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iGEM is dedicated to advancing achievements in synthetic biology through education and competition, and to the development of an open, collaborative and cooperative community that strives to find solutions for a healthier, more resilient and sustainable world.

Synthetic biology is a rapidly growing field that applies engineering principles to biological systems, enabling the development of biotechnologies that work in harmony with nature and tackle global challenges.
iGEM Competition 2025

Registration is open until
March 31, 2025!

Discover the world’s biggest synthetic biology competition!
iGEM 2025
28-31 October | Paris Convention Center
5000+
Attendees
400+
Teams
50+
Countries* & Regions

Local people solving local problems all over the world

Through iGEM, people are creating synthetic biology ecosystems around the world. There are hundreds of success stories originating at iGEM.

iGEM TEAMS SINCE 2004

1 817

ASIA

1 259

NORTH AMERICA

1 059

EUROPE

192

LATIN AMERICA

30

AFRICA
Vilnius
Vilnius
Lithuania

Inspiration, persistence, and excellence are hallmarks of the Vilnius iGEM team. Students formed the team in 2015 when synthetic biology was barely known in Lithuania. Representing a country of 2.8 million inhabitants, the team won the Grand Prize in 2017 for developing a biological framework designed to make working with single and multi-plasmid systems precise, easy and functional. Their accomplishment served as an inspiration for new iGEM teams and helped bring synthetic biology on the map in Lithuania. The team went to build BioMatter, a startup for health and sustainable manufacturing.

Bluepha
Bluepha
China

Dr. Li Teng and Dr. Zhang Haoqian met in 2010 at the Chinese Regional iGEM Jamboree. They co-founded Bluepha in 2015 with a vision of solving practical and local problems based on synthetic biology. Their first product is an environmentally friendly plastic, and they are dedicated to "creating 100 products that impact 5 billion people." More than 50% of Bluepha"s founding team are iGEM alumni. By nurturing the growth of young researchers who provide innovative perspectives on synthetic biology, Bluepha creates a better business environment for scientists and entrepreneurs.

Sumbawa
Sumbawa
Indonesia

The 2014 Sumbawagen iGEM team aimed to make a meaningful impact to support Sumbawa's way of life by using synthetic biology to develop a safe, eco-friendly system for farmers to distinguish counterfeit honey from real forest honey. With few resources, the team devised equipment using whatever materials they had on hand to carry out their project. To recognize their extraordinary effort, the Sumbawagen iGEM team won the first Chairman's Award. Team members continued to pursue synthetic biology, and the first iGEM Indonesia League will be launched this year.

Amazonas
Amazonas
Brazil

In 2013, Manauara students set out to protect and preserve their Amazon river through synthetic biology. Over decades waste disposal has been polluting the mighty river sea, thus harming the biodiversity and damaging the ecosystem. The teams created solutions to target over 146 million tons of frying oil and 3,000 tonnes of mercury that polluted the river each year. In addition to their technological work, they spent countless hours traveling by boat to educate people, from young students to lawmakers, about synthetic biology, environmentalism, and the preservation of the Amazon rainforest.

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iGEM has established many initiatives to support the future growth of synthetic biology throughout the world.

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