Difference between revisions of "Team:TAS Taipei/Human Practices"

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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:TAS_Taipei/Description"><h4 class="dropdown-toggle disabled" data-toggle="dropdown"><b>PROJECT</b></h4></a>
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:TAS_Taipei/Background"><h4 class="dropdown-toggle disabled" data-toggle="dropdown"><b>PROJECT</b></h4></a>
 
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<h5><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:TAS_Taipei/Description">Background</a></h5>
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<h5><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:TAS_Taipei/Background">Background</a></h5>
 
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                                         <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/3/3e/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctor1.png">
 
                                         <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/3/3e/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctor1.png">
 
                                         </figure>
 
                                         </figure>
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                                             <p>
 
                                             <p>
 
                                                 Dr. Wei-Chi Wu is a retina specialist and an associate professor at Chang Gung memorial hospital in Taiwan.  
 
                                                 Dr. Wei-Chi Wu is a retina specialist and an associate professor at Chang Gung memorial hospital in Taiwan.  
 
                                             </p>
 
                                             </p>
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                                        <p>
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                                            According to Dr. Wu current cataracts surgery methods are efficient and effective, but are not without their issues. Besides the issue of high cost of surgery, there can also be several different post-surgery complications such as infection, hemorrhaging, or secondary glaucoma. In regards to our project, he said one of the biggest issues we would face is non-invasive delivery. Currently, injections and incisions are the only methods for delivery because all current potential methods of noninvasive delivery either lack efficiency or induce with side effects.
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                                        </p>
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                                         <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/7/7d/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctor2.png">
 
                                         <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/7/7d/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctor2.png">
 
                                         </figure>
 
                                         </figure>
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                                             <p>
 
                                             <p>
 
                                                 Dr. Tsu Chieh Cheng is a optomologist at Chang cheng eye hospital in Taiwan.   
 
                                                 Dr. Tsu Chieh Cheng is a optomologist at Chang cheng eye hospital in Taiwan.   
 
                                             </p>
 
                                             </p>
                                         </div>
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                                     </div>
 
                                     </div>
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                                             Dr. Cheng points out that aside from possibly causing complications such as astigmatism, myopia, and hyperopia, cataracts surgeries have risks, for wound infections, dislodgement of lens, and massive bleeding during surgeries aren’t uncommon. He remarked that our project sounded very promising, but the effect the drug has on other parts of the eyes must be checked. Furthermore, he suggested us to use rabbits or dogs as animal models, because they can be observed more easily.   
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                                            <p>
                                        </p>
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                                                According to Dr. Wu current cataracts surgery methods are efficient and effective, but are not without their issues. Besides the issue of high cost of surgery, there can also be several different post-surgery complications such as infection, hemorrhaging, or secondary glaucoma. In regards to our project, he said one of the biggest issues we would face is non-invasive delivery. Currently, injections and incisions are the only methods for delivery because all current potential methods of noninvasive delivery either lack efficiency or induce with side effects. 
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                                             </p>
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                                            <p>
 +
                                                Dr. Cheng points out that aside from possibly causing complications such as astigmatism, myopia, and hyperopia, cataracts surgeries have risks, for wound infections, dislodgement of lens, and massive bleeding during surgeries aren’t uncommon. He remarked that our project sounded very promising, but the effect the drug has on other parts of the eyes must be checked. Furthermore, he suggested us to use rabbits or dogs as animal models, because they can be observed more easily.   
 +
                                            </p>
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                          </div>
                               
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                            </div>
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                                         <br>
                                     <h4>Science Researchers</h4>
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                                     <h4>Contact with Science Researchers</h4>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                         Researchers’ firsthand knowledge, regardless of how many papers one reads on PubMed, provides a better understanding on the topic of research. Thus, in order to gain a better view of our project, we have contacted professional researchers ,via email, who have in depth knowledge on 25 hydroxycholesterol, which is the main candidate for the cause of formation of cataracts.  
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                                         Researchers’ firsthand knowledge, regardless of how many papers one reads on PubMed, provides a better understanding on specific topics of research. Thus, in order to gain a better understanding of specific areas our project, we contacted researchers to learn more about 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC) and Chitosan nanoparticles.  
  
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                           </div>
 
                           </div>
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                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
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                                 <div class="col-sm-6">
                                     <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/5/5e/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctor3.png">
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                                     <div class="row">
                                    </figure>
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                                        <figure class = "col-sm-3">
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                                        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/5/5e/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctor3.png">
                                    <p>
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                                        </figure>
                                        <b>Dr.  Jason Cyster </b>is a professor of Microbiology and Immunology at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine.  
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                                        <div class="col-sm-3">
                                    </p>
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                                            <p>
                              </div>
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                                                <b>Dr.  Jason Cyster </b>is a professor of Microbiology and Immunology at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine.  
                              <figure class = "col-sm-6">
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                                            </p>
                                    <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/b/b6/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctor4.png">
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                                        </div>
                            </figure>
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                                        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/b/b6/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctor4.png">
                                 
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                                        </figure>
                                    <p>
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                                        <div class="col-sm-3">
                                        <b>Dr. Jason E. Gestwicki </b>is an associate professor in the Department of Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine.  
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                                            <p>
                                    </p>
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                                                <b>Dr. Jason E. Gestwicki </b>is an associate professor in the Department of Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine.  
                               
