Difference between revisions of "Team:Vilnius-Lithuania/Team/Members"

The Vilnius iGEM 2015 Team

Vilnius iGEM is the first International Genetically Engineered Machine competition team from Lithuania and the Baltic states. The team was initiated by Dainius Tautvaišas, who participated in 2013 iGEM competition with Edinburgh University. Along with the first member Ingrida, they recruited the final team. So now there are seven students of genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry.

We are happy to have Prof. Dr. Virginijus Šikšnys as our team instructor and mentor along with Dainius. Also we cannot thank more to Prof. Dr. Šikšnys for the opportunity to realize our project at the Institute of Biotechnology.

Student members

Barbora Bajorinaitė Third year Genetics

I am a third year genetics student and therefore youngest member of the team. Right now I am just starting to work in a lab, so iGEM means a lot of new experiences and having fun while learning.

Danielius Dvareckas Bachelor of Biochemistry

As a biochemistry student who loves programming as a hobby iGEM is a great opportunity to learn new skills while working on an inspiring project! As you might have guessed, I am responsible for our team’s wiki. My motto is „Improve and move forward“. iGEM is a wonderful addition to the never ending learning cycle that quenches my thirst for knowledge.

Ieva Rauluševičiūtė Final year Genetics

For me being a member of the Vilnius iGEM team is an opportunity to create something our own, to make a project from scratch. My passion is finding out and trying new things, so this competition is perfect to me. I don’t only work in the laboratory, but also coordinate our team’s social networking, seek sponsorship and make sure the team and our project engages the public.

Ieva Savickytė Final year Genetics

I like new things and approaches, which is the reason why iGEM is very appealing. It gives me an opportunity not only to be a part of a scientific project, but also develop organizational skills, meet students and researchers from all over the world. Besides science, I am interested in literature, history, sailing and traveling.

Ingrida Olendraitė Bachelor of Molecular Biology

Having a dimple in my cheek is what I need the most for iGEM. I coordinate all the outreach activities we do and present our ideas to the public, therefore my smile with dimples is what helps the most. People love them and as much as I love smiling. Aside from meetings and presentations, I work to secure funding and also work in the laboratory. Next year will be challenging for me, because I will move to London to study Genetics of Human Diseases at UCL.

Mykolas Bendorius Bachelor of Molecular Biology

I joined the competition because it gives our team the opportunity to develop some crazy ideas that are just our own. In the team my main responsibility is the scientific part – experiment planning and development. I am very happy to be a part of the team and I am very excited about our project! This year is the last when I can participate as a Vilnius iGEM member, because I was accepted to study biosciences at École Normale Supérieure in Lyon, France.

Šarūnas Tumas Bachelor of Biochemistry

Together with Mykolas I coordinate and plan lab work. iGEM is a great opportunity to learn how to control all the project. People say, that I have good critical thinking, so it is an encouragement to make sure all things go according to plan. This year I will start Masters studies of Biochemistry at the University of Copenhagen.

Instructors

Dainius Tautvaišas Main instructor / MSc Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology

Ever since participating in iGEM in 2013 as a student, I had been waiting for a Lithuanian team to participate, given our country’s large biotech industry and strong interdisciplinary student base. This year I took matters into my own hands and assembled the first team in the Baltic States – Vilnius iGEM! I provide the team with ample advice about the competition and synthetic biology frontiers. This year I am starting my PhD in Regenerative Medicine at Edinburgh University – using Synthetic Biology approaches to treat human diabetes!

Virginijus Šikšnys Principal investigator

I like the enthusiasm and dedication of the Vilnius-iGEM team. It started as a grassroots movement and quickly developed into an excellent team. Students learned quickly how to generate ideas, communicate and raise funding. I believe they started the iGEM generation in Lithuania. I wish I was a student again.