Archive



June 30

Call for Giant Jamboree Volunteers!

The iGEM 2016 Giant Jamboree will be from Thursday October 27 to Monday October 31 in the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and we're looking for volunteers to help with the event! Help us ensure that every iGEM participant has an amazing experience!

Apply to be a volunteer below! Applications are due by July 22nd and notifications will be sent out by August 5th. If you have any trouble with the application, please let us know at traci AT igem DOT org.

Volunteer Duties

  • Assisting attendees
  • Staffing presentation rooms, special event areas, information desk
  • Generating updates for social media outlets
  • Setting up in the mornings, and breaking down in the evenings
  • Potentially: streaming presentation sessions
  • Checking attendee badges
  • Other tasks as necessary


2016 Volunteer Application

June 29

Twist Bioscience and Desktop Genetics Call for CRISPR Project Proposals


Twist Bioscience and Desktop Genetics have partnered together to offer CRISPR design and DNA synthesis support for iGEM teams and are calling for proposals.

5 select iGEM teams will receive training and access to the DESKGEN design platform, the leading CRISPR tool, providing access to all CRISPR nucleases, sgRNA lengths, dozens of organisms and all major sgRNA design parameters from academic software tools. Twist Bioscience will synthesize your guide designs and provide high quality, cloning-ready single guides and oligo pools for your experiments.

Teams will receive:

  • Training and technical support from experts in the field
  • gRNA design consultation with Desktop Genetics
  • DNA synthesis of up to 384 single guides
  • or DNA synthesis of a CRISPR oligo libraries (2-100K plex)

Apply by July 8th

For more on this offer click here!

June 29

Complimentary software and technical support!


MathWorks is offering complimentary software and technical support to all iGEM teams for use in the competition.​

MATLAB and SimBiology in Past iGEMs
See how former iGEMers used MathWorks tools, such as MATLAB and SimBiology, for a variety of modeling and simulation projects.
Click here for some project examples from previous years' iGEM teams!

Need MATLAB Help?
Can't find what you are looking for? Have a specific question about using MATLAB tools for your iGEM work? We are here to help. Feel free to contact Fulden Buyukozturk, SimBiology Technical Expert, to request assistance via email at fulden.buyukozturk@mathworks.com.

For more information on this offer click here.

June 29

Team Collaboration Opportunities

Visit the Community Bulletin page and learn about the latest team collaboration opportunities. Check back often to see latest iGEM member news and updates.

  • Invitation to participate in Discord; a Purdue iGEM Team initiative
  • Interlab collaboration with the Alverno_CA iGEM 2016 Team
  • Software:Wetlab Collaboration Opportunity

Also, remember to join the iGEM Form and connect directly with the iGEM community!

June 22

Be Social

Connect with the iGEM community. Keep an eye on (and contribute to) #iGEM2016 and #WelcomeToiGEM to see the latest updates about iGEM! Follow us on Facebook! We post all major announcements on both Twitter and Facebook, as well as on 2016.igem.org.

June 22

iGEM HQ is attending Meet-ups

A member of HQ staff was at the Nordic meet-up in Stockholm and will be attending the NEGEM Meet-up in Boston and European meet-up in Paris. Our travel schedule is filling up fast - so please tell us about your event and we'll do our best to attend.


      Meetup events
        • June 17 - 19: Nordic Meet-up in Stockholm - HQ staff in attendance!
        • June 24: NEGEM Meet-up in Boston - HQ staff in attendance!
        • July 2 - 3: European iGEM Meet-up in Paris - HQ staff in attendance!
        • July 28 - 30: Hearland Regional Meet-up in Missouri


Please visit our iGEM Meet-up page for a complete lists of meet-ups. Know of an event not on our page - tell us about it and we'll help promote and may even attend.

June 22

Community News

The iGEM community page lets you see what the synthetic biology community is up to. Check out the Community Bulletin for a complete list of announcements. Have an announcement? Let us know and we'll be happy to promote on our our page.