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                                            </p>
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                                        </div>
                               
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                                    </div>
                                  
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                        </div>
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                               <div class="col-sm-6">
                                    <p>
+
                                     <p>Our questions were primarily focused on how 25HC works on the molecular level. We asked questions such as: what are the current researches conducted that uses 25HC?  To what extent is 25 HC responsible for reversing protein aggregation? And what are effective methods for 25HC storage?  Both professors gave thorough responses on these questions, which we then used to in our experiments. One response that was particularly helpful from Dr. Cyster was his suggestions on effective ways to store 25HC, in which he provided us with a recommended storage temperature. On the other hand Dr. Gestwicki provided us with two published papers that helped us understand the mechanism by which 25HC reverses cataract formation and this helped elucidate our understanding of 25HC.   </p>
                                    According to Dr. Wu current cataracts surgery methods are efficient and effective, but are not without their issues. Besides the issue of high cost of surgery, there can also be several different post-surgery complications such as infection, hemorrhaging, or secondary glaucoma. In regards to our project, he said one of the biggest issues we would face is non-invasive delivery. Currently, injections and incisions are the only methods for delivery because all current potential methods of noninvasive delivery either lack efficiency or induce with side effects.
+
                                </div>
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                              <div class="col-sm-6">
+
                                     <p>Our questions were primarily focused on how 25HC works on the molecular level. We asked questions such as: what are the current researches conducted that uses 25HC?  To what extent is 25 HC responsible for reversing protein aggregation? And what are effective methods for 25HC storage?  Both professors gave thorough responses on these questions, which we then used to in our experiments. One response that was particularly helpful from Dr. Cyster was his suggestions on effective ways to store 25HC, in which he provided us with a recommended storage temperature. On the other hand Dr. Gestwicki provided us with two published papers that helped us understand the mechanism by which 25HC reverses cataract formation and this helped elucidate our understanding of 25HC. </p>
+
 
                             </div>   
 
                             </div>   
 
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                                     <h4>Contact with Nanoparticle Engineers</h4>
                                         <figure class = "col-sm-6">
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                                         <figure class = "col-sm-3">
                                         <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/3/3e/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctor1.png">
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                                         <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/4/48/T--TAS_Taipei--Doctors6.png">
 
                                         </figure>
 
                                         </figure>
                                         <div class="col-sm-6">
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                                         <div class="col-sm-9">
 
                                             <p>
 
                                             <p>
                                                 Dr. Eric P. Lee, Senior member of Technical Staff at Maxim Integrated
+
                                                 We met with Dr. Eric P. Lee, Senior member of Technical Staff at Maxim Integrated, and TAS alumnus.
 
                                             </p>
 
                                             </p>
 
                                         </div>   
 
                                         </div>   
                                    </div>
 
                                    <div class="row">
 
                                        <p>
 
                                            According to Dr. Wu current cataracts surgery methods are efficient and effective, but are not without their issues. Besides the issue of high cost of surgery, there can also be several different post-surgery complications such as infection, hemorrhaging, or secondary glaucoma. In regards to our project, he said one of the biggest issues we would face is non-invasive delivery. Currently, injections and incisions are the only methods for delivery because all current potential methods of noninvasive delivery either lack efficiency or induce with side effects.
 
                                        </p>
 
                                    </div>
 
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                  
 
                                  
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                             </div>
 
                             </div>
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                              <div class="col-sm-12">
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                                  <p>We discussed issues we were having concerning chitosan nanoparticles.  Specifically we had difficulty obtaining SEM images and also with nanoparticle formation.  His advice on the specific order of adding chitosan to TPP helped us make consistent nanoparticles.  Additionally he explained to use why we kept seeing large amorphous structures in our SEM images due to charge buildup in the nanoparticles from the electron beam.  We used this information to better our prototype and obtain quality images from SEM and AFM.</p>
 +
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                                     <h4>Bioethics Panel</h4>
 
                                     <h4>Bioethics Panel</h4>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                         We hosted a bioethics panel, where we invited teachers from various fields to engage in a conversation about bioethics and thoughts on our project in particular. The reason for including teachers from different fields is to allow our project and the topic of bioethics to be discussed from different aspects. Since we did this at the start of our project, the opinions shared and advice given during the panel shaped the direction of our project.   
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                                         We hosted a bioethics panel, where we invited teachers from various fields to engage in a conversation about bioethics and thoughts on our project in particular. The reason for including teachers from different fields is to allow our project and the topic of bioethics to be discussed from different aspects. The panelists’ suggested that our project could really be applicable for use in dogs and cats.  They also seemed unafraid of our use of nanoparticles mainly due to the fact that they are biodegradable.   
  
