Team:Lambert GA/Entrepreneurship
E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P
PRODUCT DESIGN AND GLOBAL COLLABORATION
A key component of demonstrating the accuracy and precision of scientific data is through reproducibility and external validation. We believe that collaboration with other iGEM teams is a powerful method to disseminate information, and in this spirit, we have worked with the University of Georgia iGEM Team and Taipei American School iGEM Team (TAS_Taipei) to verify the functionality and practicality of our device. Throughout multiple trials conducted by both teams, the ElectroPen was demonstrated to successfully electroporate GFP into E. coli, as seen with the trials conducted by Lambert iGEM. The transformation efficiency obtained from these tests is also on par with those from commercial electroporators, thereby confirming the data obtained across all trials conducted. In addition, the ElectroPen was tested using three different cell lines: DH5a, BL21, and Nissile 1917, confirming its versatility.Through this, we demonstrate that the ElectroPen (patent pending) is a powerful ultralow-cost device that can be applied in various settings from low-resource high school groups to equipped university laboratories, and we envision the application of this device in these settings across the world.
In order to ensure effective implementation of this device across the world, we have received feedback and design inputs for improvements and suggestions for the ElectroPen. From both the TAS Taipei and UGA teams, we received suggestions to increase the length of the wires and create terminals on the cuvettes such that the ElectroPen can connect to it. We also received recommendations to create a latch for the toggle to remain secured within the casing. In recognition of these suggestions, we will soon develop another iteration of the ElectroPen as an improvement.
We recognize the importance of collaboration in the validation of the ElectroPen's functionality, and in next year's project, will conduct a larger international collaboration study with the ElectroPen to further demonstrate reproducibility and the versatility.
The tutorials and instructions to build the ElectroPen system have not yet been released as an open-access publication comprising of these documents will soon be released. However, all interested teams may visit our booth during the exhibition session at Jamboree to register to participate in a mini-InterLab Study for the ElectroPen with supplies provided by us!
In order to ensure effective implementation of this device across the world, we have received feedback and design inputs for improvements and suggestions for the ElectroPen. From both the TAS Taipei and UGA teams, we received suggestions to increase the length of the wires and create terminals on the cuvettes such that the ElectroPen can connect to it. We also received recommendations to create a latch for the toggle to remain secured within the casing. In recognition of these suggestions, we will soon develop another iteration of the ElectroPen as an improvement.
We recognize the importance of collaboration in the validation of the ElectroPen's functionality, and in next year's project, will conduct a larger international collaboration study with the ElectroPen to further demonstrate reproducibility and the versatility.
The tutorials and instructions to build the ElectroPen system have not yet been released as an open-access publication comprising of these documents will soon be released. However, all interested teams may visit our booth during the exhibition session at Jamboree to register to participate in a mini-InterLab Study for the ElectroPen with supplies provided by us!
Figure 7: a We worked with TAS_Taipei to validate the ElectroPen’s efficacy, and through two trials conducted, they successfully demonstrated that electroporation using the device was successful. b Collaboration with the University of Georgia team on 3 different trials also indicated the same results, validating the performance of the ElectroPen.