iGEM 2024—Read what teams say about this year’s competition
The Takeaway: iGEM 2024 is here—the Grand Jamboree takes place in Paris again, where students from around the world give a glimpse into the future of synthetic biology. Teams from more than 50 countries presented projects that were rated by a panel of 400 judges, with past work leading to future research, thesis projects, and even the launch of new companies. As a long-time platinum iGEM sponsor, IDT helps teams create innovative projects through access to IDT products as well as expert support. Here’s what some teams had to say about this year’s projects.
Cornell iGEM
Project: Oncurex
What inspired you to participate this year?
Every year, the Grand Jamboree has so many wonderful events. The people who attend are always incredibly welcoming and provide so much information about the world of synthetic biology that we wouldn’t be able to get at our university. Last year, we met teams such as iGEM Latvia-Riga, reconnected with old friends at iGEM Rochester, and networked with like-minded individuals. Being part of that vast world inspired us to compete this year and continue expanding our world of synthetic biology.
What problem are you trying to solve?
The current method of obtaining ursolic acid (UA) requires extraction from fruits, such as apples and loquats, which is generally environmentally taxing [Yu, et al., 2018], time consuming, and not standardized across scientists. Although UA has high promise in oncology studies, it also has low bioavailability, which limits its use. We can improve the speed, efficiency, and standardization of UA production by switching to our biosynthesis method in Oncurex and designing a high-specificity carrier system to assist with the low bioavailability.
What is the most surprising thing you uncovered?
The lack of general education on drug development and medical advances. Using Oncurex as a platform, we can not only educate about ursolic acid's benefits but also how medicines are created. We can also take a policy approach to provide insight into the process and requirements of drug development.
What IDT products did you use?
We used IDT's gBlock™ HiFi Gene Fragments and custom DNA oligos!
What has been the most memorable part of your iGEM experience so far?
The most memorable part of our iGEM experience was our summer session. With classes out, we got together for a few months to focus on taking our project from an idea to a tangible product. We were given the time to educate about Oncurex, and synbio in general, to communities throughout the U.S. and bond with our members through weekly social events like our annual Iron Chef competition.
MSP-Maastricht
Project: Natronaut
What inspired you to participate this year?
We believe that, through synthetic biology, we can create meaningful and sustainable impacts, and iGEM provides the ideal platform for us to pursue these goals collaboratively and effectively. We see iGEM as a platform to push the boundaries of biotechnology, innovate, and create solutions that can have a tangible impact on society.
What problem are you trying to solve?
Rapid population growth has led to a reliance on synthetic fertilizers, causing nitrogen imbalance and environmental issues like eutrophication and marine dead zones, particularly in agricultural regions like the Netherlands. Inspired by severe local algal blooms, we aim to develop innovative solutions to manage coastal eutrophication, protect marine biodiversity and human health while producing value-added products such as single-cell proteins.
What is the most surprising thing you uncovered?
The challenge of developing a truly unique and innovative idea. We initially assumed that it would be relatively straightforward to come up with a distinctive concept. However, we quickly realized that many ideas have already been explored. We spent a considerable amount brainstorming, researching, and refining our project to ensure it stands out. Our goal has been to create a project that not only addresses a significant problem but also introduces novel approaches or techniques that push the boundaries of what has been done before in iGEM.
What IDT products did you use?
We are incredibly grateful to IDT for their partnership with iGEM, which provided us with up to 20kb of free gene fragments. This support has been crucial for our project, as it involves long fragments, making our work much easier. Additionally, it gave us the opportunity to consult with experts about our fragments. IDT's support has been integral in bringing our iGEM vision to life.
What has been the most memorable part of your iGEM experience so far?
When we first delved deeply into V. natriegens. This exploration completely transformed our project, helping us refine its focus and establish a distinct identity. Before this, we had a broad concept, but the unique properties and potential of V. natriegens allowed us to make crucial adjustments and tailor our approach in a way that set our project apart.
UMaryland iGEM
Project: CetviCare
What problem are you trying to solve?
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally; our project aims to improve early-stage screening capabilities in lower- to middle-income countries, where death rates remain disproportionately high. We are developing a paper-based screening device, similar to a pregnancy test, that targets urine biomarkers found in a vast majority of cervical precancer patients. Additionally, our cell-free, synthetic RNA device-based system is centered around easy deployment in low-resource areas.
What is the most surprising thing you uncovered?
It has been surprisingly difficult to find clinically relevant miRNA concentrations in urine. Though this biomarker has been used in a variety of screening and diagnostic tools, this has been an obstacle for us.
What IDT products did you use?
We used gBlocks Gene Fragments for multiple design and testing iterations of our biological parts. We were extremely well-supported throughout this process, and we even met with an iGEM-specific IDT representative to troubleshoot some of our designs.
What has been the most memorable part of your iGEM experience so far?
We were ecstatic to get preliminary data from in vivo testing that guided our project development. We were also honored to be able to share our work at multiple university-wide presentations and conferences.
CCU_Taiwan
Project: SERENE
What problem are you trying to solve?
Unchecked negative emotions can potentially lead to more serious issues, like depression. SERENE aims to offer a comprehensive approach to help people manage and alleviate these emotions.
What is the most surprising thing you uncovered?
In our mission to help people alleviate negative emotions, we discovered that many are not fully aware of their emotional state. To address this, we developed a stress detection and management app and promoted emotional education to foster self-awareness.
What has been the most memorable part of your iGEM experience so far?
The most memorable part of our iGEM experience so far has been holding free hug events at a local night market to promote emotional well-being through human interaction. We were fortunate to have a reporter who interviewed us, and our efforts were featured on the news. It was incredibly rewarding to see our project making a real impact and gaining community recognition.
iGEM Aachen
Project: OncoBiotica
What problem are you trying to solve?
Cancer remains a formidable healthcare challenge globally. A primary objective in cancer research is the development of innovative precision oncology strategies. OncoBiotica seeks to explore a novel approach for precision cancer therapy by targeting tumor-associated microbes through both wet lab experimentation and computational modeling.
What is the most surprising thing you uncovered?
Non-industrialized countries have limited access to both advanced cancer treatments and the ability to test drug efficacy on individual tumors. To address this global health disparity, our hardware team developed a microfluidic chip designed as a rapid efficacy assay.
What has been the most memorable part of your iGEM experience so far?
Our iGEM experience included participating in public events, and our most impactful conversations were those with individuals who had personal experiences with cancer, either directly or through family members.
