International Genetically Engineered Machine (Old Website)

The International Genetically Engineered Machine (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.

WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION (Jan 31, 2022):
This is our old website. As iGEM enters its 20th year, we are transitioning from our old Mediawiki infrastructure to new modern software. We expect to complete the migration to our new websites in March 2022:

iGEM (igem.org) ; Competition (competition.igem.org) ; Projects (projects.igem.org) ; Community (community.igem.org) ; Technology (technology.igem.org) ; Responsibility (responsibility.igem.org) ; Startups (startups.igem.org) ; Leagues (leagues.igem.org) ; Jamboree (jamboree.igem.org)

Beyond the Competition - iGEM Events and Scientific Conferences

iGEM is more than a competition. It is a program dedicated to the advancement of synthetic biology across the globe. Below are just some of the activities iGEM thought leadership has participated in that are part of the broader impact.

In 2017 iGEM introduced the After iGEM program, an initiative that supports our 30,000+ member community and international network of academics and industry professionals beyond the competition. After iGEM provides engagement opportunities within iGEM, in synthetic biology, and in the global community. Learn more about becoming an iGEM Ambassador and representing iGEM in your region, or focus on policy and practices by serving as an official iGEM Delegate at international fora on international policy and diplomacy by visiting After iGEM

Events and Speaking Engagements

JOIN US AT AN EVENT
Check back for more on our 2021 activity

2020

November 14-22, 2020

iGEM 2020 Virtual Giant Jamboree

The culminating event of the iGEM 2020 Competition season. Attend the iGEM 2020 Giant Jamboree and experience iGEM in action. See 300+ teams showcase their work and compete for medals and prizes. Join us and celebrate their achievements, network with iGEMers across 40+ countries, be a part of an international community, make lifelong memories and more!. Learn more about the iGEM 2020 Giant Jamboree

August 3-5, 2020

IWBDA: International Workshop on Bio-Design Automation
Location: Online

The Twelfth International Workshop on Bio-Design Automation (IWBDA) will bring together researchers from the synthetic biology, systems biology, and design automation communities to discuss concepts, methodologies and software tools for the computational analysis and synthesis of biological systems. Hear from experts in the field, including Dr. Jacob Beal, chair of the iGEM Measurement Committee, as well as various other members of the iGEM community.

July 23, 2020

InnovATEBIO High School Workshop
Location: Online

Janet Standeven, member of the Human Practices Committee, and long-time PI of the Lambert GA High School iGEM team will be giving a webinar at the InnovATEBIO High School Workshop, organized by the National Biotechnology Education Center. Using Lambert as an example, she will educate other High School teachers on how to engage students in research and engineering at school with iGEM, and outline NSF funding opportunities.

July 8-10, 2020

LMB-UNIGE Graduate Life Science Symposium
Location: Cambridge, UK, at the MRC-LMB

Anne Meyer, iGEM Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair, will be speaking at the LMB-UNIGE Graduate Life Science Symposium, organized by the Graduate Student Association at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology jointly with the University of Geneva this year. She will talk about her lab's work on developing 3D bacteria printers, which began as my 2015 TU Delft iGEM team's project. She will be showing a picture of this team, explaining their bioprinter, and then explaining how they have been developing and applying it since then. Learn more about the iGEM 2015 Grand Prize Winner of the Overgraduate category, iGEM 2015 TU Delft team.

April 23-24, 2020

International meeting on Synthetic Biology
Location: Darmstadt, Germany

Anne Meyer, iGEM Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair, will be speaking about her lab's work on developing 3D bacteria printers, which began as my 2015 TU Delft iGEM team's project. She will be showing a picture of this team, explaining their bioprinter, and then explaining how they have been developing and applying it since then. Learn more about the iGEM 2015 Grand Prize Winner of the Overgraduate category, iGEM 2015 TU Delft team.

March 3, 2020

SynBio & iGEM Kickoff in Portugal
Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Speaker: Nemanja Stijepovic (After iGEM Coordinator/European Ambassador) & iGEM Alumni Fran Quero (Team Madrid Leader in 2018 & 2019)

Description: University NOVA Lisbon is organizing the first ever Portuguese iGEM Team! Our After iGEM Coordinator and Ambassador Emeritus Nemanja Stijepovic will be at the kickoff event to introduce the iGEM Competition and its values to the students and faculty members, followed by a project hackathon based on Sustainable Development Goals. Joining the event is another iGEM Alumni, Fran Quero from the Madrid iGEM Team. Learn more here.

February 22, 2020

CATALYST - A Collaborative
Location: The Laundry, San Francisco, CA

Catalyst was a collaborative biosecurity summit where leaders in the field of biosecurity, including our very own Director of Human Practices Megan Palmer, came to engage, discuss and collaborate on emerging issues in biosecurity. A main attraction of the conference was the design jam, a 2 hour guided brainstorming session around a particular topic.
Ronit Langer, Ambassador Coordinator, and Ricardo Chavez, After iGEM Coordinator, hosted a design jam session entitled: "Synbio in the Wild: Policies for release, both accidental and intentional, in the iGEM context". Learn more here.

February 12-14, 2020

Living Materials 2020
Location: Saarbrücken, Germany

Anne Meyer, iGEM Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair, gave a talk at the First International Conference on Living Materials from February 12 – 14 at INM-Leibniz Institute of New Materials in Saarbrücken, Germany. Learn more about Living Materials 2020.

February 6, 2020

TWB® START-UP DAY “Bioproduction for sustainability”
Location: Toulouse, France

Randy Rettberg, President of the iGEM Foundation (MIT), announced that the iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) competition (Giant Jamboree) will be held in Paris, France, for the first time in 2021. Previously this event has always been held in Boston. The competition will integrate current societal and environmental issues. Read more here.

2019

October 31 - November 4, 2019

iGEM 2019 Giant Jamboree
Location: Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA

The culminating event of the iGEM 2019 Competition season. Attend the iGEM 2019 Giant Jamboree and experience iGEM in action. See 300+ teams showcase their work and compete for medals and prizes. Join us and celebrate their achievements, network with iGEMers across 40+ countries, be a part of an international community, make lifelong memories and more!. Learn more about the iGEM 2019 Giant Jamboree

September 30 - October 1, 2019

2019 New Shape Forum: Weapons Governance
Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Niek Savelkoul, iGEM Ambassador for Europe, will be giving a talk on Monday, September 30 that will be highlight iGEM's work in Safety and Security. Hear from Neik Savelkoul as he presents on 'Safeguarding the future of biotechnology: the iGEM approach'. Learn more about iGEM's role in the 2019 New Shape Forum here.

September 15, 2019

Weizmann seminar
Location: Rehovot, Israel

Anne Meyer, iGEM Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair, will be giving a talk at the Weizmann Institute of Science on 'Bio-architecture: from protective biocrystals to patterned biomaterials'. Learn more about iGEM at the Weizmann seminar here.

Beyond the Competition

International Genetically Engineered Machine (Old Website)

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