Team:DTU-Denmark/team members
Team Members
Students
Gijs Verkleij
MSc. Biotechnology, 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
Synthetic biologists are the next rockstars! Not just me who’s saying that, according to wired.com: "biologists are the next rock star designers"
Theater or cinema?
Cinema, because it’s for young people. I will engineer my own genes to stay forever young.
What did you work on during the project?
I worked very hard in the lab during the summer, designing and executing the CRISPR strategy for the insertion of the URA3 gene. I helped plan and host a lecture during our BioBrick tutorial, and helped supervising the high-school students in the lab.
Stefani Pjaca
MSc. Biotechnology, 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
iGEM is an once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity to be a part of an ambitious team and to develop a project from scratch to the final jamboree in Boston and hopefully contribute to the synthetic biology community.
If you had 50.000 DKK to spend in two hours, what would you spend them on?
I really enjoy traveling the world, so I would definitely use the money to go traveling somewhere! I would probably book a trip to Australia since I have never been there before.
What did you work on during the project?
I was involved in planning and executing our BioBrick tutorial, and was in contact with Novozymes. I worked during the summer in the lab on knocking out PEX10 using the CRISPR-Cas9 system in Y. lipolytica
Mohamad Ali Khalil El Lakany
MSc. Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, 2nd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
I like the entrepreneurial aspect to the whole project. Having and idea and making that idea happen. To watch it expand into something useful, beautiful, practical and lastly, presentable. To handle and overcome the obstacles you meet on that road. Yes, it really thrills me. iGEM is exactly that and more.
What cheers you up?
Oh, that’s a long list. I would mention, children and dogs. Children because of their innate, almost unquenchable curiosity, in addition to their appreciation for the even the smallest things. They make us rethink- and re-evaluate our habituated views on things and actions. Dogs are very loyal and excited to see you - specially the dogs serving in law-enforcement. They chase you down as if they are huge fans and I, Justin Bieber - yes, they have us confused a lot
What did you work on during the project?
I helped the team by spending the majority of my time in the lab, planning, troubleshooting and excecuting the substrate screening experiments. I networked and facilitated contact with key university faculty and members of industry, condusive for the aim of our project. I applied- and procured samples of waste- and byproducts from several industrial processes in addition to acquiring sponsorships for branded clothing, bags and accessories for our team. ThenI also had the privilege of pitching our project in the "Green challenge" competition (DTU) and at the "iGEM European Experience"-event in Paris (IONIS).
Isabella Loft
MSc. Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, 2nd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
Utilising my skills in concert with other smart people to create something that may some day change or better the life of even a few are always a great way to learn even more.
Which destination would you love to recommend other people visiting?
Marrakech in Morocco is one of my favorite destinations, the food culture is rich with a wealth of spices. Taking a walk in the old city gives both joy for the eyes that can’t rest on a single thing and a quest to not get stuck under a scooter or other vehicle before you can find your way out of the labyrinthine like small streets when you have become lost.
What did you work on during the project?
I helped organize the team building efforts, and was a big part of planning our BioBrick tutorial. I helped writing our codon optimization tool, and was main responsible of the layout and architecture of our wiki.
Mikkel Storm
BSc. Biotechnology. 5th semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
I want to further my horizon with a special course in synthetic biology. It is a great motivation to participate in a competition and i look forward meeting other participants and see their projects.
Dogs or cats? Why?
I like dogs, my small puppets to take over the world.
What did you work on during the project?
I helped the team collect the industrial waste products, together with planning, executing and data analysis of the substrate screening. I planned our visit to Grønningaard, which helped us collect valuable information about the waste product. I was responsible for the reactive coding and mobie views on our wiki, and was involved in testing our Biosensor project at Bagsværd High school.
Klaudia Ciurkot
MSc. Biotechnology, 2nd semester
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
The list of reasons is quite long, in fact I cannot find a reason to not join! iGEM is the great opportunity to work on a scientific project with a group of amazing people, dedicated to science while having fun as well.
S. cerevisiae or E. coli - why?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae since I love a freshly baked yeast cake with plums, yummy!
What did you work on during the project?
I helped prepare our fund applications, and helped design and clone our BioBricks for expression in Y. lipolytica.
Trine Sofie Bladt
MSc. Biotechnology. 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
If you can’t have fun with what you are going to work with the rest of your life - what’s the point of it all?
What would you rather? Always dance instead of walking, or always sing instead of talking.
I would die from pure happiness if my life was a musical, and every conversation was just a build-up to a song about my life! Alas, people who have ever run into me on a long day in the lab will know, that I have an awful singing voice.
