SPECIAL THANKS

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout our research journey. Our team began this project in January, when we met each other for the first time and embarked on the path to becoming the 2025 Stony Brook iGEM team. We were warmly welcomed by the 2024 Stony Brook iGEM team, who showed us the ropes and guided us through the early stages of building a successful team. We are especially grateful to our advisors and PIs — Dr. Gergen, Dr. Balazsi, Dr. Gunn, Melanie, and Chris (2019 iGEM alumni!) — for their mentorship, patience, and invaluable guidance as we formulated our project concept. Your insight and encouragement provided the foundation that allowed us to grow and reach where we are today.

Throughout the summer, we were fortunate to connect with several HIV specialists, researchers, and clinicians who helped us deepen our understanding of the field. We would like to thank Dr. Morgello, Dr. Wick, Dr. Ording-Baur, Dr. Ju, and Dr. Cevaal for generously sharing your time and expertise. Your professional insights broadened our perspective on the scientific and societal dimensions of HIV research and strengthened the direction of our project.

Beyond scientific mentorship, many individuals and organizations supported us in outreach and education. Thank you to Bethpage High School, Brentwood High School, and all the professors/teachers who welcomed us into their classrooms. Thank you to Maria Pasquale for your collaboration on our children’s book — we hope our work makes you proud! We are also grateful to the various Stony Brook organizations that partnered with us on outreach and collaboration events; we truly enjoyed working alongside you. A special thank-you goes to Maria Fandaros and Karen Kernan for your assistance with stipends, events, and research symposium logistics throughout the summer — your support made our efforts possible. We also extend our appreciation to the Stony Brook Child Care Center for opening your classrooms to us and engaging with our outreach activities. To every individual who contributed to our progress in any capacity — the 2025 Stony Brook iGEM team sincerely thanks you.

We would like to recognize and thank Josh Fording, a graduate student with extensive IRB expertise, whose mentorship guided us through the ethical research approval process for our HIV funding impact survey. As a team conducting an IRB study for the first time, we greatly benefited from Josh’s clear guidance on when IRB approval is required, how to navigate the application process, and how to design ethically sound and responsible surveys.

We are deeply grateful to the alumni, organizations, and programs that generously provided financial support for our 2025 iGEM project. Their contributions enabled us to carry out our research, organize outreach initiatives, and represent Stony Brook University on an international stage. We would like to thank the Stony Brook Career Center Internship Program, which supported many of our members in dedicating their summer to full-time laboratory research while gaining valuable professional experience. The URECA (Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities) Program also provided essential funding that made our project possible. We are especially honored to have received the URECA Biology Alumni Award, which recognized our project’s potential to bridge synthetic biology with medical innovation.

We would also like to acknowledge the Steven Galson Award and the Francisco–Anderson Award for their generous support. These awards not only sustained our research throughout the summer but also inspired us to pursue socially impactful, high-quality science that embodies the values of the Stony Brook community.

Finally, we want to offer a heartfelt shout-out to the 2024 Stony Brook iGEM team for being with us every step of the way. Your mentorship, patience, and constant willingness to help us throughout the spring and summer made an immeasurable difference. From answering our questions to sharing your experience, your support directly enabled our success — thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Each of these supporters played an essential role in helping us bring our ideas to life — from the earliest brainstorming sessions to experimental validation and community outreach. Without this collective support, our participation in iGEM 2025 would not have been possible. The 2025 Stony Brook iGEM team extends our heartfelt thanks to everyone who believed in our vision and helped us grow as young scientists and innovators.