What is the iGEM High School Competition?

The iGEM High School Competition is a team-based synthetic biology competition run by the iGEM Foundation. Teams of high school students design and execute synthetic biology projects - including wet-lab work and/or computational modelling - and present their results to judges. Requirements, timelines, and fees change yearly; check the official iGEM site for current details.

Is iGEM useful for DSA or university applications?

iGEM participation can be a strong addition to DSA portfolios and university applications, especially for biomedical science, bioengineering, and STEM programmes. The multi-month project format demonstrates sustained research effort, teamwork, and scientific communication, which admissions panels may value highly. Verify your target institution's criteria.

When should I start preparing for iGEM?

Teams typically form 6 - 12 months before the competition deadline. Early months focus on team assembly, finding a PI/host institution, and project ideation. Lab work or modelling usually begins 3 - 6 months before submission. Start building biology and modelling skills early through school coursework and self-study.

What topics or skills does iGEM test?

iGEM is project-based rather than exam-based. Key skills include synthetic biology design, molecular cloning techniques, computational modelling (differential equations, statistics), scientific documentation and wiki-building, and oral presentation. Teams also address human practices, ethics, and safety considerations.

Do I need lab access to participate in iGEM?

Not necessarily. iGEM offers tracks that accommodate teams without immediate lab access - computational modelling and documentation work can begin before securing a lab. However, most competitive projects include some experimental component. Talk to your school about PI sponsorship and lab access options.

iGEM High School Competition: Singapore Guide

Study guide05 Aug 2025, 00:00 ZUpdated 30 Nov 2025

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Q: What does iGEM High School Competition: Why Synthetic Biology Super-charges IP Math & Physics Skills cover?
A: A parent-and-student guide to the iGEM High School Competition: timeline, judging, famous projects, and how the modelling track turns classroom calculus.

TL;DR
The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) runs a High School Competition where teams develop synthetic biology projects and communicate results through written materials and presentations. Requirements, timelines, and fees change year to year-use the official pages for the latest details.

Need to keep those algebra and modelling reflexes sharp between lab sprints? Layer this guide on top of our IP Maths tuition hub so your team’s calculus drills stay aligned with school assessments.

Registration quick answer (global): Teams register on the iGEM competition site; a Principal Investigator (PI) and host institution are required. Fees, deadlines and track options change yearly - check the High School participation page for current instructions: https://competition.igem.org/about/high-school

Status: competition.igem.org High School participation + calendar pages checked 2025-11-30 - no 2026 HS dates are published yet; latest public info still points to the 2025 HS participation site. Monitor the official HS page (https://competition.igem.org/high-school-competition) and calendar (https://competition.igem.org/high-school-competition/calendar) for updated deadlines.

1 What exactly is “iGEM HS”?

What it is - the iGEM High School Competition is a team-based synthetic biology competition with published rules and yearly calendars (High School Competition, About HS).
History - iGEM started as a course at MIT and later became the iGEM Foundation; see their official history page for the timeline (iGEM history).
Scale - team counts and participating countries vary by year; verify using official results pages (Results).
Typical deliverables - check the official HS pages for current requirements (lab work and/or modelling, documentation, and presentations).

2 Competition timeline (varies by year)

Start with the official HS calendar for the current cycle:

Reviewed by

Marcus Pang·Managing Director (Maths)

Phase	What happens	What students can do
Registration & team setup	Team registration + eligibility checks (e.g., PI/host institution requirements)	Build a team plan, confirm lab access (if needed), and set up a weekly log
Project build	Wet-lab work and/or modelling work, plus documentation	Keep clean data records and write the wiki early (not at the end)
Submission & judging	Submit required forms/materials (deadlines vary)	Finalise figures, citations, and a clear “story” of your results
Presentation	Present to judges/audience (format varies)	Practise short and long explanations; anticipate questions

IP topic	Typical WA equation	iGEM use-case
Binomial theorem	$(1+x)^n$	PCR serial-dilution error bounds
Differential equations	$\frac{dP}{dt}=kP$	Modelling concentration or expression vs time
Statistics & $\chi^2$ test	$\chi^2 = \sum \frac{(O-E)^2}{E}$

iGEM High School Competition: Singapore Guide

1 What exactly is “iGEM HS”?

2 Competition timeline (varies by year)

Sources

3 How IP Mathematics powers iGEM modelling

4 How IP Physics sneaks in

5 Examples and inspiration

6 Costs, scholarships & travel

7 Why parents of IP maths/physics students should care

8 Getting started from Singapore

9 DSA and university admissions value

10 Call-to-action

11 References (official starting points)

Frequently Asked Questions about iGEM High School