The iGEM UGM 2023 team has engaged in collaborations with various iGEM teams from across the globe. These collaborations have played a pivotal role in fostering and strengthening our relationships with other like-minded teams. Throughout these processes, we have brainstormed ideas and exchanged aspirations, resulting in diverse activities that yield positive outcomes such as a webinar, a collaboration project, and crucial meetings, which are not only beneficial for our respective teams but also for the audience. We are immensely aware of the importance of collaboration in sharing viewpoints and building robust partnerships. Thus, these collaborations have enriched our and others’ perspectives and provided us, as well as others involved, with fruitful experiences.

iGEM UGM collaborated with iGEM Patras in an initiative titled “Life Tape Interview: Surviving Cancer”, driven by the increasing number of cancer survivors. Before initiating the collaboration project, the iGEM UGM 2023 team and the iGEM Patras 2023 team engaged in a brainstorming session to explore collaborative ideas to be realized. After conducting the brainstorming session, we generated several collaboration ideas, such as creating educational comics addressing cancer issues, producing a synthetic biology podcast, and making a collaboration video for Cancer Survivor Day. Following a series of discussions, it was decided that the collaboration project to be pursued would be the creation of a video featuring cancer patients and survivors from different parts of the world. The goal of this collaboration video is to provide motivation and insight to people fighting cancer worldwide, demonstrating that they are not alone and that they also have hope to overcome this disease.

“A Dream Fight” comic book is the other collaboration project conducted by the iGEM UGM 2023 team and the iGEM Patras 2023 team. Through this comic book, both teams aspire to share knowledge on cancer in a fun and animated way, even by the youngest of audience. The was also translated into, among others, Indonesian and English to allow a universal scope of readers.

iGEM UGM established a partnership with iGEM UI to organize a collaboration webinar titled “Biotechnological Advancements Towards Health”. This webinar was open to the public and was organized corresponding to the current importance of biotechnology (including synthetic biology), especially in the realm of health. It served as a sincere effort to share knowledge to the general public. The first presentation was delivered by the founder and consultant of LiEW STRATEGiCS/LiEW ENZYMiCS, discussing the role of algae in health through a biotechnological perspective. Following that, there were two other sessions presented by the iGEM UGM 2023 team and the iGEM UI 2023 team, where they respectively talked about their team projects in the fields of synthetic biology and health as well as conveyed general information about their research areas. This webinar was attended by 65 participants from various backgrounds.

iGEM UGM with NYCU-Taipei iGEM partnered together for the “Synthetic Biology and Diagnosis Seminar”, to engage in a collaborative discussion regarding our shared research focus in the field of diagnostics. The purpose of organizing this collaborative meeting was to gain insights from diverse perspectives on diagnostics and nurture a sense of curiosity on the advancement of diagnostics that can benefit the broader community. Through this meeting, the iGEM UGM 2023 team and the NYCU-Taipei iGEM 2023 team succeeded in sharpening each others’ critical thinking when answering questions during the question and answer session, as it may help us when facing the judging sessions during the iGEM 2023 Grand Jamboree.