GENE-IUS with Cornell iGEM

Every team has a "final stretch" story: this is ours. In this episode, we sit down with two of our past Wiki and Design subteam leads plus our current lead for a casual conversation about the chaos, last-minute problem-solving, and genuine teamwork that goes into the days leading up to Wiki Freeze. Anyone who's worked on a big deadline knows that even the best-laid plans hit last-min...

Ever wonder what an iGEM team does when they're not building BioBricks? In this episode, we dive into the side projects our team has taken on over the years, and why creativity doesn't stop at the core project. We talk about the motivations behind building things beyond the required deliverables, how a team actually decides which side projects are worth the time (spoiler: endless imaginati...

Science communication isn't just words on a page. In this episode, we break down why art is one of the most important, and sometimes overlooked, parts of an iGEM project. We talk about why a project's visual identity matters just as much as its research, walking through the process behind designing a logo, building consistent motifs across a website, and creating a mascot people actually r...

Why do scientists keep studying the same organisms over and over again? With millions of species on Earth, why are organisms like E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, yeast, and Arabidopsis thaliana found in so many research labs around the world? In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of model organisms. We break down what makes a model organism useful, how scientists genetically modify differe...

Are DNA sequences just genes? How do iGEM teams get all this genetic information? How does iGEM teams around the world work together so easily? In this episode, we answer these questions and more. From GFP to promoters to Cas9, there is no escaping BioBricks with iGEM. Join us to learn how BioBricks are designed, why standardization matters, and how scientists can mix and match DNA parts to build...

This week, we take you inside the Cornell iGEM lab to explore how we students design and build synthetic biology projects for the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. Join us to learn how genetic engineering, lab workflows, and biotech innovation come together in a student research environment. A special thank you to Stan Cho, Aaryaa Chiney, Christian Fonkalsrud, Parth...

DNA is what we are all about at iGEM. But... what is DNA, anyways? This week, we take you through a crash course on DNA for genetic engineering and synthetic biology. We're breaking it down into the key concepts you’ll need to follow everything that comes next in our iGEM series. Whether you’re brand new to biology or just need a refresher, this episode is designed to give you the essential to...

Welcome to the GENE-IUS Podcast. Episodes released weekly! We will be exploring genetic engineering and synthetic biology. Join us for our first series: "iGEM ABC's: A Biology (Crash) Course)", where we will take you through the biology behind iGEM with help from the Cornell iGEM Wet Lab Team.