Press Kit

From 2009.igem.org

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Revision as of 14:42, 16 January 2009

iGEM Boilerplate

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, and 84 teams in 2008. Projects ranged from banana and wintergreen smelling bacteria, to an arsenic biosensor, to Bactoblood, and buoyant bacteria.

This year, we expect 120 teams with over 1200 participants from countries across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the US to participate in the competition. They will specify, design, build, and test simple biological systems made from standard, interchangeable biological parts. Teams will present their projects at the iGEM Championship Jamboree in November 2009.

Fore more information please visit www.igem.org.


Download the iGEM logo here. Note that the iGEM logo is copyrighted by iGEM and provided here for iGEM participants to help them promote iGEM and their iGEM team.


iGEM Contact Information

Please direct all press questions to:

Randy AT igem DOT org
Randy Rettberg, Director
+1.617.258.5244
Meagan AT igem DOT org
Meagan Lizarazo, Assistant Director
+1.617.258.5244