Attributions

Due to our commitment to the Viequense community and the aspiring feedback we received during the 2021 Giant Jamboree, we decided to continue our efforts during 2022 in order to improve our prototype. We looked forward to the further development of “R-DetoX”; a project focused on the decontamination of RDX.

As the project focused on optimization and development, a variety of tasks were assigned to ensure we met our goals. The team members responsible for the supplementary & modified device 1 design, optimization of prototypes, cloning of the genetic circuit, and wet laboratory work were: Amanda, Aleysha, Luis, Arianna, Keysha, Lyan, Shante, Airinés, and Débora. Likewise, team members Enoelis, Lina, and Valeria concentrated on dry laboratory tasks such as analyzing scientific research articles and data that we could integrate into our project. Shante, the Biology Team Leader, and Arianna, the Research Director, collaborated to ensure that all duties were completed. They also oversaw laboratory operations and ensured that all safety precautions were followed. During the month of September, our island (Puerto Rico) was struck by Hurricane Fiona which caused an island-wide blackout. Despite our best efforts, this resulted in the loss of all our samples as well as laboratory materials, which prevented further development of our cloning plan and project.

Our engineering team worked diligently to develop a novel composite system that allows for the biodegradation of RDX as well as the elimination of our byproducts. Miguel, Alexandra, Gabriel, Iviana, and Andrea Castelblanco were in charge of designing each component and performing the hardware assembly. During this cycle, team co-leader Claudia and team member Veronica also developed mathematical models to observe the behavior of our system. As a contribution to future iGEM teams, team co-leader Miguel and team members Gabriel and Andrea Castelblanco developed an easy-to-follow guide "Developing a 3D-Printed Bioreactor Design '' to facilitate the design of other team's future hardware.

In order to ensure a greater impact towards the community, our Human Practices team was divided into two divisions: Education & Communication, and Outreach. Education & Communication leader, Nashra, was in charge of organizing and developing activities such as SynBio 101: Summer Camp for High School and College Students, Research Showcase, Interns Program, SynBio Week and more. Due to Hurricane Fiona, the SynBio Week will be celebrated during November. Our Outreach leader Laura was in charge of developing connections and communicating with stakeholders as well as responding to Vieques’s needs. One of our team's main focuses was to engage with a broader public. Working toward this aim, the Outreach division took the task of organizing and developing the book "Sintetizando un Mundo Mejor'' in conjunction with the Education & Communication division. The Human Practices Team was composed of team members Andrea Acevedo, Caleb, Morelia, Genesis, Fabiana, and Paola. Everyone collaborated and worked with both divisions thus ensuring the fulfillment of all our goals and aspirations.

Our team’s administrative work was fulfilled by Solimar, Keysha, Arianna, Aleysha, Luis, and Alexandra. Solimar, our President, was in charge of communicating directly with the main offices of our University, ensuring every deadline was met, and leading meetings. In the same way, she collaborated with all the divisions to fulfill the team’s objectives. Among her contributions were the development and design of the manuals used by the students of our SynBio 101 Summer Program. Our Vice-President, Keysha, worked alongside the president in responsibilities and tasks, collaborated with other iGEM teams, and assisted the Biology Team in wet laboratory tasks. Arianna, our Research Director, kept in close contact with our advisors and coordinated weekly laboratory schedules. She collaborated uninterruptedly with the Biology division on wet and dry lab work. Among her most important responsibilities were the verification of scientific literature and the optimization of previous work. Also, in conjunction with team members Lyan and Shante, she verified and characterized our genetic prototypes and assisted the human practices and engineering divisions in providing biological expertise for their respective tasks. Our Marketing Director, Luis, was in charge of ensuring the strong digital presence of our team. He maintained all of our team's social networks and developed digital artwork designs, including our team's book "Sintetizando un Mundo Mejor". Additionally, he frequently collaborated and led the Biology team on wet lab protocols. Aleysha, our treasurer, took charge of organizing the finances of the team, managing and coordinating the fundraisers activities and looking for all the pertinent price quotes to ensure a good financial plan. She also collaborated with the Biology team on both wet and dry laboratory assignments. Ultimately, Alexandra was appointed as the team's secretary. Her duties included preparing official team letters, responding to our emails on a regular basis, and guaranteeing a successful sponsorship search effort in collaboration with the treasurer.

Finally, we'd like to thank Edwin Pérez and team member Shante for aiding us with the design of our wiki. Their contributions were crucial to our team, and we are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate together. All team members worked along to write and submit information while implementing the advice given by the team's administrative branch.

Primarily, we would like to give a special thanks to our Principal Investigators, Dr. Clara E. Isaza Brando and Dr. Mauricio Cabrera Ríos for the knowledge and support they provided the RUM-UPRM iGEM Team.

We want to give a special thanks to Bárbara Sánchez Santos; Scientific Research Technician, Katherine Carrero Figueroa; Scientific Instrumentation Specialist, and Ana Vélez; Director of the Biology Department for allowing us to use their laboratories facilities, offering us materials for our experiments, and providing constant support towards our team.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude towards Dr. Carlos Ríos Velázquez, our faculty advisor, for his constant support and scientific guidance to our Biology Team. We are grateful for his generosity in providing us laboratory space, equipment, and supplies to execute our project.

We would like to thank our advisor Víctor López Rivera, for answering all of our questions, guiding the Biology Team towards the best knowledge, providing us with laboratory workshops and making us at RUM-UPRM team better scientists.

We would like to thank the constant support and encouragement of different authorities of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. These include Patricia Torres of the Department of Social and Cultural Activities, The General Students Council (CGE), the Dean of Students Dr. Jonathan Muñoz Barreto, and the Chancellor of the University Dr. Agustín Rullán Toro.

Lastly, we would like to thank all of our sponsors. Due to the generosity of Amgen, the University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Campus, Genscript, IDT, New England BioLabs, Beckham Coulter Life Sciences, MathWorks, and Twist Bioscience, we were able to obtain laboratory materials and develop our research.