Difference between revisions of "Team:UofC Calgary"
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| − | <p style="color: #FFFFFF" | + | <p style="color: #FFFFFF">We designed our project to overcome common issues in existing technologies such as cost, portability and durability. Our solution is superior to current technologies because our patch is portable, lightweight, safe to use, can be stored long-term, and produces and delivers peptides at a steady rate, which solves the issues of pharmacokinetics. We worked with professionals within NASA and the Canadian Space Agency to integrate our solution with current space travel infrastructure, and with companies specializing in transdermal delivery to optimize the delivery system. In combining our biological delivery system and the professional advice we received, we are able to create a transdermal patch that can contain <i> B. subtilis </i> while delivering our BBI peptide.</p> |
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Revision as of 02:56, 18 October 2016
Our Project
Project Description
Mars and the cosmos are a tantalizingly close goal for Mankind to reach in the next century; however, there are several glaring problems that we must overcome to reach such an objective. Radiation is chief among them. On Earth, individuals annually receive 2.4 mSv of ionizing radiation (IR), which is easily tolerated by the human body. Unfortunately, without the protection of the magnetosphere, astronauts in space are exposed to high levels of IR in the range of 50 to 2000 mSv. This level of radiation causes the accumulation of deleterious double strand breaks in DNA. Despite current research into methods of IR protection, many solutions such as radiation shield coating are quite expensive, especially to transport to space. Even existing biological solutions are insufficient, such as the use of ingestible or injectable radioprotectors, which are subject to sinusuoidal pharmacokinetics. Our project is based on the administration of the naturally occuring peptide Bowman-Birk Protease Inhibitor (BBI), which has been shown to confer protection against DNA damage following radiation exposure. (Dittmann et al., 2003).
References
Dittmann, K.H., Mayer, C., and Rodemann, H.P. (2003). Radioprotection of normal tissue to improve radiotherapy: the effect of the Bowman Birk protease inhibitor. Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anticancer Agents, 3(5), 360-363.
OUR CHASSIS
Mars and the cosmos are a tantalizingly close goal for Mankind to reach in the next century; however, there are several glaring problems that we must overcome to reach such an objective. Radiation is chief among them. On Earth, individuals annually receive 2.4 mSv of ionizing radiation (IR), which is easily tolerated by the human body. Unfortunately, without the protection of the magnetosphere, astronauts in space are exposed to high levels of IR in the range of 50 to 2000 mSv. This level of radiation causes the accumulation of deleterious double strand breaks in DNA. Despite current research into methods of IR protection, many solutions such as radiation shield coating are quite expensive, especially to transport to space. Even existing biological solutions are insufficient, such as the use of ingestible or injectable radioprotectors, which are subject to sinusuoidal pharmacokinetics. Our project is based on the administration of the naturally occuring peptide Bowman-Birk Protease Inhibitor (BBI), which has been shown to confer protection against DNA damage following radiation exposure. (Dittmann et al., 2003)
Design Overview
We designed our project to overcome common issues in existing technologies such as cost, portability and durability. Our solution is superior to current technologies because our patch is portable, lightweight, safe to use, can be stored long-term, and produces and delivers peptides at a steady rate, which solves the issues of pharmacokinetics. We worked with professionals within NASA and the Canadian Space Agency to integrate our solution with current space travel infrastructure, and with companies specializing in transdermal delivery to optimize the delivery system. In combining our biological delivery system and the professional advice we received, we are able to create a transdermal patch that can contain B. subtilis while delivering our BBI peptide.
Our Project
Project Description
Our Experiments
Modelling
Human Practices
About us
The 2016 U of C Calgary iGEM team is a multidisciplinary team based out of the University of Calgary. Our team is made up of undergraduate students from all years of study, hailing from the broad backgrounds of biology, microbiology, biomedical sciences, bioinformatics, and engineering. We are based out of the O'Brien Centre Labs within the U of C's Health Science Centre.
Our Sponsors
