This blog is where we share stories, announcements, and insights from around the iGEM community.
In 2011, iGEM began an experiment by opening up the competition to high school students. The idea was to see how well these young, ambitious students might respond to the challenges of the competition. The results have been overwhelmingly positive.
The productive four-week Venture Creation Labs have officially concluded, with 82 startups onboarded from across the region! Over the course of four weeks, our bioentrepreneurs delved into workshops, mentorship sessions, and pitching opportunities, emerging with newfound knowledge and refined strategies to drive their ventures forward.
Imagine a future where most cancers are prevented or even cured, where there is universal access to early detection and treatment, and where most (all?) cancer patients can expect to live cancer-free without trading the quality of life for length of life. At iGEM, teams are working to create such a future using the tools of synthetic biology. Check out these examples.
Due to their inherent safety, simplicity and portability , cell-free systems have become an increasingly important tool in iGEM and synthetic biology more broadly.
Nicolas Krink, CEO BioHalo, joins us for the BioFounders Interview. This series delves into the firsthand stories of iGEMers venturing into entrepreneurship. Documenting challenges, opportunities, experiences, and lessons for other startup founders.
Our world has entered a new era of infectious diseases, where emerging, re-emerging, and endemic pathogens spread quickly, aided by increased international air travel and global warming. At iGEM, teams are tackling infectious diseases by using the tools of synthetic biology to reduce disease transmission, prevent future epidemics and pandemics, and save lives.
Imagine closing of the session with full of intense brainstorming and ideation with a midnight discussion that sparks ideas but also the birth of a startup. That's exactly the unique experience offered at the iGEM Startups BioHackathon.
The future of the fashion and cosmetics industries may well lie in the hands of the future leaders of synthetic biology. These consumer-driven industries touch the lives of almost everyone on earth, but they also use massive amounts of raw materials and have an immense negative impact on the environment. At iGEM, teams are using synthetic biology to help move the fashion and cosmetics industries into a new, more sustainable, and animal cruelty-free era. Here are just a few examples of iGEM team projects that could usher in the next revolution in fashion and cosmetics.
Have you ever worked on a laptop computer? (perhaps you are reading this post on a laptop right now?) Have you ever used a cell phone to take a picture? Or get directions using your GPS? Have you ever had your temperature taken in your ear? Or lived in a home with a smoke detector? Or rested your head on a memory foam pillow? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are the beneficiary of space innovation!
Villages represent the global challenges that iGEMers are most interested in working on, and the solutions that iGEM teams put forth reflect the future of synthetic biology. In keeping with the changing needs of synthetic biology and the interests of the teams, iGEM Villages are constantly evolving. This year, we are introducing three new Villages: : Fashion & Cosmetics, Oncology, and Infectious Diseases.
This year, iGEM Startups highlights an iGEM alumna and female founder. Meet Dr. Lydia Mapstone, an alumna of iGEM Edinburgh OG in 2017 and the founder of BoobyBiome, a FemTech startup dedicated to developing an intact breast milk microbiome for babies.
Rare Disease Day is observed on the last day of February to raise awareness about rare diseases and improve access to treatment and medical representation. This article covers the barriers in therapy progress, communication and how are iGEM teams tackling rare diseases with synthetic biology
Neha attended the BWC working group as part of the Nuclear Threat Initiative's (NTI) 2023 youth delegation. In this article, she summarized insights from formal and informal discussions, as well as side events held during the meeting
Change happens when people learn about a problematic situation, and assume personal responsibility for acting to correct the situation. iGEM teams do this all the time as they seek to make positive change by addressing problems facing our world using the tools of synthetic biology. But the changes iGEMers seek to make are not solely changes that come about by developing new technologies, they are also changes within our own and the greater synthetic biology community.
Your ideas, your iGEM projects—these could become reality through VCL. If you're uncertain about diving into entrepreneurship or unsure about kickstarting a startup, VCL might hold the answers.
Are you constantly brewing synbio ideas and longing for like-minded discussions? Or perhaps you're eager to meet potential co-founders and delve into the realms of the synbio market? Or maybe you want to discover new career opportunities that lie ahead in 2024?
Starting an iGEM team and getting a project started in the iGEM Competition can be a challenge, even for returning teams. We have prepared this guide to help you understand what to expect throughout the iGEM Competition Cycle, whether this is your first time participating, or you are returning as a seasoned veteran.
You’ve formed an iGEM team. You and your teammates have decided on a project. You’re excited about the journey that lies before you. Now is the time to share the joy and excitement of your iGEM project with those who can help support and fund your team. Here are some ideas and resources to help you put together a fundraising plan.
iGEM is a journey – a journey that requires a plan. Though starting an iGEM team can seem daunting at first, here are some guidelines to help you begin.
As iGEM 2023, the 20th year of iGEM, comes to a close, all of us at iGEM HQ wish to express our appreciation for the many people who have dedicated their time, talent, work, and support in building a strong and vibrant synthetic biology research community and industry, and creating synthetic biology ecosystems around the world.
