iGEM

iGEM, officially the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, is an annual international contest in synthetic biology. It is organized by the non-profit iGEM Foundation. Teams—primarily university undergraduates, with growing participation from high schools and other educational levels—design, build, test, and present genetically engineered systems. The program emphasizes standardization, open sharing, and responsible conduct in research.

Projects are typically built from standardized biological parts stored in the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, commonly known as BioBricks. Teams assemble these parts to create genetic circuits or devices that function in living cells or cell-free systems. Each project is documented on a dedicated wiki page, detailing design concepts, experimental methods, results, and safety and ethical considerations.

Competition format and evaluation focus on multiple criteria. Teams participate in the iGEM Jamboree, where they present their work through posters and demonstrations and receive judging across categories such as engineering design, human practices, education and outreach, and contributions to the parts registry. Prizes are awarded in various tracks to recognize achievements in engineering, collaboration, and public engagement.

History and impact: The competition began in 2004 at MIT and has grown into a global program with participants from many countries. iGEM has contributed to the development and dissemination of standardized genetic parts and to the broader culture of open science and collaboration in synthetic biology. It also includes safety, ethics, and responsible research practices as core elements of participation.