Achievements

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Special Prize: Best Model

For our iGEM project, we designed a versatile protein platform to enable the fixation of a wide range of organic and inorganic molecules on cellulose. Modelling this three-headed fusion protein presented a complex challenge, requiring a multi-step and multi-level strategy relying on various molecular modelling and simulation methods. We used available crystallographic structure data from the Protein Data Bank, integrated 3D structure prediction tools, employed innovative artificial intelligence methods (derived from robotics) to explore the intrinsically disordered regions present in Cerberus, built and parametrized the unnatural amino acid azidophenylalanine, and finally studied its behavior over time through large-scale molecular dynamics simulations in explicit water solvent. This required 100 000 hours of CPU time and generated a whopping 85 GB of data. All of the results obtained during this novel workflow comforted us in our design and allowed our wetlab team to perform their experiments in full confidence.

For more details, check out our Model page!

Special Prize: Best Applied Design

This year, we favored the design of a pure engineered synthetic proteic assembly and didn’t target a specific worldwide problem. Indeed, we created a versatile proteic platform able to functionalize at will cellulose, a polymer commonly used in a wide variety of industrial processes. From antibacterial peptides to carbon nanotubes or paramagnetic beads, the applications are aplenty and we amply demonstrated that over the summer. There are two keys for such an achievement. The first is a careful design to ensure the project success in the short time lapse of the summer. The second is the combination of state-of-the-art approaches in synthetic biology and chemistry such as the use of unnatural amino acid. Even if ethical aspects and consequences were thoroughly investigated, the possibilities and applications issued from Cerberus are so large it is difficult to anticipate all the impacts it could have in our lives.

For more details, check out our Applied Design page!

Special Prize: Best Public Engagement

During the Cerberus project, we met the public on several occasions and we soon understood the crucial importance of communicating and educating. We therefore participated in scientific and non-scientific events, explained our project in the media and committed ourselves in making children aware of biotechnology possibilities. We also carried on the development of a card game, MicrobioWorld, explaining molecular microbiology in a fun way. However important were these actions at a local scale, it was frustrating to not reach more people. We therefore initiated contacts with the French Department of Education and we helped them to develop a pedagogic wallet distributed to all the “Sciences and Techniques of Laboratory” high schools, at a national scale. They loved MicrobioWorld which will be part of the wallet. So, our Education & Public Engagement is not done with iGEM but will be pursued for the year to come or more.

For more details, check out our Public Engagement page!

Special Prize: Best Entrepreneurship

We truly believe that our project could pave the way to the development of a successful start-up. We therefore launched an entrepreneurship approach to design the business model of such a company. We first met biotech startups and technology transfer centers to confront our project to real businesses. Then, in collaboration with a startup incubator, we deepened several aspects of the business. We identified the most critical points of the project and developed a business plan to assess its value, feasibility and durability in terms of marketing, finance and law. These led us to define our future company as centered on advices, conception and innovation to provide manufacturers with functionalized molecules produced by our sub-contractors. It’s time to knock on bank doors!

For more details, check out our Entrepreneurship page!

Special Prize: Best Human Practices

The Cerberus project was designed to offer countless new possibilities for cellulose functionalization and beyond, so that it should impact a lot of people in their everyday life. Our first priority was therefore to meet these people and talk over their fears and expectations to orient our project accordingly. We conducted interviews of manufacturers and created surveys for both professionals and end-users. We also interrogated ourselves and fellow iGEMers from different continents to compare our visions of biotechnologies. A very important point was to talk with experts about what we intended to do. Cerberus is a blend of chemistry and synthetic biology so these exchanges were absolutely necessary for the project design. Last but not least, we created an ethical matrix to define how our project could impact the society and environment. Clearly, the IHP was not a subtask of the Cerberus Project but the main reason of its success.

For more details, check out our Human Practices page!

Special Prize: Best Basic Part

A best new part should be fully characterized, have a touch of novelty, demonstrated efficiency, and should inspire the next generation of iGEMers. We feel the Cerberus part matches this statement. It encodes a protein platform with three domains to link very different organic or inorganic molecules. We have proven its strong affinity for cellulose and the functionality of its streptavidin head, but its more impressive asset is its azidophenylalanine head, based on an unnatural amino acid which allows the grafting of any molecule with an alkyne function by click chemistry. The structure and dynamics of Cerberus were methodically modelled. We also demonstrated its efficiency to functionalize cellulose with fluorescence or magnetism, but its potential goes well beyond that since it virtually allows linking any molecule to any other, even cell polymers. We are very curious to see what the next iGEM teams will do with it!

For more details, check out our Basic Parts page!