Reflections - Anika Kapur

iGEM Competition - Synthetic Biology

Anika Kapur

iGEM is a competition that focuses on synthetic biology. Our school did a project in which we changed the stress responses of a plant. We worked on modifying the mitochondria and the chloroplast so that the chemical response takes a slower reaction time. Our project was specifically designed for drought resistance as few durian farms lack water, and they cannot take the risk of letting durian trees die because durians are very expensive.

This competition was held at the Paris Jamboree during the first week of November 2023, during which we showcased our work with other schools, universities, and colleges. One hundred twenty-one high school teams were in the division we competed in. We worked hard, were placed in the bronze category, and were nominated for the best presentation.

I was a co-leader for the human practice and drylab teams for 2023. Being a co-leader gave me a greater responsibility, as I could now help even more and make a few decisions on how we worked. I learned many things about being co-leaders, such as how we should always prepare for a delay and keep updating the timelines, along with collaborating and communicating with the members and the lab members from Chulalongkorn University.

As co-leader for human practice, I managed the middle school presentation and was in charge of meeting with teachers and preparing the content we needed. We explained the project to students, what plants go through, the different organelles used, and what modifications we made. This helped me practice my speaking skills in front of a smaller audience.

While enjoying learning the different lab techniques used in professional college-level labs and using analytical skills in 3D modeling to interpret the various features of biological science, along with working with experienced college students who have experience in this field, I felt like my interest in biology and chemistry had increased since then.

Other things I found very memorable, besides learning the new techniques, were meeting people from different countries and schools and discussing the various ideas that teams worked on. In the beginning, it was tough to talk to others as everybody was new. However, as the day ended, everyone became more social, which helped us make new friends and make the experience even more memorable.

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