  • Building with Biology seeking scientists to engage the public on synthetic biology
  • Software:Wetlab Collaboration Opportunity! Learn more
  • Survey: Share your iGEM experience. A collaboration with CRI and University of Geneva. Take the survey or copy/past this link: https://2016.igem.org/Survey
  • China SynBioBeta Conference June 14-17.

Visit ourCommunity Bulletin page for a complete list of happenings!

June 22

Complimentary Software and more!

Complimentary Software and discounts available to iGEM 2016 teams!

  • Participate in the latest synbio software trial. See Autodesk's offer.
  • 20% off gene synthesis and cloning services. See GenScript's offer.
  • Complimentarysoftware and technical support! See MathWorks' offer.

  • For a complete list of Funding Opportunities and Special Offers visit our Partner's page

    June 22

    Grant deadlines approaching!

    Apply by June 30th

    Apply by June 30th for the chance to receive $5,000 in funding for your iGEM project. Funding support available for teams:

  • Working with RNA/RNAi? See Syngenta's offer
  • Working in the Manufacturing, Food & Nutrition, or New Application tracks? See Syngenta's offer
  • Working with CRISPR/Cas9? See GenScript's offer

  • For a complete list of Funding Opportunities and Special Offers visit our Partner's page

    June 22

    Get your FREE DNA from IDT!

    As you begin your projects make sure to check out our partner's page for the latest offers and discounts.

    IDT is offering the equivalent of 20 kb of DNA as gBlocks® Gene Fragments FREE of charge to each registered iGEM 2016 team. Through this generous offer, you can now focus is on project design and characterization and not cost.

    Take advantage of IDT's offer by visiting the IDT offer page.

    For a complete list of Funding Opportunities and Special Offers visit our Partner's page

    June 22

    Judging Application Extended

    Apply by July 15th

    We are excited to announce we are extending the judging application deadline to the 15th of July. The first round of successful applicants have been announced and a second round will be informed soon. Remember we have a 50% discount for applicants on 2016 iGEM teams. Thank you for all your interest and please continue to inform qualified applicants about the extended deadline!"


    Apply to be a judge!
    June 22

    Safety Forms

    Due by July 15th

    The 2016 Safety Forms are live! All iGEM teams must complete the 'About our Lab' and 'About our Project' questionnaires by July 15. Tell us about your laboratory and your project. You can find more about the required Safety Forms on the Safety Hub.

    iGEM teams follow high standards of safety and responsibility. As you work on your projects this summer, please use the Safety Hub as a resource to safely and responsibly design, build, & test your synthetic biology projects. Read through our recommendations and requirements, and be sure to contact safety@igem.org with any questions or concerns.

    June 22

    HQ Representative Program

    As part of iGEM's HQ Representative Program, a member of the iGEM staff will be reaching out to you via email in the next few weeks. These friendly introductions are meant to serve as a point of contact for you for any questions, suggestions or comments you have about the competition. We are here to help so please reach out anytime throughout the competition season.

    We are here to help - Please don't hesitate to contact us!

    June 22

    InterLab Study Update

    Sign-up deadline June 30th

    Are you having trouble with the InterLab Measurement Kit? If so, please read the updated information on the InterLab Measurement Kit page (URL: http://parts.igem.org/Help:InterLab_Measurement_Kit)!

    If you're still experiencing problems, please email Traci Haddock-Angelli at traci AT igem DOT org to request new tubes.



    Description requirements:

  • Place descriptions on the front page of your team's wiki. There is no need to email them to iGEM HQ
  • Provide background on what your team has been working on so far (describe your project brainstorming and selection process)
  • Describe what you hope to accomplish
  • The description only needs to be a couple of paragraphs long.

  • Visit the InterLab Measurement page to learn more.

    June 22

    Project Descriptions

    Due July 1st

    This description will not be used to judge your project. It serves to provide some background on what your team has been working on so far and what you hope to accomplish.

