The recruitment for team ABOA 2026 will be open 10.11.-23.11.
If you are considering applying, you can join us for a casual ABOA recruitment info event at Konttori, Entrepreneur Space, Hämeenkatu 9 20500 Turku on Nov 11, at 17:00.
Be sure to also join us for our medal coffee to celebrate our 2025 project in Natura 20014 Turku, IX auditorium on Nov 5, at 12:00 to hear more about our 2025 project.
You can join our Telegram chat or follow us on Instagram to receive updates on the recruitment.
Telegram: Click here to join our Telegram chat!
Instagram: Click here to view our Instagram profile!
What do we do?
ABOA is a team of students from Turku and Tampere competing in the world's biggest international synthetic biology competition, iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine). In iGEM, teams from around the world use synthetic biology to solve a local or global problem in a ten month project culminating in a Grand Jamboree event held in Paris, France.
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The team has internal sub-teams responsible for various topics such as laboratory work, coding, human practices, graphic designing, and fundraising. During the year, teams are expected to create a comprehensive wiki documenting their work, along with a presentation video to highlight the key parts of the project. The ABOA team is a fully student led project where everything from fundraising to practical lab work will be done by students. To help connect the project to the University of Turku and offer guidance when necessary, Associate Professor Pauli Kallio serves as the team's PI and mentor.
​Synthetic biology
"Redesigning organisms so that they produce a substance, such as a medicine or fuel, or gain a new ability, such as sensing something in the environment, are common goals of synthetic biology projects." – The National Human Genome Research Institute​​
What is iGEM?
The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition is a global synthetic biology competition focused on the development of innovative biological solutions. Founded in 2003 by MIT, iGEM initially started as a summer project to challenge students to design simple biological systems. It quickly evolved into an independent annual competition that gathers students, researchers, and enthusiasts from around the world to work on projects that leverage synthetic biology for positive real-world impact. Today, iGEM is a global community focused on research-based and solution-oriented innovations that utilize synthetic biology.
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iGEM teams compete in 14 categories called villages. Read more about the villages
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Project timeline
An iGEM project starts by identifying a real world problem and brainstorming a way to fix it with a novel synthetic biology solution. An important aspect of an iGEM project is contacting experts in the field and other stakeholders to ensure the solution actually fixes the issue in a viable and sustainable way. After the project idea has been fully developed, the lab phase of the project can be planned. Due to the short timespan of the project, the lab phase is usually centered around providing a proof-of-concept rather than a fully functional final product. During the project, the team is responsible for fundraising to finance the project, planning and hosting various events, communicating, and marketing the idea to various target audiences. This involves contacting journalists, applying for grants, graphics design for the project, talking at events and schools, and much more.
Who are we looking for?
An iGEM project is a highly multidisciplinary undertaking, requiring team members from varied backgrounds and with various interests and skills. The heart of the project is in synthetic biology, meaning most of the team members should have a foundation in the life sciences. Despite this, the team benefits from various perspectives and has space for members without any biology background as well. Most importantly, you do not have to be an expert in any field to join ABOA. The key is that you are enthusiastic about learning and collaborating with other like-minded individuals. Even freshmen are encouraged to apply!
What does it take to
participate in iGEM:
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Commitment and enough time to invest into the project:
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Team members are expected to be fully invested into the project for the whole 10 month period, completing their tasks on time and being a reliable member of the team. This does not mean, however, that you are unable to have a life outside of the project. Having a part-time job during the summer, for example, is common but it is not recommended to attempt to work full-time as a team member.
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Strong communicator:
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A group work such as iGEM demands clear and open communication between team members. To make sure the project is moving in the right direction, reporting your work and responding to messages in a timely manner is necessary.
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High motivation:
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Being an ABOA team member is not just a way to get a trip to Paris, or to get easy credits. While you do get both these things from being in the team, though not easily, an intrinsic motivator such as passion for team leading, science communication or lab work is necessary. Otherwise, your motivation to work on the project will likely not last until the end.
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Willing to learn:
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Throughout the iGEM project, you will have to learn about a wide variety of subjects and develop important skills such as academic research, presenting, and data analysis. During the project, failure is always an option and should be seen as a learning opportunity. The most important end goal of an iGEM project is learning.
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Excited by science:
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The heart of iGEM is in science, so a healthy enthusiasm for science and discovery helps keep everyone motivated.
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Creative:
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From brainstorming project ideas to troubleshooting issues in the lab and designing the visual look of the wiki, creativity and thinking outside the box are important skills that help an iGEM team excel.
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Helpful skills for iGEM:
(you don’t have to have all of these)
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Synthetic biology knowledge
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Lab experience
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Graphics design
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Arts skills (drawing, animating, videography etc.)
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Communication
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Marketing
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Language skills
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Coding
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Leadership and project management
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Social media
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Statistics/data analysis
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Bioinformatics
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Economics
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Natural sciences knowledge
Because the project is multidisciplinary, we strongly encourage students from different backgrounds to apply!
What can you learn by participating?
Some skills previous team members have learnt from taking part in iGEM:
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Self-confidence
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Practical lab skills
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Resilience
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Navigating scientific research
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Teamwork
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Presentation skills
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Leadership and project management
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Graphic design
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Fundraising
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Problem solving and creativity