Conditional protein splicing using caged inteins can be a way to introduce Boolean logic gates into biological systems. Here a system was established that works as an AND-gated input-to-output actuator. doi.org/10.1038/s415... #iGEM2026#SynBio#biochemistry

Congratulations to iGEM McGill and iGEM Brno for winning the undergraduate and overgraduate Grand Prize respectively.🏆 Looking forward to joining you at the Grand Jamboree next year! #iGEM2026

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a class of biopolymers characterized by biodegradability and biocompatibility. Interestingly they can be synthesized by engineered bacteria like Pseudomonas and E. coli.🦠 Learn more about this biopolymer in this review! doi.org/10.3389/fbio... #iGEM2026#SynBio

GRAPE is a new platform for in planta directed evolution. For this, it uses geminivirus rolling circle replication achieving high-throughput selection for desired gene activities.🌱 doi.org/10.1126/scie... #iGEM2026#SynBio#directedevolution

Endometriosis affects 190 million women and people assigned female at birth. It is characterized by painful symptoms and increases the risk of infertility. One theory of its etiology is retrograde menstruation, the retrograde flow of endometrial cells. doi.org/10.1136/bmj-... #iGEM2026#medicine

Due to climate change, plants increasingly face abiotic stresses such as heat and drought. Genetically engineering plants to be more resilient (smart crops) could help mitigate this agricultural burden.🌱 doi.org/10.1016/j.je... #iGEM2026#SynBio#plantsciences#climatechange

As per a previous post, ultrasound can be used to release thrombin from aptamers. The same effect can be achieved by pH-change. This catch-and-release system termed pHAST is further described here: dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.... #iGEM2026#SynBio#biochemistry

Ferroptosis is an iron-driven form of cell death. It is of particular interest in targeting colon cancer. The interplay between gut microbiota and ferroptosis was reviewed here: doi.org/10.1016/j.tc... #iGEM2026#cancer

Sonogenetics is an emerging field, which aims to control cell functions via acoustic waves. Here it was shown that protein function could be controlled by applying ultrasound. To achieve this, autocatalytic protein splicing was used. doi.org/10.1021/jacs... #iGEM2026#SynBio#biochemistry

🌱Pentatricopeptide Repeat Proteins (PPR) are modular RNA-binding proteins. They are involved in regulating the expression of transcripts in chloroplasts and mitochondria. Synthetic PPR can be used for target-specific RNA-editing and splicing. doi.org/10.1093/pcp/... #iGEM2026#SynBio#plantsciences

🏆This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOF). Among abilities like capturing gases (e.g. carbon dioxide), MOFs could pose for biological applications. Their interplay with biology can be seen here: doi.org/10.1038/s420... #NobelPrize

The gut microbiome is substantially remodelled in colorectal cancer (CRC). Several microorganisms, as seen in this review, are of particular interest.🦠 In the future, synthetic biology can be a useful tool in CRC therapy and diagnostics! doi.org/10.1038/s415... #iGEM2026#SynBio#cancer

Topic of this week's team discussion: Plum pox virus Did you know that sharka is the most serious viral disease for the stone fruit industry accounting for €2.4 billion in damage in the last 28 years?🍒🍑 Learn more in this review! doi.org/10.1111/aab.... #iGEM2026#SynBio#plantsciences#virology

🚀 Exciting news: our next @igemhq.bsky.social team is growing! We are thrilled to host the 2025/26 team in Bonn 🌱🧬 Meet them here: www.igem-bonn.org/team-2026/ and follow their journey @igembonn.bsky.social #iGEM2026 #SynBio @igemcommunity.bsky.social @bpucker.bsky.social

We are building a new Team to participate in the 2026 iGEM Jamboree. Join us on our research journey to make our scientific vision a reality!