Watson Code Fest 2026

Tagline: Debugging the 3.2 Billion-Node Human Genome. About the Hackathon: Software engineering is usually about building apps or managing databases. But what if the codebase you were working on was 3.2 billion lines long, undocumented, and responsible for human life? Watson Code Fest 2026 is Nepal's first premier Biohackathon, hosted at Kathmandu University. We are bringing together the brightest minds in Biotechnology, Computer Engineering, and Data Science to solve the 'Genomic Architecture of Disease.' This is not a biology quiz; it is a high-stakes challenge in Big Data, Graph Theory, and Machine Learning. The Challenge: Participants must architect computational pipelines or functional prototypes that can identify, categorize, and predict the impact of pathogenic variations within massive genomic datasets. You are essentially building a 'Genomic Debugger' for the human system. Competition Tracks: 1. The Computational Route: Focus on algorithmic efficiency, pipeline architecture, and data scaling. Participants treat the genome as a massive de Bruijn graph, optimizing sequence alignment and handling high-dimensional stochastic strings. 2. The Biological Route: Focus on clinical interpretation and medical outcomes. Participants use probabilistic models to differentiate biological signal from noise and predict the phenotypic impact of genetic mutations. Key Themes: - Genomic Architecture of Disease: Mapping mutations to clinical pathologies. - Big Data and AI: Leveraging ML to navigate biological complexity. - Algorithmic Engineering: Applying String Topology and Graph Theory to sequence assembly. Schedule: - Location: Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal. - Coding Phase: May 8-9, 2026 (48-hour sprint). - Format: In-person hackathon with technical pre-event workshops. Judging Criteria: - Technical Rigor: Complexity of the algorithms or models used. - Scalability: Ability of the tool to handle real-world genomic volumes. - Biological Relevance: Accuracy and clinical utility of the insights generated. - Execution: Completion of a functional prototype within the 32-hour coding window. Organizers: Hosted by the Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Kathmandu University, in collaboration with NAAMII (Nepalese Applied Mathematics and Informatics Institute). Coordinator: Anunaya Poudel