Inclusivity

When we decided to become the first team from FHNW to participate in the iGEM competition, we knew that building our team was more about than our member’s capabilities in the lab. Starting from scratch meant that we had the opportunity to shape not only our project but also the way we worked together and the way we recruited people into our team. That is, from the beginning we did not want participation to be based strictly in having previous wet lab-related experience, but instead, we wanted a group where different skills and backgrounds could come together and contribute to the same project. For us, inclusivity meant lowering barriers wherever they appeared: whether that was skills, forms of availability, and language.

Roles Beyond the Lab

Having started with no previous funds to cover lab expenses, things like creating a team identity and brand, designing visuals, and pitching to potential sponsors were crucial to laying the groundwork of our project, and thus were as important as the experimental work itself. That is why our team included members with little to no lab-related experience to carry out tasks related to design, communication, project management, fundraising, and public engagement. For instance, one of our teammates came from the FHNW School of Art and Design, bringing a different creative perspective that shaped our visual identity and made our outreach more accessible. For us, these roles were as essential for the project as those that conducted research on the idea, investigated protocols, and carried out laboratory work. Ultimately, our team was built from different kinds of strengths which mattered equally to the progress of our project.

Flexibility in How We Worked

Some members of our team studied full-time, others part-time and had professional roles alongside studies, and others had plans to go abroad at some point in the course of the competition journey for their thesis. However, we did not treat this as a limitation but rather as an opportunity to make the most of the technology available to us, allowing everyone to contribute to the project in different forms. Our meetings always had an online option, and we relied on shared tools so that our work could continue wherever people were. Distance was never a reason not to make any effort count.

Language and Community

Our team is international, which meant that we didn’t all share a common first language. To avoid leaving anyone out, we made English our working language, even though it wasn’t the local language and none of us were native speakers. This choice extended beyond project discussions to everyday communication and social activities. By doing this, we built a group where language barriers were eliminated, which helped make everyone feel like one team, both inside and outside our project.

What Inclusivity meant for Us

For us, inclusivity wasn’t just about inviting other students to join. It was about making sure that things like language, time, funding, or lack of lab experience didn’t become reasons someone couldn’t contribute. Every member, no matter their situation or role, helped shape the project.