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Team:Panama/TheTeam
From 2011.igem.org
The Team
We are descendants from a place that emerged from a very slow geological process from millions of years ago. Results that still impact the world. This place is called PANAMA. A place where history can be divided into many chapters. Beginning with the linking of North and South America, enabling the exchange of species from both locations, making evolution possible to make use of this place as a huge laboratory. Years later in our history this became one of the scenarios for pirates looking for gold in the new world. This earth that links the world, owns one of the greatest engineering milestones, The Panama Canal, and now the expansion of it is without precedent. We as young scientist are part of the enterprise involving genetic engineering through the iGEM competition. Now Panama has two great engineering projects, one is the expansion of the Panama canal as a macro engineering project and our project as micro and nano scale engineering. This makes us pioneers in this field in our country.This year our team is composed by students from the University of Panama, Latina University of Panama and one student from Technological University of Panama. All of us studying different careers such as Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry and Engineering. Also is very important to mention that we do have new members on the team this year, and also that we had participated in someway of the creation of the new team from Panama which is the [UTP-PANAMA]. Good wishes for them...
We were advised by several Academics representants. They all did an amazing job of providing us a positive feedback. That´s why we are very grateful with all of them.
Contents |
Advisors
Carmenza Spadafora, Ph.D
I obtained my doctoral degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in Spain. After living in beautiful Andalucía I moved to Florida for my first postdoc position and then moved on to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in the Washington, DC area for a much longer second postdoctoral position. I moved back to my country two years ago and when SENACYT asked for my institution, INDICASAT, to help the team, I was asked if I could take charge of the team work in our lab. It has been great to see the independent thinking, great enthusiasm, and pride the students have shown facing the fact that they will be making it possible for our country, Panama, to be in the iGEM contest for the first time in our incipient scientific history
Patrick Nee, MS, Mechanical Engineering
My education was in mechanical engineering (course 2) at MIT. I then lived in Tokyo for three years, getting a Masters degree in mechanical engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. I spent my career in software development in quantitative finance and consumer web sites. I have been living in Panama about two years, working and also giving support to iGEMPanama
Oris Sanjur, Ph.D
I obtained a doctoral degree in Cell and Developmental Biology from Rutgers University, New Jersey. After I got my degree, I returned to my home country Panama, for a two-year postdoct at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), using molecular tools to infer relationship among domesticated and wild squashes. In 2000, I accepted a position at STRI as Manager of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Evolution. Recently, I was appointed Associate Director for Science Administration at STRI. I got involved with iGEM when I was invited by SENACYT to participate as one of the instructors for the Panama team. It has been a wonderful experience to have the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with a group of very bright and enthusiastic Panamanian students that have embrace the challenge of representing Panama in the iGEM contest.
Nidia Sandoval, Ph.D
I was Graduated from Jose Remon Cantera High School. Later i got my bachelor degree in Biology, specialized in zoology. before ending my degree I started working as an lab assitant in Microbiology and Parasitology Department. during those years I did my Post degree in Biotechnology in the Universidad Santa Maria La Antigua. followed by my post degree in Superior Teaching in the University of Panama. finally on 2000 I went to Valencia, Spain, in order to study a Master in tropical parasitic diseases, funded by scholarship from the Spanish agency for international cooperation (AECID). on 2001 I started into my Doctorate of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in the University of Salamanca, Spain, also i took some Doctorate courses in tropical diseases, while I was making my doctoral tesis.
Carlos Ramos, Ph.D
I Obtained my degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biology with a concentration in Molecular Genetics at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus. Then I do a postdoctoral stay at Germplasm Repository for Citrus and dates at the USDA in Riverside California. I have been involved for over 10 years as a member of the commission and biotechnology sectrial, Biosciences and health in charge of drawing up strategic plans for science and technology at SENACYT. I have been working as Professor in the University of Panama for over 30 years in which I had give advice for several tesis and graduate work for undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Currently I am in the position of Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Exact and Technology.
Students
Natasha Gómez
Complete name: Natasha Natalia Gómez Pérez
Age: 19 years
Career: Biology degree.
