Mission Statement

The mission statement of this website can be demonstrated in a simple exercise: take a look at the picture below, from the 2010 Jamboree at MIT. Imagine standing in that crowd (or perhaps you were there), looking up towards the photographer on the balcony--how many of those around you do you know? New friends, old acquaintances, brought together in an action-packed weekend to celebrate each other’s hard work and great ideas, but after that amazing weekend, how many will you keep in touch with? How many will you see again?

Bringing everyone together

According to social group theory, the recipe for making a community is very simple:

• add equal parts shared activities (a summer spent elbow-to-pipetting elbow)
• and mutual interest (What? You have an account on PLoS too? I just looove reading about cerevisiae);
• a liter of adversity (sleep and food? How can you think about such extravagant things when the wiki is closing down in ten hours?)
• a generous scoop of good time
• and a pinch of magic.

Mix thoroughly, bake in the heat and excitement of a Jamboree.

Cool in the draft of a hundred planes flying back to the corners of the world.

Partake of frequently.

Each summer, we throw our life's blood into baking these community cakes, but we often forget to cherish the last step. We meet great friends, but then we slowly lose touch of them due to the distances of time and location. How can this be rectified?

Fear not: the Internet is here!

We will use the powers of the internets to go boldly where mail and post horses have failed. We will unite the iGEM community, resurrect old ties, and bring forward inspiring stories from alumni. In preparation for the day that we shall rule the synbio world, we shall find new friends, bring them all together and in the forums bind them. We will forge bonds so strong that even the fires of Mordor will not be able to undo them!!!

Ahem.

So yeah, that’s what we hope this website will do and become. Join the Fellowship of the iGEMring today!

Peace, love, and pipettes,

Your AlumniGEM team