Queen’s Genetically Engineered Machine (QGEM) team is a multidisciplinary synthetic biology chapter of the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM). The QGEM team is composed of three to four undergraduate students every year who take on new project pertaining to synthetic biology. The team also relies on volunteers who devote their time to help executive members perform lab experiments, research, and data analysis.

QGEM works to provide solutions to global problems with a local prevalence. Each year, we tackle a new issue in our community that we believe we can provide a solution to using synthetic biology and engineering. Previous years projects have involved creating solutions towards problems such as Lyme disease, chronic kidney disease, and roadside THC detection all using synthetic biology. We believe in creating new and unique solutions to common issues to improve our community, and to inspire students to gain an interest in the field of synthetic biology.

The goal of every QGEM project is to offer a unique solution to a local problem using synthetic biology and engineering. The issue we choose to tackle each year may be different, but our mission remains unchanged. We stride to improve the lives of people around the world, as well as make more accessible solutions for everyday problems. Through QGEM, not only are we developing modern solutions to local dilemmas, but we also give students leadership, teamwork, and business opportunities that aren’t available through traditional courses at the University level.

Moving forward with our 2022 project, we hope to truly make an impact through our work and create a reliable yet effective water treatment and detection plan for users in indigenous communities to benefit from.