Specialization area: Zoology
Institution: University of Panama.
e-mail: nanagope@gmail.com
Hobbies: read books, papers, write about general things that happened in life and that pass through my mind, play guitar, sing, play tennis, spend time with my family and messing around with friends and finally, one of the most important things for me, be absorbed in my own thoughts.
iGEM expectations: This is a great step for doing something for the humanity. The entire world could change for good thanks to the synthetic biology. The power is in our hands, let`s do better things for the future. Research interests: I am extremely interested in conducting research in order to contribute to the knowledge and development of humanity in the scientific field. Since I was a child, my passion has been to study animal behavior. However, since I joined to study biology, the ecology and the environmental biology has been very important to me primarily because we are living a crucial moment for the world as global warming. Now I see more clearly that the synthetic biology is a good new increasing field to combat this and one good example is what we are doing in our proyect of rhamnolipids. I have many questions, there are now many aspects of biology that I like to investigate. I am looking for many answers. To go deeper and deeper into the wonderful world of the study of life, I reaffirm the maxim of Socrates, "I only know that I know nothing", and that gives me more thirsty of wanting to know.
Ezequiel Aguilar
Name: Ezequiel Aguilar
Age: 25
Degree: Computer Science
Institution: Technological University of Panama
Hobbies: I love reading books on any subject, including my favorite authors are Stephen Hawking, Dan Brown, Sthephenie Meyer and Robert Kiyosaki. I hear all kinds of music, salsa, merengue and tropical rhythms. My passion is computer programming, I love it. Research Interests High Performance computing
Jeffrey Perez
Complete name: Jeffrey Facundo Pérez González
Age: 25 years
Career: Biology
Specialization area: Microbiology and Parasitology
Institution: University of Panama. E-mail: freeje_25@hotmail.com
Hobbies: play soccer, tennis sometimes, videogames, go to the beach, listen electronic music, go out with my friends.
iGEM expectations: my expectations are huge, because we are a team of young scientist with great potential for create something innovator that can be useful for our country and for the world that could be revolve some environmental problems.
Research interests: I am interested in clinical microbiology research because I want to know all about vectors, causal disease factors and how to prevent. How a dear professor said to me ¨ don’t be part of the problem… be part of the solution.
Ernesto Gómez
Name: Ernesto Bolivar Gómez Pérez
Age: 24
Degree: Microbiology Undergraduate student
Institution: Universidad de Panama, Smithsonian Tropical Reasearch Institute intern
e-mail: ernestopro@hotmail.com
Hobbies: Think, learn about life, fungus growing ants biology, read about phylosophy, history, science and sci-fi, listen music (playing guitar, drums, sing, specially rock music), write, I like to hear and talk with my parents and old people, I love to work in the lab and outdoor lab, sleep is the greatest pleasure, persue of happiness.
The iGEM Experience: One of the best scientific experience that I have had. I feel that I am part of something huge in terms of scientific development. I am learning a lot from the instructors, advisors and my colleagues in the lab respect to biotechnology. As a biology student am trying to understand life through evolution and how life works in his multiple forms. With the iGEM experience I am starting to see life with another perspective under the umbrella of synthetic biology, that is trying to figure it out how to desing and modify biological systems into a standard way. Richard Feynman said ‘What I cannot create, I do not understand.’ this became one of the slogans of us, as biological engineering. Now I have a better way to understand life with the synergy between Biology and engineered. The iGEM program made me a pioneer in this new scientific discipline in my country and I really want to keep working in this field.
Research Interests: Life understanding through evolution is my passion. I am an undergraduate student in Biology oriented in microbiology. I have been working those few years with the biology of the fungus growing ants as intern in the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Here in the department of behavior and evolution I start my travel into scientific research, studying how ants interact with microorganisms, how ants work against diseases, evolution of profilactic behaviors in the fungus growing ants, simbiosis, antagonism, co-evolution, bacterias, fungus, antibiotics, ecology are terms with that I have been familiarized. The development of engineered biology became one of my interest when I was studying microbial genetics, the manipulation of DNA brings to us a full knowledge of how life works and I am really interested to be involved of this kind of investigations. Now with iGEM, the Synthetic Biology appears to me as one step further of biology engineering and I am doing a complete diving in biotechnology techniques with the aim to learn how to design and modify biological systems. I will keep studying and working in this field because it leads us to the full application of biology as a substance.
Sandra J. Rodríguez
Career: biotechnology
Name: Sandra Judith Rodríguez
Age: 23 years
Career: Degree in Biotechnology
Hobbies: I love read books of nature or personal improvement, cultivate orquids. I practice classical ballet and hiking in my leisure. I also like to travel, and spend the time with my husband and family see new places in Panama.
iGEM expectations: Of this project , I expect to learn new lab techniques, especially transformations, mutations, and make competent cells… I want to practice others techniques of molecular biology, but all, to get our aim, to use the synthetic biology to make something useful for the human being.
