Synthetic biology is a rapidly developing area of science where engineering and biology meet. Synthetic biologists engineer biological organisms to give them new functions, hoping to solve pressing problems in the world. Started in 2003 by MIT, the iGEM competition is an annual research competition where undergraduate teams from all over the world try to design, build, and test a synthetic biology product in 9 months. It is one of the most prestigious undergraduate research competitions of its kind, and has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Oxford students who took part in previous years. Past participants of Oxford iGEM teams have gone on to found biotech companies, lead student entrepreneurship initiatives, or been accepted onto highly competitive PhD programmes. Check out the iGEM website here: https://igem.org/
This year, the Oxford SynBio society and a small army of (maybe five or six) graduate students have teamed up to help bring iGEM back to Oxford. Join us on the adventure, we want to see as many of you as possible at the info session! Despite the focus on biology and engineering, it does not matter if you are not specialists in any of the two subjects – the organising team will bring you up to speed.
We are looking for someone that is:
- a non-final-year Oxford undergraduate of any discipline. This is because iGEM lasts from January to October, and you will need to be around for the entirety of the competition. If you are not sure whether you will be eligible or not, come to the info session and we will advise on a case-by-case basis.
- committed and up for a good challenge.
- curious about synthetic biology and a quick learner.
- creative, resourceful, willing to problem-solve, open-minded, goal driven.
For those interested:
- Register and join us for the intro to iGEM info session at 7:30pm, 17th of November (Thursday week 6), at the Daubeny Laboratory, Magdalen College (it’s right opposite the entrance to Magdalen on High Street - if in doubt, ask the porters). We will talk more about what iGEM is, what will be expected from you, and the application process. You will have the chance to ask questions to previous iGEM team members.
- Event registration link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-igemtickets-453017697127
- We ask everyone interested to register even if you cannot make the event. This is so we have the email addresses to contact you when applications open.