Team

We started as a group of 12 enthusiastic biotechnology students full of life and happiness, who didn’t know each other but had one goal in common: to solve a world-wide problem with microscopic organisms. At first, we couldn't figure out how to approach a solution to all the issues we thought of, but with communication we found it in front of our noses: technology.

Our multidisciplinary team consists of students from Biotechnology Engineering, Computer Science, Physics Engineering and Animation, all studying at ITESM, Campus Monterrey. We all have different views on biotechnology, from food industries to computational biology, each talent helping the team achieve its purpose in developing this project.

This team has come a long way since January where we first met up, shared ideas and started developing what is now our project. A year has passed where we saw each other every day for hours on end, including Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays. Through many complications we faced, tragedy brought us together, and we couldn't be any more grateful.

We are very thankfull to all the people that made this possible, welcome to our family.

Team Members

Leaders: Carolina and Alejandra, the girls that made our path possible along this year. Their leadership helped each one of us continue through fun times, but most importantly through rough days.

Part designers: Jesus, Carolina, Raul, Carlos, Yili, and Suria were the minds behind the construction of the biobricks.

Mathematical Model: Javier and Javier are the guys that developed the mathematical model of our modules for us to understand better the bacteria’s metabolism.

Lab Work: Carolina, Alejandra, Yili, Jesus, Suria, Melissa G., Carlos, Raul, Carmen, Meli R., and Marcelo were the handy hands that made possible the results of this project.

Human Practice: Carolina, Alejandra, Carmen, Yili, Raul, Suria, Carlos, Melissa G.,and Marcelo approached different communities to transmit our project so people could see how science can be inside the little things of everyday life.

Wiki: Carlos F. was the person responsible of making the wiki. He made the code and part of the design. Special thanks to Roberto for helping us too!

Wiki Design: Jesus, Yili and Alejandra made a great effort in making part of the design of the wiki. Special thanks to Lucia and Lulu for helping us too!

Instructors

Thanks to our two instructors that were along our side in this year.

Dr. Guy Cardineau:
For helping us at the beginning of the year with guidance and selection of our project. We thank him for his kind support to get the project going, as well as for all his advice

Dr. José Manuel Aguilar:
For his commitment with the team, helping us with guidance, recommendations, tips and protocols in general. Allowing us to polish the outlines and specifics of the project for its development.

Advisors

Thanks to our advisors that spend some sleepless nights with us and helped us understand more about molecular biology. They were the ones who taught us everything about lab work.

Luis Mario Leal Garza:
For constantly supporting the team in about every single aspect. The project wouldn't have been the same without him. We are specially grateful for his guidance on the introduction of the competition and the selection of our project’s topic, the commitment and responsibility towards our team and for his help on the organization of the team. Also for helping us to organize the E-Waste Art contest. Even though he was getting married, he was always there for us. Thank you Luis!

Miguel Ángel Ortiz:
For his constant support as well as all his advice and material that he kindly gave us. He was closer to us than some of the team members, helping us with protocols, motivating with food, jokes and fun facts, staying all night with us only for the fun of it. We are also grateful for his participation on our environmental forum.

Special Thanks

The team wants to give special thanks to all the people and institutions that made possible the development of the project:

Luis Omar Peña Ortega, associate director of Escuela de Biotecnología y Ciencias de la Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey: For making the project possible, without his economical support we wouldn’t be available to participate. We are also grateful for his attention to our problems and for always providing quick solutions

Dr. Rodolfo García, from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico: For giving us the strain of Chromobacterium violaceum.

Dra. Viridiana García Meza, from Univesidad Auntonoma de San Luis Potosi, for giving us the strain of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and for all the counselling she kindly provided.

Julio Alejandro Rivera Haro, for the analysis of gold and silver in e-waste.

Juan José Cortés Morales, for the analysis of copper, zinc and nickel in e-waste.

Ing. Carlos Lara Valenzuela, manager of Grupo Peñoles investigation center for information on the bioleaching industry in Monterrey.

M.C César Ortiz: For helping us with lab tips, support, and very important last minute, very much needed expertise, materials and strains.

B.S. Edgar Acuña: For helping us with lab tips and material.

Emmanuel de los Santos: For giving us advice in the theme of e-waste.

Víctor Javier Robledo Martínez and Mario Barocio: For their hard-work and dedication in the business section of our project; without them it would never have been a reality.

Roble Lankenau: For supporting our project’s human practices for the collection of e-waste in San Pedro de Pinta.

Alejandro Flores, who brought us C. violaceum from Mexico City.

Dra. Adriana Pacheco: For sharing material that was of great use to us.

Carlos Cruz Herrera: For helping us writing, recording and editing the radio spots.

Carlos Alberto Silva Ruiz (Charlie): Always was nice enough to lend us material from the lab.

Erika Yasmin Leal and Fernando Gonzalez: For giving us access to the lab, patience and advice in general.

Isabel Moreno and Alicia Rosas: For their continual support and maintaining the laboratory in optimum conditions.

Santiago from Eleventy for letting us use his precious picture from Monterrey City for our wiki section of Human Practices.

School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences (ESCB: Escuela de Biotecnología y Ciencias de la Salud): The School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences integrates talent, infrastructure and curriculum designed to provide the best educational, research and knowledge transfers in Mexico and Latin America. Our school combines science and technology to create value and quality of life in society, and sustainable processes are performed with the highest degree of social responsibility. Thus, our motto "Integrating Science, Technology and Business" describes the vision of outcomes generated in every academic program.

FEMSA Biotechnology Center: The FEMSA Biotechnology Center in the Tecnológico de Monterrey integrates researchers from several academic departments to create interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary groups. Also, it's dedicated to the generation of research, knowledge transfer and business design models in food and biotechnology areas. It emerged 15 years ago as a response to the growing trend in scientific and technological innovation in the country and the whole world. Through time, the Biotechnology Center has developed lines of biotechnology research directed toward the innovation of processes, products, and services.

Tecnológico de Monterrey: Our institution, Tecnológico de Monterrey, located in Monterrey, Nuevo León, was founded in 1943 by Eugenio Garza Sada and a group of businessmen who formed a civil-and-nonprofit partnership, named "Higher Education and Research, A.C." Based in Monterrey, Mexico, the Institute has 31 campuses in 25 cities throughout the countryland, and is known as the first university ever connected to the Internet in Latin America, having one of the top graduate business schools in the region and being one of the leaders in patent applications among Mexican universities.

Sponsors

Last, but never least, we want to thank our sponsors who helped us in many ways, for without them our project wouldn’t have been possible:

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Geomicrobiology Laboratory, UASLP

CVR

School of Medicine, UNAM

SnapGene

MathWorks

IDT

GenScript

Accura