This blog is where we share stories, announcements, and insights from around the iGEM community.
Synthetic biology holds tremendous promise for addressing global challenges, but like all powerful technologies, there also are risks of accidental or deliberate misuse that could cause harm. In honor of the 20th year of iGEM, I’d like to take a look back on some of the highlights of iGEM’s history in building a strong culture of responsibility for biosafety and biosecurity.
Dive deeper into an exciting journey of endless curiosity of what is called “Frugal Science”, highlight notable innovations like the Foldscope and share the inspiring story of an iGEM Team from the Lambert high school who grabbed a gold medal at the 2018 Giant Jamboree with their frugal innovation project.
Discover the lessons learned from the successful journey of Neocycle, where science and entrepreneurship converge. This article highlights how Arshia Mostoufi and his team navigated the challenges of combining synthetic biology research with entrepreneurial endeavors.
Twenty years ago, scientists were using an ad hoc approach to assemble genetic constructs, which required a lot of time and did not always work as anticipated. Tom Knight, an engineer by training, thought that applying standard engineering mechanisms could make the assembly of genetic constructs more reliable. And so, in 2003, Tom proposed an assembly method for standard biological parts, or “BioBricks”.
Porfirio participated in iGEM for the first time in 2011 as a part of the first iGEM team from Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon. He is currently working as a Design Engineer at Ginkgo Bioworks.
We’re 250 years into the industrial revolution, which is about being good at energy. We’re 70 years into the computer revolution, which is about being good at information. Now we’re at the beginning of the next revolution, which is about being good at matter, and the best tool for that is biology.
When I first heard about iGEM in 2021, I was looking for a way to help mentor and communicate with younger scientists about their research. Though it was uncertain as to whether the Jamboree would be virtual or not because of COVID-19, I wanted to get involved. I applied and was accepted to serve as a judge.
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 received so far is: iGEM is the pioneering organization of synthetic biology.
Industrial scale-up helps bridge the gap between laboratory experiments and real-world implementation by addressing technical, economic, and practical challenges. Because industrial scale-up will require significant innovations if synthetic biology is to continue being a game-changing industry, the iGEM Competition has an entire Village dedicated to the challenges of industrial scale-up.
In the inaugural session of the BridgeBio project’s ‘Leading Ladies of SynBio’ series, we hosted Dr. Aoife Brennan. Dr. Brennan is an experienced physician, Scientist and CEO of Synlogic Therapeutics, a leading biotechnology company.
Yeast spores are typically not considered a problem in most situations. However, yeast spores can become problematic under certain circumstances. To help mitigate this risk, all teams who want to work with spore-forming fungi, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, must first complete a Check-In Form to get permission from iGEM’s Safety and Security Committee.
As the iGEM Competition evolves each year, so does the way we do judging. For example, the last major changes occurred during the pandemic years and made it possible for all teams to participate whether they could access a laboratory or not. Now that pandemic restrictions have eased and teams are back in the lab, the Judging Committee has reviewed the judging criteria and the feedback we received, and have defined a few goals for the 2023 Competition.
The experience that you are about to begin is truly unique. You will be given the opportunity to dream up solutions with your multi-talented team, gain meaningful insights by engaging directly with the very stakeholders who you wish to impact, and learn how to advocate for your ideas to gain the space and funding to execute on them. An iGEM Project is a crash course in the essential skills that are needed to bring a project to life.
This year, iGEM is introducing three new Villages – Agriculture, Bioremediation, and Space. Though iGEM teams have worked on projects in these areas for many years, this will be the first time teams will be gathered together within these official Villages.
Epistra Inc. CTOであり、iGEM Osaka 2012 & 2013 (Leader) のメンバーであった、Taku Tsuzukiへのインタビューです。彼は、iGEM Team Leaderでの経験から、2社の会社を創業を行ったEntrepreneurです。
Learn how an iGEMer from Japan started her Synthetic Biology journey in Sweden. How participating in iGEM helped her in her career and overcoming challenges.
An interview with Taku Tsuzuki, CTO of Epistra Inc. and member of iGEM Osaka 2012 & 2013 (Leader) from Japan. He is an entrepreneur who has started two companies based on his experience as an iGEM Team Leader.
BridgeBio aims to bring iGEMers and iGEM stakeholders, industrialists, and bio-founders closer together to benefit each other in different areas and strengthen iGEM and synthetic biology in their community.
While the global synthetic biology landscape grows each year, regional communities play a vital role cultivating synbio ecosystems. Read their stories on our upcoming SynBio Alliance Blog Series, starting today with some highlights on the special issue on "Global Synthetic Biology Landscape" from Biotech Note.
DNA Day (April 25) is just around the corner. As you can imagine, DNA is a rather big deal at iGEM. In just a few short weeks, the 2023 iGEM Distribution kit - containing thousands of physical DNA parts - will be sent in the mail to teams all around the world. Take a moment to consider what it means to have a curated collection of DNA parts from iGEM’s entire 20-year history arriving in your mailbox!
