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

 
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                             <li> <a href="#marketing">Marketing Plan</a></li>
 
                             <li> <a href="#fundraising">Fundraising</a></li>
 
                             <li> <a href="#fundraising">Fundraising</a></li>
 
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                                     What we discovered through our findings in policy and practice helped shape 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.
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                                    <p>
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                                     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.
 
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                                     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.
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                                     Our Policy and Practice is separated into three categories, <b>Research, Outreach and Impact</b>. 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.
 
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                                 <h3>Professional Help</h3>
 
                                 <h3>Professional Help</h3>
 
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                                     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.
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                                     In order to improve our research and prototype, we needed to get in contact with experts in the fields of eye surgery and cataract research. Our first step was to contact eye doctors to discuss any problems associated with current cataract treatments. Finally, while developing our project we realized that cataracts are a major issue in pets and other animals as well. As a result, we contacted local veterinarians to discuss what pet owners do when their pets develop cataracts. As our project developed, we needed more specific information regarding our genes of interest, cataract development, and our delivery mechanism. We contacted scientists doing research similar to our own to get their opinions on our projects as well.
 
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                                                Dr. Wei-Chi Wu is a retina specialist and an associate professor at Chang Gung memorial hospital in Taiwan.  
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                                              <b> Dr. Wei-Chi Wu</b> is a retina specialist and an associate professor at Chang Gung memorial hospital in Taiwan.  
 
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                                                 Dr. Tsu Chieh Cheng is a optomologist at Chang cheng eye hospital in Taiwan.   
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                                                 <b>Dr. Tsu Chieh Cheng </b>is a opthamologist at Chang Cheng eye hospital in Taiwan.   
 
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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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                                                 According to Dr. Wu current cataract surgery methods are efficient and effective, but are not without their issues. Beside the 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 side effects.   
 
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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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                                                 Dr. Cheng points out that aside from possibly causing complications such as astigmatism, myopia, and hyperopia, cataract surgeries have risks, such as wound infections, dislodgement of lens, and massive bleeding during surgeries are not uncommon. He remarked that our project sounded very promising, but the effect that the drug has on other parts of the eye must be checked. Furthermore, he suggested that we use rabbits or dogs as animal models, because they can be observed more easily.   
 
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                               <h4>Contact with Veterinarians</h4>
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                                    <h4>Contact with Veterinarians</h4>
 
                                      
 
                                      
 
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                                         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.
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                                         Cataracts affect 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 can be applied to domestic animals as well.
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
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                                         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.  
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                                         As we continued to develop our project, we also hoped to treat cataracts in animals. 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 the viability of our project. From these interviews we learned that there are already commercial eye drops available, which are prescribed for pets, but that these are not very effective. One of the drugs developed is called Ocluvet(R), which we purchased and used in our experiments to compare to our own treatment design.  
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                                  <br>
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/0/04/T--TAS_Taipei--Trip1.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/0/04/T--TAS_Taipei--Trip1.png">
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<p><b>Dr. Li Guo Min </b> Veterinarian at Nicholas Animal Hospital</p>
 
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                                     <h4>Contact with Science Researchers</h4>
 
                                     <h4>Contact with Science Researchers</h4>
 
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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.  
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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 of our project, we contacted researchers to learn more about 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC) and Chitosan nanoparticles.  
  
 
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                                     <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>
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                                     <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 25HC 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 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. Dr. Gestwicki also 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>
 
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                                                 We met with Dr. Eric P. Lee, Senior member of Technical Staff at Maxim Integrated, and TAS alumnus, to discuss 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.
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                                                 We met with <b>Dr. Eric P. Lee</b>, Senior member of Technical Staff at Maxim Integrated, and TAS alumnus, to discuss issues we were having concerning chitosan nanoparticles.  Specifically we had difficulty obtaining SEM images and with nanoparticle formation.  His advice on the specific order of adding TPP to chitosan helped us make consistent nanoparticles.  Additionally, he explained why we kept seeing large amorphous structures in our SEM images: a charge buildup in the nanoparticles from the electron beam. We used this information to improve our prototype and obtain quality images from both SEM and AFM.
 
