell: I would tell them to focus more of their time on presentation. Even if you have the best project in the world, if you can't articulate it to anybody, your idea is basically worthless.
Follow the BioGENEius Challenge on LinkedIn and our website: Technology Organization Serving in the US | Bio Technology Institute.