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.