Two students from JU will be part of team Bangladesh in the iGEM Competition-2024

A 15-member team from Bangladesh has been formed to participate in The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition for the first time, which will be held in Paris next year. 

Two talented students from Jahangirnagar University (JU) have seized this opportunity. They are Mahima Hoque Utsha, a student from the 48th batch of the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Department, and Tawsif Al-Arian, a student from the 49th batch of the Department of Pharmacy.

The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) is a global synthetic biology competition. Bangladesh is participating in this competition for the first time. This year's Bangladesh team has been formed with 15 undergraduate students selected through competitive interviews from various universities in the country.

The other team members include Anik Mojumder, Ayesha Siddiqua, Erina Sharmin, Mashiyat Nawar Samiha, Md. Sanjed Alam and Tamzidur Rahman from the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology at Dhaka University. 

Ishtiak Ahammed Tanvir is from the Microbiology Department at Rajshahi University, Ahnaf Yeanat Tazwar represents the Biochemistry and Biotechnology Department at North-South University, and Abdullah As Salehin and Silmi Suhair hail from the Biotechnology Department at BRAC University. 

Aysha Bint Nasir and Tazneen Hossain Tani are from the Bioinformatics Department at Asian University of Women, and Md Rasel Uddin is a student of the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Department at Jashore Science and Technology University.

They will spend the next few months working together to develop a project on synthetic biology and present it at the iGEM 2024 Grand Jamboree in Paris next year.

Tawsif Al-Arian said, "This marks Bangladesh's debut in the competition, and I'm delighted to have the chance to represent my country. The competition will delve deeply into the practical applications of biology in different aspects of our daily lives. Therefore, those aspiring to join this competition in the future should acquire a comprehensive understanding of how biology relates to real-world scenarios."

It's worth noting that the journey of this competition began in 2004 with various student projects in the United States under the Independent Activities of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Since 2005, students from countries outside of America have had the opportunity to participate in this competition, and since 2012, it has been organized annually as an independent institution. 

The primary goals of iGEM include enhancing general knowledge and understanding of synthetic biology, fostering an open community, and creating a platform for collaboration among different groups. 

In this competition, students from various parts of the world present diverse projects incorporating the latest synthetic biology concepts. 

More than 600 participants on over 300 teams participate in this event each year.