Team Bio

The 2016 Purdue iGEM team is comprised of 7 undergraduate students, 2 graduate student advisors, and 2 faculty advisors. We have a great project idea this year and are starting to make it a reality. We just need funding now to do even better in the competition than before.

Purdue iGEM

The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation is dedicated to education and competition, advancement of synthetic biology, and the development of open community and collaboration. In 2012, iGEM spun out of MIT and became an independent nonprofit organization located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. iGEM fosters scientific research and education by establishing and operating the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, a community collection of biological components. The organization promotes the advancement of science and education by developing an open community of students and practitioners in schools, laboratories, research institutes, and industry.

Caleigh Roleck

Hello! I am a rising junior in biochemistry here at Purdue University, with minors in biotechnology and statistics. This year, I have the honor of serving as the project director for Purdue’s iGEM project. When not doing iGEM, I also conduct research on Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformations of plants. Last year, I served as the Director of Events, and this upcoming year, I will serve as the treasurer for Purdue’s Pugwash chapter, an organization dedicated to the promotion of ethics and social responsibility in science and technology. I was awarded the Astronaut Scholarship in 2017, a scholarship the acknowledges undergraduates that express creativity and initiative in STEM research. After graduation, I hope to earn a PhD in biochemistry and then to pursue a career as a government or military scientist.

Paige Rudin

As a rising sophomore undergraduate student biomedical engineering student with minors in global engineering and Spanish, I plan to pursue a PhD and career in neuroengineering research. In addition to iGEM, I am currently involved in a project researching a delivery method for alpha-gal nanoparticles to aid in nerve regeneration at the site of spinal injuries.

Suraj Mohan

I am currently an undergraduate student at Purdue University majoring in Biological Engineering (concentration in Cellular and Molecular Engineering) and minoring in Biotechnology. I have been involved with a synthetic biology project that looks into comparing the efficiencies of genome integration techniques for E.coli bacteria, with a further goal of being able to improve E.coli resistance to extracellular stress for biofuel and pharmaceutical uses. In addition, I have worked on developing a lignocellulosic pretreatment for biomass to improve the yield efficiencies of ethanol producing bioreactors. In the future, I plan on pursuing a M.S in Biotechnology and working in industry through a R&D department of a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company.

Emma Foster

I am a rising junior majoring in biological engineering with a concentration in cellular and biomolecular engineering while also minoring in dance. I am still deciding on my post-graduation plans with industry and graduate school in mind. This is my first year in iGEM and can’t wait to get started this summer. Previously, I worked on primer design and general E. coli transformations for a project in the biomedical engineering department at Purdue University.

Bowman Clark

I am a rising junior in Biology and plan to get a PhD in Synthetic Biology to continue research and eventually pass on the joy of synbio as a professor. This is my second year in iGEM, and as head of the team I have very ambitious plans for our project this year. I hope we can achieve all requirements to receive a gold medal this year, but also hope to lead the team to a first place victory at the Giant Jamboree.

Barrett Davis

Hi! I am an undergraduate student at Purdue University majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in global engineering and electrical and computer engineering. Outside of iGEM this year I have been involved in helping kickstart a medical device design club on campus and just recently helped enter a year long project in the NIH’s DEBUT challenge and the BMES student design competition. After Purdue I plan on obtaining an M. Eng. and transitioning to research in industry.