We are delighted to invite you to our upcoming (Bio-)Hackathon curAHack 2026 – two full days of tackling exciting biotech challenges in teams!

The hackathon is specifically aimed at young career researchers, including PhD, Master, and Bachelor students but of course, everyone who is interested, can join, too.

You can choose from 5 different challenges and sign-up using the link below.

Date & Time: 23 March, 09:30 CET – 24 March, 17:00 CET

Location: German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Trippstadter Str. 122, 67663 Kaiserslautern

Register and select your preferred challenges:

Important: Participation is first come, first served. Registration deadline is March 1st 2026.

Our Challenges at a Glance

Challenge 1 – Smarter Cell Cycle (UMC Mainz)
Develop an integrated model using single-cell RNA and chromatin data to more accurately resolve all cell-cycle phases, including challenging G0/G1 states.

Challenge 2 – Hack AlphaFold (TRON)
Identify targeted mutations that cause AlphaFold to mispredict molecular structures and contribute to improving model robustness for immunologically relevant targets.

Challenge 3 – Rethinking Ultrasound (DFKI)
Build a point-driven AI system that segments cardiac and vascular structures in ultrasound images, reducing manual annotation efforts while preserving clinical performance.

Challenge 4 – Hidden Paths in Single-Cell Data (DFKI)
Use machine learning to reconstruct complex cellular developmental trajectories from scRNA-seq data, uncovering branches, transitions, and dynamic states overlooked by classical methods.

Challenge 5 – Microbiome-Based CVD Prediction (DFKI)
Develop a machine learning model that predicts individual cardiovascular risk from 16S microbiome data, leveraging microbial networks and functional patterns.