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
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                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/f7/T--TAS_Taipei--EthicsPanel.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/f7/T--TAS_Taipei--EthicsPanel.png">
                                     <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Dr.  Jason Cyster </b>is a professor of Microbiology and Immunology at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine.</figcaption>
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                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
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                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/6a/T--TAS_Taipei--TeamPhotoHP.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/6a/T--TAS_Taipei--TeamPhotoHP.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Dr. Jason E. Gestwicki </b>is an associate professor in the Department of Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine. </figcaption>
+
                             
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                  
 
                                  
Line 475: Line 467:
 
                                     <h4>Interviews with Cataracts Patients</h4>
 
                                     <h4>Interviews with Cataracts Patients</h4>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                         We did interviews with two cataracts patients about their past experiences in different cataracts treatment, and extracted this information along with the responses from survey, and incorporated into some of the ideas in our marketing plan. Something in common that the two people we interviewed had was that they both suffered from inconveniences due to the lens options, which would either make one nearsighted or farsighted. Furthermore, complications due to the surgery varied among individual cases; one suffered from dryness and irritation of the eye, while the other had no complications at all. Nevertheless, both of them stated that the surgery process was efficient and effective; however, if given the choice to apply effective eye drops instead of surgery, they’d be willing to use it despite some may fear the idea of having nanoparticles in one's eyes.   
+
                                         We interviewed two former cataracts patients about their experiences with different cataracts treatment. Both patients suffered from inconveniences due to the synthetic lens options, which would either make one nearsighted or farsighted. Furthermore, complications due to the surgery varied among individual cases; one suffered from dryness and irritation of the eye, while the other had no complications at all. Nevertheless, both of them stated that the surgery process was efficient and effective.  However, if given the choice to apply effective eye drops instead of surgery, they’d be willing to use it rather than face surgery again.   
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                           </div>
 
                           </div>
 
                           <div class="row">
 
                           <div class="row">
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
+
                                <div class="col-sm-3">
 +
                                    <p>
 +
                                    <b>Dr. Catriona Moran,</b> she is a former patient of cataracts surgery
 +
                                    </p>
 +
                              </div>
 +
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-3">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/f7/T--TAS_Taipei--Patient1.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/f7/T--TAS_Taipei--Patient1.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Dr.  Jason Cyster </b>is a professor of Microbiology and Immunology at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine.</figcaption>
 
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
+
                             
 +
                                  <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Ms. Sharon Clapper,</b> former patient of cataracts surgery  </figcaption>
 +
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-3">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/d/d3/T--TAS_Taipei--Patient2.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/d/d3/T--TAS_Taipei--Patient2.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Dr. Jason E. Gestwicki </b>is an associate professor in the Department of Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine. </figcaption>
 
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                  
 
                                  
Line 502: Line 499:
 
                     <div class = "row">
 
                     <div class = "row">
 
              <div class="col-sm-12">
 
              <div class="col-sm-12">
        <h2 id = 'construct'>Education and Outreach</h2>
+
        <h2 id = 'construct'>Outreach</h2>
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                     Science is often intimidating to many, but with little explanation and some experience, it isn’t scary at all. Thus, aside from the goal to raise awareness of cataracts, the promotion of science and synthetic biology in particular, are also topics we aim elucidate.  Here are a list of activities and programs that serve our purpose.  
+
                                     From interviews with cataracts patients, ophthalmologists, veterinarians, polls from residents in Taipei and our school community, we learned that cataracts are prevalent and have a huge impact on everyday life. Now we wanted to raise awareness through education. We started by informing teachers and students of various grade levels about the severity and causes of cataracts, and how our project could tackle these problems.  
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 +
                                    <p>Then, in our community, we handed out pamphlets, taught people how cataracts form, and simulated a cataract experience by wearing goggles of varying cloudiness.  Below are a list of activities and programs that we did in outreach.  </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                           </div>
 
                           </div>
 +
                          <div class="row">
 +
                               
 +
                                <div class="col-sm-12">
 +
                                <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 +
                                    <br>
 +
                                <h3>Spring Fair</h3>
 +
                                <p>
 +
                                    This is a photo of a lower school student at our booth, playing our interactive game and learning about what it’s like to have cataracts.
 +
                                </p>
 +
                                <p>For Spring Fair we conducted a survey to gather public opinion, and designed an interactive game to raise awareness of cataracts. In the survey we asked questions regarding people’s opinions on genetically modified organisms, cataracts surgery, and our project. For the game we taped parafilm onto lab goggles and asked people who came to our booth to play the “piano tiles” app with those goggles on, and thus experiencing a real life simulation of the effects of cataracts on vision. </p>
 +
                                </div>
 +
                               
 +
                            </div>
 +
                          <div class="row">
 +
                               
 +
                                <div class="col-sm-12">
 +
                                <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 +
                                    <br>
 +
                                <h3>Taipei Cataract Awareness Day</h3>
 +
                                <p>For Spring Fair we conducted a survey to gather public opinion, and designed an interactive game to raise awareness of cataracts. In the survey we asked questions regarding people’s opinions on genetically modified organisms, cataracts surgery, and our project. For the game we taped parafilm onto lab goggles and asked people who came to our booth to play the “piano tiles” app with those goggles on, and thus experiencing a real life simulation of the effects of cataracts on vision. </p>
 +
                                </div>
 +
                               
 +
                            </div>
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                                  
 
                                  
Line 515: Line 536:
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                     <br>
                                 <h3>Kindergarden</h3>
+
                                 <h3>Kindergarden Science Experiments</h3>
 