What did you work on during the project?
I helped fundraising and securing financial back-up for the project. I was involved in the contact with suppliers in retrieving sponsership deals. In the lab I worked the entire summer on designing and executing the strategy for CRISPR-Cas9 implemented knock-out of PEX10 in Y. lipolytica. I also assisted Kristoffer in laboratory work on the assembly of pSB1A8YL, and helped clone our BioBricks.
Baosheng James Hou
MSc. Biomedical Engineering. 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
Over a lifetime there are only so many moments where you can join a force of good and become a part of something greater than ourselves. There is a divine message in the code of life - Mankind will be united, we will see past our differences, diseases shall be cured, species shall be saved, Mother Nature shall be defended. In the name of synthetic biology shall we march bravely down not the easiest path, but one that’s true.
Which historical figure would you prefer to be haunted by?
My past self. So I can be constantly reminded of my mistakes, as well as the times I’ve bathed in glory.
What did you work on during the project?
Apart from providing the team with moral support and good mood, I helped organize the team through my position in the administrative group. I also organized team-building events. Academically, I helped to make the first version of our codon optimization algorithm, and led the genome-scale modelling efforts.
Mathias Blicher Bjerregård
MSc. Mathematical Modelling. 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
Improve my experience on applied data analysis and modeling
How do you want your remains dealt with when you die?
Forget about burial or burning. I want to have my name (or possibly nickname) engraved in the forehead of my skull, and then have it preserved in a glass case. That way I will still be among my descendants, so they always can consult me.
What did you work on during the project?
I programmed the microfermentation platform, helped with exploring codon optimization theory. I helped the other members establish a mathematical understanding and interpretation of genome-scale modeling and phenotype phase planes. I wrote the code for extending the genome-scale model of Y. lipolytica with the beta-carotene pathway.
Line Andresen
BSc. Biotechnology. 5th semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
Synthetic biology is the coolest! I talked to one of last years team members, and I knew I had to be a part of this years iGEM team. I want to use biology to solve some of the problems we are facing and will face in the future.
Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or a hundred duck-sized horses?
I would definitely choose a hundred duck-sized horses. Ducks can be aggressive and I wouldn’t want to meet one that is bigger than I am! On the other side, if I could tame the duck, then I would have a pet that might be big enough to fly with me on its back? In that case I would choose the duck!
What did you work on during the project?
I was a big part of the Interlab project, and did most of the cloning required. I provided feedback for the design for the wiki, and was involved with testing and developing of the biosensor project. I was the teams travel agent, and booked tickets for our trips to Stockholm, Paris and most importantly Boston.
Kristoffer Bach Falkenberg
MSc. Biotechnology. 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
I’m deeply fascinated with synthetic biology, and the problems the technology can solve today and will be able to solve in the future. The fact that we have come to a point in time where programming life is a relatively trivial task is fantastic, and I want to be a part of the development of this field. Also I like the smell of yeast!
What art would you like to master?
The art of watching Titanic without falling asleep. People tell me it’s a classic and I need to watch it to the end, although I’ve had three attempts so far but have fallen asleep every time (Leo could definitely have fitted on the door by the way).
What did you work on during the project?
Besides being the student leader and a part the administrative group, I designed, cloned and tested our pSB1A8YL plasmid. Furthermore, I did a fair amount of cloning and characterization of the hrGFP and proinsulin constructs, and helped supervise the high schoolers in the lab.
Vasileios Rantos
MSc. Bioinformatics and Systems Biology. 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
A preview of future biological applications is an offer that I can not refuse, this is how I see iGEM. So, having the opportunity to be part of a proof-of-concept procedure will help to achieve my long-term goals for a major contribution in the Biological discipline and the solutions it can provide in our everyday lives.
If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
BEWARE: High concentration of humour
Description: Usage recommended for people with bad mood. Extremely addictive, use under your own risk.
What did you work on during the project?
I helped arrangemenging of fun events and thus promoting team bonding and collaborative spirit. I developed our codon optimization algrithm from script to GUI with intention to help wet lab people optimize their sequences.
Benjamin Schwetz
MSc. Biotechnology. 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
To promote and develop concepts of open technology within synthetic biology and to win a gold medal, of course.
What music do you listen to when cleaning?
I usually crawl out of my bed to The worst hangover ever by The Offspring, make some coffee, and then I put on Curtis Mayfield (Curtis) to get it done.
What did you work on during the project?
I helped handeling the economy of the group. I was also responsible for our twitter profile, and took a lot of the photos you see on our wiki. I was in charge of producing our microfermentation platform, and spend countless hours 3D printing and laser cutting.