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                                <h3 id="ConstructPrevention">Public Opinion</h3>
+
                                <br>
 +
                                <h3>Public Opinion</h3>
 
                                         <br>
 
                                         <br>
 
                                     <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. 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.   
+
                                         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 perspectives. 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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                             <div class="row">
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                                 <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">
 +
                                   
 +
                                </figure>
 
                                      
 
                                      
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
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                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                              
 
                              
−
                                     <h4>Survey</h4>
+
                                     <h4>Cataract Survey</h4>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
−
                                         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.
+
                                         During TAS’s Spring Fair and our Taipei Cataract Awareness Day, we conducted a survey, from which we derived a general public sense of the following: <br>
 +
<UL>
 +
<LI>Understanding of cataracts </li>
 +
<LI>Willingness to use GMO products </li>
 +
<LI>Willingness to use our product in humans and pets </li>
 +
<LI>Side effect tolerance </li>
 +
<LI>Willingness to pay for cataract surgery </li>
 +
</UL>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 +
                              <a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/b/bf/T--TAS_Taipei--iGEM_Survey_2016_-_Google_Forms.extension.pdf"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to download our survey results!</button></a>
 
                           </div>
 
                           </div>
 
                              
 
                              
Line 456: Line 469:
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                              
 
                              
−
                                     <h4>Interviews with Cataracts Patients</h4>
+
                                     <h4>Interviews with Cataract Patients</h4>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
−
                                         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.
+
                                         We interviewed two former cataract patients about their experiences with surgery. Both patients suffered from inconveniences due to the synthetic lens options, which would either make one nearsighted or farsighted. Complications due to surgery varied among individual cases; one suffered from dryness and irritation of the eye, while the other had no complications at all. 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. Moran’s and Mrs. Clapper’s experiences reinforce the disadvantages of surgery, and further motivated us to create a non-invasive solution.
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 +
                                    <a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/85/T--TAS_Taipei--Dr.moraninterview.pdf"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to see our interview with Dr. Catriona Moran</button></a> <br><br>
 +
                                    <a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/2/2d/T--TAS_Taipei--Mrs.clapperinterview.pdf"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to see our interview with Mrs. Sharon Clapper</button></a>
 +
                                    <br><br>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                           </div>
 
                           </div>
 
                           <div class="row">
 
                           <div class="row">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-3">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-3">
−
                                     <p>
+
                                     <p><br><br>
−
                                     <b>Dr. Catriona Moran,</b> she is a former patient of cataracts surgery
+
                                     <b>Dr. Catriona Moran </b>is a former patient of cataract surgery
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                               </div>
 
                               </div>
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                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                               <div class="col-sm-3">
 
                               <div class="col-sm-3">
−
                                     <p>
+
                                     <p><br><br>
−
                                     <b>Ms. Sharon Clapper,</b> former patient of cataracts surgery  
+
                                     <b>Mrs. Sharon Clapper </b>is a former patient of cataracts surgery  
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                               </div>
 
                               </div>
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                     <div class = "row">
 
                     <div class = "row">
 
              <div class="col-sm-12">
 
              <div class="col-sm-12">
−
        <h2 id = 'construct'>Outreach</h2>
+
        <h2 id = 'outreach'>Outreach</h2>
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
−
                                     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.  
+
                                     From interviews with cataract 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>
+
                                     <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 is a list of activities and programs that we did in outreach.  </p>
 
                                      
 
                                      
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
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                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>                             
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>                             
 
                                 <p>
 
                                 <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.  
+
                                     This is a photo of a lower school student at our booth, playing our interactive game and learning about what it is like to have cataracts.  
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </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>
+
                                 <p>During 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, cataract 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>
 
                               <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                               <figure class = "col-sm-6">
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                                     <br>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                 <h3>Taipei Cataract Awareness Day</h3>
 
                                 <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>
+
                                 <p>Our team went on an excursion to five different landmarks in Taipei and passed out flyers containing information on cataracts to the general public. We explained the formation of cataracts and the basic concepts of our project to local crowds and asked them to fill out our survey to get a wider sample size.
 +
</p>
 +
                                    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLJ8-ZtYwg8"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to watch our Excursion!</button></a>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                  
 