                                 <p>
 
                                 <p>
                                     Science is often intimidating to many, but with little explanation and some experience, it isn’t scary at all. Thus, aside from the goal to raise awareness of cataracts, the promotion of science and synthetic biology in particular, are also topics we aim elucidateHere are a list of activities and programs that serve our purpose.
+
                                     We designed some easy experiments so that Kindergarten students could explore some common science concepts.  The kids (and our team members) loved it!  Some of the experiments included, how to use the microscope, why light reflects through prisms, how static electricity works etc.   
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
Line 526: Line 547:
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/0/08/T--TAS_Taipei--Kinder1.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/0/08/T--TAS_Taipei--Kinder1.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
                                <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/e/ed/T--TAS_Taipei--Kinder2.png">
 
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
                                </figure>
 
                            </div>
 
                          <div class="row">
 
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/7/74/T--TAS_Taipei--Kinder3.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/7/74/T--TAS_Taipei--Kinder3.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
                                </figure>
 
                                <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/67/T--TAS_Taipei--GSR_Construct_Experimental.jpg">
 
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
                                </figure>
 
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
 +
                         
 
                           <br><br>
 
                           <br><br>
                            <div class="row">
 
                               
 
                                <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                               
 
                                <p>
 
                                  We designed some easy experiments to let the Kindergarten students try playing with. We did this for several times, and the kids loved it. The experiments were usually very simple yet demonstrates important scientific concepts, for instance, we teached them how to use the microscope, why light reflects through prisms, how static electricity works etc. 
 
                                </p>
 
                                </div>
 
  
                               
 
                            </div>
 
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                                  
 
                                  
Line 560: Line 559:
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                     <br>
                                 <h3>7th Grade</h3>
+
                                 <h3>7th Grade Introduction to Synthetic Biology</h3>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                         ???
+
                                         For 7th Graders we decided to introduce the concepts of synthetic biology since they had just be introduced to DNA in their science classes.  Aside from teaching the 7th grade students the general idea of how synthetic biology works, we also introduced them to some of the basic laboratory techniques essential to synthetic biology. We conducted games where students had to identify RBS and promoters in order to test their understanding of the topic, and for the experiments they learned how to run gels and how to use the pipette.
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
Line 571: Line 570:
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/8e/T--TAS_Taipei--Seven1.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/8e/T--TAS_Taipei--Seven1.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
                                <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/f8/T--TAS_Taipei--Seven2.png">
 
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
                                </figure>
 
                            </div>
 
                          <div class="row">
 
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/8b/T--TAS_Taipei--Seven3.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/8b/T--TAS_Taipei--Seven3.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
                                </figure>
 
                                <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/67/T--TAS_Taipei--GSR_Construct_Experimental.jpg">
 
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
 
                           <br><br>
 
                           <br><br>
                            <div class="row">
+
                       
                               
+
                          <div class="row">
                                <div class="col-sm-12">
+
 
                                  
 
                                  
 +
                                <div class="col-sm-6">
 +
                                <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 +
                                    <br>
 +
                                <h3>
 +
                                    International baccalaureate 11th grade</h3>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                      For 7th Grade we decided to touch on synthetic biology more in depth, and therefore aside from teaching the 7th grade students the general idea of how synthetic biology works, we also introduced them to some of the basic laboratory techniques essential to synthetic biology. We conducted games where students had to identify RBS and promoters in order to test their understanding of the topic, and for the experiments they learned how to run gels and how to use the pipette.  
+
                                        We presented our project to 11th grade IB students.  Since they were learning about genetic engineering concepts, we decided it was suitable to give a presentation on the details of our project to gain feedback.  Hence after explaining synthetic biology, we presented our project to the students.
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
+
                                <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 +
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/4/4a/T--TAS_Taipei--IBSL1.png">
 +
                                </figure>
 
                                  
 
                                  
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
                          <div class="row">
+
                                <div class="row">
 
                                  
 
                                  
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-6">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-6">
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                     <br>
                                 <h3>IBSL</h3>
+
                                 <h3>Biobuilder</h3>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                         During the school year when we were brainstorming for potential project ideas, our team members were divided into several groups and gave presentations on those topics. This not only ensured thorough research on each topic, but also allowed us to receive feedback on those topics from both students and teachers. This really helped us decide on our final project idea.
+
                                         23 high school teams from around the world joined the BioBuilder Club which run by the BioBuilder Educational Foundation.  This club held online meetings once a month to brainstorm about synthetic biology project topics, project design and to collaborate on problems and roadblocks that each team was facing. The club held a final assembly in Boston at Lab Central and we were excited to present our poster inabsentia from Taipei.
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/4/4a/T--TAS_Taipei--IBSL1.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/4/4a/T--TAS_Taipei--IBSL1.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                  
 
                                  
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
 +
                               
 
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                                 <h3>Science Research Symposium  </h3>
 
                                 <h3>Science Research Symposium  </h3>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                         During the school year when we were brainstorming for potential project ideas, our team members were divided into several groups and gave presentations on those topics. This not only ensured thorough research on each topic, but also allowed us to receive feedback on those topics from both students and teachers. This really helped us decide on our final project idea.
+
                                         During the school year when we were brainstorming for potential project ideas, our team members were divided into several groups and gave oral and poster presentations on those topics at the school’s Science Research Symposium. Over 80 students from 11 research classes presented research from all different areas to the school community.  This allowed us to receive feedback on those topics from both students and teachers. This really helped us decide on our final project idea.  
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
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                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/67/T--TAS_Taipei--GSR_Construct_Experimental.jpg">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/67/T--TAS_Taipei--GSR_Construct_Experimental.jpg">
                                     <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
+
                                     <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Dr. Ying Chih Chang </b>, Research Fellow and Professor, Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica</figcaption>
                                </figure>
+
                                <figure class = "col-sm-6">
+
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/67/T--TAS_Taipei--GSR_Construct_Experimental.jpg">
+
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
+
                                </figure>
+
                            </div>
+
                          <div class="row">
+
                                <figure class = "col-sm-6">
+
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/67/T--TAS_Taipei--GSR_Construct_Experimental.jpg">
+
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
+
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/67/T--TAS_Taipei--GSR_Construct_Experimental.jpg">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/67/T--TAS_Taipei--GSR_Construct_Experimental.jpg">
                                     <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
+
                                     <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Dr. Chia-Lin Hsu, Assistant Professor</b>, National Yang Ming University, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology</b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
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                                     <br>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                         We invited two science researchers to come to our school and give presentations on their research. This allowed us to learn how scientists conduct actual scientific research and also expanded our knowledge in other areas of science. Below are the science researchers that came.  
+
                                         We invited two science researchers to come to our school and give presentations on their research. This allowed us to learn how scientists conduct actual scientific research and also expanded our knowledge in other areas of science. Below are the science researchers that came.  
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                         <div class="row">
 
                         <div class="row">
 
                                  
 
                                  
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
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                                 <div class="col-sm-6">
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                 <h3>Club</h3>
 
                                 <h3>Club</h3>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                         ???
+
                                         The iGEM Club was established 3 years ago, and the purpose of it is to raise awareness of synthetic biology in the TAS community. Club activities allow underclassmen to experience iGEM related activities and develop potential team members. 
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                             <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                             <figure class = "col-sm-6">
        <img src="">
+
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/88/T--TAS_Taipei--Club.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
+
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
                               
 
                            </div>
 
                         
 
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                                <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                                <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                    <br>
 
                                <h3>iGEM Club</h3>
 
                                    <p>
 
                                  The iGEM Club was established X years ago, and the purpose of it is to raise awareness of synthetic biology in the TAS community. Club activities allow underclassmen to experience iGEM related activities and develop potential team members. 
 
                                    </p>
 
                                </div>
 
 
                                  
 
                                  
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
 
                           <br><br>
 
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                             <div class="row">
 
                             <div class="row">
                                <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/88/T--TAS_Taipei--Club.png">
 
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
                                </figure>
 
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/4/45/T--TAS_Taipei--FBTwitter.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/4/45/T--TAS_Taipei--FBTwitter.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
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                                 <h3>Collaborations with Other iGEM Teams</h3>
 
                                 <h3>Collaborations with Other iGEM Teams</h3>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
                                  We collaborated with various iGEM teams, including NYMU, ASIJ, Tokyo technology, etc. This not only created opportunity for us to help each other with problems that each team had, but also allowed us to exchange ideas and stimulate creativity.  
+
                                  We collaborated with two iGEM teams, National Yang Ming University (NYMU) and American School in Japan (ASIJ).  We mentored the ASIJ-Tokyo high school iGEM team which is a new High school iGEM team this year. We taught them how to start and structure a new team, what lab and online resources to use for experiments, and how to set up a lab notebook. In return, they helped us test our nanoparticle calculator by running simulations from the standpoint of a patient, doctor, and manufacturer.  
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 +
                                    <p>We also continued our long standing partnership with national Yang Ming University (NYMU_Taipei).  Three students from our team have been interning on the NYMU-Taipei team (they are members to both teams) to learn about synthetic biology and some basic lab techniques.  Two of these students will also be presenting for the NYMU_Taipei team presentation. NYMU-Taipei also hosted a summer camp for our team members, where they taught us about different aspects of iGEM. In return, we helped them increase the efficiency of their model using equations from their literature research and ran simulations using their experimental data.  Finally, they also gave tremendous advice on troubleshooting our cloning procedure during the summer months when we ran that majority of our wet lab experiments.  We really value the relationship we have with NYMU and look forward to more collaborations in the future.</p>
 +
                                    <p>These collaborations not only created opportunity for us to help each other with problems that each team had, but also allowed us to exchange ideas and stimulate creativity.  It is also fun to share stories about lab work, successes and even failures.</p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                  
 
                                  
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                                 <figure class = "col-sm-4">
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                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/0/0c/T--TAS_Taipei--Collaboration1.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/0/0c/T--TAS_Taipei--Collaboration1.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-4">
+
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/4/4f/T--TAS_Taipei--Collaboration2.png">
+
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
+
                                </figure>
+
                                <figure class = "col-sm-4">
+
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/1/17/T--TAS_Taipei--Collaboration3.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/1/17/T--TAS_Taipei--Collaboration3.png">
                                    <figcaption class='darkblue'><b>Figure X. </b>Full Construct.</figcaption>
 
