What is iGEM? (part 3): Insights from iGEM’s History
Originally published September 18, 2019. Updated June 7, 2023 for the 20th Year of iGEM!
A few years ago, in the first post on “What is iGEM?” I asked you, the readers of the iGEM blog, to share what iGEM means to you. One of the common themes in the responses I received is:
“iGEM is the pioneering organization of synthetic biology.”
iGEM timeline at the 2018 Giant Jamboree
It may be useful to turn to iGEM’s history to see why this is so…
The story of iGEM begins with two pioneers in synthetic biology: Tom Knight and Randy Rettberg. Tom and Randy were both electrical engineers by training and early developers of the ARPAnet, the famed computer network developed by the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency (1969-1989) that was the precursor to today’s internet.
It was the early 2000’s. Tom had become fascinated with the idea of applying engineering principals to biology and had set up a biology lab in MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab. Randy, a close friend of Tom’s, was also fascinated with the idea of engineering biological systems and left his job as CTO of Sun Microsystems in 2001 to join Tom in exploring this idea.
The timing proved fortuitous – sequencing of the human genome was nearing completion (the project ran from 1990 to 2003) and DNA synthesis was finally becoming commercially available (Blue Heron, the first DNA synthesis company operated solely in the US, was founded in 1999). DNA sequencing gave researchers the ability to “read” DNA, while DNA synthesis enabled researchers to “write” DNA. With both DNA sequencing and DNA synthesis at hand, researchers could transform physical DNA molecules into pure information, and then back again from pure information into physical DNA molecules. These two technologies together opened the door to whole new approaches for working with biology, including engineering approaches.
Tom and Randy, both well versed in systems engineering, wanted to design and build biological systems using the same techniques they had used in designing and building computer systems. Back in the 1970’s they had used standardized digital parts found in the Texas Instruments TTL Data Book to build digital systems in silicon. Tom came up with the idea of creating a catalogue of standardized biological parts – Biobricks – that could be used to build biological systems in living cells. Tom’s publication “Idempotent Vector Design for Standard Assembly of Biobricks” has become the stuff of lore for synthetic biologists, and was the basis for the Registry of Standardized Biological Parts and the first Biobricks assembly standard.
Left: iGEM Founders; Randy Rettberg, Tom Knight and Drew Endy.
Right: iGEM team MIT 2004
In January 2003, Tom and Randy were joined by Drew Endy, another early pioneer of synthetic biology, and Gerald Sussman, a Professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT, in teaching an Independent Activities Period course. There, in real time, with 16 mostly undergraduate students, Tom, Randy, Drew and Gerald tested whether the approaches that had worked so well for engineering computer systems could work for engineering biological systems. In that course, students focused on designing DNA sequences rather than on the details of constructing DNA in the laboratory. The students’ designs were sent as information via the internet to the DNA synthesis company Blue Heron, and the synthesized DNA was returned to them at MIT.
That fateful course would eventually become the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. Though 2003 proved challenging – not all of the DNA designs could be synthesized, and not all of the synthesized DNA worked in cells – it marked the beginning of a revolution in synthetic biology.
In 2003:
· Students designed biological systems to make cells blink, based on the based on the Repressilator by Michael Elowitz and Stanislas Leibler;
· Tom Knight implemented his idea for the Biobricks assembly standard;
· the first iteration of the iGEM Registry of Standardized Biological Parts was created;
· iGEM’s Get & Give (& share) policy gave rise to an open, collaborative community of synthetic biologists;
· and the next generation of pioneers in synthetic biology were inspired – three of the co-founders of Gingko Bioworks, one of the most successful synthetic biology companies, participated in the 2003 course.
In 2004:
· iGEM was set up as a summer competition involving five teams: Boston University, CalTech, MIT, Princeton, and University of Texas Austin;
· the iGEM Registry grew to 50 biological parts;
· the values of Human Practices were baked into iGEM (i.e., make something useful, share with others);
· and more pioneers in synthetic biology were inspired – two additional co-founders of Gingko Bioworks were part of the 2004 MIT iGEM team.
In 2005:
· iGEM became a true international competition, with 13 teams from four countries, including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States participating;
the iGEM Registry grew to 125 biological parts;
and iGEM was featured in Nature.
And the iGEM firsts have continued:
2006: Team wikis introduced, enabling teams to share their projects with the world online
2007: Medal criteria introduced to recognize team accomplishments
2008: Safety and Security formalized
In 2009, iGEM was featured on the cover of Nature Biotechnology.
2009: Artwork from iGEM teams made the cover of Nature Biotechnology
2010: pSB1C3 introduced as shipping standard
2011: iGEM officially adopts Type IIS assembly standard
2012: iGEM HQ moved out of MIT
2013: iGEM officially registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
2014: First iGEM Giant Jamboree
2015: First career fair connecting iGEMers with employers
2016: iGEM Giant Jamboree became largest gathering of synthetic biologists
2017: After iGEM (now iGEM Community) launched
2018: Final year iGEM teams submit physical parts to the Registry
2019: iGEM announces opening of iGEM Europe in Paris
2020: iGEM Entrepreneurship (now iGEM Startups) launched
2021: Official launch of iGEM Leagues
2022: First Grand Jamboree held in Paris
2023: iGEM celebrates 20 years!
Now celebrating 20 years, iGEM continues to inspire pioneers in synthetic biology, having touched the lives of over 70,000 students, their teachers and mentors and communities though the iGEM Competition, with more than 200 startups originating in iGEM (that we know of), developing synthetic biology ecosystems around the world through iGEM Leagues, providing technology-related resources through iGEM’s Technology Program, and establishing a world class Responsibility Program, which involves a range of efforts in risk management, education, field-building, research, and leadership.
Through iGEM Community, these pioneers are effecting positive change in the world by engaging local communities as Ambassadors who represent and promote iGEM and synthetic biology across the globe, by supporting current teams through the Mentorship Program, the Global PI Hub and Community Events, by tracking and opening opportunities for iGEM alumni to publish their work in academic journals, by contributing to specialized topics and regional goals through Projects Hub, and by connecting and recognizing the contributions of organizations to the advancement of synthetic biology through SynBio Alliance.
This year – 2023 – marks the 20th year of iGEM, and we invite you to celebrate this momentous occasion at the Grand Jamboree in Paris, where you will gather together with all of the iGEM alumni who are the movers and shakers of the industry, and are forging the future of Synthetic Biology. We look forward to seeing you in Paris!
Originally published September 18, 2019. Updated June 7, 2023
