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Get to know us
Get to know us
Hello,
I am Verena. I am a research professor at the Department of Biology and Biological systems at Chalmers and have supervised the Chalmers iGEM teams since 2012. My main focus of research is microbial synthetic biology where I study application of yeast as a cell factory for sustainable production of a variety of chemicals as well as advanced biofuels.
Hi! My name is Cecilia Trivellin,
I am a PhD student in the Industrial Biotechnology division at Chalmers. My main research interests are microbial robustness, fermentation technology and microbial evolution. I have been part of iGEM in 2018 and I think it was an amazing experience in many aspects. This year I chose to co-supervise the team to help other students have the same possibility, share my knowledge and improve my skills as an advisor.
Hello! My name is Andrea and I am a PhD student in Verena Siwers group at SysBio. My research is focused on detection of antibiotic resistance and pathogenic microorganisms using synthetic biology applications with S.cerevisiae as a platform.
I was intrigued by iGEM for the opportunity to get free hands to develop and work on a project in the field of synthetic biology, together with fellow students that share the same interest. I also wanted to challenge myself by signing up for the team leader role to try and see if I could do a good job in that position, taking on more responsibility than I usually do in a group setting. I have many memories of iGEM, and common to all is that we always laugh together.
I chose to study biotechnology because of my fascination for living systems, how they can be so complex whilst at the same time being very flexible and adaptable. Outside of my studies I like to pencil sketch, watch medical dramas and be out in nature. I enjoy doing small things in everyday life to make it feel special, like lighting candles for dinner or taking the time to read a few pages in a good book even if I don't feel like I have the time.
I see myself interested in many things! A good tabletop RPG, writing music, outdoor life and cooking are all domains I find enjoyment in. I applied for iGEM spontaneously (the last night of application), because iGEM seemed really cool! I love the concept of doing basically whatever you want and trying to make it work. Developing an idea and attempting to implement it ourselves have been a great experience. One of my dearest memories of iGEM is midsummer night. We were sitting above a small lake seeing the sky turn into many vibrant colors of pink and orange, with our stomachs recently filled with warm chocolate bananas, talking about life and singing songs.
In most of my life I have felt split between different things to do and how to balance time spent on different activities. It felt great to be able to focus on a project full-heartedly, for months, together with a dedicated team, on a project we ourselves chose. I enjoy problem solving, mathematics as well as software development. Perhaps because those are my interests, my main responsibilities in the iGEM team have been modeling and web app development. I am the happiest when I am challenged by a problem with the exact right difficulty and become completely immersed. Someday I hope to contribute to the field of AI alignment, which seems neglected in comparison to its importance. In synthetic biology I enjoy the variability. When we brainstormed projects, it was especially clear how freely we could use our imagination when considering different ideas.
The main reason I wanted to do iGEM was due to the Corona-virus, a lot of lab experience was lost during the height of the pandemic. So I looked forward to soaking up as much experience as possible in the lab. Along the way I realized iGEM had much more to offer in the way of operating as a scientist. The problem solving all the failed PCR, brainstorming new ideas, documenting the wet lab advancement and the amazing people that came with the special experience called iGEM. But of course I grinded my time in the lab, maybe a bit too much 🙂, trying to increase the efficiency of the work and in the meantime learning the equipment.
My free time consists mostly of Youtube and series and spending time with my family. Board games can be one of my favorite activities when I get around to play. To my delite many of the lunch breaks contained a quick round of the strategy, wild west inspired card game, Bang with the entire team.
I applied to iGEM on a whim expecting an educational experience working on an interesting project. What I did not expect was how attached I would feel to the project and the people. iGEM has been an emotional rollercoaster. I have been jumping in excitement, screaming from frustration and laughing my head off with some of the most amazing people I have ever met, sometimes in the span of just a day.
If you visit my apartment it becomes apparent quite immediately that I adore house plants. It brings me joy to collect and care for them. Another thing I hoard are books, that I will read.. some day. Other things I enjoy are hanging out with friends, playing games (board games and PC), and watching series and anime. The reason synthetic biology interests me is because I find the possibilities of genetic engineering to be exciting. Isn’t it fascinating that we can change how cells and organisms fundamentally work to treat diseases or produce new substances?
The reason I decided to join iGEM was to have a look at how research is done in a freer setting and to see if it was possible to have innovative solutions already at our "basic" understanding of the subject of synthetic biology. The best part however, has been attending the regional meetups with our team and meeting people from other teams.
I like plants and bread and wine, which are my reasons to study biotech, but I am mostly a general problem-solver. Some other things that make me happy are eating, being physically active and playing bridge (read also other board games). With the end of the summer, I started my masterstudies in Wageningen (Netherlands).
During a tough time of my life, I needed a distraction. A friend introduced me to iGEM, and we agreed to sign up together as we were both very interested in synthetic biology, and because it sounded awesome.
My friend forgot to sign up, and I joined the team. (It was probably good that he forgot. Now I've been introduced to many awesome new friends.)
