This blog is where we share stories, announcements, and insights from around the iGEM community.
Explore how iGEM and youth-led initiatives are bridging the gap between lab work and public understanding, via storytelling, engagement and ethics in the latest SciComm Made Easy Blog.
To understand the thought process behind the creation of the BioInnovation Summit, a new event for 2025 at the iGEM Grand Jamboree, we spoke with Nemanja Stijepovic (President of the iGEM Foundation), Dorothy Zhang (Executive Vice President of iGEM) and Nadine Bongaerts (iGEM alumna, and curator of the BioInnovation Summit).
Explore how SciComm is reshaping the relationship between science and society, from open-access platforms and citizen science, to inclusive storytelling and the risks of the digital age.
The 2025 Venture Creation Lab (VCL), held from April 21st to May 16th, hosted by iGEM Startups, brought together aspiring biotech entrepreneurs from around the world to take their first concrete steps toward building a synthetic biology startup. Following the momentum of the BioHackathon, the VCL provided a four-week program designed to turn early ideas into viable venture concepts through lectures, workshops and personalized mentorship.
What does it take to build a synthetic biology ecosystem in a region with limited infrastructure? For Benjamin Arias, it starts with community and a commitment to open science. Benjamin Arias shares how he’s building grassroots biotech tools and creating space for students, educators and researchers in Ecuador
Can design bridge the gap between science and society? Synthetic biology is full of promise, but also complexity, confusion and misinformation. Effective science communication can make a difference and visual aesthetics play a powerful role.
Jonty Corrin started his career in academia as a bioscientist, but his entrepreneurial journey began during his final year of undergraduate work. While his first startup didn’t thrive, it sparked a passion for early-stage startups and their growth. Along the way, he connected with Nucleate UK, a student-led, nonprofit organization that helps early-stage biotech founders translate academic research into real-world startups with dynamic support.
AI is streamlining data analysis, optimizing experiments, and even assisting in literature reviews. But as its role grows, so do ethical concerns: Who takes credit for AI-generated discoveries? Can we trust AI-driven research without human oversight?
Professor Yizhi ‘Patrick’ Cai, of the University of Manchester, credits iGEM for introducing him to synthetic biology and giving him the experience, colleagues and connections necessary for a successful academic career. Here, Professor Cai describes his many and varied iGEM experiences that helped shape and influence his career, and offers insights into the future of synthetic biology for the iGEMers of today.
Camila Gaspar Quinonez shares her passion for protecting the earth, leveraging the power of synthetic biology, working with microbes, and taking care what’s left of our planet in this alumni feature for the iGEM Blog.
Generative AI is changing the way we talk about science, helping to break down complex ideas and make them more accessible for some. The blog explore what AI is doing for science communication and where it might fall short of our hopes.
Stephanie Michelsen, founder and CEO of Jellatech, started her journey as a student participating at the iGEM Competition in 2018 with the University of Copenhagen. Fast forward to 2021, she founded Jellatech, a biotech startup producing high-value human proteins using synthetic biology, based in the United States.
Art and design can enable new possibilities for the future of synthetic biology. How could your team unleash its creativity in advancing synthetic biology innovations? What is your vision for creating new synthetic biology solutions with art and design?
Building Bangladesh’s synthetic biology future starts with passionate iGEMers like Showmick Paul, Usrat Nubah and Abrar Hasan. Read how iGEM is opening doors, inspiring young scientists and shaping the future of synthetic biology in Bangladesh.
Gregory Segala, CSO and co-founder of FluoSphera, earned his Ph.D. from the University of Toulouse and continued as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Geneva, where his passion for cell research laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial journey.
This month, at iGEM we celebrate the women in synthetic biology who are building and empowering global communities and redefining the future of the field. These 10 iGEMers have shown us the impact of resilience, collaboration and community.
Biosecurity Rising Leaders Munich Security Conference Declaration calls for urgent action to embed biosafety and biosecurity into the global life sciences ecosystem. Read about the Munich Security Conference Declaration, and the contributions of iGEMers to it.
Effective leadership requires courage, commitment and, most importantly, self-confidence. In this post, iGEM alumna Emily Mount shares how she gained confidence in her leadership abilities through UCSC’s longstanding iGEM program (10+years!).
What if you could work on your iGEM project while simultaneously exploring its entrepreneurial potential? For iGEM Aachen 2024, this was no hypothetical question—they embraced the challenge of preparing their project for the iGEM Competition while exploring its commercialization potential through the iGEM Startups program at the same time.
