What’s the Big Idea?
Scientists Pitch Game-Changing Concepts at Crowd-Pleasing Competition
Right now, science and the people who do it deserve to be celebrated. And that’s what happened at Conversations: Big Ideas.
The evening of Thursday, May 15, marked the fourth iteration of this much-loved event, and it also proved to be the biggest one yet, with more than 425 people gathering in-person and an additional 320 online, ready to take part in the action. If you’ve never been, here’s how it goes: three teams of Danforth Center scientists take turns pitching their unique plant science research idea. And in the end, after an audience vote, one of them wins a grant to help them pursue their vision.
First held in 2017, Big Ideas boasts an impressive track record for bringing innovative research to life, as two out of the past nine pitches have resulted in local agtech startups: Metablify, and the recently unveiled Spearhead Bio. Now, it was time for three new teams to make their case to the audience and the esteemed panelists onstage. But in the end, only one could take home the metaphorical crown.
The on-stage panelists at Big Ideas. From left to right: Arnold Donald, Former President & Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation & plc; Tom Hillman, Founding General Partner of Lewis & Clark Ventures; and Penny Pennington, Managing Partner of Edward Jones and Chair of the Danforth Center’s Board of Directors.
The Danforth Center itself is a big idea, isn’t it?
Penny Pennington,
Managing Partner, Edward Jones; Chair, Danforth Center Board
Space Plants, Quinoa, and Escape Rooms
After opening remarks from the evening’s emcee, Katie Murphy, PhD, the first team to take the stage was Team Sun Solutions. Their big idea was to tweak certain plant genes so crops can thrive in low light. This would allow more food to be grown on less land and in places where it couldn’t be grown before, even outer space.
“We want to use the power of plants to remove contaminants from unusable soil and decrease the consequences of land contamination,” said Keely Brown, PhD, of Team BioQumulate (left).
Next up was Team BioQumulate, who pitched their idea to fight pollution by developing varieties of quinoa that can remove toxins from contaminated soil—and utilize cutting-edge tools to accelerate the breeding process.
Lastly, three more scientists described how they wanted to stop the spread of plant viruses using a custom-designed molecule. This molecule would block viruses from moving through a plant’s pores, essentially trapping it in “an impossible escape room,” as team member Anastasiya Klebanovych, PhD described it. The team’s name? “Pore Decisions.”
“From feeding the world to guarding your backyard tomato patch, our technology adapts to the scale,” said Ally Angermeier, PhD, of Team Pore Decisions (center).
The Votes Are In
After the audience took the time to decide which idea was their favorite, and after a record number of votes were tallied, it was time to announce the night’s winners: Team Sun Solutions. Their victory, and the accompanying $10,000 grant, brings them one step closer to making their vision a reality. But if history is any indication, each of the three big ideas introduced to the world at this event could someday have quite a big impact.
Team Sun Solutions, with their pitch to help crops thrive in low light, were announced as the winners of Conversations: Big Ideas. From left: President Jim Carrington, Vanessica Jawahir, Salma Adam, Marcus Griffiths, and Emcee Katie Murphy.
Big Ideas 2025 Presenters:
Team Sun Solutions, Nusinow/Topp Labs
Salma Adam, Research Assistant
Marcus Griffiths, PhD, Research Scientist
Vanessica Jawahir, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate
Team BioQumulate, Gehan/Fahlgren Labs
Keely Brown, PhD, Research Scientist II
Anna Casto, PhD, Research Scientist II
Josh Sumner, Data Scientist II
Team Pore Decisions, Czymmek/Burch-Smith Labs
Ally Angermeier, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher
Anastasiya Klebanovych, PhD, ABL Manager
Sam Nuzzi, PhD Candidate
Keep Big Ideas Growing
While team Sun Solutions will be able to continue their progress, across the country, funding for scientific research is vanishing every day. By making a gift to the Danforth Center’s Future Forward campaign, you can show your support for science, help our researchers continue their life-saving efforts, and nurture more big ideas in our region. Make your gift today.
Watch the Event
Event recording by HEC:
Reception Sponsor
Media Sponsor
For information on sponsoring Conversations, contact Lee’at Bachar, Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer, at 314.587.1210 or email: lbachar@danforthcenter.org.