The University of Texas at Austin

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---+!! The University of Texas at Austin :: iGEM Team
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---++ What is synthetic biology? What is iGEM?

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| <a href="http://igem.org/About"><img alt="" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/IGEM_official_logo.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | "<strong>Synthetic biology</strong> is the design and construction of biological devices and systems for useful purposes." &ndash;[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_biology][Wikipedia page]]<p>"At the most basic level, *synthetic biologists* ... want to engineer living cells to do something useful" &ndash;[[https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/biobuilder/9781491907504/ch01.html][BioBuilder]]<p>"<strong>The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM)</strong> is the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells." &ndash;[[http://igem.org/About][iGEM Foundation]] |

<div align="justify">[[https://igem.org/][iGEM]], the International Genetically Engineered Machine, is a semi-competitive research program in synthetic biology. Teams around the world spend the Spring, Summer, and early Fall building their projects each year and then present at the Grand Jamboree for awards across several categories. Our laboratory hosts the Austin UTexas team each year. In the fall of each year, the iGEM community gathers at an annual "Jamboree" to present their work from the past year.  Pre-COVID, World Jamborees were held in Boston. Starting in 2022, they moved to Paris, France.  Select students will have a chance to attend this event (at least virtually) to present our team's work. </div>

<div align="justify">If you're new to synthetic biology and are interested in learning more about it, check out our [[SynBio101][SynBio101]] page</div>

---++ Interested in joining the UT Austin iGEM Team?

<div align="justify">Participating in the iGEM competition is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to gain research and career skills. *iGEM is a science pentathlon!* It's part synthetic biology research project, part robotics competition for biology, part entrepreneurial pitch contest, part bioethics course, and part engineering design project. Students are expected to explore their own project ideas, reflect on and explain how their proposed solution to a problem would benefit society, engage in outreach to stakeholders, and operate as a team to complete proof-of-principle research. After working on their research during the spring and summer, teams create a project website and give poster and oral presentations at a Jamboree in mid-fall with >350 teams from all over the world participating. </div>

<font color="red">We are especially looking for NON-biologists to join the team!  Maybe you are a design major, maybe pre-law, or a social scientist interested in how technology and science interacts with society.  We want you on our 2024 iGEM team! </font>

[[https://eureka.utexas.edu/project/2024-igem-synthetic-biology-team][Click here for more information and application instructions! (link restricted to UT Austin students)]]

<!-- <img alt="" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/FRIGEM_space_2018-04-27_opentrons.jpg" height="520" />%BR% Lab space shared by the UT Austin iGEM team and the UT [[https://cns.utexas.edu/fri][Freshman Research Initiative]] (FRI) [[https://cns.utexas.edu/component/cobalt/item/2073-hijacking-microbial-factories-for-synthetic-biology][Microbe Hackers]] and [[https://cns.utexas.edu/component/cobalt/item/1426-biobricks][Biobricks]] streams --->

---++ What do our alumni go on to do?
<div align="justify"> Our iGEM alumni regularly go on to prestigious graduate schools, medical schools, and biotech companies.  Recent alumni have gone to Caltech, MIT, Harvard, Rice, Wash U, U Washington, UT Austin, and other prestigious graduate programs. They can also be found at medical schools throughout Texas.  Within biotech, they work at companies such as Ginkgo Bioworks, Sanofi, and Zymergen. </div>

---++ Want to Sponsor the UT Austin iGEM Team?

Contact us if you are interested in sponsoring or having your company sponsor the incredible students on our iGEM team. You can also make a tax-deductible donation through our [[https://40for40.utexas.edu/giving-day/58367/department/58506][40for40 giving page]] at any time. Your donations are used to support travel and participation in the international iGEM jamboree and to provide stipends to students during the summer.

---++ UT Austin iGEM Team Projects and Awards

UT Austin has a long history of participation in iGEM, including:
   * Implementing bacterial photography (the [[http://parts.igem.org/Coliroid][Coliroid]])
   * Creating caffeine-sensing and DNA-sensing bacteria.
   * Top 10 undergraduate team and Best Foundational Advance Award in 2022
   * Best Measurement Awards in 2024, 2019, and 2012.
   * Earning the top Gold Medal designation ten times.
   * iGEM team students as co-authors on scientific papers.

