UBC team bags gold in synthetic biology competition

UBC’s iGEM team received gold medal status and an award for the best mathematical model at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) North America regional championships in Toronto.

More than 250 teams of undergraduate students participate in the annual synthetic biology competition. Each team builds a biological system inside a living cell using a kit of DNA and RNA sequences engineered for specific purposes. The UBC team comprises Applied Science and Science undergrads who carry out a student-driven research project from May to November under the mentorship of faculty members Dr. Steven Hallam and Dr. Joanne Fox and led by Mike VanInsberghe and graduate student advisors James Round and Ray Socha.

This year’s team includes Fisal Elstone, Joe Ho, Dan Korvin, Anna Muller, Grace Yi, Michael Peters, Frances Russell, Cameron Strachan, Negin Tousi, Liz Geum, Joel Kumlin, Dave VanInsberghe, and Tony Zhao. The team will take part in the World Championships at MIT in Boston in November.