                                  
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                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                     <br>
−
                                 <h3>Kindergarden Science Experiments</h3>
+
                                 <h3>Kindergarten Science Experiments</h3>
 
                                 <p>
 
                                 <p>
−
                                     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.   
+
                                     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, and how static electricity works.   
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 +
                                <a href="https://vimeo.com/153454343"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to watch the Kindergarden video!</button></a>
 
                                  
 
                                  
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
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                                 <h3>7th Grade Introduction to Synthetic Biology</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.
+
                                         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 a general idea of what synthetic biology is, we also introduced them to some basic laboratory techniques essential to synthetic biology. We made up scenarios and asked them to solve these problems using different combinations of standardized parts (promoter, RBS, different ORFs, etc.). They also learned how to use micropipettes and run a gel!
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 +
                                    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtgFyzSYF-I"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to watch 7th grade teaching!</button></a>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                  
 
                                  
Line 584: Line 604:
 
                                     International baccalaureate 11th grade</h3>
 
                                     International baccalaureate 11th grade</h3>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
−
                                         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. 
+
                                         We presented our project to 11th grade IB students. Since they were learning about genetic engineering concepts, we gave a presentation on the details of our project to gain feedback.  
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
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                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                     <br>
−
                                 <h3>Biobuilder</h3>
+
                                 <h3>Biobuilder Club</h3>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
−
                                         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.
+
                                         23 high school teams from around the world joined the BioBuilder Club, which is run by the BioBuilder Educational Foundation.  This club held online meetings once a month so the teams could brainstorm synthetic biology project topics, project design, and collectively troubleshoot problems encountered by each team. The club held a final assembly in Boston at Lab Central, and we were excited to present our poster in absentia from Taipei.
−
                                     </p>
+
                                     </p><br><br>
 +
                                    <a href="http://biobuilder club.org/"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to join Biobuilder Club!</button></a>
 +
<br><br>
 +
                                    <a href="http://tasbiobuilder.weebly.com/"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to visit our Biobuilder Club webpage!</button></a>
 +
<br><br>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                  
 
                                  
−
                                  
+
                                 </p>
 +
                                </div>
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
 
                             <figure class = "col-sm-12">
 
                             <figure class = "col-sm-12">
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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 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.   
+
                                         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 at the school’s Science Research Symposium.  Over 80 students from 11 research classes presented their own research from all different areas to the school community.  This allowed us to receive feedback on our project ideas from both students and teachers. This really helped us decide our final project idea.   
 
                                     </p>
 
                                     </p>
 +
                                    <a href="https://vimeo.com/148193740"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to watch the symposium poster session!</button></a>
 +
                                    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TjGFL1X4VM"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to watch the symposium oral presentation!!</button></a>
 +
<br>
 +
<h3>Research Speaker Series  </h3>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
−
                                  
+
                                  </div>
 +
                          <div class="col-sm-12">
 +
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 +
                                  <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. 
 +
                                    </p>
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
 
                           <div class="row">
 
                           <div class="row">
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                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                 <h3 id="ConstructPrevention"></h3>
 
                                     <br>
 
                                     <br>
−
                                    <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. 
+
−
                                    </p>
+
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                         <div class="row">
 
                         <div class="row">
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                                 <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.   
+
                                         The iGEM Club was established 3 years ago, and the purpose of 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="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/88/T--TAS_Taipei--Club.png">
+
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/b/b3/T--TAS_Taipei--clubfair.JPG">
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                  
 
                                  
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                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-3"></div>                               
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-3"></div>                               
−
 
+
                                <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IGEM-TAS_Taipei-458152184340374/"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to visit our Facebook page!</button></a>  <a href="https://twitter.com/igem_tas"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" align="right">Click to visit our Twitter page!</button></a>
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
 
                           <div class="row">
 
                           <div class="row">
Line 669: Line 701:
 
