Introducing the Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations
by Nerea Capon Lamelas, Regional Head for Europe, Middle East & Africa at iGEM EPIC
Imagine a community of more than 50,000 people, spread around the world, that share the same love and passion as you do for Synbio, innovation, open science and solving problems – that is the iGEM community. Now imagine expanding and strengthening this magnificent community through the Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations.
The Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations aims to build a “net of networks” of regional Synthetic Biology Associations around the world.
Upon learning about iGEM, I knew immediately that I wanted to be part of it. I began my iGEM journey as a member of the (name and year of team), then became an iGEM 2020 Ambassador, and am now serving as Regional Head for Europe, Middle East & Africa at iGEM EPIC. Most recently, I have joined iGEM Community to create the initiative of the Global Alliance of Regional Synbio Associations. Like many iGEM Alumni, I embrace the iGEM values of integrity, good sportsmanship, respect, honesty, celebration, cooperation, effort, and excellence. These values ensure that the powerful knowledge and tools of synthetic biology are openly shared, so that we can drive innovation in nearly every corner of the globe, helping local people solve local problems.
While serving as an iGEM Ambassador, my fellow Ambassador Cibele Zolnier and I set about learning about the journeys of iGEM Alumni after the competition. We interviewed iGEM Alumni from across the globe, all the way from Indonesia to Canada. Through these interviews, we learned about various activities, such as promoting synbio education, strengthening the bio-economy, or creating a community hub for synbio enthusiasts.
We found that iGEM Alumni are making a tremendous impact on their local communities through a variety of organizations with a diversity of missions. Some have established official associations or non-profit organizations, while others have created informal organizations that are also very successful. Some are focused on education, while others are focused on community building, or entrepreneurship, or whatever makes the most sense in their particular region of the world.
Download “SynBio around the world” to learn about all the organizations in the Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations.
Realizing that a collection of formal and informal organizations by iGEM Alumni could be a valuable resource, we decided to create the Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations. As a long-term initiative of iGEM Community, each of the organizations in the Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations has been compiled into a fun booklet “SynBio around the world” where you can learn about what each organization is up to and perhaps join!
The Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations aims to strengthen the local impact of each group by providing the support of a global community. My colleagues and I invite you to check out all the amazing organizations by iGEM Alumni around the world.
If you are a Synbio organization that has not yet been added to the Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations, or an iGEM Alumni wanting to start an organization, please contact us at nerea [AT] igem [DOT] org. We look forward to hearing from you and to helping you develop your organization and ideas.
We can achieve great things when we are united! Let’s create a strong network together!
Click here to learn more about the Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations.
Click here to download “SynBio around the world” to learn about all the organizations in the Global Alliance of Regional SynBio Associations.