    Description requirements:

  • Place descriptions on the front page of your team's wiki. There is no need to email them to iGEM HQ
  • Provide background on what your team has been working on so far (describe your project brainstorming and selection process)
  • Describe what you hope to accomplish
  • The description only needs to be a couple of paragraphs long.
  • See iGEM Calendar to learn more.

    June 20

    China teams to receive DNA Distribution kits!

    With the help of GenScript's local distribution network, ‪iGEM 2016‬ China teams will be receiving their DNA distribution kits. All approved teams should expect to see their kits in the next few days.

    Join us in thanking GenScript for their efforts in distributing these kits to iGEM China teams.

    June 20

    Starting your iGEM project? Let us help you begin!

    Check out the latest newsletter and learn more about:
    DNA Distribution kits arriving in China, iGEM HQ staff attending meet-ups, the HQ Representative program has launched and much much more!

    Also make note of upcoming deadlines for Project Description, InterLab Study, Safety forms, Judging applications and Grant proposals. click here to learn more

    June 17

    Safety Forms are online!

    The 2016 Safety Forms are live! All iGEM teams must complete the About our Lab and About our Project questionnaires by July 15. Tell us about your laboratory and your project. You can find more about the required Safety Forms on the Safety Hub.

    iGEM teams follow high standards of safety and responsibility. As you work on your projects this summer, please use the Safety Hub as a resource to safely and responsibly design, build, & test your synthetic biology projects. Read through our recommendations and requirements, and be sure to contact safety (at) igem . org with any questions or concerns.

    June 14

    Wikis have been updated!

    The process of updating our version of media wiki is complete! Visit the media wiki updated page for more details.

    June 8

    China iGEM teams to receive DNA Distribution kits!


    DNA Distribution kits have arrived in China!

    With the help of GenScript's local distribution network, ‪iGEM 2016‬ China teams will be receiving their DNA distribution kits. All approved teams should expect to see their kits in the next few days.

    Join us in thanking GenScript for their efforts in distributing these kits to iGEM China teams


    May 31

    SYNENERGENE deadline extended to June 1

    Because of technical difficulties, we have extended the deadline for SYNENERGENE Human Practices funding by one day. Please submit your proposals promptly! (If you received an acknowledgement email, that means we already have your proposal and you do not need to re-submit.)

    View Information and Submit your Proposal — Due June 1, 11:59pm Boston time
    May 24

    MathWorks complimentary software offer and resources

    Interested in an introduction to modeling, simulation and analysis with MATLAB and SimBiology? MathWorks has put together this webinar to get you started or see how other teams have successfully used MATLAB and SimBiology in the past. MathWorks provides industry standard tools and support to iGEM teams through a complimentary software offer and resources. Fulden Buyukozturk, SimBiology Technical Expert, is dedicated to helping teams find the right solutions for their needs. She can be reached at Fulden.Buyukozturk@mathworks.com as you work on your project. Follow her on Twitter @fulden_b".

    May 24

    Shipping to China!

    Up until now, iGEM was not able to send the DNA Distribution kits to teams in mainland China, due to issues with Chinese Inspection and Quarantine Services (CIQ). We are happy to inform you that we now have a solution to this issue. GenScript, an iGEM sponsor, will ship the DNA Distribution kits to all registered teams in mainland China. The local shipping team at GenScript, Nanjing will receive the manufactured kits in bulk and distribute them locally within China. All approved teams should be receiving a kit over the next couple of weeks.

    Please join us in thanking GenScript for their work in assisting the iGEM teams in China!

    May 13

    SYNENERGENE offers funding for advanced Human Practices work
    Proposals due May 30

    Get funding for your Human Practices work! Work with institutional partners, to promote responsible research and innovation! The Rathenau Instituut and the Wilson Center invite proposals from iGEM teams to collaborate and work toward responsible embedding of synthetic biology in society. This opportunity is open to all iGEM teams.

