Contribution
Introduction
While developing our project we frequently found ourselves seeking for knowledge from previous iGEM projects, not only during the creation of the wiki, but since the beginning of our research. Thus, we recognize that the contribution of past iGEM teams is extremely valuable, and we hope that future teams find our effort similarly beneficial. Here we would like to highlight certain aspects of our project that we think serve this purpose.
Bacillus subtilis Guide
Throughout our search for information regarding Bacillus subtilis, our team came across two guides written by former iGEM teams. More specifically, in 2016, iGEM teams Bonn and Freiburg created a manual1 on their experimental research with B. subtilis, which included valuable advice and protocols, and subsequently, as a follow-up to the first manual, the iGEM UANL-FCB 2020 team developed an additional one2. As a result, we were inspired to write our own guide on B. subtilis applications in agriculture and 16S rRNA sequencing, in which we summarized essential material gathered during our project's literature review. We also supplemented the previously existing list of the second handbook, for the 2020 and 2021 iGEM Competition, with a brief description of iGEM projects related to B. subtilis.
Here we present you “B. subtilis: From agriculture... to the lab”.
Farmer's Handbook of Synthetic Biology
Our team collaborated with fellow 2022 iGEM teams Aboa and TecCEM in a three-way collaboration. This effort culminated in a manual named "Farmer's Handbook of Synthetic Biology," which provides information on the application of Synthetic Biology in agricultural practices, plant diseases, and sustainable agriculture. Although this guide is primarily aimed at farmers, we believe it might be equally useful for any future teams working on agriculture-related projects.
For more information on this handbook and the collaboration, click here!
Aegean Meeting
Our team took the initiative this year to organize and host the first in-person meeting for all the Greek iGEM teams, after the pandemic. During this meet-up, every team that participated had the opportunity to present their projects. More specifically, a competition simulation took place, where questions similar to those expected by the judges were asked, in an attempt to prepare for the Grand Jamboree. In addition to this, the teams worked together to achieve common goals, which in some cases resulted in fruitful collaborations. Finally, everyone participated in educational games and a few more fun activities, which focused on team spirit, fair play and helped iGEMers from all over Greece to bond.
We really hope that the Aegean Meeting becomes an annual tradition, where teams from even more countries could participate, as a creative way to contribute to each other's projects.
You can find further details on the Aegean Meeting here!
Project Management
If there is only one tip that we could give to every new team is to focus on project management. Even though this seems self-evident, it is a key to success and definitely requires constant attention, especially in a competition such as iGEM, where there are multiple deliverables.
Our team this year consisted of 18 members, thus we had to find creative ways to communicate and assign tasks in an orderly manner, that would secure the smooth sailing of our work. We really tried to perfect this and after some interesting talks with our mentor, we decided to follow his suggestion and incorporate a platform to our team's workflow, that would help in this matter. For this project, we used Wrike, in order to organize the working structure of the team. Of course, many similar platforms exist and after our experience we think that they are a must-try for every team!
