iGEM
The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to education and competition, the advancement of synthetic biology, and the development of an open community and collaboration.
iGEM began in January 2003 as an independent study course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in Boston, USA, where students developed biological devices to make cells blink. This course became a summer competition and in 2019 expanded to:
- 353 teams
- reaching 40+ countries
- over 6,500 participants
Our iGEM Teams
Teams use the principles of synthetic biology, the “Engineering of Biology” to design parts, devices or systems to solve real-world problems, such as antibiotic resistance and climate change.
Projects range from creating “spider silk,” to diagnosing vine diseases! Some teams have even gone on to start successful businesses. The best parts of every project are submitted in the form of a “BioBrick” to the iGEM Biobrick registry for use by others.
Participation in iGEM highly regarded and competition to join an iGEM team is fierce. The work load is relentless but the rewards are great, and to have a gold medal on your CV puts students into a league of their own.
To date (2020) Nottingham has participated 4 times in the iGEM competition and has been rewarded with Gold medals.
Nottingham iGEM 2020 has maintained our Gold tradition!!
See iGEM featured in The Biologist (the magazine of the Royal Society of Biology)
International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM)