The 2008 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition is about to begin. iGEM is the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells. During the weekend of November 8-9, they present their work at the iGEM Competition Jamboree at MIT and have a chance to win awards. They add their new parts to the Registry of Standard Biological Parts for the students in the next year's competition.