Team:British Columbia/Week1

From 2011.igem.org

Team: British Columbia - 2011.igem.org

Week 1: Monday May 2 - Sunday May 8

Contents

Monday

Brainstorm Project Ideas

The team came together and compiled a list of potential iGEM projects:

  • "Do It Yourself" biology (ex. build PCR machine)
  • Optogenetics
  • Chemo-signalling (using antibodies as signals)
  • Rerouting networks (creating fusion proteins that make extra interactions to interfere with natural protein links)
  • Eradicate bed bugs
  • Eradicate pine beetles
  • Battery waste
  • Photo-dynamic inhibition (bacteria are killed by light)
  • Biomolecules
  • Use DNA to control enzymatic reactions

Tuesday

Brainstorm Project Ideas

The team came up with a few more ideas (ex. making bacteria clean water, cholera, inteins) and then shortlisted the ideas. Sam, Gurpal, and Joe will research photovoltaics. Marianne, Daisy, and Joe will research the cholera toxin; Vicki and Jacob will research bedbugs.

Wednesday

Brainstorm Project Ideas

We came together to discuss the shortlist of projects, and decided to focus on researching the potential pros and cons for cholera receptors and pine beetle pheromones.

Thursday

Everyone was very passionate about the pine beetle project because of the relevant applications to the forests of British Columbia. Further, there is expertise close at home to collaborate with. Returning team members learned that it was difficult to obtain resources and hard to collaborate with scientists who were not in the same province (and country).

We established what we already know from the research we've done as well as gaps of knowledge. Some of our team members searched and contacted people relevant to our project to further discuss our project's feasibility. We also briefly discussed the objectives of our project.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday