iGEM 2011: World Championship Jamboree, MIT

Start:: November 5, 2011
End:: November 7, 2011

The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) is the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells. This project design and competition format is an exceptionally motivating and effective teaching method.

iGEM began in January of 2003 with a month-long course during MIT’s Independent Activities Period (IAP). The students designed biological systems to make cells blink. This design course grew to a summer competition with 5 teams in 2004, 13 teams in 2005 – the first year that the competition grew internationally, 32 teams in 2006, 54 teams in 2007, 84 teams in 2008, 112 teams in 2009, and 130 teams in 2010. Projects ranged from a rainbow of pigmented bacteria, to banana and wintergreen smelling bacteria, an arsenic biosensor, Bactoblood, and buoyant bacteria.

For iGEM 2011 we have 160 teams and over 2000 participants from 30 countries world-wide taking part in the competition. They will specify, design, build, and test simple biological systems made from standard, interchangeable biological parts. The accomplishments of these student teams during one summer are often impressive and will lead to important advances in medicine, energy, and the environment. Due to iGEM’s incredible growth the iGEM 2011 competition inaugurates a tiered structure, where teams will first compete in Regional Jamborees in their Region followed by a World Championship. The iGEM 2011 Regional Jamborees will be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Indianapolis, USA; and Hong Kong in October. A percentage of teams will then advance to the iGEM 2011 World Championship Jamboree held at MIT in Cambridge, USA in November.
iGEM is also introducing a High School Division that will focus on finding ways for high school student teams to enjoy iGEM in ways that fit the schedules, resources, and structures available to high school teams. The first iGEM High School Division Jamboree will be held in June. The High School Division stands to become as successful and as innovative as the iGEM Collegiate Division.

iGEM 2011 Calendar of Events

March IGEM 2011 registration opens
March 31 IGEM 2011 registration closes; Team registration fee due
April / May DNA Distribution sent to teams (target deadline; subject to change)
May – June Teachers Workshops
TBD Team project descriptions due
TBD Safety proposal due
August Regional Jamboree attendance fee due
TBD Track selection due
TBD Project abstracts due
TBD Team rosters due
TBD Safety forms due
TBD Project and part documentation due, including documentation for all medal criteria
TBD BioBrick Part DNA due to the Registry
TBD Judging form due
TBD Wiki FREEZE at 11:59pm, EDT
October 1-2 iGEM 2011 Regional Jamborees: Europe
October 8-10 iGEM 2011 Regional Jamborees: Americas
October 15-16 iGEM 2011 Regional Jamborees: Asia
November 5-7 iGEM 2011 World Championship Jamboree, MIT