Bronze

  1. Competition deliverables
    • According to the Competition Deliverables page:
      • The required wiki pages had been created and edited.
      • The project promotion video had been submitted.
      • We had prepared the team presentation for the Jamboree.
      • The Judging form and safety forms had been submitted.

  2. Attributions
    • We have an Attributions page on our wiki for those who helped us along our iGEM journey.

  3. Project Description
    • Our project aims to design a new kind of wound dressing to accelerate wound healing. To get more information about the background and our inspiration for the project, please check it on our Description page.

  4. Contribution
    • On the basis of BBa_K3830012, we designed two parts of BBa_K4358011 and BBa_K4358013, and we added some more information to the registration of BBa_K3830012. After that, we successfully electroporated our plasmid BBa_K4358011 into Bacillus subtilis natto so that if other iGEM teams need the data about the PQQ biosynthesis, the EP2 (Bacillus subtilis natto with BBa_K4358011 ) can be a good choice. For more information, please refer to our Contribution and Improvement page.

Silver

  1. Engineering Success
    • After PQQ genes were transformed, we successfully extracted PQQ plasmid from EP2 (Bacillus subtilis natto after transformation) and amplified DNA, then ran the electrophoresis. For more details, please check on the Engineering Success page.

  2. Collaboration
    • We have collaborated with many talented iGEM teams in many activities, such as conferences, recording podcasts, and operating a YouTube channel. For more details, please check it on Collaboration page.

  3. Human Practices
    • First, we had interviews with experts to know about current issues with diabetes. Second, we made a survey to learn what people needed. Third, we looked up some information to determine if our plans were reasonable. The above are just to name but a few. Through all of those, we got to know how our project could improve people with diabetes’ or even other people’s quality of life. For more details, please check it on Human Practices page.

  4. Proposed Implementation
    • Our goal is to propose a wound dressing with the ability to boost wound healing and prevent wounds from infection. To make it accessible for most people, we used biosynthesis to mass-produce PQQ. What’s more, the dressings were designed as an ointment, so that users can decide how much ointment to use based on the condition of the wounds. For more details, please check Implementation page.

Gold

  1. Integrated Human Practices
    • The problem of diabetic wounds is a worldwide issue. Thus, It is necessary for us to promote our concept to people with diabetes from all over the world, so that they will know our product as a new choice for their wound treatments. First, after we interviewed a doctor from the Department of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Chen Changhua, we learned that dressing is a better way to cure diabetic wounds. It helped us determine our product. Then, we shared some knowledge about diabetic wounds and our project with the public in Farmers Market at NCHU. Also, we surveyed the public and understood that stickiness and price were vital factors in their choice of wound dressings. For more details, please check it on Integrated Human Practices page.

  2. Improvement of an Existing Part
    • We tried to improve the quantity of PQQ from the 2021 iGEM team NCHU_Taichung with a new plasmid design. In the new plasmid, we separated the pqqA and pqqB into a new operon and also designed a xylose operon to regulate the expression of pqqC, pqqD, and pqqE.

  3. Proof of Concept
    • The plasmid including PQQ genes was electroporated into Bacillus subtilis natto, making the bacteria a platform for producing PQQ. Furthermore, through cell experiments simulating wound healing, it is determined that PQQ can indeed promote cell repair and wound healing. For more details, please check it on the Proof of Concept page.

  4. Partnership
    • We have reached a partnership relationship with CSMU_Taiwan since June. Throughout the entire season of 2022 iGEM Competition, we have successfully helped each other in various aspects. For more information, please check it onPartnership page.

  5. Education & Communication
    • To raise the awareness of diabetes and promote scientific knowledge, we set up some social media (e.g. Facebook, and Instagram fan pages), published a popular science article on PanSci, conducted a survey and promoted our project to the public at Farmers Market in our school. For more details, please check it on Education and Communication page.