Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) Announces Platinum Sponsorship of International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition

SKOKIE, IL and BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Mar 3, 2016) - Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. (IDT), the global leader in nucleic acid synthesis, announces its 2016 Platinum Level sponsorship of the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. The iGEM Foundation conducts a yearly international competition for students interested in synthetic biology. Last year, more than 280 teams from 39 countries participated in the competition. IDT also will provide each registered team with up to 20KB of its market leading gBlocks® Gene Fragments synthetic DNA products -- for a total value of almost US$1M.

"We are very proud to continue our support of iGEM teams that enable future scientists to contribute to the advancement of synthetic biology," said Joseph Walder, President and Chief Executive Officer of IDT. "Every year, they produce amazing research and contribute to the general public's understanding of how recombinant organisms can improve our future when used responsibly."

Randy Rettberg, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the iGEM Foundation said: "With this offer, iGEM teams will live in the future of synthetic biology, where the cost and effort of obtaining the required DNA constructs are no longer limiting factors. Thanks to IDT, the teams can focus on imagining, engineering, and testing the novel devices they create to solve important world problems. This is the promise of DNA synthesis and the future of the industry."

About IDT
Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. (IDT), the global leader in nucleic acid synthesis, serving all areas of life sciences research and development, offers products for a broad range of genomics applications. IDT's primary business is the production of custom, synthetic nucleic acids for molecular biology applications, including qPCR, next generation sequencing, synthetic biology, and functional genomics. With manufacturing facilities in the United States, Belgium, and Singapore, IDT synthesizes more than 55,000 custom oligonucleotides per day for over 85,000 customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.idtdna.com and follow us on twitter @idtdna.

About iGEM
The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to education and competition, the advancement of synthetic biology, and the development of an open community and collaboration. Since its founding, over 28,000 people have participated in iGEM. Student teams design, build, and test their projects over the summer and gather to present their work and compete at the annual Jamboree in Boston, MA every fall. For more information, visit igem.org and 2016.igem.org.