    View Information and Submit your Proposal — Due May 30
    May 11

    SynBioBeta Activate! China 2016

    iGEM Partner sponsor, SynBioBeta is hosting events in three different cities across China in one week. Hear about the latest synthetic biology industry advances, new technologies and applications. Network with industry leaders, academics, investors and entrepreneurs. Understand the current trends and learn about the growing synthetic biology market and opportunities.

    Learn More About Each Event and Register

    May 2

    Judging Application now open!

    Want to be a judge at the Giant Jamboree this year? The application form is now open! We're looking for scientists, engineers, programmers, hardware devs and people with synbio experience.

    If you're not on a 2016 iGEM team this year, we can waive your Jamboree registration fee. If you're an instructor or advisor (sorry, no student team members), we can give you a 50% discount on your Jamboree application fee.

    The deadline is the 1st of June!

    April 29

    iGEM Forums

    With the iGEM season kicking off, we are excited to announce a new iGEM forum for 2016! This phpBB forum will allow users to connect more easily with each other, which is something our community has often requested. We even have a chat option up and running for quick communication with anyone who is online.

    Sign up today and join the conversation!

    URL: http://forum.igem.org

    You can also find the direct link on our Connect with iGEMers page.

    April 28

    ATTENTION 2016 TEAMS:

    Your Team Wiki pages are still locked and you cannot edit them yet. We are updating the back-end infrastructure to make the wikis even better for this year. We hope to get the wikis up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience!

    April 26

    #WelcomeToiGEM

    Distribution kits are starting to arrive! Take a picture with your DNA Distribution box and tag it in social media with #WelcomeToiGEM.

    Get creative! We are going to collect all the photos and show them off later in the season.

    See what fellow teams are showing off on Twitter.
    *Not on Twitter? Send us your photos!

    April 21

    First 2016 DNA Distribution Kits are on their way!

    The first batch of teams have been approve and distribution kits have been sent.
    You can find more information about the DNA Distribution here, tracking information from UPS will be sent to your team's PI.

    Note: If you are unsure why your team has not been approved, check your team information page to make sure you have completed all of the required fields -- and don't forget to add your secondary PI!

    April 20

    Grant Funding Opportunity - Deadlines approaching!

    Over $100,000 USD in grants available to iGEM 2016 teams!

    This year iGEM is offering 3 new corporate grants to help support iGEM 2016 projects. This opportunity offers a unique collaboration with industry leaders, whom are seeking out iGEMers to help find solutions to their biggest problems. Visit Parters Offers Page to learn more about GenScript, Syngenta and SYNENERGENE'S funding opportunities

    April 20

    iGEM Mentorship Program

    Mentee and Mentor Application deadline: May 7, 2016

    We are expanding last year's program to help iGEM teams learn how the iGEM competition works and iGEM alumni refine communication, leadership, and mentoring skills. For more on the program or to apply to be a mentor or mentor visit our Mentorship page .

    April 19

    Need help adding a secondary PI?

    If you are having trouble adding a secondary PI, see the instructions in the Registration Handbook.

    Why do teams need to have two PIs?
    All iGEM teams must have two PIs to participate in iGEM. Throughout years of running the competition, we have found that in general teams with at least two PIs have a better iGEM experience, learn more, and succeed even more than on their own.
    Teams with only one PI often find that they don't get adequate support throughout the season. While iGEM is a student driven competition, PIs are important for providing guidance, having funding connections, dealing with university bureaucracy and regulations, and more.
    Also, often a PI goes away for a portion of the summer leaving the team without any PI guidance for part of the season. Don't underestimate the value of your PIs!

    For more details on team roles, see the Requirements and Team Roles pages.

    April 1

    Funding Opportunity - Application deadline May 1st, 2016l

    Receive up to $5,000 for your CRISPR –related iGEM projects and 20% off Gene Synthesis and Cloning. Find out how.

    April 1

    WELCOME 2016 Teams!

