International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition

(iGEM Foundation) A pioneer in engineering biology. -- The iGEM Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of synthetic biology, education and competition, and the development of an open community and collaboration. This is done by fostering an open, cooperative community and friendly competition.

iGEM’s main program is the iGEM Competition. The iGEM competition gives students the opportunity to push the boundaries of synthetic biology by tackling everyday issues facing the world. Made up of primarily university students, multidisciplinary teams work together to design, build, test, and measure a system of their own design using interchangeable biological parts and standard molecular biology techniques. Every year nearly 6,000 people dedicate their summer to iGEM and then come together in the fall to present their work and compete at the annual Jamboree.

Timelines are different for every project; however, in general teams begin to organize between December and January. They need to get faculty approval, recruit members, fundraise, and brainstorm project ideas. Between the start of February and the end of March, the teams will register (which includes paying the registration fee, providing a resource description, and providing contact information so teams can receive important emails from iGEM HQ and their DNA Distribution Kits) and, once they are approved by iGEM Headquarters, they will receive their DNA Distribution Kit sometime in April.

Once the kits arrive, work in the lab will take place between May - August. During these months, teams will get together in regional meetup events, work outside the lab doing community outreach activities, and will document their efforts in their wikis. At the end of the summer, the Giant Jamboree will bring all of the teams together to share and celebrate their hard work. READ MORE Competition information