FATIH_TURKEY
We have assisted the FATIH_TURKEY (link) team by providing them with both unmodified and competent B.subtilis cultures, which they required in order for their project to proceed. We also donated materials such as LB, antibiotic and agar to this team so that they may conduct their preliminary experiments before they obtained the necessary reagents (even though they were diligent in purchasing the needed chemicals immediately, orders may take up to 4 months to be delivered in Turkey, a fact we find most unfortunate.) B.subtilis cultures were kindly donated to the iGEM team from one of lab members (Alper Ozkan) and delivered by hand to a Fatih iGEM member.
We must also thank them for providing us with biobrick vectors for B.subtilis. The vectors we have obtained from their team are BBa_K541026(Reflectin 1A (SacB) and LALF (LipA) protein for B.subtilis), BBa_K090401(Gram-positive Shuttle Vector for Episomal Expression), BBa_K090402 (B.subtilis Episomal Vector with Constitutive GFP) and BBa_K090403(Gram-positive Shuttle Vector for Chromosomal Integration)
We planned to use these vectors for a project concerning the expression of mussel adhesion foot proteins B.subtilis, but did not get the chance to utilize them because our relatively small team scarcely had the time to work with both C. reinhardtiiand B.subtilis. We have opted to continue with C. reinhardtii, of which preliminary tests yielded promising results.