Academic
2024/25 Application Updates:MSBT operates around the iGEM competition cycle, with iGEM held in November. We collect interest during the Fall semester, but open the application and complete recruitment in January (2025). Please fill out this form to be added to our interest list and be sent periodic updates about our progress, as well as information surrounding applying to MSBT come January 2025. In the meantime, check out 2022's project wiki page, 2023's project wiki page, as well as our team website! We are extremely proud to have been awarded a Gold Medal at iGEM 2022 and iGEM 2023, as well as have been nominated for best undergraduate diagnostics project at iGEM 2023. Who Are We?The Michigan Synthetic Biology Team is an entirely student run research and engineering design team in the biological sciences. We develop and execute our own research projects in the area of synthetic biology. Students have the opportunity to gain hands on experience in conducting scientific research, running a laboratory, engineering novel biological systems, fundraising, public outreach, leadership, and working as part of a multidisciplinary team. Every year, the team competes in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) jamboree competition in Paris, France. What is Synthetic Biology?Synthetic Biology combines biology and engineering to design, construct, and test biological devices and systems. Combining these two disciplines allows us to better understand life, and use that understanding to benefit society. Synthetic Biology is distinct from Genetic Engineering in that the latter only alters existing genes, whereas the former utilizes existing, modified, and man-made genes to make life perform useful functions not normally found in nature. Through synthetic biology, it may be possible to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems such as energy shortage, environmental pollution, and disease. However, we must be wary of potential safety and ethical issues along the way. What is iGEM?iGEM is an international undergraduate synthetic biology competition. In 2015, iGEM consisted of 259 teams and 2700 participants from all over the world. Every year, teams research, design, construct, and test a novel biological system. Students have at their disposal bits of DNA from the iGEM Registry of Standard Biological parts to help aid them in building their biological “machine”. In addition, students are encouraged to build their own parts and develop new techniques to make life easier to engineer. Teams also help to increase awareness for synthetic biology through public outreach and analyze safety concerns as a part of the project design process. Projects are wide ranging and are divided into the following categories: Environment, Food and Nutrition, Energy, Foundational Advance, Health and Medicine, Information Processing, Manufacturing, Software Tools, and New Applications. For more information, see igem.org. Who Can Join?Any undergraduate student with an interest in synthetic biology and biological engineering is welcome to join! No previous experience is required. We also welcome members with extensive lab experience, especially with expertise in specific techniques, including human cell culture, Gibson assembly, and plasmid engineering. In addition, we always have places for students interested in mathematical modeling, business, programming, web design, and animation. Our team is composed of undergraduate students from a variety of majors, including (but not limited to) Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mathematics, Biophysics, Neuroscience, Microbiology, Philosophy, and Materials Science & Engineering. We also have graduate students and faculty advisors from multiple colleges and departments on campus. Students will become acquainted with the theory and techniques during weekly meetings from February to the end of Winter Semester, at which point we will transition
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# Time Commitment: 3 - 5 hours/week
# Cost: $0/Semester
# Academic/Honor Societies
# Science/Technology/Engineering
# Joining Process: Application
# Joining Process: Interview