                                 <h3>Collaborations with Other iGEM Teams</h3>
 
                                 <h3>Collaborations with Other iGEM Teams</h3>
 
                                     <p>
 
                                     <p>
−
                                  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 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>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 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 the 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>
+
                                     <p>These collaborations not only created opportunities for us to help each other with problems, 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>
 
                                  
 
                                  
Line 679: Line 711:
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                             <div class="row">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <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/a/a5/T--TAS_Taipei--NYMU_Summer_Camp.JPG">
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 
                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
−
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/1/17/T--TAS_Taipei--Collaboration3.png">
+
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/66/T--TAS_Taipei--teamphoto2.jpg">
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
  
 
                     </div>
 
                     </div>
−
                    </div>
+
                                   
−
                    <br><br>
+
−
                   
+
 
                  
 
                  
 
                     <div class = "row">
 
                     <div class = "row">
 
              <div class="col-sm-12">
 
              <div class="col-sm-12">
−
        <h2 id = 'prototype'>Impact</h2>
+
        <h2 id = 'impact'>Impact</h2>
 
                              
 
                              
 
                           <div class="row">
 
                           <div class="row">
−
                               
+
                                 <h3 id="marketing"></h3>
−
                                 <div class="col-sm-8">
+
 
                                     <h3>Counteracts Marketing Plan</h3>
 
                                     <h3>Counteracts Marketing Plan</h3>
 +
                                <div class="col-sm-8">
 +
                               
 
                                 <p>
 
                                 <p>
−
                                     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>
+
                                     With the help of our business and economics teacher, we developed a comprehensive marketing plan for our cataract 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>We received constructive feedback from a former intern at RA Capital (a biotechnology investment firm). He suggested that 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 an opthamologist, Dr. Tai-Yuan Wang, and he suggested that with an FDA approval and clinical trials, he would be interested in our products. Thus, we can conclude that our products have the potential to compete in market.
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 
                               <figure class = "col-sm-4">
 
                               <figure class = "col-sm-4">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/9/9c/T--TAS_Taipei--Impact1.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/9/9c/T--TAS_Taipei--Impact1.png">
 +
<p><b>Mr. Alexander Kaufman,</b> a former intern at RA Capital (a biotechnology investment firm)<p>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
                                  
 
                                  
Line 711: Line 743:
 
                           <div class="row">
 
                           <div class="row">
 
                                  
 
                                  
−
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
+
                                 <div class="col-sm-6">
 
                                     <h3>Marketing Plan Synopsis</h3>
 
                                     <h3>Marketing Plan Synopsis</h3>
 
                                 <p>
 
                                 <p>
−
                                     There exists a significant market opportunity for cataracts treatment worldwide. Over 3 million cataract surgeries are performed in the United States every year, and cataracts have attributes to 51% of world blindness. Although cataracts surgery is the dominant procedure in this market, we have developed technology which provides distinctive advantages, and created a marketing plan which serves as a guide for establishing a successful business.  
+
                                     There exists a significant market opportunity for cataract treatment worldwide. Over 3 million cataract surgeries are performed in the United States every year, and cataracts have attributed to 51% of world blindness. Although cataract surgery is the dominant procedure in this market, we have developed a product which provides distinctive advantages, and created a marketing plan which serves as a guide for establishing a successful business.  
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
−
                                
+
                            <figure class = "col-sm-6">
 +
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/fa/T--TAS_Taipei--MarketPlan.png">
 +
                               
 +
                                </figure>
 +
                               <a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/d/d5/T--TAS_Taipei--marketingplan.pdf"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to download our survey results!</button></a>
 
                                  
 
                                  
 
                             </div>
 
                             </div>
 +
                         
 +
                         
 
                           <div class="row">
 
                           <div class="row">
−
                                  
+
                                 <h3>Fundraising Efforts for Cataract Charity</h3>
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
 
                                 <div class="col-sm-12">
−
                                     <h3>Fundraising Efforts for Cataract Charity</h3>
+
 
 +
                                     <h3 id="fundraising"></h3>
 +
                                    <br>
 +
 
