Shym_BIL_NIS
Pioneering Synthetic Biology in Central Asian academia has always encouraged us to popularize it. The endeavour of Shym_BIL_NIS to participate in the competition this year as the 1st ever high-school team from Kazakhstan has inspired us to be part of their ‘becoming’ and accelerate their introduction to the world of synbio. The partnership prolonged from igem orientation to wiki submission unfolds as below.
Project movement
Throughout the year we’ve consistently conducted online as well as in-person meetings with Shym_BIL_NIS. We were more than happy to orientate them into the competition by conducting an info session. During which we were lucky to have our gold-winning ex-team members explain the competition structure, format and pitfalls and prospective opportunities of the industry. Upon choosing their project idea, our team member Arsen Orazbek assisted to plan the wet lab part of the Shym_BIL_NIS project outlining the experiments and adjusting manuals. On top of that, we have created an online inter-team feedback loop in order to better each of the wikis. We monitored Shym_BIL_NIS’s wiki development while receiving back advice on content management. We also had a chance to take part in the Shym_BIL_NIS’s promo video of their Plastikaiensis project
Laboratory experiments |Wet lab
We have supervised the wet lab part of the Shym_BIL_NIS project hosting them in our lab at Nazarbayev University. Having them familiarized with the igem Distribution Kit upon receiving it we shared the other needed reagents and equipment with them. .
- Starting off with the lab safety training our wet lab team has supervised the Shym_BIL_NIS on the experiments:
- Transformation of vector with PETase gene into BL21 E. coli and P. putida;
- Building the in silico model of PEtase in pET plasmid system.
- The Shym_BIL_NIS, in turn, apart from regularly preparing us agar gel, Lb broth and Lb agar has assisted us with the transformation of pET23a+ plasmid into Dh5α E. coli.
- Building upon the plasmid from the ‘Remi, du et’ project by our previous year's team we advised the modelling of a potential genetic circuit which can be amplified in E. coli. Target protein can be expressed in P. putida.
Bioart exhibition |Public Engagement
Shym_BIL_NIS took part in the creation of an exhibit ‘‘Human Diversity’ for the Bioart exhibition. They’ve collected microbiota samples of different persons to show the diversity of humans on a microbial level. The idea of bioart has encouraged the Shym_BIL_NIS to cultivate it locally. Their public engagement team was involved in the organization of the exhibition learning to adopt it next year.
Check out the partnership from Shym_BIL_NIS side .