Hello! My name is Riyaan Gunaratne and this is my first year with Northeastern's iGEM team. I joined iGEM because I was intrigued by iGEM's unique way of making advanced synthetic biology accessible to students like myself. As the Northeastern iGEM president, my goal was to empower my team members with the tools, skills, and confidence to explore their curiosities and advance their careers through the iGEM competition. I hope that my team continues to grow as innovators and pioneers of science long after I have departed as their president.

Hi! I'm Keerthi, and I am one of the Wet Lab Directors. This is my second year on the iGEM team, and I joined to help design and develop an innovative synthetic biology project that brings together ideas from multiple disciplines.

Hello, my name is Oliver Stearns. I am in my fifth year at Northeastern and this is my second year in iGEM.

Hi, my name is Jade Rosenberg and I am the Human Practices director and a wet lab team member. I joined iGEM two years ago to explore my interest in synthetic biology and sustainability, while also gaining research and collaborative skills. My participation in iGEM has informed my perspective on what research is and what it serves to do. Understanding how our research was being done and experiencing the challenges and successes of our experiments allowed me to ask better questions to stakeholders that targeted the root problems of our research. Experiencing these difficulties first-hand allowed me to ask more targeted questions and to brainstorm future experiments to test protein stability, safety, and effectiveness.

As this is my second year on the Northeastern iGEM team, I initially joined to gain hands-on experience in the wet lab and soon discovered a love for hardware and the engineering iteration process.

Hello! My name is Jana, and I was this year's Hardware Director. This is my first year in iGEM, and I joined mainly because I wanted to explore the intriguing intersection that incorporated mechanical or electrical-based components into the scientific process. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to not just contribute to such an impactful project, but also to have learned so much throughout the design and build of our custom vegetation furnace.

I'm Aidan Briatico, and this is my second year with Northeastern's iGEM team. I originally joined iGEM to build my molecular biology skillset and gain valuable laboratory experience in preparation for my first co-op. I hope to apply the knowledge I've gained from the FloraGuard project to research in the cell therapy field post-graduation.

Hello! I'm Ankee and this is my second year with NEU iGEM. I joined in my freshman year because of my passion for biotechnology, which sparked in high school and inspired me to explore molecular and cellular biology in greater depth. I was part of the NUscent project from last year and enjoyed working with such a great team of people who are passionate about synthetic biology. Beyond iGEM, I'm particularly interested in immunobiology and oncology research, and I hope to pursue a career in these areas.

Hi my name is Pablo and I am a member of the wet lab and software team. I joined iGem because I have always loved biology, and working on a synthetic biology project like iGem would be very interesting. I hope to take the knowledge that I have learned from iGem and work in computational biology.

This is my first year with iGEM at Northeastern! I joined the team because of the passion everyone shares for biology and the unique structure of iGEM as an organization.

This is my first year in iGEM at Northeastern University, and I joined as a freshman. I joined the team hoping to gain an introduction into wet lab research, as well as a greater understanding of the different moving parts that come with research, like getting financial support.

Hi! My name is Julia Pavlov, and I am a second year undergraduate student studying Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering at Northeastern University. This was my first year participating in iGem as part of the wet lab team. I joined iGem because I have been interested in synthetic biology, biotechnology, and bioengineering since high school, and I hope to continue pursuing those fields in my professional career.

Hi! My name is Lavanya, and I am currently studying Bioengineering at Northeastern University. This is my second year on the Northeastern iGEM team, and I joined to gain first-hand experience in designing and executing a project while learning new lab skills. The NEU iGEM projects have really strengthened my passion for biotechnology and cell work!

This was my first year with iGEM at Northeastern as a second-year student! I first joined because I loved the teamwork I experienced in middle school robotics competitions, even though robotics itself wasn't my interest. In iGEM, I found that same team spirit. Outside of iGEM, I'm beginning to have interest in using data to help bring safer and more effective drugs to patients faster and hope that could be something I could pursue.

I'm Amy, and this is my first year on the iGEM team. I joined iGEM because I've always been fascinated by genetics and how our biology shapes our lives. So, iGEM has given me the opportunity to learn about bioengineering research and collaborate with an inspiring team. After university, I hope to continue pursuing a career in research, particularly in biotechnology and drug development.

I am Elizabeth and this is my first year on the iGEM team! I joined iGEM because I wanted to apply my various wet lab techniques and synthetic biology interests to a cohesive project! Through this team, I have been able to apply my skills to advance our project, as well as pick up new techniques that will be useful in the future. Using my skills and knowledge about synthetic biology from this team, I plan on applying synthetic biology with oncology research post-graduation!

My name is Leslie Hill, and I'm a third-year student studying Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering at Northeastern University. This is my first year on the iGEM team, where I work on the wet lab subteam. I joined iGEM to gain practical research experience and take part in projects that could contribute to future advances in biotechnology. Through iGEM, I hope to keep developing my lab skills and contribute to research that bridges biology and design.

