For detailed information on iGEM, please visit the organization’s webpage.
History of iGEM
The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) is a worldwide undergraduate-run, highly interdisciplinary synthetic biology research competition. The competition began in 2003 as part of a month-long course at MIT and has steadily grown ever since with 245 teams appearing in the 2014 competition. In 2012, iGEM spun out of MIT and became an independent, non-profit organization that organizes the annual iGEM competition and strives to foster a strong atmosphere of scientific research and education. The iGEM foundation is also responsible for the operation and management of the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, a community collection of biological components that iGEM teams are required to submit to each year. The aim of the registry is in effect to act as a central repository for useful synthetic biology parts or “biobricks” to assist investigators in project development. The registry has been instrumental in promoting the intersection of biology and engineering.
What we do
Yale iGEM seeks to assemble a team of dedicated undergraduates each year to develop an original synthetic biology research project. We provide a timeline of a typical iGEM year in a link to the left. Following the completion of the main body of work during the summer months, Yale iGEM team members attend the annual iGEM competition held in Boston to present their work as an oral and poster presentation. The competition showcases original synthetic biology research projects conducted by teams around the world and brings together leaders in the field of synthetic biology across academic and industrial disciplines. In the past years, iGEM has classified projects according to numerous different categories or “tracks” such as manufacturing, software, energy, or foundational advances. Following our competitive responsibilities, the team seeks to raise awareness on campus about the importance of enabling undergraduate student research as well as the potential applications of synthetic biology.
Yale iGEM has seen many of its projects finalized to publication after the iGEM competition. Usually, several researchers will continue the summer work following the competition to realize this final goal.