"
Team:NYC Wetware
From 2011.igem.org
Our Team
Our iGEM squadron consists of students from the Dalton School, Hunter College, Columbia University, Yeshiva University, NYU-Poly, and Cornell University. Our advisors (and donated workspace) reside at Weill Cornell Medical College on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Briefly, over the summer we will be investigating the genetic mechanisms for ionizing radiation resistance in Deinococcus radiodurans through genome sequencing, RNA-sequencing experiments, and high throughput cloning.
Our Project
We're placing genes from Deinococcus radiodurans into E. coli and upregulating some of E. coli's own genes. We targeted genes associated with radioresistance in the hopes of conferring radioresistance upon radiovulnerable E. coli. Future applications for the control of cellular resistance to radiation include bioremediation of radioactive waste, highly effective stem cell transplants, and terraforming Mars.
Our Approach
We've been following the literature on two approaches to describing the particulars of D. rad's radioresisitance:
1. DNA Repair - Dr John Battista's work has focused on the rapid DNA repair mechanisms of D. rad and their attendant proteins as the responsible parties for it extraordinary radioresistance.
2. Iron-Manganaese Ratios - Dr Michael Daly's research suggests that D. rad uses manganese as an antioxidant to fight radiation damage.
Our Considerations
Ordering lunch for our team was one of the more difficult protocols to follow. With our mix of kosher-eaters, vegans, and vegetarians, making menu selections was no simple matter. It dawned on us to discuss the relationship of synthetic biology to food ethics. Is laboratory-grown meat kosher? Is it vegan? What do authorities from both traditions have to say about the matter? While in vitro meat is still a prospect of somewhat distant future, cheese is already being made from animal enzymes that are being synthesized by transformed bacteria. How have the kosher and vegan communities responded to these innovations?Another of our Human Practices initiatives is less sophisticated, but no less important. We will be running a science workshop at Camp Simcha, demonstrating some of the coolest experiments that synthetic biology has to offer for the education and entertainment of kids and teens dealing with serious illness.
Yeshiva University Wetlab Team Members
Jake Friedman
David Sweet
Yossi Steinberger
Yair Saperstein
Weill Cornell Medical Grad Students + Faculty Advisors
Russell Durrett, Christopher Mason PhD - Institute for Computational Biology
Alex Hansler, Steven Gross PhD - Department of Pharmacology
Sponsors
- Illumina
- Agilent
- Science House
- Quartzy
- NY SynBio
- Integrated DNA Technologies
| Home | Team | Official Team Profile | Project | Parts Submitted to the Registry | Modeling | Notebook | Safety | Attributions |
|---|
