Team | Alma - iGEM 2022

George Amoako:

Major: Biochemistry
Year: 2024
Position: Wet Lab Researcher

My name is George Amoako, I'm on our team's wet lab. In this cycle, I worked to validate 7 mutations introduced into Co1E1 origin of replication to qualify it for the improvement of an existing part in the gold medal criteria. Outside iGEM, I'm a Teaching Assistant (TA) for Organic Chemistry and First-Year Resident Assistant (RA). iGEM presents an opportunity to connect science and real world problems, that's what makes it interesting to me.

Connor Arens:

Major: Integrative Physiology and Health Science
Year: 2022
Position: Wet Lab Researcher

My name is Connor, and I'm a Senior this year. I'm majoring in Integrative Physiology and Health Science, and plan to go to medical school to be an emergency room physician. I have worked on this project for three and a half years and have worked primarily in the wet lab, but have had a hand in all parts of the team throughout the years. I designed the circuit that we have built for our biosensor.

Mackenzie Breitner:

Major: World Language Culture and Biology
Year: 2023
Position: Human Practices Member

I am a member of the Human Practices sector of the Alma iGEM team. I have organized a diversity and inclusion event called LatinX Voices in STEM that was open to the entirety of Alma College to attend, ask questions, and learn.

Judith Brooks:

Major: Biology and Philosophy
Year: 2023
Position: Wet Lab Researcher

I am Judy, I am a senior at Alma College. I am a Biology and Philosophy double major, and joined iGem at the end of my junior year. I worked in prep for the Wet Lab Team and on the research of the History of DDT

Isabelle Conn:

Major: Integrative Physiology and Health Science
Year: 2024
Position: President of Operations

My name is Isabelle, but I go by Izzy. I am a Junior and the current president of our team. I intend on becoming a Physician’s Associate with my degree in IPHS. In this cycle’s project, it was my ultimate goal to oversee and conduct day to day operations within our team. My tasks involved meeting deliverable deadlines, interviewing and placing members in their divisions of the team, planning traveling and coordinating funding for our team to travel, participating in scholar competitions for additional funding, and most importantly, organizing and restructuring this team for success in the next cycle.

Alexa DeKorte:

Major: Biochemistry
Year: 2024
Position: Wet Lab Researcher

My name is Alexa DeKorte and I am a biochemistry major in my junior year. After Alma, I hope to attend graduate school and I intend to go into research. I’ve been on this team for 2 and a half years now, working my way up and into the wet lab. My part on this team was working collaboratively with Christina Harbin on the creation and testing of our kill switch. We designed, constructed, and transformed our plasmid into bacteria successfully and began to run diagnostics to determine the parameters of the kill switch. Outside of iGEM, I am a resident assistant during the school year, and I do cancer research during the summer!

Allyson Ehlert:

Major: Biology
Year: 2024
Position: Wiki Co-Editor & Human Practices Member

I am a part of Wiki and Human Practices. I have made connections with Girl Scouts and Interfaith programs, have created a presentation to present to donors, and co-designed our Wiki page.

Kylah Fischer:

Major: Integrative Physiology and Health Science
Year: 2023
Position: Wet Lab Researcher

I am a senior member of the iGEM team here at Alma. I really enjoy being on the team because it gives me the opportunity to get hands-on lab experience.

Matthew Hanson:

Major: Biochemistry
Year: 2024
Position: Head of Wet Lab

Over the season, I mainly worked in the wet lab. My goal through the summer and fall was to assemble to circuit and test out multiple things with Cell Free Protein Synthesis.

Christina Harbin:

Major: Integrative Physiology and Health Science
Year: 2024
Position: Wet Lab Researcher

My name is Christina and I am a junior this year majoring in Integrative Physiology and Health Sciences, with the plan to become a physical therapist. This year I have worked in the wet lab, specifically in designing a kill switch.

MacKenzie Harwood

Major: Biochemistry
Year: 2024
Position: Head of Human Practices

The Vice president and Head of Human Practices worked on the STEM kit project, human practices, and integrated human practices.

