The programme
Eleven ways to compete, create & learn
A flagship quiz plus ten themed contests spanning writing, art, presentation, code, drama, AI and model-making. Two events are free; every other event has a nominal fee of ₹125 per participant, per event / theme.
01MicrobioLogical Contest Online MCQ screening quiz₹125
02MicrobioSlate Scientific essay writing₹125
03MicrobioCanvas Scientific painting & drawing₹125
04MicrobioPodium Scientific presentations₹125
05MicrobioRead Reading & comprehension₹125
06MicrobioSoft R programming for data analysis₹125
07MicrobioWord Terminology word challenge₹125
08MicrobioAI AI meets microbiology₹125
09MicrobioModel Scientific model making₹125
Free for everyone — no registration fee
MicrobioTalk Lectures by microbiologistsFree
MicrobioStreetPlay Health & hygiene street playFree
Mark your calendar
25th MicrobiOlympiad calendar
Every key date for the 25th edition — from registration to the grand finale.
📝 Student registrations21 September – 30 October 2026· Fee ₹125 per participant, per event / themeLate fee applies after 30 October 2026
🔬MicrobioLogical Contest — UG & PG
Online, supervised at your college
02Nov 26
Practice Test 1Warm-up online quiz
07Dec 26
Practice Test 2Build speed & accuracy
18Dec 26
Practice Test 3Final practice round
19Jan 27
Mock TestFull dress rehearsal
20Jan 27
Final Screening QuizThe qualifying quiz for the Grand Finale
🎨Themed & skill events
Last dates to submit your creation
30Nov 26
MicrobioSlate · Canvas · PodiumEssay, painting & presentation — pick a theme
18Dec 26
MicrobioModelScientific model making
07Jan 27
MicrobioReadReading & comprehension
14Jan 27
MicrobioWordTerminology word challenge
MicrobioSoft · MicrobioTalk · MicrobioAI (lecture-based) and
MicrobioStreetPlay — dates will be announced on the portal. Stay connected at
microbiolympiad.org.
🏆
Second week of February 2027 · Offline
Grand Finale
25th MicrobiOlympiad — live at The Institute of Science, Mumbai.
EVENT 01 · FLAGSHIP QUIZ
MicrobioLogical Contest
The flagship inter-collegiate microbiology quiz
₹125
A two-stage quiz — an online MicrobioLogical Contest (screening) followed by a fast-paced, face-to-face final — run separately for FY, SY and TY undergraduates, plus a dedicated PG track.
📅 Screening · 20 Jan 2027📅 Finals · Feb 2027
Online prelims + offline finals
Year-wise UG tracks + PG
Four live rounds
FormatOnline screening → live finals
Open toFY / SY / TY UG + a PG track
RewardsCash prizes, trophies, medals & certificates
Why take part — The headline event. Test your microbiology knowledge against the country's best colleges — an online MicrobioLogical Contest to screen every team, then four fast-paced rounds live on the finals stage.
Highlights
- Conducted online at your own college, supervised by the coordinator
- Objective, multiple-choice format — no negative marking in the screening round
- A separate paper for each year; top-scoring teams advance to the live finals
✍️
EVENT 02 · THEMED · CREATIVE
MicrobioSlate
Theme-based scientific essay writing
₹125
A scientific essay-writing contest on a microbiology theme, judged by a panel; top performers earn medals and certificates.
📅 30 Nov 2026Pick one of the 5 themesPanel-judged
FormatWritten scientific essay
Open toAll participating life-science students
RewardsMedals & certificates for top performers
Why take part — Pick one of the five themes and let your writing carry the science. A chance to think deeply, argue clearly, and turn a microbiology idea into a compelling piece of scientific prose.
Highlights
- Write on one of the five announced themes
- Original, individual scientific writing
- Assessed by an expert panel of judges
🎨
EVENT 03 · THEMED · CREATIVE
MicrobioCanvas
Scientific painting & drawing
₹125
A theme-based painting and drawing competition that turns microbial science into art.
📅 30 Nov 2026Pick one of the 5 themesArt & science
FormatPainting & drawing on a theme
Open toAll participating life-science students
RewardsMedals & certificates for top performers
Why take part — Make the invisible world of microbes visible. Where scientific accuracy meets imagination — from the elegance of a diatom to the drama of a viral outbreak, rendered in colour.
Highlights
- Paint or draw on your chosen theme
- Where scientific accuracy meets imagination
- Medals & certificates for the finest work
📊
EVENT 04 · THEMED · CREATIVE
MicrobioPodium
Scientific presentations
₹125
Theme-based scientific presentations where students communicate research and ideas to a panel of judges.
📅 30 Nov 2026Pick one of the 5 themesPresent to a panel
FormatLive presentation to a panel
Open toAll participating life-science students
RewardsMedals & certificates for top performers
Why take part — Sharpen the skill every scientist needs. Present your chosen theme to a panel of judges and learn to communicate research with clarity, evidence and confidence.