I like playing games with friends, both video games and board/card games. I particularly enjoy strategy games. One fun memory I have from iGEM is from one of the times we played D&D with the team and my character pressed a big red button labelled "autoclave." The whole room began to warm up for sterilisation. Everyone escaped, except for two characters who died very clean and sterilised. I'm also quite a fan of canoeing. Especially if you are canoeing in a pretty nature reserve such as the BWCA in northern Minnesota.
I’m a joyful and curious individual with the struggle of not having time to delve into everything that I'm fascinated about. I'm an odd mix of lazy and ambitious, and when I'm passionate about something I find it hard to stop myself… I enjoy playing computer games, diving, DnD, going to the gym and being goofy with friends.
I joined iGEM for the challenge of it all. I wanted to take the opportunity of developing a solution to a big societal problem and make the lives of other people better. The freedom to be creative and pursue wild ideas about something I'm passionate about was also a very attractive offer.
I'm fascinated by the potential of synthetic biology. It's still a developing field where the boundary of what's possible is essentially the intersection between your knowledge and creativity. One topic I'd really like to know more about is designing proteins, as the potential of artificial proteins seems almost limitless.
I asked around in the team how they would describe me:
Lucas: "Mr. Long, tall, and handsome" Alvin: "Enthusiast with wild ideas" Linus: "He has glasses" August: "More mischievous than I thought" Eklöv: "Sprawling with ideas, good and bad"
There are a few reasons why I wanted to do iGEM. First of all it is a much more interesting thing to do than a regular summer job. You get to come up with your own project and do something that might actually be meaningful in some way. Second, you get to go to the grand jamboree in Paris. And lastly, I thought it would be a good opportunity to work on some of my weaknesses and go a bit outside of my comfort zone. I think the best part with iGEM has been to get to know and become friends with the team. I already knew some of them, but some of them I would likely never have spoken to or even met, let alone become friends with, if it weren't for iGEM.
A lot of my free time is spent playing video games and watching series and youtube and such. However I do like to do many other things. I like to play music. I often play on my guitars at home and I also know how to play a few other instruments. I like to be out in nature, hiking or picking mushrooms and such.
A 21 years-old, 182 cm, cis-man from Sweden. Clear signs of fatigue. Pale skin. Resting bitch face.
For me, the best part about iGEM has been the whole process from brainstorming an idea to developing and realising it has been a unique and educative experience. I have always wanted to do lab work and iGEM proved to be a great opportunity to get my hands wet in the wet lab. Of course I can't forget to also bring up the wonderful people that I got to share this journey with :)
I spend about 60% of my free-time on PC gaming, mostly with my real-life friends but also with some people that I got to know through gaming! I mostly play MMORPGs and MOBAs but also enjoy the occasional ARPG or FPS. 25% consists of listening to music and singing along. 10% consists of learning new things, like languages (often through music or television) or songs on the ukulele. The remaining 5% is for hanging out with friends and family. If you are in a music dry spell, here are some tips for albums you can give a listen:
* Ghettolimpo - Mahmood.
* Pirata - Jão.
* Cuando no sé quién soy - Amaia.
* Zeros - Declan Mckenna.
* 30 - Adele.
What I enjoy most in life is spending time with friends and exercising. I also coach youths in swimming which is great! On rainy autumn days I like to prepare a cup of coffee and sit down and read a nice book. :) Most people would probably describe me as ambitious, confident (to a fault), encouraging, empathetic and determined.
The reason I joined iGEM was because I was interested in getting some practical experience of synthetic biology and liked the idea of developing a project that would have an impact. I'd heard a lot of good things about participating in iGEM and it has certainly exceeded my expectations! The summer was thoroughly enjoyable and I've gotten to know a lot of new people and learnt a tremendous amount of synthetic biology! The most frustrating part of iGEM must have been the wikicode failing or the pipeline being disrupted, running a code and realising the entire wiki broke was demoralising. If I had to pick which part of iGEM was the most enjoyable I'd say it would be presenting at the village of the Giant Jamboree.
I'm a simple guy from Gothenburg. In my spare time I enjoy playing chess and sports and being active. I think exercise and outdoor activities are fundamental for my well being, so naturally when I'm not studying I usually invest my time in such activities. I have also had a big passion for economics since I was younger.
I applied to be a part of iGEM since project work is by far the best learning method. You also get to structure your own project and simulate working as a researcher. One of the best parts however was attending the Nordic iGEM Conference and meeting other teams with like minded people from Scandinavia! In synthetic biology, I think the most intriguing part is the innovations done within the field. Since it is a relatively young field there is groundbreaking research done each year which is really exciting and shows a bright outlook for the future of the industry!
I am currently studying the 3nd year of the Chemical engineering programme and am planning to do a master’s degree in biotechnology.
Since a young age and to this date I consume scientific media on a daily basis such as reading articles, books, watching documentaries, YouTube as well as engaging in online scientific communities. I love physics, astronomy, geology but am the most excited about chemistry and biotechnology.
I have always wanted to take part in a research project to meet like minded people with different competences to together define and solve a great problem and iGEM has been that project for me.
In iGEM I have mainly used my past experiences in media creation such as photography and filmography to help the team!