Brainstorming

For Future iGEMers

Diagnostics

• Utilising CRISPR arrays in a cell free system for a modular viral biosensor.

Energy

• Bacterial quantum dot synthesis for solar cells.

Environment

• Using denitrification pathways for recovery of nitrified water.
• Engineering organisms to degrade compounds from munitions.
• A gene drive for corals introducing adaptations to ocean acidification.
• A phage based kill switch.

Food & Nutrition

• Engineering lactococcus for nutrient enriched cheese.

Foundational Advance

• A fast RNA oscillator based on the repressilator using dCas9 and aptazymes.
• Creating a standardised logic gate architecture in mammalian cells.
• Using conjugation and fluorescent aptamers to give live in vivo readouts of data stored in DNA.
• Engineering heterocyst-like patterning in minD mutants.
• Using inteins to anchor proteins to the cell membrane.
• A 4-output dCas9 based toggle switch.

Information Processing

• A bacterial organ formed of different cultures seperated by permeable membranes that signalling molecules can pass between.
• Modelling the Suckers, Cheats and Grudgers evolutionary stable strategy in an E. coli co-culture.

Manufacturing

• Remediation of molecules using dead mini-cells.
• Biomining of metals by oxidising them to cause precipitation.
• Forming bacterial chains by localising adhesive proteins to the poles in order to produce strong biomaterials.
• Crosslinking enzymes biomaterials produced in vivo to generate catalytic biofilms.
• Producing camouflage dyes with reflectin proteins.

New Application

• Bacterial tattoo removal using enzymes that can degrade azo-dyes.

Therapeutics

• Linking chemotaxis to optogenetics in bacteria that synthesise drugs so they can be directed to a tumour.