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
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                                 <p>
 
                                 <p>
                                     The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye which protects the eye by preventing entry of foreign materials, but this function also largely prevents drugs from reaching the lens (Gaudana et al., 2010). This problem has challenged researchers and driven them to search for a way to deliver drugs through the cornea and into the lens. Currently, the most promising ocular drug delivery method is using chitosan nanoparticles as drug carriers (Cholkar et al., 2013).  
+
                                     With the help of our business and economics teacher, we developed a comprehensive marketing plan for our cataracts prevention and treatment products, in order to create a more profound impact in terms of public awareness of Cataracts.  Within this plan we performed a situational analysis based on market research, customer analysis, environmental/industrial considerations, and regulatory constraints (such as quality control and SWOT analysis). Furthermore, we statistically analyzed our products’ viability in the market by developing pricing and promotional strategies. Upon completion, we initiated discussions with several biotechnology investors and published our plan on business starter websites to garner interest.</p>
 +
                                    <p>We received constructive feedback from a former intern at RA Capital (a biotechnology investment firm). He suggested we focus on cost projections for it would put us in a better position to engage with venture capitalists.  He also thought our competitor analysis and initial market sizing was impressive.   Furthermore, this plan was shown to a doctor and he suggested that with an FDA approval and clinical trials, he would be interested in our products.Thus,we can conclude our products have the potential to compete in market.
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>

Revision as of 10:25, 18 October 2016

Human Practice - TAS Taipei iGEM Wiki





Human Practice Summary

What we discovered through our findings in policy and practice helped shaped the trajectory of our project. We gathered data from researchers, medical doctors, veterinarians, cataract patients, and public opinions to find out the best way to develop our project so that it can benefit as many people as possible.

Our Policy and Practice is separated into three categories, Research, Outreach and Impact. In the Research category, we collected and analyzed data from researchers, doctors, vets, investors, patients and the general public. This information shaped the direction of every part of our project, including the construct design, nanoparticle prototype synthesis and delivery, biological modeling and the development of a marketing plan for selling our final product. In the Outreach category, we educated the public and spread awareness of our cataracts project, synthetic biology and science in general. We also collaborated and communicated with two iGEM teams to help solve problems together. Through educating and raising awareness, we hope not only to get more people involved in finding a solution to cataracts, but also to get more people involved and interested in synthetic biology research. The final category, Impact, includes working with organizations and infrastructure that is already in place to actually help people who suffer from Cataracts. We have raised funds, through bake sales and other events, to donate to the Himalayan Cataracts Project, a non-profit organization based in Nepal. With the help of our business and economics teacher, we have also created a marketing plan and started discussions with several biotech investors about the possibility of getting our project to market.



Research


Professional Help

In order to improve how we develop our research and prototype we needed to get in contact with experts in the fields of eye surgery and cataracts research. Our first step was to contact eye doctors to discuss any problems associated with current cataracts treatment. Finally, while developing our project we realized that cataracts is a major issue in pets and other animals as well as people. As a result, we contacted local veterinarians to discuss what pet owners do when their pets contract cataracts. As our project developed, we needed more specific information regarding our genes of interest, cataracts development, and our delivery mechanism. We contacted scientists doing research similar to our own to get their opinion on our projects progress.




Contact with Eye Doctors

We contacted local Taiwanese eye doctors to ask them about cataracts surgery. Here is a list of the doctors we contacted along with the information they provided:

Dr. Wei-Chi Wu is a retina specialist and an associate professor at Chang Gung memorial hospital in Taiwan.

Dr. Tsu Chieh Cheng is a optomologist at Chang cheng eye hospital in Taiwan.

According to Dr. Wu current cataracts surgery methods are efficient and effective, but are not without their issues. Besides the issue of high cost of surgery, there can also be several different post-surgery complications such as infection, hemorrhaging, or secondary glaucoma. In regards to our project, he said one of the biggest issues we would face is non-invasive delivery. Currently, injections and incisions are the only methods for delivery because all current potential methods of noninvasive delivery either lack efficiency or induce with side effects.

Dr. Cheng points out that aside from possibly causing complications such as astigmatism, myopia, and hyperopia, cataracts surgeries have risks, for wound infections, dislodgement of lens, and massive bleeding during surgeries aren’t uncommon. He remarked that our project sounded very promising, but the effect the drug has on other parts of the eyes must be checked. Furthermore, he suggested us to use rabbits or dogs as animal models, because they can be observed more easily.


Contact with Veterinarians

Cataracts trouble millions of people’s lives as a result of aging and diseases; however, many pet owners come across the problem of their pets suffering from cataracts as well. To alleviate this problem, we investigated if the potential benefits of our solution for preventing and treating cataracts can be applied to domestic animals as well.

