iGEM alumni spotlight
“I learned that I’m capable of doing a lot, actually, and that I’m not bad at science and I’m not a bad leader. [iGEM] really helped me become more confident and trust myself.”
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 alumna Emily Mount (B.S. Biomolecular Engineering, ‘19) was captain of the 2018 UC Santa Cruz International Genetic Engineering Machine (iGEM) team, called Poppy.
iGEM experience: Mount’s team addressed the global lack of family planning services by localizing contraception production and increasing availability in resource-constrained communities. By engineering a progesterone-producing yeast strain that grows on dairy, the team created a sustainable and affordable “grow at home” contraceptive for women anywhere in the world.
Reflecting on her experience as an iGEM captain, Mount emphasized how her leadership skills grew throughout the project.
“I’ll be blunt,” she said. “I didn’t think I was qualified to be a captain because there were so many people on our team who were so smart, so thoughtful, and probably had more leadership experience than I did.”
“I was shocked that I ended up in that role because I very much had imposter syndrome that still rears its head now and then. Prior to iGEM, I felt like I had no idea what I was doing, I had no idea what I was going to do once I finished school. And then I learned that I’m capable of doing a lot, actually, and that I’m not bad at science and I’m not a bad leader. It really helped me become more confident and trust myself.”
Where is she now? After graduating, Mount worked as a Research Associate at AvantGen and is now a Senior Scientist at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research.
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