1. Integrated Human Practices
Expand on your silver medal activity by demonstrating how you have integrated the investigated issues into the design and/or execution of your project.
The main idea of our system was inspired by the urgent need to achieve the maximum productivity and maintain healthy soil at the same time. We participated in Asia Agri-Tech Expo to know the current fertilizer status. Also, we visited the Agricultural Improvement Station and Professor Yang, a Chung Hsing University professor, to find out how big of a problem microbial imbalance is. They gave us tips on how to perform our experiments and meet the needs of the public.
(Human Practice)
2. Improve a previous part or project
Improve the function of an existing iGEM project and display your achievement on your wiki.
We improved the sequence of 2016 NCTU_Formosa team did before. We linked Sf1a and Lectin with GS linker to increase the folding efficiency of these two protein. Compared the result with 2016 NCTU_Formosa team, the plant protecting effect of our improvement part was more obvious, which larvae consumed less leaves areas than previous part. Moreover, larva also has abnormal movement after consuming leaf coated with the improved protein.
(Improvement)
3. Model your project
Convince the judges that your project's design and/or implementation is based on insight you have gained from modeling.
We’ve built Microbiota prediction model, Peptide prediction model, Growth model, and Productivity model, NGS data analysis. After computing again and again by machine learning, this system is more and accurate and precise to predict the need volume of bio-stimulators and its effect to the microbiota.
(Dry Lab)
4. Demonstrate your work
Convince the judges that your project works.
We build several models to integrate the intelligent agriculture system that simulates and tells us the complex relationships of bacteria in the soil. Through the system, we can know the microbiota adjusted by the bio-stimulator and predicts the effects of any bio-stimulator. Also, we build up the website to let user enter the amount of nitrogen, phosphate, potassium and let user know how much bio-stimulators need. After adding bio-stimulators our system suggested, the crops achieve maximum productivity and soil become healthier at the same time.
(Demonstration)
1. Validated Part / Validated Contribution
Convince the judges that something you created performs its intended function. Provide thorough documentation of this validation on your team wiki.
For bio-stimulators, we chose six bacteriocins to construct BioBricks consisting of the T7 promoter, the ribosome binding site and our peptide sequence, then purify by the intein and chitin binding domains. We test the minimum inhibitory concentration, which can inhibit the growth of B. subtilis to the desired level. For bio-sensors, we got αS1-casein, the amino acid sequence from NCBI, and optimize its expression in E. coli through adjusting the DNA sequence. Also, we added a GS linker ahead to enhance the function of sensor. We ligated above fragment to pET30a vector and transformed the plasmid to E. coli BL21 DE3 and expressed protein.
(Parts)
2. Collaboration
Convince the judges you have significantly worked with any other registered iGEM team in a meaningful way.
We worked in collaboration with NTHU_Formosa. We confirm the parts of NTHU_Formosa team. We did DNA electrophoresis to confirm the size of inserted vectors which are essential in the process of emitting the light. Also, we share the basic concept of designing websites and make them more familiar with web languages. For NTHU_Formosa team, they ran an SDS-PAGE of our bacteriocins to help us check if our constructs were correctly expressed.
(Collaboration)
3. Human Practices
Convince the judges you have thought carefully and creatively about whether your work is safe, responsible and good for the world.
To make our project more complete, we asked for many suggestions of professors and government agricultural improvement institute to learn more about the dosage of fertilizer farmer used. Also, we explore the possibilities of our solutions and the problems we may face.
(Human Practice)
1. Register and attend
Register for iGEM, have a great summer, and attend the Giant Jamboree.
2. Deliverables
Meet all deliverables on the Competition Deliverables page, except those that specifically mention parts.
3. Attributions
Create a page on your team wiki with clear attribution of each aspect of your project.
4. Characterization / Contribution
Successfully complete the InterLab Measurement Study. This means you have met all requirements of the InterLab Measurement Study, including acceptance of data.
The purpose of InterLab experiment is to standardize measurement techniques to make the data from synthetic biology laboratories around the world easier to compare with. This year, we focus on converting the fluorescence readings to absolute cell counts instead of relying on O.D. measurements since O.D. measurements usually vary from lab to lab. We calibrate and measure the value to complete the experiment.
(InterLab)
