We have collaborated with several iGEM teams throughout the year in different project areas.
Figure 1: iGEM teams we collaborated with this year.
Teams iGEM IISER Tirupati India, iGEM LiU, IISER Mohali: Aptamer Book
Figure 2: LiU iGEM team logo, IISER Tirupati India iGEM team logo, and IISER Mohali iGEM team logo
Our team, together with the LiU iGEM team, IISER Tirupati iGEM team, and IISER Mohali iGEM team, have collaborated to write the 1st edition of the “An Introduction to Aptamers” book. We were united by applying aptamers in our projects and decided to write a guide for other iGEM teams and users who want to learn more about the use of aptamers. Finally, our team contributed to the book by writing a chapter on Guide to MAWS. We hope this book will contribute to the development of the field of application of aptamers.
IISER Tirupati India iGEM team: Assistance in Aptamers
Figure 3: IISER Tirupati India iGEM team logo
We had several zoom meetings with the IISER Tirupati India iGEM team, where we discussed the ways of collaboration and gave feedback to each other on projects related to aptamers and molecular docking. The IISER Tirupati India iGEM team, in their project “AptaSteles,” also applies aptamers for their biomarkers to target proteins. As the result of the series of meetings between our team and the IISER Tirupati India iGEM team, we discussed the international biosecurity possibilities for our team, details of aptamer designs, and learned about IISER Tirupati India team’s use of light-up aptamer. Moreover, we explained to the IISER Tirupati India team how to use MAWS and helped to troubleshoot an error with its application.
Figure 4: Zoom Meeting with IISER Tirupati India team
Teams iGEM ULaval, iGEM Thessaloniki, iGEM Stockholm and iGEM Patras: Level Up Collaboration Pamphlet
Figure 5: ULaval iGEM team logo, iGEM Thessaloniki team logo, iGEM Stockholm team logo, iGEM Patras team logo
In collaboration with four iGEM teams (iGEM ULaval, iGEM Thessaloniki, iGEM Stockholm, and iGEM Patras), we have created pamphlets that explain synthetic biology at four different levels of complexity to target audiences: for children, high school students, general public and STEM students to contribute to their understanding of synthetic biology and how it can help to create a more responsible and sustainable society. Through collaborative efforts, we have significantly contributed to raising awareness about the importance of integrity and problems regarding access to laboratories, demonstrating our unity, popularizing synthetic biology, and making science accessible and understandable for everyone.
Patras Medicine and MetaThess iGEM teams: Applications of Synthetic Biology in Diagnostics
Figure 6: iGEM Patras team logo, iGEM MetaThess team logo
Since our team competes in the Diagnostics track, we were invited by iGEM Patras Medicine 2022 and iGEM MetaThess teams to collaborate in creating a poster that displays different applications of synthetic biology in diagnostics. In addition, we have sent our logo, project description, and picture of our team members working in the laboratory on our project. In the final poster, our team represents the application of synthetic biology in diagnosing strains of orthopoxviruses, along with the applications from 8 other iGEM teams.
Figure 7: Poster “Applications of Synthetic Biology in Diagnostics”
NTHU_Taiwan iGEM team: The iGEM Map
Figure 8: NTHU_Taiwan iGEM team logo
We have contributed to the creation of the NTHU_Taiwan team’s iGEM Map, which aims to navigate users in their journey of exploring 30 different iGEM 2022 teams around the world and to provide an opportunity for iGEM teams to promote their projects. In addition, we have designed our character, which stands for our project.
iGEM Freiburg team: Embo Seminar: Science Integrity Workshop
Figure 9: Freiburg iGEM team logo
We took part in the science integrity workshop organized by iGEM Freiburg 2022. We have obtained valuable information about problems related to pressure during the publishing of scientific papers, leading causes of data misrepresentation, and methods of conducting transparent, trustworthy, and integral research.
Navarra BG iGEM team: Plant Synthetic Biology Community
Figure 10: Navarra BG iGEM team logo
We have drawn the “Nicotiana benthamiana” plant for the Navarra_BG team, thus illustrating the worldwide unity of our community of Plant Synthetic Biology.
Figure 11: Nicotiana benthamiana drawn by our team
BioArt Exhibition
On September 26, our team held еhe "In Vivo: Human Diversity'' BioArt exhibition- the first exhibition of artworks in combination with biological elements contained in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The exhibition presented works aimed at highlighting the uniqueness and diversity of human individuality through the prism of science, particularly biology. To collect works for the exhibition, we announced an Open Call and sent it to other iGEM teams. The IISER Tirupati India team submitted their work for our exhibition.
Figure 12: IISER Tirupati India team’s work for our BioArt exhibition
Overall, we have demonstrated our ability to collaborate with other teams in a meaningful way, contributing to the popularization of science, spreading awareness about significant problems, and making scientific knowledge clear and available for everyone.