Team:FSU/Attributions

The Team Behind...

...Empathy, Curiosity, and Ingenuity

Roderick Meyer

Team Lead

Major: Biological Sciences

As a member of our iGEM team, I overlooked the timely progression of the project, ensuring the successful cohesion of each interdisciplinary sub-team. I also facilitated collaborations with other iGEM teams, led team workshops, created and showcased our presentation, and helped each team member achieve their personal iGEM goal. I decided to join iGEM because it's a perfect example of the multidisciplinary environments present in every innovative workforce. As the team leader, I made it my priority to inspire and motivate our team in order to ignite empathy, curiosity, and ingenuity in the project we set out to explore.

Jacob Gottlieb

Associate Team Lead

Major: Biological Sciences

I oversaw the team and made sure everyone was on track with their responsibilities in hopes of earning the gold medal. I chose iGEM because I have been interested in genetics ever since I was young and I truly believe genetic technology will save the world.

Jessie Griesheimer

Human Practices Team Lead

Major: Criminology & Biological Sciences

I am a senior at Florida State University and a returning 2018 FSU iGEM member. As lead of the Human Practices team I reached out to professionals in labs, within the citrus industry, and the Florida Department of Agriculture to better understand the impact citrus greening has caused and formulate a responsible solution. Through my research and interviews, I found potential hazards to our research and worked with the Design and Modeling team to help minimize harm to the environment, while keeping the interests of grove owners in mind.

Hannah Pascoe

Create Team Lead

Major: Biological Sciences

As the leader of the Create Team, I implemented my previous laboratory experience into developing a practical solution for Citrus Greening. I delegated tasks to my fellow create team members and was in charge of performing experiments using molecular biology techniques. I decided to join iGEM to improve my leadership skills and to work as part of an interdisciplinary team to solve complex problems using synthetic biology.

Juan-Martin Portilla

Design Team Lead

Major: Biological Sciences

I oversaw the design of the project and helped coordinate the group effort between modeling and create teams. Beyond meeting with different parts of our iGEM team, I also met with professors and experts to discuss our project and explore other potential solutions. I originally joined iGEM to get exposed to a research setting that wasn’t necessarily rooted in academia.

Shams Dhanani

Modeling Team Lead

Major: Mechanical Engineering

I was responsible for the analysis of various data retrieved from our research. With a range of software and the techniques I've learned through rigorous coursework at my disposal, my responsibility was to ensure all data was set up and represented in its most rudimentary form. This allowed us to find relations in a wide data set in a short amount of time, pushing our research further.

Cameron Conroy

Software Team Lead

Major: Computer Science & Statistics

I designed and developed the Wiki, met with local growers, and advised different aspects of the project. iGEM appealed to the broadness of my interests and its collaborative atmosphere was hard to turn down. I believe that opportunities like iGEM are paramount creative outputs that stimulate the development of intellectually curious students. Perhaps what is most exciting about iGEM is that it is not just an intersection of the scientific disciplines, but the arts, humanities, and everything in between!

Kathleen McClellan

Human Practices Team Member

Major: Biological Sciences

As a member of the Human Practices team, I helped determine possible avenues for the project and helped to reach out and make connections with growers and other stakeholders in Florida’s citrus industry. I decided to join the iGEM team because I was excited by the idea of tackling an issue using genetic engineering, a field of biology that I had no prior experience with before iGEM.

Mezindia Blessing Nkembo

Create Team Member

Major: Biological Sciences

As create team member, I designed and carried out the protocols to test our AMPs on our model organism E-coli. I joined the iGEM team not only because of my love for citrus and concern of the effects of citrus greening to our great state but because I felt it was a great opportunity to learn outside of lecture halls. This experience pushed me to think critically and develop new problem-solving skills.

Derica Parathundil

Human Practices Team Member

Major: Biological Sciences

As part of the Human Practices team, I helped contextualize the issue our project revolved around — citrus greening. Part of this involved visiting what used to be an orange grove in my hometown and compiling statistics. I joined iGEM to learn more about biology even though I am planning to study communication sciences and disorders in the near future. I have been dubbed the “cinnamon roll” of the team, but I think I earned it because I still play Roblox with my friends sometimes.

Nicholas Vazquez

Create Team Member

Major: Biological Sciences & Psychology

As part of the create team, I redesigned and tested audiogenetic experiments on E. Coli and assisted in AMP research. I joined IGEM because I wanted a chance to work on a team to be able to fix a problem from my community. As well as learn more about what the future of genetically engineered machines holds.

Alyssa Klein

Modeling Team Member

Major: Chemical Engineering

As part of the modeling team, I was involved with brainstorming and designing the physical model. I was tasked with assisting the model lead with various endeavors throughout the project. I am currently a sophomore, so my intentions with joining iGEM were to further my experience outside of the classroom in order to have a better understanding of real-world problem solving with engineering. The multidisciplinary team assisted with providing a broader view, rather than focusing on general engineering aspects. My favorite part of iGEM was being able to approach real-world issues, as these have been the most influential topics that have further increased my passion for solving problems through engineering.

Conner Quinlan

Design Team Member

Major: Biochemistry

I worked with Juan Martinez-Portilla on the design of the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) generators. I also worked on visualizing the structure of the AMPs. I'm a tech enthusiast with a background in IT. I hope to continue to regenerative medicine in the future.