GENESIS iGEM

GENESIS

A student-led iGEM team.

GENESIS is a nonprofit-hosted, selective program built to prepare high school students for the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition. We operate like a real research team, with months of preparation, documentation, and an international presentation at the iGEM Grand Jamboree in Paris.

2026

Founding cohort

150+

Summer lab hours

$25k

Lab access goal

Paris

Grand Jamboree

Stylized DNA helix and cell colonies

What is iGEM?

Global synthetic biology, built by students.

Founded at MIT, iGEM is one of the world's largest research-based STEM competitions. Teams design and develop biological systems that address real-world problems, and present their work on an international stage.

Interdisciplinary research

Students collaborate across biology, computer science, design, and strategy to build real scientific prototypes.

Responsible innovation

iGEM emphasizes safety, ethics, and human practices. We build those pillars into every project decision.

Community outreach

We extend our impact through workshops, mentorship, and partnerships that make biotech accessible.

Founding Year

Building the groundwork.

Our first year is focused on recruitment, training, and project discovery. We are assembling a balanced team, forming lab partnerships, and preparing a research plan for the iGEM season.

Research focus map

Sponsors

Backed by the bio-innovation community.

Our sponsors fuel lab access, safety compliance, mentorship, and outreach. We are grateful for every partner helping us make biology more accessible to high school students.

Creative Odyssey

How We Operate

A nonprofit-backed research team.

GENESIS runs under Creative Odyssey, a nonprofit organization that provides institutional backing, financial oversight, and insurance. This allows us to fundraise externally, partner with laboratories, and remain independent of any single high school.

Get Involved
Petri dish and lab process