About Prairie iGEM
The University of Manitoba's interdisciplinary synthetic biology team.
Prairie iGEM brings together students, researchers, and community insight to build projects that solve real problems in Manitoba and beyond. Through research, design, outreach, and the global iGEM competition, we turn curiosity into practical biotech innovation while training the next generation of scientific leaders.
From campus to competition
Local student research grown into an international synthetic biology story.
Our mission
We empower University of Manitoba students to build interdisciplinary synthetic biology solutions for real-world challenges in Manitoba and beyond. While developing the researchers, communicators, and leaders who will shape the field next.
Our North Star
Turning student curiosity into practical biotechnology with local relevance and global standards. That means prairie-rooted problems met with rigorous science, shared openly with the communities and stakeholders who stand to benefit.
Our story
From classroom to international stage.
Prairie iGEM began when University of Manitoba faculty recognized that students needed more than classroom science they needed a place to collaborate across disciplines, tackle meaningful local problems, and test their ideas on an international stage.
With Faculty of Science support, the team took shape in 2019, launched wet-lab work in 2020, and has since become an established campus pathway for synthetic biology research, communication, and competition. Prairie iGEM now sits inside the BioExM network the Faculty of Science's synthetic biology ecosystem as a student-led research and design team.
Every year, students from Science, Arts, Agriculture, Engineering, and beyond move through a full project cycle: recruit, scope a real problem, design and test a biological system, engage with stakeholders, produce a wiki, video, and poster, and present to an international audience at the iGEM Grand Jamboree in Paris.
What is iGEM?
The world's biggest synthetic biology competition.
iGEM stands for the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition. It's a global synthetic biology program where student teams from around the world design and build biological projects, then present them at an annual Grand Jamboree. The iGEM Foundation is a nonprofit; Prairie iGEM is the University of Manitoba's team participating in that international network.
Each team's cycle runs roughly: recruit an interdisciplinary team, identify a high-value problem, design and test a biological system, engage stakeholders, and build a public-facing wiki, video, poster, and presentation all judged in Paris every year.
What we stand for
Interdisciplinary collaboration
We pull from Science, Arts, Agriculture, Engineering, and beyond. Great synthetic biology needs more than biologists.
Applied problem-solving
Our projects respond to real problems invasive species, plastic pollution, infection not just lab curiosities.
Scientific rigor
We design, test, iterate, and document. iGEM judging is strict, and it keeps our work honest.
Community engagement
We consult stakeholders and run outreach. Science without community is missing half of its job.
Student leadership
Prairie iGEM is student-led. You will own real responsibilities and real research from your first semester.
Local roots, global stage
Prairie-rooted problems, tested on the international iGEM stage in Paris. That contrast is our identity.
Milestones
A selection of publicly documented highlights from the team's history.
- 2019
Team formation begins
Faculty-backed preparations start within the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Science synthetic biology ecosystem.
- 2020
Wet-lab work launches
Prairie iGEM moves from planning into active experimental research.
- 2022Silver Medal
First Paris Jamboree
Prairie iGEM's first major international showing at the iGEM Grand Jamboree in Paris.
- 2023Silver Medal
Zebra mussel project
A synthetic biology strategy for detecting and managing invasive zebra mussels in prairie waters. Recognized with awards and nominations.
- 2024Gold Medal
PLAnet Zero earns gold
The team wins a gold medal at the Paris Jamboree for work on biological PLA plastic degradation.
- 2025
Infection treatment via protein design
Prairie iGEM shifts toward infection treatment, computational protein design, and community-focused science.
The people behind Prairie iGEM.
Meet the student leads, faculty advisors, and subteams driving each season's project from wet-lab research to human practices and outreach.
Meet the team →Be part of the next project.
Students, supporters, and partners. Here's where you come in.