International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM): A PAID student led summer research group - Info 10/26 or 10/29

The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM), is an international synthetic biology competition involving teams from over 250+ universities worldwide. Synthetic biology is in many ways related to the field of genetic engineering, but it is not nearly so limited. It is a rapidly advancing field that combines not only biological, but also chemical, physical, engineering, and programming principles to solve problems in areas ranging from medicine to the environment. This past year, the 2015 UMaryland iGEM team presented its research at the iGEM conference in Boston and received a gold medal as well as a nomination for the best "New Application" project.

So what makes iGEM different from other research internships? It is completely student driven, meaning students design and implement a project from the ground up. The project is completely decided by the students, and all the research is done by the students, but we do have faculty mentors to guide us along the way. This allows students to experience all aspects of research, not just the lab work. We have to raise our own money, create our own website to present our results, and organize our own outreach activities to engage the community. Because iGEM is so interdisciplinary, we need students not only from biological and engineering fields, but students from business, computer science, social science, and many other fields as well.

We are currently looking to recruit talented and driven students for the 2016 iGEM team. We will be holding general information sessions on Monday, October 26th and Thursday, October 29th in Chem 1407 at 7:00pm. Come to learn more about iGEM, our team, and how to join. Additionally, please contact us at umarylandigem@gmail.com if you have any questions.