2021 iGEM Community Kickoff Event

2021 marked the 5th year of After iGEM (now iGEM Community), and as we grow bigger and stronger we wanted to kick-off the year by connecting with our community and inviting you to become a part of it. Through the kickoff event, participants relived their iGEM journeys, reunited with their fellow iGEMers and connected with the iGEM Community! The event featured talks by ambassadors and working groups, interaction with the 2021 iGEM Community cohort and meetings with alumni from all around the world.


Recordings

iGEM Reflections from Asia & Beyond

Speakers: Roudlotul Jannah, Shruti Sridhar, Oleksandra Sorokina & Nympha Elisa M. Sia, Zhandong Jiao, Assaf Kazakov, Ayesha Sameer - Ambassadors to Asia and Oceania

In this series of 4 short talks, former iGEMers from Asia and around reflected on their iGEM journeys. The topics ranged from discussions on the experience of a highschool iGEMer, the growth of biodesign and synthetic biology in Asia, the significance of mental health in research (and iGEM) and the new-found drive towards cross-country collaborations in the Middle East.

Keywords: Mental Health Awareness, Support Systems, SDG, Biodesign, Peace, Initiative, Collabaration


African iGEM Experience and How and Why to participate in iGEM

Speakers: Youssef Abdelmaksoud and Erikan Baluku - Ambassadors to Africa

Despite the challenges faced by iGEMers in Africa, iGEM teams have made an impact on their communities even after the competition. We share a series of activities by iGEMers in Africa and how iGEM Alumni are planning to expand their activities in Africa by educating the community about iGEM and Synthetic Biology. The talk in Arabic, talks about the hindrances of African teams, why you need to take part in iGEM, how to get yourself familiar with it, and who to get in touch with if you have questions.

Keywords: SynBio, Challenges, Africa


iGEM as a Fuel for Academia

Speakers: Roger Rubio Sanchez - Academia and Research

iGEM has become an educational platform for introducing young and inspired researchers to synthetic biology. In parallel, the field has been fueled and catalysed through the emergence of world-class projects and scientists. In this talk, Academia and Research in iGEM was introduced; and a walkthrough of the initiatives carried out so far to establish and measure the impact of iGEM was given.

Keywords: Academia, Research


Top 5 Ways to Engage in Science Communication

Speakers: Harindi Jayakody, Larissa Markus, Nicola Freyer - Science communication

Are you passionate about your science and would like to find new ways of sharing it with the world? Are you having a hard time trying to convey the relevance of your research to people outside of academia? Then join our talk! We will give you a broad introduction into the tools you can utilize to communicate your science. Just sit back and let us show you five easy ways to get started in science communication right now!

Keywords: Science Communication


The Expanding Future of Synthetic Biology Education

Speakers: Chris Kuffner, Craig Trester, Devin Camenares - Education

2020 generated a meteoric rise in public interest for synthetic biology and demand for biotech workers. The next generation of synthetic biologists will begin their education on the topic earlier, and in greater numbers, than ever before. In some cases, existing educational platforms are not well-suited for this population, but when it comes to training them, iGEMmers are certainly the right people for the job! Join the After iGEM education network for a talk on some of the newest educational opportunities and resources inside and outside of iGEM

Keywords: Education, Mentorship, Students


The Rise of SynBio, from a Single Strand of DNA to a World of Possibilities

Speakers: Mélodie Dupré, Ellis C. Kelly, Muhammad Hassan Raza - Industry

What are the key events and discoveries that led from a single strand of DNA to the world of Synthetic Biology that we know today? Come with us to understand how this technology has evolved over time and how iGEM impacted this growth, with a special focus on SynBio in industry. We are waiting for your sharp perspectives on the potential upcoming opportunities and challenges that will build the future of SynBio in our complex world!

Keywords: Education, Mentorship, Students


Empowering Local Networks

Speakers: Nerea Capon Lamelas - SynBio Alliance

After the competition, many iGEM alumni continue making a local impact in the communities, through the creation of Synbio associations and other informal organizations. We want to recognize the impact of these networks in their local communitites- whether that involves educational, science communication or entrepreneurship activities - and create a strong global network.

Keywords: Networking, Community Engagement, SynBio Associations


Bio Convergence Revolution

Speakers: Sagi Sheinkman - Ambassadors to Europe

An introduction for motivations and applications of bio convergence (biology-engineering-computer science).

Keywords: Biodesign, Engineering


The Room Where It Happens: Shape the Future of Global Policy!

Speakers: Henrique D'Ambrosio Retti, Gokul Bhaskaran and Francisco Rene Melendez - Governance and Policy

The future that ambitious young synthetic biologists want to create cannot be engineered only in laboratories! As the world rethinks its biotechnology policy in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, how can iGEMers get involved? Learn about how you can bridge the gap between synbio and policy.

Keywords: Governance, Policy, COVID-19


Accelerating your Career with the iGEM Mentors Network

Speakers: Nannan Jiang - Mentors Network

You’re at the Jamboree celebrating another successful year. You recall everyone who helped - those who worked beside you everyday and others who addressed specific challenges. A mentor can be critical, but imagine if you had a whole network of mentors. We are excited to build upon the Mentorship Program by establishing the Mentors Network, a resource for the Competition and your career. Learn how to leverage your role as mentor, mentee, or both, to accelerate your career exploration!

Keywords: Mentor, Mentee, Career Development


Engineering a Common (SynBio) Language

Speakers: Deborah Schafhauser, Diego Rosas and Estefany Sofía Sánchez - Open Science and Accessibility

We are a community of more than 65000 iGEMers spread across the world, in more than 40 countries. Can you imagine in how many different languages “synthetic biology” is spoken? Accessibility barriers prevent many people from participating in synbio. Among these, the language barrier is a challenge to overcome. But how can we share concepts like the engineering design cycle or biobricks? Is it a matter of literal translation?

Keywords: Experience, Stories, North America


North American iGEM Experience

Speakers: Ansley Gnanapragasam, Marie Peras, Nimaya De Silva, Ethan Levy, Qitong Luan, Navya Lam, Tim Ho, Rocky An, Erin Kim and Kaavya Ashok

iGEM has opened many doors for participants to advance in their careers, be it academia or industry, and scientific endeavors. Here we describe our iGEM experiences and how they shaped us into the people we are today.

Keywords: Experience, Stories, North America


Latin American iGEM Experience

Speakers: Giovanna Maklouf, Minerva Castellanos, Abril Diosdado - Ambassadors to Latin America

Despite the existing challenges for iGEM teams in the Latin American region, we know that there are successful cases of professional development of participants from previous teams. We want to share some of these cases with the new iGEMers in our region to inspire them to stay involved in iGEM activities and continue to strive to achieve their goals.

Keywords: Experiences, Stories, LATAM


The Waka-Laka party games

The Ambassadors hosted three games for people to play, interact and get to know each other. This helped the community come together, interact and discuss topics not just related to synbio or iGEM but any global/regional experience that would be fun to share.


Networking and reunion parties