Introduction
iGEM is widely known as the largest student competition in synthetic biology in the world. Yet, every iGEMer knows that it goes far beyond that. It is a community built to share knowledge, exchange experiences and help others grow.
Through meetups with other teams and discussions with advisors, fellow teammates and experts we deeply admire, we not only had the opportunity to talk about ideas, but also about methods, protocols, and mistakes. Inspired by those conversations, here we present “How to (not) kill your cells – a beginner’s guide to cell culture.”
Our contribution summarizes many of the mistakes and frustrations we experienced over the past months, offering a light-hearted and optimistic perspective on learning through trial and error.
We hope it serves as a practical resource for fellow iGEMers, a guide on what not to do when working with mammalian cell cultures, and as a reminder to stay positive when things don’t go as planned. After all, every mistake taught us something valuable, and we hope it helps you learn too.