    Congratulations to all teams who have registered to participate in iGEM 2016! We know you are eager to get started and will be processing applications over the next couple of weeks. Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions.

    We are looking forward to a great iGEM season and hope you are as well!

    March 31

    iGEM Mentorship Program

    iGEM HQ is excited to announce the AlumniGEM team mentorship program will be run again in 2016! The first round of applications is due on the 7th of May. We encourage high school teams, collegiate teams and anyone who wants to be a mentor to signup now!

    For more information, please check out the Mentorship Resource pages!

    March 16
    Regular registration deadline coming up!

    Be sure to register your team and submit the registration fee by March 31, the deadline for regular registration! Registration fees received after March 31 at 11:59PM Boston time will be subject to a late fee surcharge of $500 USD. Team PIs can register their team for iGEM 2016 by following these steps:

    1. Complete the registration application
    2. Submit the team's registration fee
    3. Stand by for contact email from iGEM HQ (this will follow after submission of the registration application and fee)

    Please note, students will not be able to register a team. Please see the team roles page for additional information.

    March 11

    Plant Synthetic Biology in iGEM

    iGEM HQ is excited to announce a new initiative to support plant synthetic biology during the 2016 season and beyond! Plant synthetic biology has risen in popularity among iGEM teams over the last few years and we're working hard to help support those teams for 2016.

    For more information, please check out the new Plant Synthetic Biology Resource page!

    February 26
    Team registration now open!

    Registration for iGEM 2016 is now open! Team PIs can register their team for iGEM 2016 by following these steps:

    1. Complete the registration application
    2. Submit the team's registration fee
    3. Stand by for contact email from iGEM HQ (this will follow after submission of the registration application and fee)

    Please note, students will not be able to register a team. Please see the team roles page for additional information.

    February 26

    PLOS iGEM Collection

    iGEM 2015 teams have the opportunity to publish their results in the PLOS iGEM Collection! Submissions to the PLOS iGEM Collection will be posted for open review on the PLOS Collections blog, where members of the PLOS and iGEM communities will review them. For submission instructions and additional details, see the PLOS Collections Blog post.

    February 26
    iGEM at Synbiobeta

    iGEM HQ will be at Synbiobeta London 2016 from April 6 to April 8! Come say hello, and be sure you hear Randy's talk!

    February 26
    High School and Community Lab teams

    We're pleased to welcome High School and Community Lab teams back to iGEM 2016! Please click for registration details for High School teams and Community Lab teams.

    February 26
    Shipping to China

    Due to restrictions by the Chinese Inspection and Quarantine Services (CIQ), iGEM is currently unable to ship DNA distribution kits or part requests to China. We must ask teams from China to please plan accordingly for 2016.

    February 18
    Team registration update

    Registration for iGEM 2016 will open by the end of February! Regular registration will end on Thursday March 31, and late registration will end on Sunday May 1. The registration application will be posted in this news section. The following items are required for team registration:

    1. Completion of the registration application by the team's primary Principal Investigator (PI)
    2. Submission of the team registration fee (can be submitted before or after the registration application)
    3. After we receive the application and registration fee, iGEM HQ will contact the team's primary PI

    Be sure to read over the Requirements for participating in iGEM 2016, and contact us if there are any questions.

    February 10
    Join the judging team

    Judging during iGEM focuses on evaluating team projects and presentations, while providing constructive and positive feedback to the teams. It is an integral part of iGEM's success and we hope you consider joining the judging team!

    2016.igem.org/Judging

    February 10
    Help improve the iGEM website

    Are you interested in helping make iGEM's website better? Volunteer as a beta reader! Email kelly AT igem DOT org.

    February 5
    Preparing for iGEM 2016

    Excited for the start of iGEM 2016? Check out the right-hand menu bar for information about iGEM 2016, including the updated Requirements for iGEM 2016!

    New to iGEM and not on our newsletter mailing list? You can sign up to begin receiving our monthly newsletters, containing helpful and important information about iGEM participation!