“Ok, so it was TOTALLY worth it.”

The above came via text from Virginia Tech biologist Julie Allen from the G20 Social Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, just minutes after learning that her team earned the grand prize for XPRIZE Rainforest.

Allen's team received $5 million for its ability to autonomously survey 100 hectares of tropical rainforest in 24 hours and produce the most impactful real-time insights within 48 hours.

The team includes researchers and experts from Colorado Mesa University, Outreach Robotics, University of Nevada, Reno, Université de Montréal, University of Florida, Universidad Icesi, Yanayacu Biological Station, and the Universidade Federal do Paraná.

Two figures wearing headlamps, gloves, and lab coats work inside a tent at night
Team members work through the night. Photo courtesy of Cat Kutz, Limelight Rainforest.

Allen and postdoctoral fellow Niyomi House led the genetic sampling group for Limelight Rainforest, a multinational team with members from 10 institutions.  

Out of an initial pool of about 300 entrants, Limelight Rainforest developed the fastest, most efficient automated technologies for identifying species at every level of the rainforest, from canopy to floor.

“We’re blown away,” said Allen. “We’re delighted that all our hard work was validated.”

Behind the five-year competition, the $10 million prizes, and the hype is another race with even higher stakes — against disappearing species in a changing climate.

"We needed this kick in the butt"

The XPRIZE announcement comes at a time when roughly 64 percent of the world's tropical rainforest has been destroyed or degraded, and continues to be destroyed at a rapid rate, despite being home to half of all living animal and plant species on the planet

Automated technologies can help keep rainforests intact while increasing the number of species surveyed, Allen said.

“Rainforest species are disappearing faster than we can survey them,” Allen said. “We needed this kick in the butt. If we don’t have a fast way to survey forests, there won’t be forests left to survey.”

Group of people smiling gathered around a table with their computers out.
The Virginia Tech-led genetic sampling team of all-female early-career scientists and undergraduate students was part of the team that took first place in the XPRIZE Rainforest competition. Photo courtesy of Taylor Schmitz.

Brutal and the best 

It’s 2 a.m. in this picture. 

The Virginia Tech-led DNA team gathered to process mountains of samples brought back by the drones earlier in the competition. Everyone was beyond exhausted, and there were still hours and hours to go.

But for Daniela Campos, the image captures the manic marathon-like magic of the XPRIZE Rainforest competition.

“You can see our tired faces,” said Campos, a senior in biological sciences who is sitting in the back left corner of the group photo. “We went through a lot together. A lot of bugs to process. A lot of pipetting. But it was honestly just incredible.”

The experience was, in fact, transformative for the first-generation college student who is now planning to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology.

“This was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”

Sunrise over a river
Competition day dawns. Photo courtesy of Isabella Burgos.
River full of boats being loaded with the jungle in the background.
Loading the boats. Photo courtesy of Eric Benbow.
Drone over a canopy
Limelight drone. Photo courtesy of Outreach Robotics.

Competition day(s)

Team Limelight had a strategy, and it paid off. Follow along the journey.

Virginia Tech team members

  • Julie Allen, assistant professor, biological sciences
  • Niyomi House, National Science Foundation postdoctoral associate, biological sciences, DNA technology lead
  • Isabella Burgos, lead DNA operations manager
  • Daniela Campos, fourth-year biological sciences major, lab and field DNA technician
  • Kanna Yerks, second-year biological sciences major, lab and field DNA technician
  • Brianna Bartelbaugh, second-year biological sciences major, lab DNA technician
  • Jayden Cosby, third-year double major in water: resources, policy, and management and environmental data science, lab DNA technician
  • Om Agrawal, fourth-year business information technology major, cybersecurity management and analytics, data scientist and machine learning intern in bioinformatics
Two women collect samples.
(From left) Daniela Campos and Kanna Yerks process samples. Photo courtesy of Limelight Rainforest.
Drone filter drops into water
Collecting environmental DNA. Photo courtesy of Outreach Robotics.

Limelight Rainforest is committed to abiding by Brazilian laws related to genetic heritage, associated traditional knowledge, and benefit sharing. XPRIZE collaborated with the National Institute of Amazonian Research to obtain necessary permits for collecting eDNA/DNA sampling activities during the testing days. All eDNA/DNA sequencing data will be registered through SISGEN, ensuring transparency and adherence to regulations, and no genetic data will be published without clearance from XPRIZE and its government partners, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations.

Top video: Drone footage of the testing site along the Rio Negro in Brazil. Video courtesy of Denita Weeks. 

A group of exhausted looking people in a boat at sunset.
Daniela Campos (front left) and Kanna Yerks (front right) headed out. Photo courtesy of Eric Benbow.

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