Alice Hutchins

Major: Integrative Physiology and Health Science
Year: 2025
Position: Human Practices Member

I am Alice and I am a sophomore studying public health and sociology. This is my first year on Alma College's iGEM team. I have written The DDT and Malaria Question, which is an ethical paper that examines the causations and effects between the usage of DDT and the health consequences of not using the pollutant.

Maxim Kraniak

Major: Biochemistry
Year: 2025
Position: Human Practices Member

I am from Royal Oak, Michigan and on the executive council for the team here at Alma. Outside of our team, I am also a member of the golf team and I am a brother of Sigma Chi, a fraternity on campus. On the team, I hold the position of treasurer, where I have helped to fundraise for our projects and manage our finances. Throughout this cycle, I have co-created a our interactive video game. This game will give you a general idea of the Alma team’s project.

Maria Kolb

Majors: Biochemistry and Physics
Year: 2024
Position: Head of Wiki Design

I am the head of Wiki for team Alma and in this role I was in charge of creating all the codes thus far for the fish animation layout, the opening for the Wiki page, and designing the home page. As a student of Alma, I also participate in the Almanian and am the precinct delegate of the Pine River. Throughout this cycle, I have co-created an interactive video game that yields a general idea of the Alma team’s project on a simpler level.

Rachel Kostrzewa

Major: Integrative Physiology and Health Science
Minor: Chemistry
Year: 2024
Position: Wet Lab Researcher

I am Rachel Kostrzewa and I am from Detroit, Michigan. I am a junior at Alma College studying Integrative Physiology and Health Sciences with a Pre-Physician Associate focus. I am a part of the wet lab team, and my contribution has been researching, troubleshooting, and performing experiments in the lab for the cell free protein synthesis project.

Paige Lamoreaux

Major: Biochemistry
Year: 2024
Position: Math Modeling Researcher

I joined IGEM to be more involved in real world problems with my major and collaborate with a team. It has been an influential learning experience for the past 3 years. Some other involvement I do on campus is participate in marching band and Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Aubrey Martin:

Major: Integrative Physiology and Health Science
Year: 2025
Position: Human Practices Member

Hi, I'm Aubrey Martin and a sophomore at Alma College. I helped do write ups for human practices projects done in the group, and organized our iGEM LGBTQIA+ event promoting queer involvement in science.

Taylor Neeb

Major: Neuroscience
Year: 2024
Position: Human Practices Member

I'm Taylor Neeb and I am from Weidman, Michigan. I am a junior at Alma College studying Neuroscience and Literature with a pre-medical focus. Within the human practices team, I contribute by wiki editing, developing various biographical and descriptive pieces throughout the research process, and conducting research on equity and inclusion for differently-abled persons within the laboratory.

Sebastian Nolte:

Major: Biochemistry
Year: 2025
Position: Wet Lab Researcher

I go by Sebastian or Sea Bass and I am a part of the Wet lab on Alma's iGEM team. Currently a sophomore majoring in biochemistry and hope to do my own research one day. On campus I am also a part of the Esports team and a Residential Assistant. In my free time I love to camp, play soccer, and tinker with computers.

Jordan Prielipp:

Major: Biology
Year: 2023
Position: Human Practices Member

My name is Jordan, I'm on our team's executive counsel. I'm primarily in Human practices, focusing on science education. This cycle I created a STEM kit, an interventive science experiment that can be brought and used in any classroom. Outside of iGEM I'm involved in our transfer student mentorship program.

Benji Schall

Major: Biology
Year: 2024
Position: Wiki Co-editor

I'm a biology major and plan to attend graduate school for entomology. I also minor in chemistry and Spanish. I'm on the Wiki team and used my little bit of programming experience to contribute to putting the wiki together. I'm involved with this project because I'm passionate about how environmental issues impact both humans and wildlife in the ecosystem we share.

Dr. Camenares

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, iGEM Coordinator
Our primary mentor; Dr. C - the C should stand for Coffee!