Judging

Bronze:

✔ 1. Team registration

Registered Teams

✔ 2. Complete Project Summary form

Our project is summarized on our wiki's front page and a preliminary description was sent to iGEM earlier in the summer.

✔ 3. Team Wiki

Berkeley's Wiki Home

✔ 4. Present a poster and a talk at the iGEM Jamboree

✔ 5. At least one new submitted and well-characterized standard BioBrick Part or Device or new application and outstanding documentation of a previously existing BioBrick part in the “Experience” section of that BioBrick’s Registry entry.

BBa_K641008: {Pctx}{rbs.ffGFP}

We submitted two new well-characterized BioBrick Parts:
1. BBa_K641008 is a general reporter for any ToxR system. When ToxR dimerizes it binds to Pctx and activates Transcription of genes downstream of Pctx. By putting ffGFP downstream of Pctx the strength of the ToxR construct dimerization is reported by a corresponding strength of GFP expression.
2. BBa_K641009 is a composite part that constitutively expresses a ToxR-LambdaRep construct. This ToxR construct will dimerize at a high affinity, due to Lambda Rep's dimerizing properties, making the cytoplasmic ToxR dimer an active transcription factor for the ctx Promoter. Thus, If this composite part is combined with a Pctx-GFP reporter there will be a high expression of GFP.

Silver (in addition to the Bronze requirements):

✔ 1. Demonstrate that at least one new BioBrick Part or Device of your own design and construction works as expected

We submitted two new BioBrick Parts and characterized both on their respective Main Page. BBa_K641008, otherwise known as Bss52, was demonstrated to work as a reporter for the ToxR system. This part is a composite part of the ctx Promoter with a coding region for ffGFP downstream. In the presence of a ToxR dimer Pctx will activate the transcription and thus the expression of GFP. The data can directly be seen here or on BBa-K641008's Main Page.
The second part BBa_K641009 was also demonstrated to function properly as a constitutive activator of the ctx promoter. This part is a composite part of a promoter, an rbs, and a ToxR chimera. This ToxR chimera is composed of a cytoplasmic ToxR and a periplasmic constitutive dimer that will cause two ToxR's to dimerize and activate Pctx. It activates Pctx at a very high level and thus when combined with BBa_K61008 will cause high expression of GFP. The data can directly be seen here or on BBa-K641009's Main Page.

✔ 2. Characterize the operation of at least one new BioBrick Part or Device and enter this information in the “Main Page” section of that Part’s/Device’s Registry entry.
We submitted two new BioBrick Parts and characterized both on their respective Main Page. BBa_K641008, otherwise known as Bss52, was demonstrated to work as a reporter for the ToxR system. This part is a composite part of the ctx Promoter with a coding region for ffGFP downstream. In the presence of a ToxR dimer Pctx will activate the transcription and thus the expression of GFP. The data can directly be seen here or on BBa-K641008's Main Page.
The second part BBa_K641009 was also demonstrated to function properly as a constitutive activator of the ctx promoter. This part is a composite part of a promoter, an rbs, and a ToxR chimera. This ToxR chimera is composed of a cytoplasmic ToxR and a periplasmic constitutive dimer that will cause two ToxR's to dimerize and activate Pctx. It activates Pctx at a very high level and thus when combined with BBa_K61008 will cause high expression of GFP. The data can directly be seen here or on BBa-K641009's Main Page.

Gold (in addition to the Bronze and Silver Medal requirements, any one or more of the following):

✔ 1. Improve an existing BioBrick Part or Device and enter this information in the Registry (in the “Experience” section of that BioBrick’s Registry entry).

With BBa_K641009, we are providing a functioning alternative to BBa_J07009 with characterization. The DNA in the Registry for the BBa_J07009 was inconsistent with the expected sequence, and no functional characterization was provided.

✔ 2. Help another iGEM team by, for example, characterizing a part, debugging a construct, or modeling or simulating their system

We worked closely with the Boston University/Wellesley Software team to evaluate and improve their Clotho software. Our team worked extensively with their latest build and dashboard, identifying bugs and making suggestions to improve the user experience. A list of our team's contributions to the BU/Wellesley effort can be found here.

☐​ 3. Outline and detail a new approach to an issue of Human Practice in synthetic biology as it relates to your project, such as safety, security, ethics, or ownership, sharing, and innovation.