Reaching out to experts was a key factor in shaping the breaking bugs project. By interviewing them, we got useful critical evaluations and feedback about our work. Furthermore, they pointed out the challenges we might face. We reached out to experts from multiple fields: finance, entomology, entrepreneurship...

Jean-Michel BERENGER

Mr. Jean-Michel BERENGER is one of the leading entomologists in France working on bed bugs. He was a true mentor throughout our project. We met him at the IHU-MI (University Hospital Institute-Mediterranean Infection) in Marseille. He was one of the first people we met for human practices and he gave us many pointers about bed bugs: the different species, the infestation rates evolution in France and around the world, how to run tests on them, and the current challenges. Here you can find the entire interview he gave us: here

Later on, we went to him to verify the relevance of our trap and get the proof of concept. Furthermore, he helped us with the trap design in order to find the safest application for future consumers. Mr. BERENGER gave us precious advices for the development of our project.

Jean-Louis MONCLERC

Mr. Jean-Louis MONCLERC is an independent consultant and associate professor at Aix-Marseille University. We went to him to learn how to attract sponsors and get them to support our project. First, we presented the iGEM organization and its goals. Then, we talked about our project so he could help us attract the right sponsors. Furthermore, he gave pointers to the team members in charge of funding so they could increase their productivity and get better results. His expertise and mentorship helped put the members on the right track for balancing the team's budget. Moreover, due to his good advice we decided to change our iGEM management vision. To drive Breaking Bugs project in the best way and allow us to keep on the project after iGEM.

Olivier GREMAUD

Mr. Olivier GREMAUD is the founder of Cynoscan. The company trains dogs to quickly detect bed bugs. We reached out to them by email with a series of questions and concerns to help us shape the breaking bugs project. They were very encouraging and brought an opportunity for collaboration. The plan is as follows: prior to applying the trap in infested premises, they can intervene with their trained dogs to spot the best areas to locate the trap. Following these lines, we could target the infestation, narrowing down the range of application, and increasing the trap's efficiency. You can find the entire interview here.

André PONTET

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