iGEM Community

Moving forward, news, announcements and official updates that were previously shared through the iGEM Community account will now be posted from the main iGEM account, @iGEM. See you there! 💚

iGEM visited the University of Dhaka! As part of Dept. of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology’s Silver Jubilee, 100+ students and faculty explored synbio through lab tours, hands-on activities and information about the iGEM Competition. Read more: community.igem.org/events/igem-at…

Training Europe’s next plant SynBio leaders! iGEM contributed to Plant SynBio Week 2025 in Évora, Portugal, supporting hands-on training across the full plant synthetic biology pipeline, from in silico design to experimental validation. Read the report: community.igem.org/events/igem-at…

Where is synthetic biology headed next? Join GirlsLab for a webinar with Dr. Emily Aurand (EBRC) on global synthetic biology trends, emerging innovations and the skills shaping the future of the field. Register Here: forms.monday.com/forms/208af70c…

How can high school students make a global impact? Join Janet Standeven, Director of High School at iGEM, for a virtual discussion that includes how iGEM enables authentic research experiences that prepare students to tackle real-world challenges. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

@ScientificSaaS We're thrilled to see your growth following the iGEM Competition! Wishing you the best of luck 💚

Highlights of my last 10 years in 10 sentences 2021 - won a medal at an international synthetic biology competition 2023 - accepted into cambridge university on a studentship 2024 - got a job in one of the biggest investment banks in the world 2025 - taught myself how to code 2025 - got my first job as a software engineer 2026 - moved to SE asia to start building The path isn't linear and it never will be Each turn taught me something I didn't know I needed Ready for whatever comes next

Registration for the 2026 iGEM Competition is NOW OPEN! Imagine, design, build and test ideas that matter and help tackle real-world challenges using synthetic biology, together with teams worldwide. Early registration ends Feb 12. Register: competition.igem.org/registration

1 week left to apply! From a simple spreadsheet to 84,000+ DNA parts, the iGEM Registry is evolving, and you can help guide what comes next. Join the iGEM Registry Steering Committee and influence how synbio is built, shared and applied worldwide. registry.igem.org/about/steering…

Gemy and iGEM wish you a very happy and healthy 2026, rich with new discoveries and innovations! #iGEM2026

As 2025 comes to a close, iGEM sends thanks to the global iGEM community 💚 PIs, mentors, committees, judges, partners, sponsors & program participants: Your time & dedication made this a record-breaking year! This success belongs to you! Thank you for an incredible 2025!

Participating in the iGEM competition @iGEMCommunity during my undergraduate studies was a pivotal moment. It gave me the privilege of diving into synthetic biology during my sophomore year. Working alongside my teammates, we combined synthetic biology principles with cutting-edge biotechnology to execute everything from experimental design and verification to product packaging and real-world implementation. Synthetic biology is a discipline that ingeniously merges engineering with science. My hands-on experience in iGEM instilled in me a deep sense of bioethics and biosecurity. My team and I frequently debated the future of these unique bioengineering technologies: Could they negatively impact our environment? Might they disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems? Could they inadvertently lead us down an unhealthy or unsafe path? Coincidentally, as the influence of Generative AI deepens within biomedical R&D, my doctoral journey has once again granted me the opportunity to explore and scrutinize biosecurity issues—this time through a new lens. We recently hosted an exciting workshop at NeurIPS 2025 titled "Biosecurity Safeguards for Generative AI". I was fortunate to discuss the risks and value of GenAI in biomedicine with some of the brightest minds globally. We delved deep into how to define biosecurity risks, how to implement true risk control across the modeling, inference, and generation stages, and how to design scientific benchmarks to address these challenges. We believe that addressing these risks head-on is essential to ensuring the robust and enduring future of Generative AI. For everyone, we have summarized the workshop here: zaixizhang.github.io/blog.html. Embracing the shared responsibility that comes with generative AI, we welcome everyone to review the workshop's key moments and contribute to the ongoing conversation on biosecurity safeguards. Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all the mentors and co-organizers who have supported the workshop along the way. @Yoshua_Bengio @PeterHndrsn @jmuiuc @Rbaltman @ericxing @Tkaraletsos @MeganBlewett @MengdiWang10 @lecong @amritsinghbedi3 @alvarove @ZaixiZhang @SOURADIPCHAKR18 @nebiusai @ValthosTech Workshop Page: biosafe-gen-ai.github.io/index.html

Applications Close Tomorrow! forms.monday.com/forms/0d11df20…

Meet the Topic Coordinators for the 2025 iGEM × Frontiers Research Collection! These leaders will guide submissions across four key areas shaping the future of synthetic biology. We are excited to see what our community contributes this year. community.igem.org/journals/front…

Help grow the future of synthetic biology! High School iGEM is looking for volunteers, students, alumni, PIs, industry and policy experts, to guide, mentor and inspire the next generation of SynBio innovators. Apply here: forms.monday.com/forms/0d11df20…

Represent the global iGEM community at the OECD’s high-level consultation on emerging biotechnologies! Your experience in responsible innovation makes your voice crucial. Register your interest before 23:59 UTC - Dec 1, 2025: forms.monday.com/forms/cb654d90…

Hope to see you all next week! events.humanitix.com/london-synbio-…

Applications close today! Apply here: community.igem.org/recruitment/20…

Support the next generation of iGEMers! High School iGEM is seeking volunteers from across the community: PIs, alumni, industry, academia and policy. Your expertise can help shape the 2026 High School Competition and inspire young SynBio innovators. forms.monday.com/forms/0d11df20…

💚 The 2025 iGEM Competition Judges 💚 Thank you to all of the iGEM Judges for your time, your expertise and your helpful encouragement in evaluating, celebrating and guiding the next generation of synthetic biologists during the 2025 iGEM Competition! igem.org

🩷The 2025 iGEM Grand Jamboree Volunteers🩷 A special thank you to every volunteer who made the world’s largest gathering of synthetic biologists a truly grand experience! We couldn’t have done it without your dedication & love for the SynBio community! igem.org