The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of synthetic biology, education and competition, and the development of an open community and collaboration. This is done by fostering an open, cooperative community, and friendly competition.

The iGEM Competition is a world-wide competition conducted each year in which students from multidisciplinary background team up and work together to design, build, test their own design using molecular biology techniques. Every year nearly 6,000 people dedicate their summer to iGEM and then come together in the fall to present their work and compete at the annual Giant Jamboree.

Since its inception iGEM has worked to ensure that excellence in synthetic biology goes beyond what happens in the lab. The aim is to foster a cooperative, conscientious and responsible approach in using synthetic biology to solve real world problems, and to help create a fairer and more inclusive world, where synthetic biology is used as a tool to address diverse problems faced by diverse groups of people, all around the world. This philosophy is embedded in the core values espoused by the iGEM foundation: good sportsmanship; respect; honesty; celebration; cooperation; effort; and excellence. The competition provides incentives through special awards and medal criteria, to explore issues outside of the laboratory, to help create a better world.