Team:KULeuven/Team

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K.U. Leuven Team

The 2011 team consists of (bio-) engineers and (biomedical) scientists of the KUL, and – new this year – media developers from the MAD faculty of Genk. Each team member spends his/her summer holiday working on the project. The project was housed at the Faculty of Science, which provided a space for experiments, access to computers and appropriate equipment.

Students

Tom Broeckx (1st Master of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, KUL)	Stefan Habets (Master of Graphic Design, MAD)	Yana Hoorne (3rd Bachelor of Biology, KUL)
Tao Liu (1st Master of Bioscience Engineering, KUL)	Chris Muller (Master of Communication & Multimedia Design, MAD)	Alice Uwineza (3rd Bachelor of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, KUL)
Katrien Vandermeeren(3rd Bachelor of Biology, KUL)	Koen Vandevoorde (3rd Bachelor of Bioscience Engineering, KUL)	Jeroen van Goey (1st Master of Bioinformatics, KUL)
Margaux van Puyvelde (3rd Bachelor of Bioscience Engineering, KUL)	Sarah Veugelen (1st Master of Biomedical Sciences, KUL)	Bakul Vinchhi (2nd Master of NanoScience and NanoTechnology, KUL)

Instructors

• Prof. Joris Winderickx (Faculty of Science)
• Ruben Ghillebert (Faculty of Science)
• Erwin Swinnen (Faculty of Science)
• Inge Thijs (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering)
• Lyn Venken (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering)

Advisors

• Bart Bosmans (Faculty of Engineering)
• Marian Crabbé (Faculty of Science)
• Jochem Deen (Faculty of Science)
• Wouter Delespaul (Faculty of Science)
• Jonas Demeulemeester (Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine)
• Prof. Helge Pfeiffer (Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering)
• Hanne Tytgat (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering)
• Annelien Verfaillie (Biomedical Sciences)
• Andrea Wilkinson (Media Arts & Design Faculty)

Questions for the teammembers

Name: Yana Hoorne
Role in iGEM-team: labwork
Studies:Biology
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
The knowledge that failure is possible is a stimulation to work harder, furthermore the search for solutions to problems encountered is the most informative and interesting part of any experience.
If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t worry, be happy!!!
If you could see black and white except for one color, which one would you choose to see?
Green
What are your plans for the future?
Grow old

Name: Tom Broeckx
Role in iGEM-team: head of Investor Relations
Studies: 1st Master of Biochemistry and Biotechnology
What would you attempt if you knew you would not fail?
I would found a biochemical company that, next to being a world leader in biochemical research, tries to change the (rather) negative image that biochemistry and synthetic biology have. When the public opinion has been changed, more life science research can be done, which will benefit the society.
If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?
It’s not too late YET: Go green so that our planet becomes clean (again)!
If you could see black and white except for one color, what you choose to see?
Green: You have a lot of green in nature and you could still use the GFP as a visualization system.
What are your plans for the future?
In the near future I’m hoping to go to Boston with our iGEM team. In the next year I want to do a lot of research for my thesis, so that it becomes a great success so that I can go for a PhD. In the far future I have the ambitions to become a professor or a founder of a company!

Name: Vandermeeren Katrien
Role in iGEM-team: safety, ethics and education
Studies: Biology
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
Creating pink ducks (asking the Belgian politicians to form a government)
If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?
Bring a raincoat with you when you visit Belgium!!!!
If you could see black and white except for one color, which one would you choose to see?
Blue, this way I’m still capable to look at the sky and see the clouds and fantasize (or pink to see if my creation succeeded!).
What are your plans for the future?
Making evening meal, why think further? :p

Name: Koen Vandevoorde
Role in iGEM-team: Modelling
Studies: Bioscience engineering
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
Still the same as now and in the mean time I would specialize in heroic supernatural intervention (preventing earth quakes by sitting in top of it, blow away a tsunami by breathing in front of it…)
If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?
Always look on the bright side of life - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1loyjm4SOa0
If you could see black and white except for one color, what you choose to see?
I would create a device mimicked from an organism that could see more color than me, maybe even more than human species. Nothing is impossible with synthetic biology!
What are your plans for the future?
Commercializing our synthetic produced proteins and if this fails, taking a bit of rest after working for iGEM during summer.

Name: Alice Uwineza
Role in iGEM-team: safety, education and ethics + lab team
Studies: Biochemistry and Biotechnology
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
Make one dream of each child in this world come true.
If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?
Carpe diem! If you could see black and white except for one color, which one would you choose to see?
I would make a bacterium which will make it capable to see all the colors, because I cannot live in a world without all the beautiful colors. What are your plans for the future?
Not much: graduating in Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PhD, professor, start my own company, becoming president (of the world), getting married, having four children, adopting four children, making a government for Belgium,… just go with the flow

Name: Chris Muller
Role in iGEM-team: Design
Studies: Communication- & media design
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
I would probably be bored, sit back, relax and not attempt anything, failing makes excitement.
If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?
Try to wake up
If you could see black and white except for one color, what you choose to see?
Emerald
What are your plans for the future?
Learn from and inspire people

Name: Sarah Veugelen
Role in iGEM-team: labwork
Studies: Master in Biomedical Sciences
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
To make my master thesis in one day.
If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?
The recipe for Belgian chocolates.
If you could see black and white except for one color, what you choose to see?
Green fluorescence.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to graduate next year.

Name: Tao Liu
Role in iGEM-team: Modelling
Studies: Food Technology
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
To build a new KUL
If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?
Let the earth turn slow
If you could see black and white except for one color, which one would you choose to see?
White, but white is not white without black background.
What are your plans for the future?
Charity