As we continue to develop our project with consideration for the application on other animals, we realize that the slight dissimilarities among the lenses of different animals must be accounted for. Therefore, we consulted with veterinarians at clinics around Taipei. We visited two veterinarian clinics, (Nicholas Animal Hospital and Tai Pu Veterinarian Hospital) and asked various others about relevant questions regarding the viability of our project solution. From the interviews we gained valuable insight on the eyedrops that pharmaceutical companies have developed to mitigate the cataracts in the lenses. One of the drugs developed is called Ocluvet(R) which we purchased and used in our experiments to compare to our treatment model.

Team members and Dr. 李國閔 from Nicholas Animal Hospital after an interview.



Contact with Science Researchers

Researchers’ firsthand knowledge, regardless of how many papers one reads on PubMed, provides a better understanding on specific topics of research. Thus, in order to gain a better understanding of specific areas our project, we contacted researchers to learn more about 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC) and Chitosan nanoparticles.

Dr. Jason Cyster is a professor of Microbiology and Immunology at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine.

Dr. Jason E. Gestwicki is an associate professor in the Department of Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases at University of California, San Francisco; School of Medicine.

Our questions were primarily focused on how 25HC works on the molecular level. We asked questions such as: what are the current researches conducted that uses 25HC? To what extent is 25 HC responsible for reversing protein aggregation? And what are effective methods for 25HC storage? Both professors gave thorough responses on these questions, which we then used to in our experiments. One response that was particularly helpful from Dr. Cyster was his suggestions on effective ways to store 25HC, in which he provided us with a recommended storage temperature. On the other hand Dr. Gestwicki provided us with two published papers that helped us understand the mechanism by which 25HC reverses cataract formation and this helped elucidate our understanding of 25HC.

Contact with Nanoparticle Engineers

We met with Dr. Eric P. Lee, Senior member of Technical Staff at Maxim Integrated, and TAS alumnus.

We discussed issues we were having concerning chitosan nanoparticles. Specifically we had difficulty obtaining SEM images and also with nanoparticle formation. His advice on the specific order of adding chitosan to TPP helped us make consistent nanoparticles. Additionally he explained to use why we kept seeing large amorphous structures in our SEM images due to charge buildup in the nanoparticles from the electron beam. We used this information to better our prototype and obtain quality images from SEM and AFM.



Public Opinion


Bioethics Panel

We hosted a bioethics panel, where we invited teachers from various fields to engage in a conversation about bioethics and thoughts on our project in particular. The reason for including teachers from different fields is to allow our project and the topic of bioethics to be discussed from different aspects. The panelists’ suggested that our project could really be applicable for use in dogs and cats. They also seemed unafraid of our use of nanoparticles mainly due to the fact that they are biodegradable.

Survey

During TAS’s Spring Fair we conducted a survey, from which we derived a general sense of how willing people are going to buy products that are produced by GMOs, and our eyedrops in specific.

Interviews with Cataracts Patients

We interviewed two former cataracts patients about their experiences with different cataracts treatment. Both patients suffered from inconveniences due to the synthetic lens options, which would either make one nearsighted or farsighted. Furthermore, complications due to the surgery varied among individual cases; one suffered from dryness and irritation of the eye, while the other had no complications at all. Nevertheless, both of them stated that the surgery process was efficient and effective. However, if given the choice to apply effective eye drops instead of surgery, they’d be willing to use it rather than face surgery again.

Dr. Catriona Moran, she is a former patient of cataracts surgery

Ms. Sharon Clapper, former patient of cataracts surgery


Outreach

From interviews with cataracts patients, ophthalmologists, veterinarians, polls from residents in Taipei and our school community, we learned that cataracts are prevalent and have a huge impact on everyday life. Now we wanted to raise awareness through education. We started by informing teachers and students of various grade levels about the severity and causes of cataracts, and how our project could tackle these problems.

Then, in our community, we handed out pamphlets, taught people how cataracts form, and simulated a cataract experience by wearing goggles of varying cloudiness. Below are a list of activities and programs that we did in outreach.


Spring Fair

This is a photo of a lower school student at our booth, playing our interactive game and learning about what it’s like to have cataracts.

For Spring Fair we conducted a survey to gather public opinion, and designed an interactive game to raise awareness of cataracts. In the survey we asked questions regarding people’s opinions on genetically modified organisms, cataracts surgery, and our project. For the game we taped parafilm onto lab goggles and asked people who came to our booth to play the “piano tiles” app with those goggles on, and thus experiencing a real life simulation of the effects of cataracts on vision.


Taipei Cataract Awareness Day

For Spring Fair we conducted a survey to gather public opinion, and designed an interactive game to raise awareness of cataracts. In the survey we asked questions regarding people’s opinions on genetically modified organisms, cataracts surgery, and our project. For the game we taped parafilm onto lab goggles and asked people who came to our booth to play the “piano tiles” app with those goggles on, and thus experiencing a real life simulation of the effects of cataracts on vision.


Kindergarden Science Experiments

We designed some easy experiments so that Kindergarten students could explore some common science concepts. The kids (and our team members) loved it! Some of the experiments included, how to use the microscope, why light reflects through prisms, how static electricity works etc.






7th Grade Introduction to Synthetic Biology

For 7th Graders we decided to introduce the concepts of synthetic biology since they had just be introduced to DNA in their science classes. Aside from teaching the 7th grade students the general idea of how synthetic biology works, we also introduced them to some of the basic laboratory techniques essential to synthetic biology. We conducted games where students had to identify RBS and promoters in order to test their understanding of the topic, and for the experiments they learned how to run gels and how to use the pipette.






