In June, Promega proudly announced the ten winners of the 2024 Promega iGEM Grant. These extraordinary teams have been hard at work preparing for the iGEM Grand Jamboree, which will take place from October 23-26, 2024, in Paris, France. We interviewed a handful of this year’s grant recipients to learn more about their projects and journeys they’ve taken to reach this exciting milestone. Below are stories from four of the winning teams.
University of Maryland
The University of Maryland iGEM team of 25 students has set out to address the global issue of cervical cancer—the fourth most common cancer affecting women globally. Their goal is to develop a paper-based screening device for early detection—like an at-home COVID-19 test. These paper-based tests offer both portable and affordable results, making them ideal for use in low-resource areas like in lower- to middle-income countries. This easy-to-use device will detect specific biomarkers in urine using a cell-free system, enabling early-stage identification of precancerous conditions in a highly deployable format.
The team faced challenges in the early stages of development but overcame these setbacks with team collaboration and keen problem solving. After two failed attempts to synthesize their gene products for their project, they went back to the drawing board:
“This iterative design process not only resolved the synthesis issue but also deepened our understanding of gene fragment design and plasmid assembly. This experience also highlighted the importance of the design, build, test, and learn cycles that are central to iGEM and scientific research.” – Maryland iGEM Team
Through this iterative process, the team successfully redesigned their synthetic RNA devices and implemented Promega products like NanoLuc® Luciferase for better signal readout.
When asked about the most exciting part of the iGEM competition and experience, they described hosting a “Mid-Atlantic Meetup”: an annual gathering of iGEM teams along the east coast. Teams from the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill gathered with the Maryland iGEM team to share progress and simulate the presentation environment at the upcoming Jamboree in October. This collaboration has fueled the Maryland iGEM Team’s excitement for the upcoming Jamboree.
Stay updated on their journey to the Jamboree by following them on Instagram @umarylandigem or on their team website.
Cornell
Cornell’s iGEM team consists of 51 undergraduate students divided into five sub-teams dedicated to different project disciplines: Wet Lab, Product Development, Policy and Practices, Business and Wiki/Design. Cornell is no stranger to the iGEM Grand Jamboree, having developed and trained a project team each year since 2009. This year, the team’s project “Oncurex,” aims to develop a bioreactor to synthetically manufacture Ursolic Acid (UA)—a natural product proven to have numerous therapeutic benefits. Current methods for extracting UA are laborious and not standardized across labs, as they rely on complex extractions ofUA from commercially-grown fruits like apples or loquats. The Cornell team has a greener, sustainable solution in mind:
“Using a biological pathway that exists naturally in yeast, we can provide an industrially scaled platform to produce Ursolic Acid with less harm to the environment, into the hands of pharmaceutical companies, and eventually reach cancer patients.” – Cornell iGEM Team
To build their UA yeast bioreactor, the team conducted several rounds of PCR and gene verification through gel electrophoresis. They used products from the Promega PCR portfolio, including the PureYield™ Plasmid Miniprep System and ethidium bromide solutions.
For the Cornell iGEM team, the most exciting part of preparing for the competition was their summer session, where they transformed their project from concept to reality. This class-free period gave the team time to educate communities on their project and synthetic biology, while also bonding through team activities, includingan Iron Chef-style competition. The team looks forward to gathering with teams across the iGEM space in October.
Stay updated on their journey to the Jamboree by following them on Instagram @cugem or on their iGEM team website.
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin’s iGEM team, also known as “The Gluten Gobblers,” has focused their project on providing relief to individuals with celiac disease. The team of 17 undergraduate students plans to engineer probiotic bacteria to produce enzymes that degrade gluten’s immunogenic components in the digestive system. This approach aims to prevent immune reactions triggered by gluten ingestion, offering individuals with celiac disease more dietary flexibility.
To engineer their probiotic bacteria, the team has relied on the PureYieldTM Miniprep System to save time in nucleic acid extraction—a critical component in their project. One of their major challenges was transforming a difficult non-model organism. To overcome this, they consulted with field experts and experimented with electroporation protocols until they succeeded:
“We overcame this challenge by consulting with experts who have experience in transforming non-model organisms and experimenting with different electroporation protocols, which eventually led to successful transformations!” – The UT Austin iGEM Team
For the UT Austin team, one of the most rewarding aspects of their project has been engaging with the celiac community. While lab work is crucial, they shared that connecting directly with the individuals who could directly benefit from their project has given their research a deeper purpose. Their interactions with the celiac community have given them motivation as they continue to refine their project.
To learn more about the UT-Austin iGEM project, follow along on their Instagram page @utaustinigem or on their team website.
Maastricht University
The Maastricht University iGEM team, known as “Natronaut”, is addressing the problem of eutrophication by engineering the marine organism Vibrio natriegens. Their team—comprised of 13 undergraduates from various demographics—aims to reduce nitrate concentrations in coastal waters. Their innovative approach addresses eutrophication through single-cell proteins (SCPs). SCPs can be used as livestock feed, creating a sustainable solution that benefits both the environment and agriculture. Despite initial setbacks with plasmid transformations, the team pressed on. They explored alternative vectors using several Promega plasmid purification products such as GoTaq® G2 Master Mixes, the PureYield™ Plasmid Miniprep System and the Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System to advance their work.
I asked the Maastricht Team to elaborate on any other exciting aspects of their IGEM journey so far. They shared that the procees has been transformative, with the collaborative spirit of the competition already extending beyond the lab:
“The collaborative spirit of iGEM is especially felt by our team, with lasting connections evident within the global iGEM community. Interactions with both this year’s teams and past teams have further enriched our project and expanded our perspective on synthetic biology. Overall, this experience has solidified our passion for science and innovation, and we are excited to see how our work, and that of others, can make a tangible impact in the world.” – The Maastrich University iGEM Team
Learn more about the team and follow their journey on Instagram @msp-igem.
iGEM and Beyond
The 2024 Promega iGEM Grant winners are embarking global challenges with creativity, developing innovative solutions that have the potential to make a real difference. We are excited to see their hard work at the iGEM Grand Jamboree and in their future scientific careers.
To learn more about the Promega iGEM Grant Sponsorship or access more student laboratory resources, check out our Student Resource Center.
Anna Bennett
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