FSU iGEM
What is FSU iGEM?
The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition is the premiere student competition in synthetic biology. Throughout the past year, FSU iGEM members have experienced education, teamwork, sharing, and more in a unique competitive setting. The mission of FSU iGEM is to provide students with a world-class experience focused on:
- Inclusive excellence in empathy, curiosity, and ingenuity
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design, Mathematics (STEAM) education
- Project-based exposure to biological science and engineering
- Developing and maintaining excellent multidisciplinary teams
- Leading the conversation on the opportunities and impact of synthetic biology at FSU and beyond
- Having fun!
To find out more about our program and learn about our past teams, please visit our website at https://med.fsu.edu/igem/home.
2022 Team Project and the Grand Jamboree
This year’s iGEM team is working hard to save Florida’s manatees after losing over ten percent of the local population in 2021. The underlying cause for this historic loss is harmful algal blooms (HABs) inhibiting the growth of manatees’ primary food source -seagrass. The Florida manatee serves as a keystone species helping maintain seagrass growth, provide fertilization for aquatic plants, and consume invasive species that are harmful for the environment like hyacinth. The 2022 team has worked closely with environmental journalists, academic researchers, non-profits, and state wildlife officials. Currently, our team is attempting to synthesize the organic compound, cercosporin, to act as an algicide to inhibit the growth of and fully eliminate algae on the cellular level in our waterways.
For 2022, the culminating event of the iGEM experience, the Grand Jamboree, is finally returning to being in-person and it is being held for the first time in Paris, France! The Jamboree is where the team will present their research and be judged based on the competition’s medal criteria. It is also an opportunity for the team to engage with the iGEM global community, network with academic and industry recruiters, and attend a plethora of educational workshops. The Jamboree is how we celebrate and reward the year-long hard work of the FSU iGEM team. Help us make this trip happen!