Giant Jamboree/Special Events
Workshops
In addition to the main portion of the Jamboree which is the team presentations and posters as in the past, we are organizing and inviting others to organize additional special events.
Take a look at last years special events or send us a message at hq at igem dot org if you have any questions.
iGEM Community Workshops
Brainstorming Room: Gender Diversity in iGEM
This year, we are introducing a new type of interactive space to the Giant Jamboree: a Brainstorming Room! The focus for 2015 will be Gender Diversity in iGEM. We're asking teams, instructors, and Jamboree participants to help us understand the gender issues that iGEM teams encounter around the world by sharing your ideas and experiences, and to help brainstorm ways that both members of iGEM Headquarters and rest of the iGEM community can help address these issues and promote gender diversity in teams.
This room will remain open throughout the Jamboree and we invite you to stop by to add your thoughts and experiences to our interactive walls. Printed instructions and materials will be provided in the room throughout the weekend. We also invite you to join us for an instructional session on Friday evening to help kick off the brainstorming!
Panel: Women in Science
This workshop will highlight issues and solutions for diversity in the scientific community with a focus on women participating in iGEM. iGEM Fellow Kim de Mora will share how iGEM judging has been directly changed by a study performed by the Paris Bettencourt 2013 team. There will be lightning talks, personal experiences from the panel members, and a discussion session with the audience members.
Panelists:
- Professor Anne Meyer, TU Delft (Moderator)
- Aude Bernheim, Institut Pasteur
- Professor Karmella Haynes, Arizona State University
- Dr. Kim de Mora, iGEM Foundation
- Dr. Louise Horsfall, University of Edinburgh
- Professor Maria Mercedes Roca Sanchez, Tecnológico de Monterrey
College and High School Meet and Greet
The workshop aims to create a pipeline for the next generation of Synthetic Biologists in universities and is a networking session for high school students and collegiate instructors and advisors. High school students can meet with collegiate team instructors and advisors to learn about the synthetic biology communities at different colleges and universities. Collegiate team members are also encouraged to attend to share their experiences with the high school team members.
Hosted by Lambert High School and the iGEM High School Committee
Hall of Fame
Come walk through the history of iGEM in our first ever Hall of Fame exhibit! Learn about the history of the competition and see the previous projects that have won Grand Prize. Highlights will also include other milestones, including specific BioBricks, as well as the start-ups that spun out of iGEM projects. You'll also have a chance to insert yourself in iGEM history through an interactive wall where attendees can sign their names!
Human Practices Showcase
How can we continue to make Human Practices better? This session will invite iGEM teams and advisors to reflect on their experiences with the Human Practices aspects of their projects - what has excited you most about HP? What challenges have you faced in doing your HP work? What are your hopes are for the future of HP in iGEM? The Human Practices committee, representatives from IGEM HQ, and other special guests, will be there to listen to your experiences and respond to your ideas!
Latin America Workshop
A session to discuss the future of the Latin America region. Teams will brainstorm and plan for the new Latin America committee and will learn about “Synbio sin fronteras” from Doctora María Mercedes Roca.
Conflict Resolution
To be a successful researcher, you will need to rely not only your scientific ability, but also on your skill in managing and leading others. This session will focus on the “human” factors that contribute to successful team science. Presented from the perspective of two professionals with extensive experience in conflict management within research university settings, the session will cover:
- Factors contributing to the success of research team
- Tips on establishing and maintaining successful research teams
- Managing conflict constructively in a team science context
The session will include time to address questions from the learners in attendance.
Organized by the Boston University Office of the Ombuds.
Safeguarding Science and the Future
Meet with the FBI and participate in a discussion on the shared responsibility to protect the life sciences as a member of law enforcement or the synthetic biology community (whether you’re an iGEM’er, scientist, biohacker, investor, business person, or all of the above). Find out what it means to be a guardian of science. Hosted by the FBI.
Building with Biology: Synbio Engagement at Science Centers
The NSF-funded "Building with Biology” project has created a suite of hands-on activities and conversations to create conversations between scientists and the public about synthetic biology and its implications at 200 science museums around the US. Come try out some of these activities and find out how to get involved! Hosted by the Museum of Science, Boston.
A Syn Bio Approach to Novel Molecular Bio
Molecular Biology is undergoing a revolution, fueled by the promise of Synthetic Biology. Join us to see emerging technologies that accelerate the design, build, test, and analyze cycle: SureVector Next Generation Cloning System, allowing you to combine standard DNA components with your own gene of interest to build your own customized vector in a 20 minute reaction. QuikChange HT Protein Engineering System, enabling rapid creation of libraries of rationally designed mutants, precisely targeting and mutating from 1 to 20x50 consecutive or discreet AA with up to 120,000 user-defined sequences at a fraction of the cost of a synthetic variant library. Early access to Agilent genome editing products.
See how free SureVector kits are being used by iGEM Teams! Join us to see emerging next gen cloning, protein expression, and genome editing technologies that accelerate the design, build, test, and analyze cycle. Up to 3 Teams will be chosen to speak about their use of SureVector in their projects. For more info, visit Partner Special Offers. Hosted by Agilent.
Multi-Omics Solutions for Syn Bio Workflows
Synthetic biology requires multi-disciplinary approaches in the discovery of enzymes, pathways and suitable organisms, the building of efficient production strains and their validation, and finally the creation and monitoring of a bioprocess. Agilent’s broad portfolio of solutions and tools in molecular biology, analytical instrumentation, as well as bioinformatics solutions for data analysis and integration enable researchers to overcome challenges in their workflows from discovery, through the engineering cycle, to the final bioprocess. Hosted by Agilent.
Design and Run Experiments in Automated Labs
At Autodesk, we have been working on tools to accelerate scientific discovery. In this workshop, we will explore visual tools to create, execute and analyze automated lab experiments. Hosted by Autodesk.
Modeling Biology with SimBiology
Mathematical modeling is an indispensable component of synthetic biology, and the iGEM competition. Modeling and simulation enables synthetic biologists to test the feasibility of their designs prior to fabrication, thus cutting down on trial and error. Every year, iGEM teams successfully use modeling as a tool to guide and optimize the design of their genetic assemblies. In this workshop, we will introduce iGEM teams to SimBiology, a MATLAB-based tool for modeling, simulating and analyzing biological systems. Using an example from synthetic biology, we will demonstrate key features, including:
- Block diagram model building environment
- Model exploration methods, including sensitivity analysis
- Parameter estimation techniques
- Advanced analysis via custom analysis tasks written in MATLAB
Hosted by MathWorks.
Host a workshop!
We have 60 minute workshop opportunities available. Workshop options include 1 session, 1-day (includes 2 sessions) or weekend (5 sessions) workshops. Click here for more details.
To host a workshop or learn more about our event, contact us at:
hq AT igem DOT org
