Team:Fatih Turkey/iGEM for 7 to 77

Beyond the lab works, we also strove for the innovation and presentation of synthetic biology to people. As a medical school, our hospital has its own quarterly magazine, “Yasama Sanati” (in English: The Art of Living). We decided that we could mention about iGEM and synthetic biology; thus we wrote an article that told the bacteria is not too much harmful living creature to humans as it is seen nowadays. In fact, we mentioned that bacteria would become very handy, helpful and inteligent “machines” in appropiate conditions. We listed the former experiments and parts that took place in iGEM competition and gave some examples about what to do next.
We also talked about iGEM competition and its international character. In the article attending of 130 teams throughout the world, seperation of competition to stages by continents and the teams from Turkey attending to iGEM were mentioned. The article took place in the magazine published on July- August- September 2011.  Considering its innovation and presentation for synthetic biology and iGEM competition, we found this work too important.

During the planning of our experiments, we had some visitors from other universities throughout Turkey, whom were curious about our lab in which our works taking place. There were undergraduate students from Hacettepe University Medical School and postgraduate students from Ankara University Medical School. We told them what iGEM competitions and synthetic biology were, what we were studying in our lab. We also talked about our project and its future aspects. Finally, we encouraged them to participate in the iGEM competition and recommended studying on genetics and synthetic biology. During the planning of our experiments, we had some visitors from other universities throughout

During our lab working we have hosted lots of visitors. Some of them are gifted children. Those children are studying in several schools of Ankara and they are some of the most intelligent children of Ankara. Their ages are 10-13 around and they were very interested with the genetic. We talked about our Project, synthetic biology and İGEM competition. Also, we played the Canvas Town Game and it was really funny. In the game there was three groups which are B. Subtilis, E. Coli, virus and each group was have a leader who is member of our team. At the beginning of game there were three groups but at the end there was just one winner and virus group was the lucky group

Fatih_Turkey team visited a kindergarten to tell children what genetic engineering is!

Our one of the most important goals as a team Fatih_Turkey is to introduce iGEM and Synthetic Biology to the students in Turkey. But we did not want to limit ourselves by choosing only same age groups and we decided to tell the children, too.

Synthetic biology has been told them by consultating with several pre-school institutions. Also we told them that bacteria do not cause only diseases ,in fact, they can also do good things for people. For example; they can heal the wound or they can produce light.

Then, we asked what their bacteria can do for them. We want them to show their ideas by painting. They are only 6-age individuals but they have a lot of
original idea that can be seen by looking their paintings.

For instance;
* Bacteria that extends the hair 8 cm in 3 minutes',
* Bacteria massagers under the bed',
* Singer bacteria etc.
Consequently, we have told children that bacteria are not too harmful creatures
In fact, sometimes, they would be very useful for people. This experience was a wonderful remembrance for us.

Fatih_Turkey asked medical school students: "Assuming that you are an expert on synthetic biology, what would you want your bacteria to do for you?

Another activity that we did in Fatih University Medical School was the preparation of a poster that caused a new brainstrom through the prospective doctors. We mentioned iGEM competition and some experiments that took place in the competition in our poster. And we asked them what you want your bacteria do for you if you change their genome. We wanted them to write their opinions on the poster. And we decided surprise award for winner whom has given the best opinion.

Our colleagues have childish but originals ideas. They liked the activity, because it was done when exams were on going, so they had chance to breathe between exams by writing their ideas on the board. Surprisingly, general approach to the activity was the hero bacteria which would save them from the exams. Our colleagues wanted impossible things from their bacteria. such as;  'Either exist as you are, or be as you look.(M.J.Rumi)',
 'My bacteria come to school for me'  'My bacteria rewind time(it was told after exams=)',
 'My bacteria enter my brain to increase my brain activity to 100%.'
 'My bacteria oversee for me (how poor assistant)' etc.

Of course all ideas were not the case:
Bacteria would adhere to cell membrane and regulate to nutritional value.
Bacteria would produce to water because few years later the world will be completely desert.
Bacteria would repair to ozone layer.
Bacteria would grind the rubbish.

People whom have interests about iGEM and synthetic biolgy, have also been thankful for the poster.

At 2011, we as Fatih_Turkey (Medical School Wetlab Team) started iGEM Human Practices by performing presentation about syntehtic biology on world and in Turkey. We have performed Second International Medical Student Conference in Ankara. In the conference, synthetic biology and iGEM competition related presentation was performed to inform medical school students coming from different medical schools in Turkey and also from out of Turkey ie. Japan.

Burak Yilmaz, CEO of Sentegen, as our sponsor mentioned in his talk the discovery of DNA, synthetic biology, International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition and teams from Turkey taking place in the competition.

Medical school students coming to our conference were informed about synthetic biology concept which consists of the design and construction of new biological parts, devices and system. Moreover, the re-design of existing natural biological systems for useful purposes were told such as Fast Wound Healing Project performed by METU-Gene Team at iGEM 2009. 

Especially, the students were excited when we mentioned the synthetic biology projects that have medical applications like the bacteria with the ability of finding and killing tumor cells. In addition, we gave examples from the article: 'The impact of synthetic biology on drug  discovery' conducted by Martin Fussenegger and Wilfried Weber. From the article, synthetic biology phenonmenon was mentioned in the conference; in order to be used in medical schools to enable disease mechanisms,to achieve target identification for diagnosis and to help to discover small chemotherapeutic molecules or design novel biopharmaceuticals.

Next, we began to talk about synthetic biology competition -iGEM- which has the largest attendance throughtout the world. We said our friends from different medical schools that gene parts named as BioBricks are distributed to all iGEM teams in plates; therefore, they can be used in functional and useful projects in an organism by the teams, especially in E.coli, during an enjoyable summer lab working. Different biobricks, their certain functions and how they are assembled were told in the talk.