Hi, I’m Ryana! I'm a second-year Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering student at Northeastern University. I joined iGEM because I'm passionate about innovation and making a positive impact on society through engineering. The team's enthusiasm, collaboration, and dedication to creating real-world solutions inspired me to contribute my skills and grow alongside like-minded individuals.During this past year, I worked primarily on the wet lab team. I prepared LB broth, agar plates, and growth media while conducting bacterial cultures to support our research. My work involved DNA miniprep, PCR, and gel electrophoresis to isolate and verify plasmid sequences. I also performed Gibson Assemblies, transformations, and DNA visualization to transfect and purify sequences producing cellulose-binding complexes with fire-resistant proteins. Beyond the lab, I assisted with fundraising and stakeholder consideration to ensure our project aligned with community needs.

Hi, I’m Gavin! I'm a second-year Computer Science and Biology student at Northeastern University. This is my first year in iGEM and I worked on the wet lab team.

I hope to take the knowledge that I have learned from iGem and work in computational biology. Towards the end of this project cycle I also started looking into the possibility of integrating in silico work into FloraGuard especially to help with the design of the fusion proteins. I implemented software for generating potential fusion proteins by permuting the domains found in the literature.

I contributed across wet labs, human practices, and software. On the software team, I helped develop ideas for FloraGuard. My favorite memory in iGEM was Giving Day, when my team and I raised over $2,000 in a single day! Outside of iGEM, I'm beginning to have interest in using data to help bring safer and more effective drugs to patients faster and hope that could be something I could pursue.

My name is Jillian Ryan, and I am a third-year student at Northeastern studying mechanical engineering. This is my first year with iGEM, and I have been contributing to the hardware team! I joined iGEM because of the unique opportunity to gain project experience through supporting synthetic biology applications, an industry I have never been involved in before.

This cycle, I was one of four key members on the hardware team responsible for building the furnace. I helped iterate on the design and construction of the furnace, researched and assisted in developing the electrical system for the Inkbird controller, and created the MATLAB script for the coverage detection software. As Marketing Director, I photographed and filmed all promotional and presentation video b-roll, and managed our Instagram and website.

As Hardware Director, I led the development of a functional and accessible furnace that could aid the Wet Lab team in testing their product. To do so, I led brainstorming sessions to refine our ideas, sourced the raw materials needed to build the furnace, supported construction efforts of the furnace structure, directed assembly of the furnace components, and completed baseline testing experiments of user functionality.

Human Practices Director. As Human Practices Director, I set out to understand who our research serves, the impacts FloraGuard could have on society, and what responsible integration of a protein-based flame retardant would look like. I led external engagement and worked to ensure that our team was constantly learning from real experiences by tending school gardens with CitySprouts or running STEM workshops at the Jordan Boys and Girls Club of Boston.

I was also lucky enough to travel to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston Chelsea location to teach students about DNA and organelles through interactive, engaging lessons. This experience helped me understand the importance of science communication and community engagement in synthetic biology research.

For human practices, I participated in the volunteer group with City Sprouts to care for their school gardens over the summer. This experience helped me understand the practical applications of our research and the importance of community engagement in synthetic biology projects.

As part of Finance, I ideated a plant-sale fundraiser to increase team resources. This experience taught me about the business side of research and the importance of securing funding for innovative projects in synthetic biology.

With the marketing team, I have helped come up with ideas for our social media and filmed a "day in the life" of our iGEM members. For the finance team, I've helped come up with and run fundraising events, including raising money on Northeastern's Giving Day. These experiences helped me understand the importance of public outreach and community engagement.

As part of the human practices team, I helped maintain local schoolyard gardens in collaboration with CitySprouts, along with designing STEM focused lesson plans for the Boston Boys and Girls Club. This experience taught me the importance of community engagement and science education in synthetic biology research.

For human practices, I volunteered with City Sprout to maintain school gardens and created STEM lessons for the Boys & Girls Club. My favorite memory in iGEM was Giving Day, when my team and I raised over $2,000 in a single day! These experiences helped me understand the importance of community engagement and science communication.

As Marketing Director, I photographed and filmed all promotional and presentation video b-roll, and managed our Instagram and website. This experience taught me about science communication and the importance of sharing research with the public in accessible and engaging ways.

Hi! My name is Armaan, and this is my first year as a part of Northeastern University's iGEM branch. iGEM initially caught my eye because of the platform it provides students to truly and tangibly innovate for something they're passionate about. I view iGEM as an important jump outside of pages in textbooks and an intermediary to create real change. This year, I look forward to continuing working with the Marketing team and hopefully branching out into Wet Lab involvement.

Provided essential support and resources for our wet lab operations. Helen's expertise in MakerSpace management was crucial for our team's laboratory work and experimental protocols.

Hi! My name is Sunwoo and I'm a Computer Science graduate from Georgia Tech and am currently working as a Software Engineer. I was recruited by Riyaan tapped Anthony and I for some web devleopment help on the wiki as we've been best friends since high school. I'm not normally a frontend devleoper so don't judge my styling too hard :P.

Hey, my name's Anthony and I'm a first-year Data Science master's student at UNC Charlotte. I fell in love with machine learning research during my undergrad and chose to continue right after graduation. Riyaan and Sunwoo have been my best friends since high school, so when he asked us if we'd be willing to code the wiki, we were more than happy to oblige. I hope this site reflects all the time and effort the NEU iGEM team poured into this competition!

Contributed to the wiki development team, helping to create and maintain the digital platform that showcases our FloraGuard project and team achievements to the broader iGEM community.

Provided valuable contributions to our wiki development team, assisting in the creation and maintenance of our project's online presence and ensuring effective communication of our research findings.