Collaboration
We have cooperated and communicated with many teams. Some of us discussed and exchanged ideas together; some have conducted in-depth cooperation. In this section, we have listed some of the teams we have cooperated and communicated with and the content of our cooperation. For more in-depth communication, please refer to the partnership module.
North-South Exchange Meeting - The first meeting
Due to the epidemic, Chinese universities are facing closures and are unable to carry out experiments. At the beginning of June, when we completed the project initiation and HP preliminary research, we participated in the North-South exchange meeting and exchanged project ideas and experimental designs with universities across China. At the same time, we met many like-minded friends, laying the foundation for the follow-up cooperation.
Jilin_China - Exchange of experimental knowledge and experiences
WHY
Both of our teams focus on resolving the pollution problem of heavy metal ions in industrial wastewater but use different adsorption peptides. We shared projects, asked each other questions, and provided answers.
EXPERIMENT
Jilin_China gave us an insight into the properties of fluorescent proteins. We could use GFP homologous to enhance the expression intensity. For example, sfGFP’s fluorescence is more visible to the naked eye compared with GFP. They also kindly recommended that we can modify the protein through chromoprotein optimization, or find a good optimized fluorescent protein in the literature (ACS, part library).
Jilin_China also suggested that we use fluorescent protein with different colors and staggering wavelengths when it comes to detecting different ions.
CAU_China
WHY
We contacted the CAU_China team that also used biofilms in the project and conducted an online meetup.
ABOUT
We learned that CAU_China uses global regulators to control biofilm production.
MODELING
We exchanged the modeling work of both parties in the meetup, and the modeling ideas of XJTLU inspired CAU.
SAFETY
CAU also provided XJTLU with a biosafety solution: using blue light as a signal to induce bacterial suicide, and adding a blue light "fence" at the end of the sewage treatment plant to prevent the leakage of engineered bacteria.
HP
After learning that CAU's project goal is to protect stone cultural relics, XJTLU introduced CAU to contact Director Li Wei of the Nanjing Institute of Cultural Heritage Protection. During the consultation, CAU realized that if their project is to be put into actual cultural relics protection work, more consideration should be given to the stability of microorganisms.
ZJUT-China - Biofilm exploration
WHY
The project of ZJUT-China is about oral probiotics and also involves biofilms. So we communicated and kept in touch with each other.
EXPERIMENT
ZJUT-China sent us membranes in 96-well plates in the experimental process, and we communicated the physicochemical properties of biofilms together.
NPU-CHINA - Modeling
WHY
NPU's project is about transforming E. coli to produce enzymes to degrade polycyclic fennes. NPU mentioned the use of neural network for the growth simulation of Escherichia coli in water containing phenanthrene, and the cellular automata to evaluate the release of strains. We also considered combining the neural network to evaluate the growth inhibition of Escherichia coli. Automata also inspired our work in fluid-related modeling.
MODELING
XJTLU Shared with NPU the fitting of our modeled growth curve for E. coli inhibited by metal ions.>We questioned and communicated with NPU about the state of E. coli in water under water inlet,outlet and storm gas conditions and the problem of possible shedding of biofilms in water.
Please refer to partnership page for detailed collaboration information.