International baccalaureate 11th grade

We presented our project to 11th grade IB students. Since they were learning about genetic engineering concepts, we decided it was suitable to give a presentation on the details of our project to gain feedback. Hence after explaining synthetic biology, we presented our project to the students.


Biobuilder

23 high school teams from around the world joined the BioBuilder Club which run by the BioBuilder Educational Foundation. This club held online meetings once a month to brainstorm about synthetic biology project topics, project design and to collaborate on problems and roadblocks that each team was facing. The club held a final assembly in Boston at Lab Central and we were excited to present our poster inabsentia from Taipei.


Science Research Symposium

During the school year when we were brainstorming for potential project ideas, our team members were divided into several groups and gave oral and poster presentations on those topics at the school’s Science Research Symposium. Over 80 students from 11 research classes presented research from all different areas to the school community. This allowed us to receive feedback on those topics from both students and teachers. This really helped us decide on our final project idea.

Dr. Ying Chih Chang , Research Fellow and Professor, Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica
Dr. Chia-Lin Hsu, Assistant Professor, National Yang Ming University, Institute of Microbiology and ImmunologyFull Construct.



We invited two science researchers to come to our school and give presentations on their research. This allowed us to learn how scientists conduct actual scientific research and also expanded our knowledge in other areas of science. Below are the science researchers that came.


Club

The iGEM Club was established 3 years ago, and the purpose of it is to raise awareness of synthetic biology in the TAS community. Club activities allow underclassmen to experience iGEM related activities and develop potential team members.




Collaborations with Other iGEM Teams

We collaborated with two iGEM teams, National Yang Ming University (NYMU) and American School in Japan (ASIJ). We mentored the ASIJ-Tokyo high school iGEM team which is a new High school iGEM team this year. We taught them how to start and structure a new team, what lab and online resources to use for experiments, and how to set up a lab notebook. In return, they helped us test our nanoparticle calculator by running simulations from the standpoint of a patient, doctor, and manufacturer.

We also continued our long standing partnership with national Yang Ming University (NYMU_Taipei). Three students from our team have been interning on the NYMU-Taipei team (they are members to both teams) to learn about synthetic biology and some basic lab techniques. Two of these students will also be presenting for the NYMU_Taipei team presentation. NYMU-Taipei also hosted a summer camp for our team members, where they taught us about different aspects of iGEM. In return, we helped them increase the efficiency of their model using equations from their literature research and ran simulations using their experimental data. Finally, they also gave tremendous advice on troubleshooting our cloning procedure during the summer months when we ran that majority of our wet lab experiments. We really value the relationship we have with NYMU and look forward to more collaborations in the future.

These collaborations not only created opportunity for us to help each other with problems that each team had, but also allowed us to exchange ideas and stimulate creativity. It is also fun to share stories about lab work, successes and even failures.





Impact

With the help of our business and economics teacher, we developed a comprehensive marketing plan for our cataracts prevention and treatment products, in order to create a more profound impact in terms of public awareness of Cataracts. Within this plan we performed a situational analysis based on market research, customer analysis, environmental/industrial considerations, and regulatory constraints (such as quality control and SWOT analysis). Furthermore, we statistically analyzed our products’ viability in the market by developing pricing and promotional strategies. Upon completion, we initiated discussions with several biotechnology investors and published our plan on business starter websites to garner interest.

We received constructive feedback from a former intern at RA Capital (a biotechnology investment firm). He suggested we focus on cost projections for it would put us in a better position to engage with venture capitalists. He also thought our competitor analysis and initial market sizing was impressive. Furthermore, this plan was shown to a doctor and he suggested that with an FDA approval and clinical trials, he would be interested in our products.Thus,we can conclude our products have the potential to compete in market.

Figure C. Extracted and purified CH25H and GSR with 10x Histidine tag (in yellow) encapsulated in nanoparticles to aid delivery to the lens.

He expressed his interest and liking for our ideas, but suggested an addition of cost projections and a financial plan, for it would put us in a better position to engage with venture capitalists.

Nevertheless, we weren’t satisfied with a potential business plan from a venture capitalist, for we wanted to make a real impact in real people’s lives who were experiencing cataracts. Hence we considered our resources and did a bake sale at our school which gave us a total of $400 USD. In addition to the bake sale we also conducted a fundraising event during the spring fair at our school. We thereby achieved three goals: we conducted a survey for research purposes, raised awareness of cataracts by explaining our project to locals, and garnered donations from generous donors. After that, we donated funds that would be equivalent to the cost of 10 cataracts surgeries through a partnership with the Himalayan Cataracts Foundation.



Figure C. Extracted and purified CH25H and GSR with 10x Histidine tag (in yellow) encapsulated in nanoparticles to aid delivery to the lens.


Figure C. Nanoparticles containing GSH and CH25H embed into the cornea and degrade. The released proteins are then delivered to the cornea via a concentration gradient.


Citations












Prevention

GSR Eyedrop

Treatment

25HC Eyedrop

LOCS: 0      


Eyedrops




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