iGEM alumni spotlight
“Part of iGEM is learning how to roll with things and make do the best you can while coming up with the best project possible.”
iGEM is an annual, international competition where 350+ university teams present synthetic biology projects aimed at addressing 21st century challenges. Each year, UCSC assembles an interdisciplinary team of undergraduates with the common goal of creating a better world through science and engineering. Read more about iGEM.
Baskin Engineering alumnus Aren Pageler (B.S., Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, ‘19) played a key role on the 2019 UC Santa Cruz International Genetically Engineering Machine (iGEM) team, called Vitrium.
iGEM experience: Pageler’s team won silver at the 2019 iGEM Jamboree in Boston, MA for developing a novel approach to induce thermal stability of the Newcastle virus — by encasing it in a protective “glass shell.” This method sought to improve the stability and effectiveness of the Newcastle Disease vaccine, which is sensitive to temperature changes. To achieve this, the team used three different transformation techniques to ensure the vaccine remained effective.
During the project, Pageler’s team urgently needed a CO2 incubator, which typically costs over $10,000. After searching on eBay, the team found one for less than $1,000 at a liquidation unit in Las Vegas, NV.
Pageler coordinated with the seller, convinced his brother to drive with him, and left at 7 a.m for Las Vegas. They picked up the incubator by 4 p.m. and returned to Santa Cruz after midnight. With the incubator in hand, Pageler was ready for the team’s meeting the next morning.
“Part of iGEM is learning how to roll with things and make do the best you can while coming up with the best project possible,” Pageler said.
Where is he now? After graduating, Pageler worked as a Data Analyst at Prime Trust and is now a full stack engineer with Rubicon Carbon.
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