Research interest: In the future, I want to study about cancer area, especially the leukemia in children and adults. Also, research about native orquids of Panama and the tropical diseases such: malaria, chagas etc…
Yerinitzi González
Name Yerinitzi González
e-mail Itze10@hotmail.com
Age 22 years
Career: Biology degree.
Specialization area Microbiology and Parasitology
Institution: University of Panama
Hobbies I love cooking, talking on phone, dancing, going to the beach and especially spending time with my family and friends.
iGEM expectations: It is gratifying to be part of this group of young people who have learned a lot from this experience and above all teamwork has good results.
Paul Monterrey
Career: Biotechnology
Complete name: Paul Jhon Monterrey Guardia
Age: 22 years old
Career: Biotechnology degree
Specialization area: Biochemistry.
Institution: Latin University of Panama.
e-mail: thescienceguitars@gmail.com
Hobbies: Play guitar, surfer, science, video games, web design.
iGEM experience: A very exciting hardcore learn.
iGEM expectations:
Research Interest: Molecular Biology in general!
Claudio Monteza
Complete name: Claudio Manuel Monteza Moreno
Age: 21 years
Career: Biology degree.
Specialization Area: Zoology
Institution: University of Panama.
e-mail: cmmonteza@gmail.com
Hobbies: I enjoy cooking, read books, papers, listen to music, spend time with my friends and finally being with my family as much as I can.
iGEM Expectations: Through iGEM we as students are able to redesign natural organisms in order to get benefits. Also this competition lets us improve ourself.
Research interests: I am not only interested in making science. Since I was a child "I HAVE A DREAM", as well as Martin Luther King, for studying Natural Behavior and Evolution in reptils.
Sergio Mosquera
Career: Biology
Complete Name: Sergio Mosquera
Age: 24 years old
Career: Biology
Specialization area: Microbiology and Parasitology
Institution: University of Panama
Email: ser_06@hotmail.com, smosquera@indicasat.org.pa
Hobbies: read all kind of scientific documentation (principally papers), work in lab (microbiology and parasitology… of course!) with marine bacteria, and drug discovery, Also I likes biotechnology and genetic manipulation of microorganisms. Computers and videogames, heard and create music (with guitar, piano), sing, see movies, share some time with my friends, my family, and lab partners.
iGEM expectations: Learn about Biotechnology and the manipulation of GMO´S, and use that kind of organism for have a better quality of life, according with the recuperation of some kind of ecosystems (Specially marine ecosystems) and try to have a better environment. Research interest: Drug Disccovery (for discover possible treatments of some human diseases).
Andres Nieves
Complete Name: Andrés Nieves Portillo
Age: 27
Career : Biology
Specialization area: Microbiology
Institution: Panama University
email: andresn@cwpanama.net
Hobbies: Read. See Movies. Play Football. Write short stories.
iGEM expectations:tations: With the Synthetic biology all the students can modify the organism to create new substance to improve the life quality of the people in the world in ways that the genetic engineering, microbiology, Biochemistry individuality can´t do.
Research interest: Microbiology, Biotechnology , Cryptobiosis, Geobacter, Electrocytes.
Orlando Serrano
Complete Name: Orlando Serrano
Age 23 Career: Biotechnology
Specialization area: Biotechnology
Institution: INDICASAT/ Universidad Latina de Panamá
Email: osbiotec@gmail.com
Hobbies: Sciencie
iGEM expectations: huge learning experience.
Research interest: Biomedicine, Systems biology
Yamilitzel Soto
Career: Biology
Complete name: Yamilitzel Nareshy Soto González
Age: 20 years old
Career: Biology degree
Specialization area: Microbiology and Parasitology.
Institution: University of Panama.
e-mail: yana5115@gmail.com
Hobbies: Sleep, read, listen music, sing, facebook, online games, daydream, think.
iGEM experience: Despite of all, I had a really good experience of this awesome competition and I'm glad to be a little part of this amazing cake!
iGEM expectations: I expect that this competition as a pioneer in synthetic biology in Panama achieve a "big boom" of this science in our country biggest than nowadays. I hope more people get interest in the development of this topic and get involve in a very near future, and for ultimate thing I hope to continue and have the perseverance to make this goal a reality.
Research Interest: I'm very interesting in the molecular biology of extremophile microorganism, their physiology, biotechnology use and the possible application in exobiology and medicine.
Marylena Ureña
Career: Chemistry
