At 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, students, faculty and supporters will come together to learn more about forming a history-making International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team at Newman University.
The campus-wide meeting will be held in the Bishop Gerber Science Center, room 105. Pizza and sodas will be available for guests.
What is iGEM?
According to its website, iGEM is “dedicated to advancing achievements in synthetic biology through education and competition, and the development of an open, collaborative and cooperative community that strives to find solutions for a healthier, more resilient and sustainable world.”
With iGEM teams in more than 65 countries, each team consists of a primary investigator, instructors, students and advisers. Thousands of synthetic biology products and proofs of concept have already been tested through iGEM in its 20-plus year history, leading to the launch of new companies and additional research opportunities.
A ‘fantastic opportunity’ for Newman students
Assistant Professor of Biology Daryl Goad is passionate about starting a team at Newman — not only for the once-in-a-lifetime experience students can gain but also for the chance to make Kansas history.
For students in pre-professional programs ranging from medical school to business, the iGEM experience can be a resumé-boosting project that ensures students stand out when applying to enter a range of competitive fields, Goad said.
“The reality is that your application is probably going to look like 50,000 other applications on the desk. One of the keys is distinguishing yourself from everybody else. Having independent research experience where you have been in the lab, dealing with those problems and doing the troubleshooting on an international stage. … That is going to be a huge difference from every other application. You’re going to go into the short stack, which is the stack you want to be in.”
Open to all
iGEM isn’t limited to biology students. There are opportunities for business students, project management, leadership, art and more. Goad stressed that while a primary investigator is required to supervise the research, the project is ultimately student-driven.
“You decide the project, you work as a team, you collaborate, you do problem solving,” Goad said. “You run into all the issues of doing research. And quite honestly, science is mostly failure. But you try again and get to the next step. It is an iterative process, and I think this is a fantastic opportunity in so many ways. It’s good for the university, it’s good for the community, it’s good for the students.”
Goad believes Newman University has what it takes to compete at an international level — from the ideal research setting of the state-of-the-art Bishop Gerber Science Center to the hardworking students.
“There’s no reason our Newman students can’t be successful at this level,” Goad said. “We just have to generate that opportunity for them.”
There is a cost to register an iGEM team, but it’s Goad’s hope that fundraising, sponsorships and/or grants can help cover the cost of student participation. Additionally, every iGEM team can present, compete and meet world-class scientists at the 2025 iGEM Grand Jamboree, which will take place in Paris October 2026.
“It’s going take us a couple years to be competitive and to really ramp up,” Goad said. “There’s going to be a huge learning curve, but hopefully, this becomes a self-perpetuating thing where we build on projects. It gives students across the board a year of independent research experience, too, which is huge.”
All are welcome to attend the campus-wide iGEM meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the Bishop Gerber Science Center, room 105, to learn more.
Save the date: Goats with Goad
From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, Professor Goad will bring his baby goats to campus for students, staff, faculty and community members to feed, pet and play with at the Dresselhaus Patio (outside of Sacred Heart Hall). All are welcome. The Mental Health Advocacy Team sponsors this event.
