Demonstrate our work

This year, our project is focused on the distance between the public attention and the frontiers of Biology. We are committed to reducing the barriers for amateurs’ participation into the work related to biology, synthetic biology and biological designs, so that people who don’t have the background of biological researching could fulfill their creative ideas and take participation into the innovative work related to biology, through which we could make a little contribution to the promotion of the development of synthetic biology and the overall biology.

To fulfill the perspectives above, we build a comprehensive platform named MAGICBLOCK, consisting of an interactive software interface, bacteria and hardware. Furthermore, our integrated human practice constitutively guides our project in many ways:

1. Hardware

We’ve established a platform consist of a hardware for block assembly and software for the public to operate it. We’ve made a special tube to catch pure chemical signal liquid from bacterium culture solutions. By reconfiguring a 3D printer and plus a syringe pump, we can control the transfer of chemical signals among tubes of functional bacteria. With this robot, we’ve realized the assembly of modular bio-systems. It can be easily programmed to significantly reduce the laboratory and time cost during molecular cloning. As a prototype of cloud bio-lab, this robot is able to be controlled remotely. For the public’s friendly usage, this robot can automatically assemble the blocks only base on the logic rules set according to an idea.

Details: https://2017.igem.org/Team:Shanghaitech/Hardware

2. Software

* we established a simple database. The users can submit their parts, add descriptions, retrieve and comment on others’ parts.

* we wrote a Python crawler which can crawl the relevant parts information on the iGEM website.

* we designed and improved a circuit game. The users can retrieve parts and use them to design their own synthetic genetic circuits, through an intuitive graphical user interface.

* user’s design will be passed to our 3D printing program to automatically perform the experiments to realize the circuit.

* the users will get theexperimental data feedback.

Details: https://2017.igem.org/Team:Shanghaitech/Software

3. Wet lab

*We've constructed six Quorum sensing fluorescent receivers with its cognate promoter. Besides, 22 vectors of Quorum sensing receivers and non-cognate promotor are built for testing of receiver protein -- promotor orthogonality.

*We've conducted AHLs to Receiverorthogonality test for LasR and RpaR.

*We've conducted the AHL induced Fluorescent expression experiment for LasR-GFP, RhlR-GFP and RpaR-GFP.

*We've characterized the AHL production of RpaR-LasI and pCon-LasI

*We've modeled expression efficiency & speed to characterized parameters for hardware experiment and AHLs' effect on bacteria population and compared these model with experimental data, refined the model from experimental data and guided following experiment.

Details:

https://2017.igem.org/Team:Shanghaitech/Parts

http://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K2315046

http://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K2315034

http://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K2315033

http://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_C0179

http://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_C0178

https://2017.igem.org/Team:Shanghaitech/Model

https://2017.igem.org/Team:Shanghaitech/Experiment_and_Modeling

4. Model

*Our Models helps to explain the phenomenon in experiments.

*Measuring working efficiency of Bioblocks.

*Predicting best working parameters for Bioblocks.

*Modeling bacteria population inside a MagicBlock.

Details: https://2017.igem.org/Team:Shanghaitech/Model

5. Human Practice

This year, our project focused on the distance between the public attention and the frontiers of Biology. We are committed to reducing the barriers for amateurs’ participation into the work related to biology, synthetic biology and biological designs, so that people who don’t have the background of biological researching could fulfill their creative ideas and take participation into the innovative work related to biology, through which we could make a little contribution to the promotion of the development of synthetic biology and the overall biology.

To fulfill the perspectives above, we build a comprehensive platform named MAGICBLOCK, consisting of an interactive software interface, bacteria and hardware.

Furthermore, our integrated human practice constitutively guides our project in various ways:

From one hand, inspired by the creativity and enthusiasm of non-biologists through interviews and questionnaires, we have found that many people are very enthusiastic and imaginative about bio-designs, yet have little knowledge in synthetic biology and little lab experience.

https://2017.igem.org/Team:Shanghaitech/Background

During the invention of MagicBlock, we maintain contact with the public, to test MagicBlock as well as receiving suggestions. we held two workshops, guiding participants to use MagicBlock to design their own bio-products. We received various thought-provoking designs using MagicBlock elements, such as water pollution alarm, synthetic music, and bacteria painting panel .et al, all originated from non-biologists.

https://2017.igem.org/Team:Shanghaitech/Workshop

During this practice, we received valuable suggestions to improve MagicBlock . https://2017.igem.org/Team:Shanghaitech/Feedback

From the other hand, Professional Insights we’ve received by professors, provide guidelines for our follow-up works including human practice, hardware and software design, and modeling.