Synthetic Biology
ART COMPETITION
Art is a riveting force in society, allowing new ideas to become expressed, discovered and understood. It can help people convey their ideas from multiple angles or through different voices. We believe that art can be utilized to communicate topics of synthetic biology to the public. Many people may not be inclined to learn about synthetic biology because it may seem too complex. However, there is more to synthetic biology than just hard science. This field thrives on active collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, legislators, administrators, and community members, many of whom come from non-scientific backgrounds. We aim to demonstrate that the community has the power to voice its opinion on the field and has a big impact on what comes out of it. Creation of new technologies, choosing where funding goes, implementing new policies, responding to the world's problems - these are all things that shouldn’t be exclusively contained within the scientific sphere, but should involve all members of the community. After all, new developments arising from this field (such as those with therapeutic, industrial or environmental applications) will directly impact everyone. Through this competition, we hope that the combination of artistic creativity and scientific initiative can evoke engaging reactions, responses, and discussion.
WHAT DOES ART HAVE TO DO WITH BIOLOGY?
ABOUT VGEM 2017
Virginia iGEM 2017 is a student research team at the University of Virginia using synthetic biology to improve wastewater treatment. You can learn more about our project here. The group comprises students from a variety of backgrounds and majors. While the objective of iGEM is research, significant focus is also placed upon community engagement, education and human practices. Every year, the team competes against other iGEM teams from around the world in a major international competition held in Boston.