Team:UIOWA/Collaborations
Collaboration
Paris EcoR1-Pstl Insert Plasmid
During the summer of 2018, we approached the 2018 iGEM Paris Envy team with a request to use one of their 2017 composite parts. We believed that we could use it to incorporate our promoter, regulator and reporter together and incorporate it into a plasmid with a compatible ORI for an E. coli that had already been engineered to produce 3HP. Essentially we intended to implement our biosensor into a 3HP producing chassis in order to demonstrate that our biobrick could be integrated into a previously existing biotechnologically modified system. The biobrick was sent expeditiously by the Paris Envy team, and worked exactly as promised. All of our work is carefully documented and will be an excellent future goal for our project. Check out their 2017 Wiki!
Boas Pucker: Weekly Mentor Meetings
We had the privilege to meet Boas Pucker through the iGEM Mentorship program. Pucker has helped us in a variety of ways via Skype calls. He has helped us stay track on deadlines, troubleshoot lab issues and cheer us on. Currently, he works as a research scientist at the department of plant biology at Bielefield University. He is currently on the Bielefield 2018 iGEM Team. Check out their Wiki!
Edinburgh
The Edinburgh iGEM team reached out to us about a possible collaboration. Their E. coli strain has the ability to produce propionate. They wanted to know whether or not our biosensor would be able to work inside of their strain, to measure the amount of propionate they are creating. We tested our Bacillus subtilis strain in a propionate gradient to see if it would be able to measure the chemical. We have demonstrated that our 2018 iGEM device is a successful biosensor of propionic acid. Our next steps are to grow up Edinburgh's construct and lyse the bacterium to extract propionate. We will then place our B. subtilis biosensor into the lysed contents and attempt to measure propionate. If we are successful, we will be comparing the data from our B. subtilis biosensor with the data from our initial run in pure propionate. Check out their Wiki!
Bielefeld-CeBitec
The Bielefeld-CeBiTec shared with us a set of slides made for Dual-Use and Research of Concern issues. The PowerPoint informed us how research can pose potential risks and benefits to society through misuse of information and products by third parties, which can cause serious consequences to public health and safety, the environment or national security. Additionally, Jenny integrated slides from the PowerPoint into her presentation to the Personal Genome Learning Center at the University of Iowa. The center's focus is on the usage of genetics in society. Check out their Wiki!
