Team:DTU-Denmark/Team
Awards
Antonia Griesz
Member of the economy, wiki, human practices, and dry lab subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
During my first week at DTU, I saw a presentation of last year's DTU iGEM Team and I was immediately drawn to join this year's team. It's probably the most intense learning experience one can get while studying while our work can really have an impact on a real-world problem! Additionally, the almost endless opportunities to develop a network with young scientists and engineers from around the world as well as the interaction with national and international industry were the reasons for me to join the DTU Biobuilders.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Gluconacetobacter xylinus because it lives in a symbiosis with yeast to make tasty and healthy kombucha!
Anusha Arun Kumar
Member of the PR/SoMe, team building, human practices, wet lab, and wiki subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
Synthetic Biology is a very exciting field and to work with a bunch of enthusiasts sharing the same interest for this subject thrilled me. This competition gives me an opportunity to understand and work on concepts from scratch which is really cool.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Flavobacterium: they have colourful colonies and I match my coffee mugs with my outfits so perffff
Chen Chen
Member of the team building, dry lab and wiki subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
Having group work with wonderful and smart people in DTU is an interesting and inspiring thing for me, and also it would be nice to learn something new and apply it in a meaningful way in our daily life.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Yeast. Then I would get the chance to swim in fermented glutinous rice and beer, they are tasty right?
Cristina Bulancea
Member of the economy, team building, human practices, and wet lab subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
iGEM is a very good chance to join a team of aspiring young scientists, who have the opportunity to work with a project that not only contributes to personal development, but also to the betterment of the community that we live in. Moreover, iGEM has a very big community where people can inspire, help and learn from each other.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
If I were a microorganism, I would most probably be a gut bacteria that makes people feel good at all times!
Emil Ørsted Christensen
Member of the economy, wiki and wet lab subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
I wanted to join iGEM to make the world a better place. Also, I can't wait to hear what the other teams came up with!
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
S. cerevisiae - Because beer.
Enric Cristòbal Cóppulo
Member of the team building, human practices, dry lab and wiki subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
Being part of a synthetic biology project from beginning to end where cooperation between wet lab and dry lab students is so dynamic sounded a very challenging and enriching experience.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Definitely I would be one of our engineered K. phaffi organisms contributing to a more sustainable world ;)
Gunnhildur Gretarsdottir
Member of the administration, wet lab, and wiki subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
To be able to do an innovative project with great people from DTU! I was also excited to go to the Jamboree in France with the team and see what students around the world have been working on.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Probably a thermophile enjoying life in a hot spring.
Ildikó Lékai
Member of the administration, PR/SoMe, wet lab, and wiki subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
I'm really interested in synthetic biology and iGEM seems like a great learning opportunity.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Penicillium roqueforti because of it's ability of transforming milk into delicious blue cheese or any Lactobacillus because of... cheese.
Karen Therkelsen
Member of the human practices, wet lab, and video subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
I liked the idea of taking part in shaping a project and executing it in an engaged team of students and supervisors.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
A Cyanobacterium: I would be 'dressed' in my favourite colours: blue and green and sunlight energized me.
Karl-Kristian Kaether
Member of the economy, human practices, and dry lab subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
Taking theory to practice in a team.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Cyanobacterium; I could chill in the sun all day
Katarzyna Wisniewska
Member of the PR/SoMe, collaborations, wet lab, and wiki subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
Money, fame and free cake. 😎
And for real, I got inspired by a great synthetic biology course I took the other semester! We have learned many fascinating cloning techniques and I was eager to explore their potential in the laboratories. It feels so exciting to apply your skills to solve real-life problems! Doing that in a friendly and constructive atmosphere, while spending time with amazing like-minded people? iGEM seemed like the whole package!
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Tardigrade bcs I survived 5 years of higher education and might survive a few more, also they are cute!
Signe Vangsgaard
Member of the PR/SoMe, team building, human practices, wet lab, and video subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining iGEM?
Synthetic biology has always been a great interest of mine! Being able to modify an organism in a way of your own liking is really impressive. After taking a theoretical course about synthetic biology, I knew that I wanted to try and actually work experimentally with synthetic biology. iGEM is a great opportunity for working on your own project as well as discovering new applications and possibilities within synthetic biology.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Penicillium camemberti - who doesn't love brie? I base a big part of my personality on loving cheese.
Thomas Carvalho Andersen
Member of the administration, team building, dry lab, wiki, and video subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining the DTU BioBuilders?
I got inspired by a previous year's iGEM member! They sold it by telling me how much they learned from being a part of a motivated group working together to solve a real-world problem -- and also how much fun it was to work with others who felt the same way.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
That's a tough one.. maybe a gut bacterium, working and thriving in unison with the rest of the diverse microbiome. (The microbiome is a cheesy metaphore for the iGEM team, of course.)
Yanan Zhao
Member of the team building, wiki and dry lab subgroups.
What is your motivation for joining the DTU BioBuilders?
iGEM sounds interesting to me. I’ve always loved to have the chance to join a synthetic biology project and learn things by practice.
If you were a microorganism, which one would you be and why?
Paramecium, because paramecium was the first microorganism I learned about and knew from class, also, I feel sometimes I react to things very slowly - just like it does.
Supervisors
Chris Workman
Associate Professor, DTU Bioengineering
Henrik Toft Simonsen
Associate Professor, DTU Bioengineering
Kyle Rothschild-Mancinelli
Ph.D., DTU Bioengineering
Louise Kastberg
Ph.D., DTU Bioengineering
August Frost
Ph.D., DTU Bioengineering
Benjamin Schwetz
Ph.D., IT University of Copenhagen