Team:Newcastle/Public Engagement
OUTREACH
Great Exhibition of the North
Newcastle's Great Exhibition of the North is a free, summer-long celebration of the North of England’s pioneering spirit. The event runs from the 22nd June until the 9th September as part of the event our IGEM team took part in a public event trying to engage members of the community about synthetic biology.
GrowModule 365
We were lucky enough to arrange an interview with GrowModule 365. As a company, they produce shipping containers that contain hydroponics systems. There concept adopts a new approach to farming, allowing crop production in unconventional places. The visit allowed us to see how traditional farming is being challenged and gain an insight into hydroponics systems. We gained lots of useful information from the meeting; we learned which wavelengths are most effective for increased yields, the alternative growing mediums available, the markets perception to innovative farming and which control parameters are most important. Paul Brown (Director) gave us lots of useful contacts within the industry and seemed very passionate about our project, however he did mention some areas of the market may be sceptical when it comes to eating produce that has been grown using genetically engineered microbes.
Connor Trotter
Connor is the name, getting my name misspelled is the game. I'm currently entering my third year
of Biology which has, so far, been fuelled by an excess of caffeine and binge watching a lot
of Rupaul's Drag Race. I joined Newcastle's team to apply what I have learned in a unique fashion by intertwining elements of Engineering and Architecture into biological concepts.
Patrycja Ubysz
I'm Pat, no game with my name. Just finished first year of Chemistry, I
probably liked it too much. I believe being interdisciplinary is crucial for research, especially
in Synthetic Biology. I want to contribute to the team using my chemical/physical approach. I
love working in the lab, however, would be happier without microbes. Basic coffee addict, bad
experience with BBQ parties. Probably follow every single NASA team account on Twitter.
Lewis Tomlinson
Name: Lewis. Likes: llamas, guinea pigs, rock hyrax, all other animals, molecular biology, dungeons and dragons, science fiction and fantasy.
Life goal: llama sanctuary (including birds and rodents).
Sadiya Quazi
Sadiya’s the name, which most can’t pronounce (despite it being totally phonetic). Just completed first year of Chemistry after switching from Fine Art,
and yes, it’s been a huge change, as people always exclaim when I tell them. Both benefit from having that alternative perspective and this is what drew me to
iGEM - working as part of a very cross-disciplinary team.
Umar Farooq
I'm Umar, a 1st year undergraduate studying Automation and Control Engineering. I joined IGEM for the
opportunity to work alongside a multi-disciplinary team and develop my skills outside of engineering. When
I'm not working on the project, I like swimming, playing the guitar and eating cake. Addicted to bad
jokes, allergic to onions.
Chris Carty
I’m Chris, 2nd year Architecture student, discovered iGEM when beginning my dissertation in the area of Bio-Materialism. I want to take organisms that have been designed at the genetic scale and design them for use at the human scale - aiding the transition from biologically inspired to biologically engineered design. Better at architecture than Will.