School of Communication Alumnus Aidan Marengo served as the Visual Arts Lead for the FSU international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team, which won a gold medal for the second year in a row at the iGEM Grand Jamboree. The iGEM Grand Jamboree was held from Oct. 28-31, 2025, at the Paris Convention Centre in France, where FSU was one of two universities from Florida with an iGEM team.
As the Visual Arts Lead
for both the 2024 and 2025 iGEM teams, Marengo created a two-minute promotional video and a 15-minute video presentation that told the story of their research. The team’s research was on microplastics, with a focus on genetically engineering E. coli to prevent its absorption in the small intestine. “This year’s video gave me a chance to highlight the story of the team itself: our ideas, the reasoning behind design decisions, the failures and setbacks in the lab, the concerns, and how we navigated them,” Marengo said.
For his work on the 2025 promotional video, Marengo utilized his skills in After Effects, where he animated a scene in which microplastics were floating through the digestive system. During his time in the Digital Media and Production (DMP) major, he developed experience in documentary-style storytelling, which he was able to implement in this project. Marengo felt a major development in his skills from making the 2024 video to the 2025 video.
“My skills as a videographer, editor, and storyteller have massively improved since entering DMP, and I think the 2025 presentation video reflects that growth,” Marengo said.
Previously, Marengo was a biology major before applying to DMP, which allowed him to work with students in engineering, computer science, medicine, and business, using his prior knowledge in STEM to communicate their message at a deeper level.
Marengo describes how this team dynamic and the iGEM trips to Paris were the most notable aspects of his college career. He developed himself as a storyteller, bringing this research to life in an engaging way through visuals.
“Being part of the team for two years helped me meet tons of hardworking, intelligent individuals. I still work with some team members currently as a videographer for a biotech startup formed by members of the 2024 team, Esperance Healthcare,” Marengo said.
Marengo utilized his DMP skills; he seized the opportunity and got the iGEM position by showing up and advancing his opportunities professionally.