__Click on the links or images below to learn more about their projects!__


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| *<font size=+1>2024</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="https://2024.igem.wiki/austin-utexas/"><img width="150" alt="2024_project.png" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2024_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a>  | *<font size=+1>Gluten Gobblers</font>* %BR%[[https://2024.igem.wiki/austin-utexas/][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2024 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%%ICON{award}% *Winner* Best Measurement%BR%%ICON{stargold}% *Finalist* Best Food and Nutrition Project| 
| *<font size=+1>2023</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="https://2023.igem.wiki/austin-utexas/"><img width="150" alt="2023_project.png" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2023_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a>  | *<font size=+1>ASSA-Cin</font>* %BR%[[https://2023.igem.wiki/austin-utexas/][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2023 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%%ICON{stargold}% *Finalist* Best Agriculture Project%BR%%ICON{stargold}% *Finalist* Best Part Collection%BR%%ICON{stargold}% *Finalist* Best Sustainable Development Impact | 
| *<font size=+1>2022</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="https://2022.igem.wiki/austin-utexas/"><img width="150" alt="2022_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2022_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>ARROWE</font>* %BR%[[https://2022.igem.wiki/austin-utexas/][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2022 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%%ICON{star-full}% *Top 10 undergrad team* %BR% %ICON{award}% *Winner* Best Foundational Advance%BR%%ICON{stargold}% *Finalist* Best Part Collection%BR%%ICON{stargold}% *Finalist* Best Presentation | 
| *<font size=+1>2021</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_silver.png" width="50">* | <a href="http://2021.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas"><img width="150" alt="2021_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2021_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>OCTOPUS</font>* %BR%[[http://2021.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2021 iGEM Team Project]] |
| *<font size=+1>2020</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="http://2020.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas"><img width="150" alt="2020_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2020_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>Phast-Phage</font>* %BR%[[http://2020.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2020 iGEM Team Project]] |
| *<font size=+1>2019</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="http://2019.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas"><img width="150" alt="2019_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2019_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a>  | *<font size=+1>Burden-O-Meter</font>* %BR%[[http://2019.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2019 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%%ICON{award}% *Winner* Best Measurement%BR%%ICON{stargold}% *Finalist* Best Foundational Advance%BR%%ICON{viewtopic}% [[https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50639-9][<i>Nature Communications</i> paper]]  | 
| *<font size=+1>2018</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_bronze.png" width="50">* | <a href="http://2018.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas"><img width="150" alt="2018_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2018_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a>   | *<font size=+1>BHR plasmid kit</font>* %BR% [[http://2018.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2018 iGEM Team Project]] | 
| *<font size=+1>2017</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="http://2017.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas"><img width="150" alt="2017_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2017_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>Yo GABA GABA</font>* %BR%[[http://2017.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2017 iGEM Team Project]] |
| *<font size=+1>2016</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="http://2016.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas"><img width="150" alt="2016_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2016_project.jpg" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>SCOBY Doo</font>* %BR%[[http://2016.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2016 iGEM Team Project]]%BR% %ICON{viewtopic}% [[https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v19i2.1530][<i>Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education</i> paper]] | 
| *<font size=+1>2015</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="http://2015.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas"><img width="150" alt="2015_project.png" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2015_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>Breaking is Bad</font>* %BR%[[http://2015.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2015 iGEM Team Project]]%BR%%ICON{viewtopic}% [[https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01965-19][<i>Applied and Environmental Microbiology</i> paper]]   |
| *<font size=+1>2014</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="http://2014.igem.org/Team:Austin_Texas"><img width="150" alt="2014_project.png" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2014_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>GC Expansion Pack</font>*  %BR%[[http://2014.igem.org/Team:Austin_Texas][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2014 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%%ICON{viewtopic}% [[https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.6b00192][<i>ACS Synthetic Biology</i> paper]] |
| *<font size=+1>2013</font>%BR%%BR%<img src="%ATTACHURL%/UGent_Belgium_medal_gold.png" width="50">* | <a href="http://2013.igem.org/Team:Greensboro-Austin"><img width="150" alt="2012_project.png" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2013_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>MAPs and Bioscrubber</font>* %BR%[[http://2013.igem.org/Team:Greensboro-Austin][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2013 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%%ICON{bridge}% Joint with North Carolina A&T |
| *<font size=+1>2012</font>* | <a href="http://2012.igem.org/Team:Austin_Texas"><img width="150" alt="2012_project.png" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2012_project.png" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>Decaffeination</font>* %BR%[[http://2012.igem.org/Team:Austin_Texas][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2012 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%%ICON{award}% *Winner* Best Experimental Measurement Approach, Americas West%BR%%ICON{starred}% *Advanced* to International Jamboree%BR%%ICON{viewtopic}% [[https://doi.org/10.1021/sb4000146][<i>ACS Synthetic Biology</i> paper]] |
| *<font size=+1>2006</font>* | <a href="http://2006.igem.org/wiki/index.php/University_of_Texas_2006"><img width="150" alt="2006_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2006_project.jpg" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>Edge Detector*</font>* %BR% [[http://2006.igem.org/wiki/index.php/UT_Austin_2005][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2005 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%[[http://2006.igem.org/wiki/index.php/University_of_Texas_2006][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2006 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%%ICON{starred}% *3rd Place* Best System |
| *<font size=+1>2005</font>* | <a href="http://2006.igem.org/wiki/index.php/UT_Austin_2005"><img width="150" alt="2005_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2005_project.jpg" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>Edge Detector</font>* %BR%%ICON{stargold}% *Best* Live Demo%BR%%ICON{stargold}% *Best* Model-Driven Design%BR% %ICON{stargold}% *Best* Proposed Funding Mechanism   |
| *<font size=+1>2004</font>* | <a href="http://2004.igem.org/austin.cgi"><img width="150" alt="2004_project.jpg" src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2004_project.jpg" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px" height="150" /></a> | *<font size=+1>Bacterial Photography</font>* %BR%[[http://2004.igem.org/austin.cgi][%ICON{searchtopic}% 2004 iGEM Team Project]] %BR%%ICON{flag}% One of five teams to participate in the 1st ever iGEM competition!%BR%%ICON{award}% *Winner* Grand Prize%BR%%ICON{viewtopic}% [[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2009.04.048][<i>Cell</i> paper]] |

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|  <img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2022_team_award.jpeg" alt="2022_team_award.jpeg" height='420' />  |
|  2022 UT iGEM team with the Best Foundational Advance Award (Photo: Nolan Zunk, UT Austin)  |

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|  <img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/2019_team_award.jpg" alt="2019_team_award.jpg" height='300' />  |
|  2019 UT iGEM team with the Best Measurement Award for their [[https://2019.igem.org/Team:Austin_UTexas][Burden-O-Meter project]]  |

*Credit for iGEM medal images: https://2016.igem.org/Team:UGent_Belgium/Medals
Barrick Lab > UTiGEMTeam
Contributors to this topic
JeffreyBarrick, DennisMishler, CameronRoots, AlexaMorton
Topic revision: r68 - 2024-10-29 - 14:02:39 - Main.JeffreyBarrick