iGEM is the largest worldwide synthetic biology competition, with more than 360 teams participating from all over the world.
Photo by Justin Knight, the iGEM Foundation
The iGEM competition is an international competition where university/high school teams provide potential solutions to world problems using synthetic biology. It was first organized in 2003 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and since then has become the largest synthetic biology competition.
Since 2017, the students of the Science and Technology program have the opportunity to become a member of the Tartu TUIT iGEM team and work on an innovative research project.
The iGEM season starts in January/February with idea brainstorming and finishes with the Giant Jamboree at the end of October/beginning of November. The Team works on each side of the project, from developing the idea, planning and making experiments, human practices, public engagement, to searching for sponsors and making team’s own website. Moreover, selected team members get a chance to present the project at the Giant Jamboree in Boston, USA.
While performing the project, students get invaluable experience, acquire practical, social and teamwork skills and accelerate their transition from students to young researchers.
“I am thankful
Frida Matiyevskayato iGEM for this unique opportunity to learn things that I would never learn in my ordinary life. Starting from working in the lab, creating a cartoon video, making the poster, banner and leaflets, with literally zero drawing skills, and ending up with coding the wiki 48 hours before the wiki freeze. Now, I constantly look for opportunities to learn something new and challenge myself.”
“I am really grateful for the opportunity I have been given to participate in this competition. It was an exciting adventure, both fun and challenging, filled with new experience. iGEM helped me to understand that the field I’ve chosen is really something that interests me a lot. And it is also a great way to build up new friendships and learn how to work as a team.”
Irina Borovko
Since joining iGEM community in 2017, Tartu TUIT team has set the high level and got 2 consecutive silver medals!
Learn more about previous years projects, check the team’s iGEM wikis below:
__________________ Tartu TUIT 2017___________________________________Tartu TUIT 2018__________________
_________________Tartu TUIT 2019___________________________________ Estonia TUIT 2020__________________
Follow the latest news concerning Tartu TUIT team on the official Facebook page or Instagram.
Synthetic biology is a newly emerging and fast developing field, which opens new perspectives in many areas of science including biomedicine, bioengineering, biotechnology, energetics, and others. Tartu TUIT team aims at being a part of this process and to popularise it in Estonia.
Useful links: