The iGEM Blog — iGEM Blog

Last year was a banner year for high schools in iGEM, with 119 teams participating, each experiencing the joys, frustrations, challenges, and rewards that come from working on an iGEM project. High school teams have been a part of iGEM since 2011, and their numbers have been growing ever since. Yet, because the iGEM Competition was originally designed for collegiate teams, high school teams have been in a perpetual state of experimentation as the elements and format of competition have been adapted to meet the unique challenges of high school teams. This post is the second of a series where we focus on high school teams in iGEM.

Jun 19

Jun 19 AI Development and Applications by the Future Leaders of Synthetic Biology

Yorgo El-Moubayed

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all over the news, and it's making waves in synthetic biology too. At iGEM, teams are leveraging AI as they push the boundaries of synthetic biology to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. To give you some background and perspective on how past iGEM teams have incorporated AI in their work, check out these projects.

Jun 12

Jun 12 The experimental nature of high school iGEM teams

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.

May 21

May 21 Venture Creation Labs 2024: Navigating the Future of SynBio Startups

iGEM Startups

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.

May 14

May 14 Conquering Cancer with Synthetic Biology

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.

May 1

May 1 Celebrating the Rise of Cell-free Systems in iGEM and Synthetic Biology

Yorgo El-Moubayed

iGEM Community, iGEM Startups

Due to their inherent safety, simplicity and portability , cell-free systems have become an increasingly important tool in iGEM and synthetic biology more broadly.

Apr 26

Apr 26 In Conversation with Nicolas Krink, CEO - BioHalo | Interviews with Biofounders

iGEM Community

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.

Apr 24

Apr 24 Synthetic biology solutions for fighting the threat of infectious diseases

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.

Apr 22

Apr 22 BioHackathon 2024: Midnight Ideation to Startup Creation, a Productive Weekend!

iGEM Startups

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.

Apr 10

Apr 10 Revolutionizing the fashion and cosmetics industries with synthetic biology

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.

Mar 20

Mar 20 Reaching for the Stars, Improving Life on Earth: The Promise of Synthetic Biology in Space

Lucas Boldrini

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!

Mar 11

Mar 11 New Villages for 2024: Fashion & Cosmetics, Oncology, and Infectious Diseases

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.

Mar 8

Mar 8 FemTech Unleashed: Exploring the Human Breast Milk Microbiome From Scratch with Dr. Lydia Mapstone #InternationalWomensDay

iGEM Blog, iGEM Startups

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.

Feb 29

Feb 29 How are iGEM Teams Using Synthetic Biology for Tackling Rare Diseases | Rare Diseases Day 2024

iGEM Community

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

Feb 19

Feb 19 Navigating the Path to Biosecurity: Reflections on the third BWC Working Group Meeting 2023

iGEM Community

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

Feb 7

Feb 7 iGEMers as agents of change for gender equity in STEM

Linda Kahl

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.

Feb 3

Feb 3 Start Your SynBio Venture: Join the VCL 2024 Now!

iGEM Blog, iGEM Startups

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.

Jan 26

Jan 26 Unleash Your SynBio Passion: iGEM Startups BioHackathon 2024 Registration is Now Open!

iGEM Blog, iGEM Startups

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?

Jan 25

Jan 25 The iGEM Cycle: How to Navigate the iGEM Competition