iGEM Project Course 2020
iGEM 2020
We are looking for students to participate in our 2020 EPFL iGEM team. The core faculty advisor in 2020 is Prof. Maerkl and 2-4 TAs. We will consider students irrespective of their background, as we are hoping to build an interdisciplinary team consisting of Biologists, Engineers, Computer Scientist, Physicists, and Chemists (and whoever else is interested in learning about synthetic biology and bioengineering). For more information on iGEM and past projects see:- 2008 Project (Bronze Medal)
- 2009 Project (Gold Medal, Award: Best New Biobrick Engineered)
- 2010 Project (Gold Medal, Award: iGEMers Prize)
- 2011 Project (Gold Medal @ European Jamboree, Qualified for Finals at MIT)
- 2012 Project (Gold Medal @ European Jamboree)
- 2013 Project (Silver Medal @ European Jamboree, Qualified for Finals at MIT)
- 2014 Project (Gold Medal, Giant Jamboree MIT)
- 2015 Project (Silver Medal, Giant Jamboree MIT)
- 2016 Project (Gold Medal, Giant Jamboree MIT, Nominated for Best Information Processing Project and Software Tool)
- 2017 Project (Gold Medal, Giant Jamboree MIT, Award for Best Education and Public Engagement Project, Nominated for: Best Diagnostics Project, Best Integrated Human Practices, Best New Basic Part, Best Software)
- 2018 Project (Gold Medal, Giant Jamboree MIT, Nominated for: Best Therapeutics Project, Best Software Project)
- 2019 Project (Grand Prize Winner Overgrad, Best Environment Project, Best Integrated Human Practices, Gold Medal, Nominated for: Best Part Collection, Best Presentation, Best Wiki)
What you will get out of iGEM:
- you will learn about synthetic biology (through lectures, lab work, and by participating at the iGEM Jamboree)
- you will receive intensive practical training in molecular biology lab techniques (PCR, cloning, cell culturing, etc.)
- you will gain insight into the specific project the team will be working on (this of course is not yet determined)
- you will learn how to conduct basic biological research outside of a classical course laboratory setting. In other words, you will learn how to conduct independent, goal-oriented research.
- you will represent EPFL at the international iGEM competition
What are the requirements
- iGEM project participants are expected to attend all introductory lectures given in the Spring term
- participants must be present for a majority of time from February to September, including the summer ! (this part is extremely important, see next point)
- significant presence in the lab is of utmost importance during the summer break. This equates to a full-time job (40+ hours a week)!
- knowledge in Biology is not a requirement!
Application Procedure
As positions on the team are limited we may have to select students if the pool of applicants exceeds 10-12 students. In order for us to select the most qualified applications we will require the following information: Please include:- Your name
- Your field of study (your major)
- Your year of study (2nd year Bachelor, 1st year Masters, ....)
- Your GPA (grade point average)
- the EPFL project can't be reviewed!
- length of the review should be 1 page: 12pt Arial, double spaced
- summarize the project
- why did the team choose to work on this particular project, i.e. what is the rationale behind the project, what did the team try to accomplish and why
- criticize the project: Did the team manage to accomplish their goals? What worked, what didn't and why? Did the team choose a good approach; could you think of other ways to accomplish their goals?
- How would you expand on the project? New applications, different approaches, etc.
Submission Info
EXTENDED deadline is February 1st!!
Send your application by clicking
(don't change the subject heading of the email!)