Our Story

What started as an idea to grow iGEM participation in Michigan has evolved into the Great Lakes SynBio Association, to encompass all the states that touch the great lakes and population centers from Detriot to Chicago and beyond.

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There is a small history of synthetic biology in the region - sporadic participation of some schools in iGEM, a community lab (BioBlaze), and a growing life science industry. Conversations with educators and principals at regional meetings assessed interest for our work, and helped to build a robust network together with existing organizations. We are marrying this help from synthetic biology groups outside the region - leveraging the experience and resources from BioBuilder, BioMADE, and others. We envision GLSB as a community hub, and a way to introduce these other excellent groups to the region.