What is MUTANS?
The Mutans Team (Multidisciplinary UnipD Team Applied for Natural Sciences) is an interdisciplinary university community involving students from the degree programs in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biology, Medicine, Chemistry, and Computer Engineering. The team is affiliated with the Departments of DiBio, DEI, DMM, DiSC, and DSB at the University of Padua.
Mutans was founded in 2022 by students passionate about the life sciences, aiming to create a space where they could apply their knowledge and integrate it with that of peers from other academic backgrounds. Their shared motivation was to take part in iGEM—the world’s largest international synthetic biology competition, where groundbreaking projects capable of reshaping our future are born every year.
For two consecutive years, in the 2023 and 2024 editions, members of the Mutans group have formed the team representing UniPD at iGEM, achieving excellent results in both editions.
We are driven by curiosity
There are many reasons why we decided to come together and form this team: we want to be involved in a project that excites us beyond regular classes, and we’re eager to collaborate with peers from different academic backgrounds. But above all, we want to challenge ourselves and compete with students from all over the world.
Thanks to this opportunity, we not only learn how to work in a diverse team and side by side with top-tier professors and researchers, but we also gain firsthand experience with the many facets of the research world. We aim to develop projects that have a real impact on the world around us—not only for iGEM, but for a better future for everyone.
Moreover, the international nature of the competition offers a unique chance to enhance our communication skills and connect with one of the most prestigious scientific communities worldwide.
Mutans as a community
“Alone, we can only go so far, because we all have our limits — but together, we can overcome those limits and reach the finish line.”
Sammy Basso
As a group that has been active for three consecutive years, even though Mutans was originally created to participate in iGEM, our mission doesn’t end there.
We aim to build a student community that turns Padua into a national hub for Synthetic Biology—one that can design innovative ideas and promote outreach and education around this fascinating and increasingly valuable discipline, which holds great potential for addressing today’s pressing challenges.