Joshua Lawrence

What is your nickname?

I am known as The Cheese Man, cos cheese is my second love after turing patterns

Why are you doing iGEM?

There aren't any interesting raves this summer, so I thought I'd do iGEM

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

Trying to rave at uninteresting raves

Message to future iGEMers?

Have crazy ideas and work on Turing patterns!

Lidia Ripoll-Sanchez

What is your nickname?

It’s Yaya, because I am the wisest in the team

Why are you doing iGEM?

Because it is an amazing competition that gives young students the freedom to work on their own projects at a professional level.

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

I would be visiting family and friends around the world, hiking in the Alps or scuba diving in Mallorca. I could also be baking massive colourful cakes or tanning with my friends next to a crystal clear swimming pool. As none of these activities are fun enough I decided to do iGEM not to get bored this summer.

Message to future iGEMers?

With enough enthusiasm and effort anyone can do iGEM. Just have fun, enjoy everyday, be super organised and follow the main iGEM rule: Trust your team!

Diellza Mujku

What is your nickname?

Don't have one, but Shiv occasionally calls me D, but I think that's cos he's just lazy to say my full name.

Why are you doing iGEM?

There aren't any interesting raves this summer, so I thought I'd do iGEM

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

Trying to rave at uninteresting raves

Message to future iGEMers?

Have crazy ideas and work on Turing patterns!

Siwat Chang

What is your nickname?

Big. Don’t ask.

Why are you doing iGEM?

Working with an excellent team, solving (plausibly) global problems using my degree (Yes mom, it can be useful after all), learning many new things and perspectives and a free trip to Boston! :)

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

Playing video games, lots and lots of video games.

Message to future iGEMers?

Be crazy, but plan your descent into madness one step at a time!

Alberto Scarampi del Cairo

What is your nickname?

People call me Alberto, which is funny, because my friends also call me Alberto

Why are you doing iGEM?

Why wouldn't I?

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

Probaby stalking iGEM teams instagram profiles

Message to future iGEMers?

Make life out of life [J. Joyce]

Luis Chaves Rodriguez

What is your nickname?

My friends may call me Luiso, Lucho and I gave myself the nickname of Lucha when I opened my twitter account back in 2008.

Why are you doing iGEM?

I find iGEM to be an amazing opportunity to learn about synbio (subject I’m fascinated about) but also about so many other things in life, like: working in a team, working as a team, organisation, creativity… and in addition to this, getting to share this experience with thousand of other students from around the world in Boston is what made me do iGEM this summer :)

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

I would probably be working in a cafe or maybe in a climbing gym or learning bike mechanics in a bike shop. And probably doing a python boot camp in my spare time. Sounds way less exciting than iGEM

Message to future iGEMers?

When it comes to choosing a project don’t be afraid of thinking of very innovative ideas but also ideas that can have a significant impact and that can be as universal and modulable as possible. Foundational projects are very much needed in this baby stage of Synbio.

Thomas Caganek

What is your nickname?

Scooterboy - I come to the lab on a scooter.

Why are you doing iGEM?

Love to build cool stuff with biology and Jurassic Park - mainly Jurassic Park

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

I’d probably be at the gym or fishing at the lake - but I’d get bored quickly. iGEM is the right level of intensity.

Message to future iGEMers?

Work on projects that you find cool - the applications will follow and are hard to predict.

Yutong Yin

What is your nickname?

Yu

Why are you doing iGEM?

Because you get a chance to be creative and think of crazy ideas with a group of lovely people. win-win

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

I'd stay in my room with the AC turned on, eating mom’s home-cooked food and having fun with my little sister. So, instead of creating problems for the environment, I decided to solve them by doing iGEM.

Message to future iGEMers?

I love iGEM, I think you will too.

Will Beardall

What is your nickname?

Handsome, cos why not.

Why are you doing iGEM?

Awesome CV building

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

Working on something to do with quantum dots.

Message to future iGEMers?

Work on quantum dots

Shivang Joshi

What is your nickname?

It's Shiv, ignore whatever Yaya says

Why are you doing iGEM?

I like breaking down big complicated things and then remaking them however I like, that's why synthbio appeals to me. But, tbh I'll be doing things like that in a PhD anyway, the real reason I joined iGEM is to get involved with science outside the lab, and I comend the iGEM foundation for encouraging students to put emphasis on this forgotten aspect of science.

What would you be doing now if you weren’t doing iGEM?

Nothing too different to what I'm doing now, I'd just be testing my limits in other ways, like working a summer job as a waiter, or spend more hours in the climbing gym.

Message to future iGEMers?

It's too early to give advice to others, but if I have to say something, if you're ever going through hell, keep moving forward, no matter what do not break down, you will make it out, there is no other choice. Soz if it sounds a bit grim.