Camilla Krogsgaard
Msc. Biotechnology. 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
iGEM is awesome and such a great learning opportunity - and hey, who wouldn’t want to go on a trip to Boston?!
What would you want to be in your next life?
A microorganism that can produce an enzyme which prevents people from getting fat when eating chocolate. Wow, I’d be precious
What did you work on during the project?
I was a big part of our fundraising efforts, and helped secure financial back-up for the project. I also managed the money after they were secured. I was also a big part of our outreach efforts, planning the BioBrick tutorial, interview with industry and supervising our high-schoolers. Lastly, I spend countless hours in the lab implementing the CRISPR/Cas9 system and improving the crtI and crtE BioBricks.
Sidsel Ettrup Clemmensen
MSc. Biotechnology. 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
To save the planet and mankind! Or at least to become a part of the synthetic biology community and help develop technologies to solve some of the problems that our and the generations to come are facing.
If you joined a circus, what would you perform?
I actually did perform in a circus as a juggler - which definitely shines through in my laboratory skills!
What did you work on during the project?
I was involved in planning events, dinners and activities for the team to help get to know each other and promote team spirit and teamwork. I helped promote our project to the general public, plan and execute the BioBrick tutorial, being in contact with industry and mentoring high school students in the lab. Finally, I worked the entire summer in the lab on different approaches for testing our Y. lipolytica expression system.
Nicolai Kofod-Jensen
BSc. Environmental engineering. 3rd semester.
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
It is my dream to combine Biotechnological and Environmental Engineering disciplines to combat pollution in water and soil, potentially using synthetic biology to create cells capable of biodegradation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). As such, this feels like a logical start.
How would you prank someone on April fool's day?
I'm not quite sure... Not so much into pranking. I suppose that's why I never see it coming when people try to prank me...
What did you work on during the project?
Through my role in the adminstrative group, I helped organize the team and our weekly meetings. As the teams only Environmental engineering students, I was naturally involved in the environmental aspect of our project and provided insight into waste management in Denmark and Europe.
Sigrid Kristensen
High school senior (3rd year) at Bagsværd Kostskole og Gymnasium
What is your motivation for joining the IGEM team?
I'm thrilled to experience being a part of a long-term research project, as this will be my first and hopefully not my last. I hope it will be an educational experience as well as an opportunity to meet new people and learn more about my personal interests within science.
What is your favorite piece of furniture? Why?
Going to have to go with my bean bag chair. Not because I actually sit in it that much, but I like how it looks in my room and it is surprisingly good for placing items on. It molds to the shape of anything I put on it!
What did you work on during the project?
I assisted during the screening experiments, and also helped Line cloning the Interlab constructs. For the wiki I drafted an overview of the substrates we screened.
Rasmus Hildebrandt
High school junior (2nd year) at H.C. Ørsted Gymnasiet Lyngby
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
I joined the IGEM team because i have a deep passion for Chemistry and biology. I believe it to be an opportunity to gain new knowledge and acquire new skills which I can use later I my education.
Which character from Disney movies would you like to be?
I would choose to be WALL-E because his a curious fun little fella. plus he gets to go to space.
What did you work on during the project?
I helped Kristoffer clone our yellow colored E. coli strain. I also gave speeches to other High school students about iGEM at several occasions.
Tobias Bertram Petersen
High school senior (3rd year) at Borupgaard Gymnasium
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
Do you know any 19 year old high school student who wouldn't want to spend their vacation working with synthetic biology among competent people?
- No? I thought so too.
What’s your opinion of pineapple on pizza?
I see the pizza as the colosseum of ingredients where only the best survive, but somehow the pineapple is still managing to hide unseen in the corner. However, it should be slayed and removed from every pizza ever made.
What did you work on during the project?
I assisted the lab team performing several transformations, purification etc. I also helped with the inital clonings of the Interlab project. I wrote the Interlab page on the wiki.
Supervisors
Christopher Workman
Associate Professor, DTU Bioengineering
What is your motivation for joining the iGEM team?
I am a complete believer in the importance of Synthetic Biology as an enabling set of technologies that will transform the way we manufacture drugs, food, fuel and many other important commodities in a more sustainable future society.
What’s your favorite fermentation product?
My favorite fermentation product right now is beer. A fresh over-hopped IPA cannot be beat on a hot summer day.
What did you work on during the project?
My role was most often moral support and encouragement. There are so many challenges when going into the lab and experiencing repeated failures. This can be very trying on the patience and it is important to keep the spirits up in order to persevere.
