Celebrating the 20th Year of iGEM
iGEM began in January 2003 with a month-long course during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP), where students designed biological systems to make cells blink. This course then became a summer competition with 5 teams in 2004. 19 years later, in 2022, we've grown to +350 teams from over 40 countries.
In 2023, 4,000 people came together to celebrate the 20th year of iGEM at the The World Expo of Synthetic Biology - the iGEM Grand Jamboree in Paris.
20th Year of iGEM Blog Series
iGEM Through the Years
2022 | iGEM hosts the first Grand Jamboree in Paris, with over 3,500 people |
2021 | iGEM launches the first iGEM League competition |
2020 | The iGEM Competition and Giant Jamboree goes online for the first time |
2019 | First iGEM Startup Showcase |
2018 | First iGEM Alumni Summit at the iGEM Giant Jamboree |
2017 | iGEM launches iGEM Community, formally known as After iGEM, to provide continuing support to the thousands of iGEMers who have completed the Competition |
2016 | First Delegates Program, with 5 delegates attending COP 13 |
2015 | iGEM merged the Collegiate and High School division. The Mentorship Program started |
2014 | First Giant Jamboree. First Interlab Study |
2013 | iGEM spins out of MIT and forms the independent nonprofit organization with lab and office space in Cambridge, MA, USA |
2012 | iGEM launches the Entrepreneurship Division |
2011 | iGEM launches the High School Division and hosts Regional Jamborees, followed by the World Championship Jamboree |
2010 | 130 teams and over 1300 participants attended the iGEM Jamboree on MIT campus. Kresge Auditorium only holds 1244 people! |
2009 | iGEM makes the cover of Nature |
2008 | Human Practices (HP) was formally integrated into iGEM |
2007 | Safety and Security Committee (SSC) was formed |
2006 | Ambassadors Pilot Program. Wikis are introduced |
2005 | International teams participate in iGEM |
2004 | First summer competition. First iGEM Distribution, containing many essential parts that are still used today |
2003 | iGEM began as a January course during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP) |