Team:Melbourne/Recruitment
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Thank you for your interest in the
2015 Melbourne University iGEM Team! Please read the following information
about iGEM, the team, and what you need to do to get involved.
What is iGEM?
iGEM is a unique opportunity to get involved in enterprising
student research and make a scientific impact.
iGEM is short for the International Genetically Engineering
Machine competition. iGEM is an undergraduate science
competition held each November in Boston. In the months leading up to iGEM,
university teams use the latest tools from synthetic biology/biotechnology to
create a novel single celled organism or “biological machine”.
iGEM teams manage everything from the conception to the
execution of the iGEM project, with the aid of faculty supervisors.
The benefits to participating in iGEM include:
-Get valuable scientific and leadership experience
-Develop a useful, novel biotechnology and gain experience
in the latest in interdisciplinary biological research
-Make an impact
-Have an amazing experience!
Learn more about iGEM in general at: https://igem.org/About
Learn about this year’s team by clicking on the links above.
Also browse the previous Melbourne Uni iGEM team at:
http://openwetware.org/wiki/IGEM:Melbourne/2008
http://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/news/the-bioclock---bacteria-to-mark-time-for-melbourne-university-te
What is involved and what is needed
We are always on the lookout for enthusiastic students with
an interest in science.
A biological science background is helpful, but not
required. Team members will need to use knowledge from second-level biology subjects.
However, we have had team members without a biological science background who
have excelled.
As part of the iGEM team, you would help with the
following tasks:
·
Research on the iGEM project ideas. The ideas
for the iGEM project are student driven, and team members often need to answer
specific research question to design new experiments or come up with new ideas.
This will typically involve doing quick searches of the literature using Google
Scholar and reading scientific articles.
·
Help with developing experimental methods. The
2014 team has built up a library of protocols and experimental methods.
However, the project for 2015 will likely require new methods. You will need to
look up protocols in the literature and adapt them to the project requirements.
·
Wet lab work OR modelling/computation OR engineering
design. By joining the iGEM team, you will have an opportunity to participate in
the lab and learn many standard techniques in molecular biology from fellow lab
members. Alternatively, many iGEM teams make use of the skills of engineers,
computer scientists, and other non-biological science disciplines. This may
take the form of, for example, modeling a biological
system using software like Matlab. It might also
involve designing microfluidic devices with biological applications or
designing an electrical device which interfaces with a biological system. If
you have an interest in interdisciplinary research between your field and biology,
it is likely iGEM will be able to accommodate it.
·
The scope of iGEM also extends into
non-traditional science areas, including biotechnology entrepreneurship,
biotechnology ethics and the law, and science outreach, and so we are actively
seeking students with business, law, design, and arts backgrounds. You could,
for example, create a business plan for a iGEM-created
company, examine bioethics within synthetic biology, or even explore the
potential of biologically-inspired art.
There are several traits needed on the iGEM team:
·
Research skills. IGEM is an exciting
opportunity to undertake self-directed research in synthetic biology. We will
therefore need students who are keenly interested and adept in research. To
participate, you will need to have the capacity to quickly get up to speed in
the field of biotechnology and to eventually excel in a lab with limited
instruction.
·
We’re looking for team members from a range of
backgrounds. iGEM is about cross-disciplinary research, so in addition to
biological and biomedical science students, we welcome students from
engineering (electrical, mechanical, chemical, software etc.), computer
science, maths, physics, chemistry, and other physical sciences. Also, students
from non-science backgrounds are very welcome to get in touch to explore how they
can contribute to the team.
·
Participation would be most suited to students
with a high level of academic maturity. Typically, this includes third year,
honours, or Masters students, butstudents
from all levels who can demonstrate an aptitude for research or leadership are welcome
to apply.
If you are interested in being a part of iGEM, please email
Sean Lowe at MelbourneUniIGem@gmail.com and indicate the role(s) you are
interested in.
Further information about iGEM and updates about the
recruitment process will be made available at https://www.facebook.com/MelbourneUniIGem.
Thank you again for your interest and we look forward to
hearing from you.