New Documentation to an Existing Part
We add new documentation to an existing Part, pCusC mKate2 (BBa_K1980007), and expand its applications in silver ions
indicator through paper reading and our experiment results. This part consists of the promoter pCusC (BBa_K1980004), a copper-responsive promoter activated by
the CusS/R two-component system, with a downstream RFP variant (mKate). According to the research, the histidine
kinase CusS of the CusRS two-component system functions as an Ag(I)/Cu(I)-responsive sensor kinase, which is not
unexpected due to the similar chemical properties of silver and copper. These findings suggest a model for
activation of the histidine kinase through metal binding events in the periplasmic sensor domain. And the histidine
kinase of CusS is the key to triggering downstream reactions including RFP expression. We also carried out an
experimental study including fluorescence detection of edited E. coli at different concentrations of silver ions.
The experimental results confirm our speculation to some extent.
Wiki Template without Coding
The use of the new Gitlab Pages allows iGEM teams to build their wiki sites using a variety of familiar techniques.
However, not all teams have sufficient website development capabilities. We made a wiki template based on the example website using open-source JS libraries and JS programs written by ourselves. This template can use only Markdown
to complete the web pages without mastering programming skills. We have written a dedicated usage guide for this template. This will help teams that lack website
development abilities and they can just use the Gitlab Web IDE to quickly produce their wiki pages. And this
template is extensible, everyone can easily add new third-party JS libraries, and replace the theme of the website
with the existing Markdown theme.
A New Way to Collaborate
We compared several online whiteboard software offering services in China and evaluated their advantages for team
collaboration in iGEM projects. In the end, we settled on BoardMix and used it with online conferencing software. We
use Boardmix to collaborate on projects, write documents, and share sketches. BoardMix has an interface suitable for
Chinese users. During the COVID-19 pandemic or remote cooperation, we have verified the feasibility of the online
whiteboard for improving teamwork. This attempt can help future teams collaborate more efficiently remotely and run
their project more smoothly.
A Platform for the Spread of Cutting-edge Knowledge
We have already established long-term cooperation with the Postgraduates Voluntary Teaching Corps of Nanjing University so that not only the current members of our team but also the next generation of Nanjing-China and other willing teams can offer voluntary teaching courses to the children in areas lacking high-quality educational resources. After the voluntary teaching, students, as well as teachers, are very satisfied with the courses and the interest in synthetic biology has been successfully cultivated in children's hearts. During this year, we held several lectures for audiences with varied educational backgrounds with different partners. This means we've built a brand-new platform for the collaboration of Postgraduates Voluntary Teaching Corps with any other group even more than the iGEM teams which is willing to get involved. This platform can provide everyone in underdeveloped areas with constant access to frontier knowledge and fuel the interest of the new generation in synthetic biology and fields even more than synthetic biology. More importantly, such a platform will help to promote educational equity, give each child more opportunities to contact the outside world and establish lofty ideals instead of being buried in a mediocre life. This is also one of the most important values of science education. See more in our Education page.
References
- Gudipaty, S. A. & McEvoy, M. M. The histidine kinase CusS senses silver ions through direct binding by its sensor domain. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Proteins and Proteomics 1844, 1656–1661 (2014).