What is iGEM?
The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) is the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells. The burgeoning field of Synthetic Biology is the culmination of the previous thirty years of research into recombinant DNA and biological engineering technology. It is fundamentally about the union of biology and engineering, thereby encouraging the collaboration of geneticists, molecular biologists, biochemists, and biomedical, chemical, and computer science engineers. Researchers in this field mainly seek to A) design and construct new biological parts, devices and systems or B) re-design existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes. Contact Please feel free
International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) is an international Synthetic Biology design competition for undergraduate student teams from accredited educational institutions. Organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, Massachusetts, iGEM aims to foster an interest in Synthetic Biology and introduce students from an international arena to the fundamental concepts of biology and engineering. Students are given the opportunity to develop independent learning skills and carry out innovative research in genetic component technology.
The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) is the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells. This project design and competition format is an exceptionally motivating and effective teaching method. iGEM began in January of 2003 with a month-long course during MIT’s Independent Activities Period (IAP). The students designed biological systems to make cells blink. This design course grew to a summer competition with 5 teams in 2004, 13 teams in 2005 – the first year that the competition grew internationally – 32 teams in 2006, 54 teams in 2007, 84 teams in 2008, and 112 teams in 2009. Projects ranged from a rainbow of pigmented bacteria, to banana and wintergreen sm
