NEGEM

This year we met with other Boston area iGEM teams at NEGEM. This being Northeastern’s first year in iGEM, the meetup was a valuable tool. We heard about projects from nearby teams, gained a better grasp of what iGEM is all about, and met interesting undergraduates as enthusiastic about synthetic biology as we were. And, of course, we received feedback about our project.

AbVitro

AbVitro, Inc., a biotech campany in Watertown, MA, uses their ultra high-throughput antibody technology to analyze cancer biopsies for target discovery. Interested in hearing about possible alternatives for antibody production, they welcomed us to talk and gave advise (both technical and non-technical). They also provided Northeastern with TAP, the special made Chlamydomonas reinhardtii growth media.

Biogen

We went and spoke to students participating in Biogen’s “Adventures in Biotechnology.” This summer event features two weeks of hands-on biology for 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. At this event, we spoke about iGEM, the future of synthetic biology, and the possibility of high school students starting their own high school team.