Collaborations

XJTLU-CHINA

XJTLU-CHINA is our long-term stable partner. Since the process of metal ion conversion to elementary substance is one of our common core steps, we have continuous and mutual support and assistance with each other. In terms of experiments, XJTLU-CHINA shared the silver ion detection plasmid silver sensor with us. The two teams also discussed the silver ion and affinity peptide test methods, and we shared the preparation method of competent bacteria with them. When our electrotransformation failed a few times in the first round of experiments, XJTLU-CHINA suggested we try another silver-binding protein and adjust the voltage intensity. When it comes to modelling, the two teams also shared the Suppressed-Active-Dead (SAD) model of bacterial growth curve under metal ion stress with corresponding codes in terms of bacterial growth curve modelling. At the beginning of the project, we helped XJTLU-CHINA revise the content of their questionnaire to make it more accurate and targeted. They also provided us with a practical idea of the implementation plan.

NJU-China

Since we are from the same university, NJU-China has always been our reliable partner.

Questionnaire

When conducting project research, we helped them revise the questionnaire to better identify their audience.

Nanjing iGEM Association

There are many iGEM teams in Nanjing, China. For better communication, NJU-China organized Nanjing iGEM Association and we also participated in it. During the exchange process of the online meeting, each team introduced their projects. We proposed possible problems with our respective projects and discussed solutions together. We also discussed doubts and attention in the competition process.

Lecture

To promote the dissemination of synthetic biology ideas, we together held a lecture on campus. In the lecture, we shared the concepts related to synthetic biology, listed some examples of applying synthetic biology technology in life, and introduced our projects respectively. The audience expressed their great interest in synthetic biology and raised some questions about our project, which we answered one by one.

Debate Contest

We all agree that in the promotion of synthetic biology, it is necessary to discuss the relevant bioethical and safety issues. Therefore, we co-hosted a debate contest with the theme "Whether compassionate use should be allowed in gene therapy" on campus. During the contest, we were deeply impressed by the sharp and astute answers of the students. This debate enabled the students to have a clearer understanding of the risks that synthetic biology may bring, and also helped the concepts of bioethics and bioethics take root. We believe that such activity contributes to the healthier development of synthetic biology.

ICJFLS

The WeChat group organized by the Conference of China iGEMer Community provides a convenient communication platform for Chinese iGEMers, in which we got to know ICJFLS. In communication, we helped them solve some problems in wiki construction, such as “How to implement the intra-page jump?”, “How to modify the link of menu HTML?”, etc. We often communicated with each other via WeChat, some screenshots are shown in the following:

Freshwater Bioremediation Alliance

Freshwater Bioremediation Alliance is a cooperation platform established by teams related to freshwater environmental treatment in China. Our common goal is the purification and reuse of pollutants through the utilization of synthetic biology techniques. Because one of the directions of our project is to use the organic matter in sewage to generate electricity, we also joined the alliance. The members of the alliance and the ideas of cooperation are as follows:

Project Meeting

We held an online meeting to present our respective projects. Each team shared the practical problems in freshwater environmental governance revealed by the survey data and discussed various countermeasures in a targeted manner. We also confirmed the purpose of the alliance and the direction of cooperation, laying the foundation for further action.

Biosafety Meeting

Biosecurity is of particular concern due to the modification of living organisms and the presence of many pollutants in the water environment. Under the initiative of XJTLU-CHINA, we conducted a discussion meeting on biosafety. In this meeting, we exchanged measures to deal with the situation according to the relevant requirements on the official website. We proposed that the main measures are the design of suicide switches and the adoption of containment devices. To refine and optimise our solutions, we have clarified the standardisation of laboratory practices and the handling of potentially harmful substances. We have compiled the minutes of the meeting, hoping to leave some reference material for the upcoming competitions.

Popular Science Course

How synthetic biology can specifically improve people's lives is also a topic of our concern. Under the organization of CHINA-FAFU, we held a six-school joint popular science course for a junior high school in Guangxi Province to popularize knowledge about water pollution and governance for children. During the lecture, the children were very interested and asked questions, so we achieved unexpected results.