IDEAS


Current iGEM involvement has us working on putting together a kit of educational resources and creating several new parts that produce enzymes, useful in creating a kit of tools. Miles is working on several component hardware pieces from power supply, gel phoeresis, pcr, perhaps even that oligonucleotide synthesizer. Patrick has been working out the possibility of engaging a microbial Artificial Neural Network.

--- New meme proposed at Presidential Summit ---

"Do it Together - Biology"
I like it!!!

Well we've set-up the iGEM 2010 team as a focus for individuals who are interested to be pushed by a deadline into learning about Synthetic Biology. Through this motivator, we'll be organizing a lecture/seminar series and offering workshops to teach safety and security as well as learn about what is being done internationally and how we might apply it right here in Maryland.

DIY-Bio was birthed out of the desire to attempt challenging SynBio projects that will take longer then the small summer semester that forces many projects to be focused on E. Coli, since it replicates so quickly. Some of the folks here also have backgrounds in robotics and have voiced an interest in Soft-Machines in addition to WetWare.

Tools for Synthetic Biology are becoming more user friendly, as we see with VBI's GenoCAD. We can plan out our projects, and send the specs out for synthesis. The actual iGEM BioBrick (with 1000 parts, the most used), should arrive at CCBC by May 1st. We have a little over a month to familiarize ourselves with the concepts and design ideas. In the meantime, take a close look around your environment. Try to identify some simplistic issue that you believe might be able to be solved utilizing these new tools. Last year's winners engineered a simplistic e. coli arsenic sensor that fluoresced red when the poisonous element was present. This is a low-cost technology that could save millions of lives worldwide. What's out there around your house, in your community. Do we want to focus on the "green" goals of alternative energy? Do we want to focus on fundamental circuitry and control mechanisms?

In last year's iGEM instructional videos we hear the presenter's put out a call for parts utilizing different chassis's then e. coli, however the time barrier becomes a major factor when trying to jam a program into about 10 weeks. As a DIY-Bio community we can focus on these kinds of challenges in tandem with our introductory challenge this year.

Other ideas for longerterm SynBio Projects fall into the realm of Alt/Energy projects with BioReactors and BioMass conversion. The two main areas in this field seem to be concentrating on BlueGreen Algea and various Bacteria. J. Craig Venter Inc in Rockville, and Keasling from SynBERC seem to be making some great breakthroughs in this area. Keasling recently appeared on the Colbert Show to discuss his project, and will be appearing in this month's issue of Scientific America. He has unveiled his E. Coli that breakdown Cellulose to Sugar and then into Diesel. How wonderfully efficient.

Personally I'm fascinated by MagnetoBacteria, and long to learn more about them and how they might be utilized in the world of Cellular Circuitry or even NanoBatteries. The Biomagnetite in our bodies has similar ferrous similarities that allow us to be aware of changes in magenetic fields. The technology of MRI's looks closely at the billions of biomagnetite particles floating in the brain as it changes during various states and activities.

In the realm of Histology, we could culture various tissues and experiment with a Histobot, that can build cellular prosthetics from pre-cultured/cloned tissues. A low-cost DIY version of this technology would be a wonderful addition to the field medic supply tent. Miles had mentioned wanting to create his soft machine like the ball from Prisoner, I'm uncertain if muscle, epithelial or nervous tissue is integrated but yet again it would be convenient to grow the tissue in the form you need. Will introductory explorations in Neural Networks will require the culturing of nervous tissue as well?


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