Our Project:
This year, our iGEM team representing Concordia University aims to design Combat Cells, a novel adaptation of the popular and engaging TV show ‘Robot Wars’. The project concept involves the design and battling of ‘cellular robots,’ providing a new spin on synthetic biology for the scientific community. Our project consists of equipping cells with nanoparticles and having them battle one another in a controllable microfluidic device. Through this, our intention is to create and broadcast a web series through which we can entertain, educate, and inspire the public to participate in synthetic biology, and even create their own Combat Cells. The project encompasses three phases: nanoparticle synthesis, nanoparticle attachment, and analysis of cell survival on a microfluidic chip.