Team:Concordia
iGEM Concordia 2016
Our team is based in Concordia University in Montreal, Canada
Combat Cells!
This year, Concordia University’s iGEM team aims to adapt the popular and engaging TV show Robot Wars, in which teams design and battle robots, and incorporate our spin for the synthetic biology community. Our project consists of equipping cells with nanoparticles and have them battle one another, with the intention of creating a broadcast acting as a medium through which we can entertain, educate, and inspire the public to participate in synthetic biology. The project involves three phases: nanoparticle synthesis, nanoparticle attachment, and analysis of cell survival on a microfluidic chip. To generate nanoparticles, we are using plants such as garlic, aloe vera and cabbage. Plants possess a variety of biomolecules that are capable of reducing and stabilizing metal ions to their nanoparticle form. We can manipulate the sizes and shapes of nanoparticles by varying the amounts of plant extract and metallic solutions used. Then, using an AFM or TEM, we will characterize the nanoparticles synthesized. Here we aim to develop optimized methods for controlling the shapes and sizes of the nanoparticles using plant-mediated synthesis. Furthermore, incorporating this eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to synthesizing nanoparticles has allowed our project to reduce the amount of waste we produce, as well as reduce the amount of chemicals we expose to the environment. We then want to develop an effective linkage method between the nanoparticles and the cell’s surface, for both bacterial and eukaryotic model systems. Additionally, we intend to study the relationship between nanoparticle abundance and localization on the protective qualities offered to the cell. After equipping the cells with nanoparticles, cellular opponents will be guided through an obstacle course leading to the battledome, designed on a microfluidics chip. The obstacle course will test the protective abilities of the nanoparticles against varying environmental conditions. Once the opposing species have reached the battledome, they will come into physical contact with each other. Here we will test the protective abilities of nanoparticles against other equipped species. Our aim here is to enhance nanoparticle-coated cell survival in different chemical conditions, and to examine the interactions occurring between coated cells. All of this will occur within the controlled environment of a microfluidics chip, which we will design. Using microfluidics will allow us to dictate the mobility of the cells. Furthermore, experiments run through microfluidics require a small quantity of solutions, permitting us to further reduce the amount of waste we produce throughout our project. After the cell battle is finished, we will test the survival of the cells using pigments. Ultimately, we envision a multi-team league in which every team has a unique nanoparticle synthesis and attachment strategy.
Styling your wiki
You may style this page as you like or you can simply leave the style as it is. You can easily keep the styling and edit the content of these default wiki pages with your project information and completely fulfill the requirement to document your project.
While you may not win Best Wiki with this styling, your team is still eligible for all other awards. This default wiki meets the requirements, it improves navigability and ease of use for visitors, and you should not feel it is necessary to style beyond what has been provided.
Wiki template information
We have created these wiki template pages to help you get started and to help you think about how your team will be evaluated. You can find a list of all the pages tied to awards here at the Pages for awards link. You must edit these pages to be evaluated for medals and awards, but ultimately the design, layout, style and all other elements of your team wiki is up to you!
Editing your wiki
On this page you can document your project, introduce your team members, document your progress and share your iGEM experience with the rest of the world!
Tips
This wiki will be your team’s first interaction with the rest of the world, so here are a few tips to help you get started:
- State your accomplishments! Tell people what you have achieved from the start.
- Be clear about what you are doing and how you plan to do this.
- You have a global audience! Consider the different backgrounds that your users come from.
- Make sure information is easy to find; nothing should be more than 3 clicks away.
- Avoid using very small fonts and low contrast colors; information should be easy to read.
- Start documenting your project as early as possible; don’t leave anything to the last minute before the Wiki Freeze. For a complete list of deadlines visit the iGEM 2016 calendar
- Have lots of fun!
Inspiration
You can also view other team wikis for inspiration! Here are some examples:
Uploading pictures and files
You can upload your pictures and files to the iGEM 2016 server. Remember to keep all your pictures and files within your team's namespace or at least include your team's name in the file name.
When you upload, set the "Destination Filename" to Team:YourOfficialTeamName/NameOfFile.jpg. (If you don't do this, someone else might upload a different file with the same "Destination Filename", and your file would be erased!)
