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Biotech Game and Personal Blog

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Open Coding Society Biotech Video Game

I contributed to designing and developing an engaging, interactive educational game that helps users learn about DNA base pairing and key concepts in biotechnology. The gameplay is inspired by Tetris as players must accurately complete single DNA base pairs on a moving strand before it scrolls off the screen. If players lose all three lives, they are prompted to answer biology trivia questions focused on biology used in biotech, reinforcing learning through challenge. The game includes several advanced features to enhance user experience and learning outcomes, such as:

  • A real-time leaderboard to track high scores and encourage replayability

  • Adjustable difficulty through strand speed settings

  • A predictive health feature that uses user input (e.g., body metrics) to assess risk of heart disease and stroke, introducing players to practical applications of biotech and data science.

This project combines game design, educational content, and real-world health relevance to integrate STEM knowledge, coding skills, and user-centered design into one cohesive learning tool.

My Contribution

  • I focused on enhancing the user interface and improving overall functionality. This included refining visual elements for a cleaner look, fixing small bugs, improving responsiveness, and optimizing Tailwind CSS templates. I also updated the navigation bar design to create a smoother and more user-friendly experience.

Commit Highlights

🏆 Certificates (Foundation)

Foundation

  • HTML & CSS Basics Certificate
    Completed coursework or a project demonstrating foundational knowledge of website structure, formatting, and styling using HTML and CSS.

  • Digital Citizenship & Ethics Certificate
    Learned internet safety, privacy, and responsible tech use as part of a digital literacy curriculum.

  • Backend Deployment Certificate
    Deployed a backend server using AWS. Managed environment variables, routing, and API hosting for full-stack app integration.

CSP / Full-Stack Projects

  • Full-Stack Project Creator Certificate – Music Social Platform
    Designed and coded the frontend and backend of a custom social media-style website for music lovers, including genre-based content organization using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

🎖️ Tokens (Unique Contributions)

  • Token: Personalized Music Recommendation Feature
    Developed a feature that recommends songs based on a user’s favorite artist, adding dynamic personalization to the full-stack music platform.

  • Token: Biotech Video UI Enhancement & Frontend Development
    Contributed to an educational biotech game by designing game mechanics and visual UI that teach biological concepts interactively.

Design Document

How I plan to implement in College

As a biology major, I plan to use my tech skills — like backend deployment, UI development, and full-stack project management — to support research, data visualization, and interactive learning tools. These skills can help me:

  • Build biology-themed web apps to simulate experiments or visualize molecular interactions.
  • Create data dashboards for lab results or bioinformatics projects.
  • Collaborate in research labs by managing databases, automating analysis, or deploying online tools for surveys or data collection.
  • Contribute to STEM outreach by developing engaging, educational tools like quizzes, games, or interactive modules for students learning science.

Future Plans:

To enhance the overall experience of our DNA base pairing game, our team plans to implement the following improvements:

UI/UX Enhancements:

  • Streamline the interface for a cleaner, more intuitive look.
  • Improve animations and transitions for smoother gameplay.
  • Add sound effects and background music with mute controls.

New Gameplay Features:

  • Introduce timed challenges and difficulty levels to increase replay value.
  • Add a “practice mode” for beginners to learn without pressure.
  • Implement levels or stages with progressive complexity.

Power-Ups and Bonuses:

  • Create power-ups such as “Base Pair Booster” or “Slow Time” to assist players.
  • Reward streaks of correct answers with score multipliers or bonuses.
  • Include collectible items that unlock fun educational facts or customization options.

User Progress Tracking:

  • Allow players to track their accuracy, best scores, and improvements over time.
  • Introduce achievements or badges for hitting learning milestones.

Multiplayer Support:

  • Explore real-time multiplayer or cooperative modes.