Team:Aachen
Welcome visitor of the iGEM Team Aachen’s Wiki of 2016!
The following text shall inform you about what we will try to achieve this year and give you a little insight about how and why we chose the topic we will work on.
In our brainstorming phase, the initial idea that met with broad approval in the team, included reversible inhibition of an enzyme to improve a lab method. So we dived into research about enzyme inhibition and came up with several possibilities and approaches. Especially "Photocaging", a method using photoliable molecules to reversibly inactivate all kinds of compounds and reactivate them with light, really awakened interest in all of us. Along with knowledge about inhibition, more and more application possibilities occurred and gained shape as we talked to several supporters in academics as well as in industry.
In the end, the project that suits the iGEM spirit most and offers a highly educational and interesting experience for us, was the inhibition of a protease for washing detergents.
So far, proteases in washing detergents are being inhibited by boric acid and tons of it are needed every year. Its handling in this scale is complicated and additionally, the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) classified this chemical as a substance of very high concern. If we can make our idea work, the protease in the washing detergents would be produced inactive and could be activated with a small, inexpensive device that can be used with any normal washing machine. Thus, the amount of chemical needed could be reduced by a great deal, as only one molecule per enzyme is necessary for inhibition. That would make a difference, especially for chemical workers, who have to handle tons of boric acid, but also for every household and sewage disposal.
As a side project to the development of the “uncaging” device for the washing machine, our engineers will also work on an affordable “Dark Bench” that will make sterile handling of light-sensitive chemicals, needed for our work, more easy.
Before you start:
Please read the following pages:
Styling your wiki
blah blah blah 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!)