 +
                                   
 
                                 <p>
 
                                 <p>
−
                                     Lastly, we wanted to make a real impact in real people’s lives who were experiencing cataracts. Despite our project’s goal of delivering cataract relief non-invasively, we realize that surgery is currently the most effective way to eliminate cataracts. So, we held fundraisers (in the form of bake sales and club fairs) in order to donate to those who don’t have funds or access to surgery. We raised enough money for 14 surgeries through the Himalayan Cataract Project, which serves underprivileged cataract patients.   
+
                                     Lastly, we wanted to make a real impact in people’s lives who were experiencing cataracts. Despite our project’s goal of delivering cataract relief non-invasively, we realize that surgery is currently the most effective way to eliminate cataracts. So, we held fundraisers (in the form of bake sales and club fairs) in order to donate to those who don’t have funds or access to surgery. We raised enough money for 14 surgeries through the Himalayan Cataract Project, which serves underprivileged cataract patients.   
  
 
                                 </p>
 
                                 </p>
 +
                                    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAQgzXTy1W4"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to watch our bake sale!</button></a>
 +
                                    <a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/fc/T--TAS_Taipei--himalayancataractdonation.pdf"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to see our contribution!</button></a>
 +
                                    <br><br>
 +
                                    <br><a href="https://donate.cureblindness.org"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg">Click to donate to the Himalayan Cataract Project!!</button></a>
 
                                 </div>
 
                                 </div>
 +
                             
 
                                
 
                                
 
                                  
 
                                  
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                                 </figure>
 
                                 </figure>
 
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                                 <figure class = "col-sm-6">
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                                    <br><br>
 
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/9/9c/T--TAS_Taipei--Impact3.png">
 
        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/9/9c/T--TAS_Taipei--Impact3.png">
 
                                  
 
                                  
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<h3>Citations</h3>
+
 
        <br> <br>  <br>  <br>  <br>  <br>  <br>  <br>             
 
        <br> <br>  <br>  <br>  <br>  <br>  <br>  <br>             
 
  </div>
 
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         var NineLOCSnum = Math.round(nowRadius*6/9*10);
 
         var NineLOCSnum = Math.round(nowRadius*6/9*10);
 
         /**if (NineLOCSnum == 15) $("#slideoutco").fadeOut(400);
 
         /**if (NineLOCSnum == 15) $("#slideoutco").fadeOut(400);
−
         if (NineLOCSnum > 20) switchMessage("RED","<b>Cataracts</b> are creeping back again! Click the PREVENTION eyedrop to add GSR into your eyes!", currentColor()=="BLUE");*/
+
         if (NineLOCSnum > 20) switchMessage("RED","<b>Cataracts</b> are creeping back again! Click the PREVENTION eye drop to add GSR into your eyes!", currentColor()=="BLUE");*/
 
         if (LOCSnum > 6) {LOCSnum = "6+"; $('#LOCS').text(LOCSnum+"");}
 
         if (LOCSnum > 6) {LOCSnum = "6+"; $('#LOCS').text(LOCSnum+"");}
 
         else $('#LOCS').text(LOCSnum+" ");  
 
         else $('#LOCS').text(LOCSnum+" ");  

Latest revision as of 14:26, 2 December 2016

Human Practice - TAS Taipei iGEM Wiki




C◎UNTERACTS

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



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 opthamologist at Chang Cheng eye hospital in Taiwan.


According to Dr. Wu current cataract surgery methods are efficient and effective, but are not without their issues. Beside the 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 side effects.

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

Contact with Veterinarians

Cataracts affect 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 can be applied to domestic animals as well.

As we continued to develop our project, we also hoped to treat cataracts in animals. 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 the viability of our project. From these interviews we learned that there are already commercial eye drops available, which are prescribed for pets, but that these are not very effective. One of the drugs developed is called Ocluvet(R), which we purchased and used in our experiments to compare to our own treatment design.


Dr. Li Guo Min Veterinarian at Nicholas Animal Hospital




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 of 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 25HC 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 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. Dr. Gestwicki also 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, to discuss issues we were having concerning chitosan nanoparticles. Specifically we had difficulty obtaining SEM images and with nanoparticle formation. His advice on the specific order of adding TPP to chitosan helped us make consistent nanoparticles. Additionally, he explained why we kept seeing large amorphous structures in our SEM images: a charge buildup in the nanoparticles from the electron beam. We used this information to improve our prototype and obtain quality images from both 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 perspectives. 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.

