Team:RPI Troy NY/Team

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Who Are We?

Welcome to our team page! The inaugural RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) iGEM team comprises 11 undergraduates. Our team has benefited from the guidance of two professors in addition to other advisors. We are the first official team from RPI to successfully participate in iGEM, and we are excited and grateful for the opportunity to compete. Our team plans to realize the iGEM vision of advancing the state of the art in synthetic biology to improve health and generate knowledge. Our proposed work is highly interdisciplinary in that our project will feature several fields of inquiry including genetics, synthesis and identification of molecules, assessment of biological properties through cell based assays, and metabolic pathway engineering. Following a summer and fall of interdisciplinary collaboration to carry out an innovative synthetic biology project, we plan to present our work at iGEM. Our team members come from many different areas of science and engineering and have diverse skill sets in cellular biology, bioinformatics, analytical chemistry, and metabolic/enzyme engineering. We've been doing our best thus far, and look forward to meeting the other teams at the Giant Jamboree in November!

Team Members

Name: Krystyna Farrell Class Year: 2018 Major: Chemical Engineering Hi! My name is Krystyna and I’m a Chemical Engineering major with a strong interest in molecular biology and genetics. In addition to my involvement in iGEM, I work at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and hold officer positions in RPI’s Red & White Student Organization and Alpha Phi. My greatest passion of all however, has been research in the Koffas metabolic engineering lab over the past two years. CRISPR systems fascinate me and I’m looking to pursue a PhD in Biological Engineering at another institution after earning my Bachelor’s degree from RPI in May.

Name: Ian Fralen Class Year: 2018 Major: Business and Management Hey! I’m Ian, a Senior Management student with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Technical Entrepreneurship. With a passion for science and a drive to use my schooling and knowledge to build upon something bigger than myself, I found massive opportunity for growth within iGEM. Much of my free time is spent playing on the RPI rugby team, weightlifting, playing guitar, working on business ventures, or spending time with my friends. Additionally, I am a proud brother of Phi Sigma Kappa and am an aspiring business owner.

Name: Megan Gupta Class Year: 2019 Major: Biology Hi! My name is Megan and I am a junior at RPI studying in the Accelerated Physician-Scientist Program. I joined iGEM because I have a strong interest in laboratory science and I believe in learning beyond the classroom to make a difference in our world. In my free time (as little as it is), I like reading, watching TV, and hanging out with friends. Megan Gupta I have been a part of iGEM since June 2017 as part of the Culturing and Chemistry Committee, specifically to work on chemical extraction of the sophorolipids, as I have a strong background in organic chemistry. I also am one of the two members working on the team Wiki, and have been regularly attending team meetings. Nice to meet you!

Name: Leah Henegar Class Year: 2018 Major: Biochemistry and Biophysics Hi! My name is Leah, and I am a senior studying Biochemistry and Biophysics. I joined iGEM for the opportunity to collaborate not only with other students at RPI but with teams from other universities and countries as well. In my free time I enjoy reading and cooking.

Name: Cameron Kee Class Year: 2018 Major: Biology I'm a pre-medical student with a specialty in microbiology and biochemistry. Besides iGEM I'm involved in research into the biological activities of sophorolipids and the custom growth of bacterial cellulose. In addition I cook and run games of New World of Darkness.

Name: Stephanie Lee Class Year: 2018 Major: Biochemistry and Biophysics Hi! My name is Stephanie, and I’m a senior studying biology and graduating this December. I joined iGEM to collaborate with other students with different majors and therefore different perspectives. In my free time, I like writing short stories, painting, and practicing Isshin-Ryu karate.

Name: William Douglas Meadow, Jr. Class Year: 2018 Major: Biomedical Engineering I am interested in advancing the state of the art in synthetic biology and laying the foundation for future advances and achievements in this field. By founding the RPI iGEM team and participating in iGEM, I hope to accelerate innovation in synthetic biology. I am an avid reader and a regular at the RPI creative writing club. I also enjoy digital art and animation, and my studies include a minor in electronic arts at RPI.

Name: Helen Elizabeth Andrea Merricks Class Year: 2018 Major: Biology Hi, my name is Helen and I am a senior studying Biology at RPI. I found iGEM particularly interesting because it allowed for the collaborative work of different majors. I’m also excited about the work that we’ll be doing the summer because it could have a lot of implications for the future. When I’m not in class or the lab, I’m practicing with RPI’s Dance Team, watching TV, or working on the executive board of my sorority.

Name: Genesis Moran Class Year: 2019 Major: Industrial Management Engineering Hi my name is Genesis Moran and I am majoring in Industrial and Management Engineering. I am a junior and just recently switched over from Chemical Engineering. Working as a part of RPI's first iGEM team is remarkable. It's exciting to be collaborating as part of a team with such spectrum of varying majors.

Name: Maily Nyguyen Class Year: 2019 Major: Biology My name is Maily and I am currently a junior at RPI. As a BME I have large interest in biological systems, and I want to put what I have learned to work by participating in iGEM. I am passionate about engineering and science, and when I’m not busy with schoolwork I love traveling to new places and watching movies.

Name: Blossom Wong Class Year: 2019 Major: Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology Hi, my name is Blossom and I am a junior studying Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology. When I first heard of iGEM, I was fascinated with the idea of collaborating with students of other majors working towards a similar goal. Genetic engineering is my passion and I love working in labs. I am a part of the Microbial Genetics Committee and I am one of the two members in charge of our team wiki. When I’m not in class, studying, or lab, I go running, hiking, camping and playing basketball. I’m extremely excited to work and collaborate with my iGEM team.