Highlights
- Present your theme to a live panel
- Builds the research-communication skills every scientist needs
- Slides and visual aids are encouraged
📖
EVENT 05 · SKILL
MicrobioRead
Reading & comprehension
₹125
Activities designed to enhance reading skills and scientific comprehension; every participant receives a certificate.
📅 07 Jan 2027Certificate for allComprehension
FormatReading & comprehension activity
Open toAll participating life-science students
RewardsCertificate for every participant
Why take part — Build the habit that underpins all research — reading science closely and understanding it well. Activities designed to strengthen scientific reading and comprehension for every reader.
Highlights
- Structured reading & comprehension tasks
- Strengthens scientific literacy and close reading
- A certificate for every participant
💻
EVENT 06 · SKILL
MicrobioSoft
R programming for data analysis
₹125
Hands-on sessions introducing students to the R programming language for data analysis and computational tasks.
📅 Date on the portalHands-on RData analysis
FormatHands-on R programming
Open toAll participating life-science students
RewardsCertificate of participation
Why take part — Modern microbiology increasingly runs on data. Get hands-on with the R programming language for data analysis and computation — a skill that sets you apart in labs and beyond.
Highlights
- Learn the R language for data analysis, hands-on
- No prior coding experience required
- A skill valued in both research and industry
🎙️
EVENT 07 · LECTURE SERIES
MicrobioTalk
Lectures by leading microbiologists
FREE
An online lecture series featuring successful microbiologists sharing their research and career journeys — from NASA space biology to microbiome research.
📅 Date on the portalOnline & freeCareer inspiration
FormatOnline lecture series
Open toEveryone — completely free
RewardsInsight, inspiration & networking
Why take part — Hear successful microbiologists share their research and career journeys — from NASA space biology to human-microbiome science. Free, online, and open to every curious student.
Highlights
- A free online lecture series
- Speakers from across the world of microbiology
- Open to everyone — no registration fee
🎭
EVENT 08 · AWARENESS
MicrobioStreetPlay
Health & hygiene street plays
FREE
Street-play performances that raise public awareness about health and hygiene; participation certificates for all.
📅 Date on the portalTeam performanceCertificate for all
FormatTeam street-play (nukkad natak)
Open toEveryone — completely free
RewardsParticipation certificates for all
Why take part — Carry science to the street. Perform a health-and-hygiene street play that spreads awareness where it matters most — a reminder that microbiology belongs to the whole community.
Highlights
- A team performance on health & hygiene
- Carries science straight into the community
- Participation certificates for all performers
🔤
EVENT 09 · WORD GAME
MicrobioWord
Scientific terminology & word challenge
₹125
A fast-paced word game built on microbiology vocabulary — spellings, definitions and scientific terminology — testing how well students know the language of the microbial world.
📅 14 Jan 2027Vocabulary & spellingFast-paced
FormatFast-paced word game
Open toAll participating life-science students
RewardsMedals & certificates for top performers
Why take part — Master the language of the microbial world. Spellings, definitions and scientific terminology — at speed. A test of vocabulary, recall and quick thinking under pressure.
Highlights
- Spellings, terms and definitions — at speed
- Tests vocabulary, recall and quick thinking
- Fast, fun and fiercely competitive
🤖
EVENT 10 · NEW-AGE
MicrobioAI
AI meets microbiology
₹125
A new-age challenge where students apply artificial-intelligence tools to microbiology problems — from data analysis to research questions — bridging life science and modern computation.
📅 Date on the portalAI + biologyProblem solving
FormatApplied AI challenge
Open toAll participating life-science students
RewardsMedals & certificates for top performers
Why take part — The frontier of life science. Put modern artificial-intelligence tools to work on real microbiology problems — from analysing data to tackling research questions — where biology meets computation.
Highlights
- Apply modern AI tools to microbiology problems
- Where life science meets computation
- The newest challenge in the line-up
🧫
EVENT 11 · MAKER
MicrobioModel
Scientific model making
₹125
A theme-based model-making contest — students design and present working or 3-D models that bring microbial science to life.
📅 18 Dec 20263-D & working modelsDesign & present
FormatModel-making & display
Open toAll participating life-science students
RewardsMedals & certificates for top performers
Why take part — Hands-on science at its best. Design and present a working or 3-D model that brings a microbial concept to life — turning an idea into something you can build, show and explain.
Highlights
- Build a working or 3-D scientific model
- Turn an abstract concept into something tangible
- Design it, present it, and explain it
Prof. Ulhas K. Patil
Mr. Nilesh Wadnere
Dr. Yogesh Shouche
Prof. A. M. Deshmukh
Prof. Ajaykumar Jadhav
Prof. Manohar Padul
Prof. Ketan Narkhede