Cataract Survey

During TAS’s Spring Fair and our Taipei Cataract Awareness Day, we conducted a survey, from which we derived a general public sense of the following:

  • Understanding of cataracts
  • Willingness to use GMO products
  • Willingness to use our product in humans and pets
  • Side effect tolerance
  • Willingness to pay for cataract surgery

Interviews with Cataract Patients

We interviewed two former cataract patients about their experiences with surgery. Both patients suffered from inconveniences due to the synthetic lens options, which would either make one nearsighted or farsighted. Complications due to surgery varied among individual cases; one suffered from dryness and irritation of the eye, while the other had no complications at all. 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. Moran’s and Mrs. Clapper’s experiences reinforce the disadvantages of surgery, and further motivated us to create a non-invasive solution.







Dr. Catriona Moran is a former patient of cataract surgery



Mrs. Sharon Clapper is a former patient of cataracts surgery



Outreach

From interviews with cataract 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 is 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 is like to have cataracts.

During 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, cataract 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

Our team went on an excursion to five different landmarks in Taipei and passed out flyers containing information on cataracts to the general public. We explained the formation of cataracts and the basic concepts of our project to local crowds and asked them to fill out our survey to get a wider sample size.


Kindergarten 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, and how static electricity works.






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 a general idea of what synthetic biology is, we also introduced them to some basic laboratory techniques essential to synthetic biology. We made up scenarios and asked them to solve these problems using different combinations of standardized parts (promoter, RBS, different ORFs, etc.). They also learned how to use micropipettes and run a gel!






International baccalaureate 11th grade

We presented our project to 11th grade IB students. Since they were learning about genetic engineering concepts, we gave a presentation on the details of our project to gain feedback.


Biobuilder Club

23 high school teams from around the world joined the BioBuilder Club, which is run by the BioBuilder Educational Foundation. This club held online meetings once a month so the teams could brainstorm synthetic biology project topics, project design, and collectively troubleshoot problems encountered by each team. The club held a final assembly in Boston at Lab Central, and we were excited to present our poster in absentia 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 presentations on those topics at the school’s Science Research Symposium. Over 80 students from 11 research classes presented their own research from all different areas to the school community. This allowed us to receive feedback on our project ideas from both students and teachers. This really helped us decide our final project idea.


Research Speaker Series

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.

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.


Club

The iGEM Club was established 3 years ago, and the purpose of 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.



Facebook/Twitter


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 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 the 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 opportunities for us to help each other with problems, 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

Counteracts Marketing Plan

With the help of our business and economics teacher, we developed a comprehensive marketing plan for our cataract 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 that 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 an opthamologist, Dr. Tai-Yuan Wang, and he suggested that with an FDA approval and clinical trials, he would be interested in our products. Thus, we can conclude that our products have the potential to compete in market.

Mr. Alexander Kaufman, a former intern at RA Capital (a biotechnology investment firm)

Marketing Plan Synopsis

There exists a significant market opportunity for cataract treatment worldwide. Over 3 million cataract surgeries are performed in the United States every year, and cataracts have attributed to 51% of world blindness. Although cataract surgery is the dominant procedure in this market, we have developed a product which provides distinctive advantages, and created a marketing plan which serves as a guide for establishing a successful business.

Fundraising Efforts for Cataract Charity


Lastly, we wanted to make a real impact in people’s lives who were experiencing cataracts. Despite our project’s goal of delivering cataract relief non-invasively, we realize that surgery is currently the most effective way to eliminate cataracts. So, we held fundraisers (in the form of bake sales and club fairs) in order to donate to those who don’t have funds or access to surgery. We raised enough money for 14 surgeries through the Himalayan Cataract Project, which serves underprivileged cataract patients.



















Prevention

GSR Eyedrop

Treatment

25HC Eyedrop

LOCS: 0      


Eyedrops




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