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Hello again! |
| Hello, times flies by when you’re having fun! A month has already passed and we have been busy as bees. Without further delay, here is a short summary of what we have been up to in the month July. |
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Integrated human practices | | In the month July, we focussed on the Human Integrated Practices and started to explore the field of veterinary medicine and antibiotics. At the end of August, we will start touring around the Netherlands to visit labs, farms and agencies. More and more challenges are appearing to us considering AB-detecting during the interactive process. What is the opinion of the potential users and the experts about safety, responsibility and social relevance regarding our application? What is already out there and what is used for AB-detection and how can we contribute to current methods? For now, we would like to continue our project with Mastitis, an inflammation of the udder tissue of milk cows due to infection by specific pathogens. Also, beta-lactamase is a topic that appeals to us for further investigation. This protein family causes multiresistance to antibiotics in human and veterinary pathogens. Wish us luck! | | Drylab
| | This month, the drylab team again worked passionately on simulating and modelling. Every Wednesday, they come together to discuss what they have achieved that week and to help each other with the difficulties of the project.
Last month, we told you that drylab had been working on models regarding the Cas13a protein. However, this is not the only protein the drylab team is trying to characterise. The TDP proteins are also not yet well understood. Therefore, the drylab is using a lattice model to get a better understanding of the way they work.
Next to modelling, the team is looking into the variety of resistance genes. Therefore, they downloaded the sequences of antibiotic resistance genes from the comprehensive antibiotic resistance database (CARD) using a web crawler. In the figure the number of genes that create a resistance for a certain antibiotic is shown. | | | |
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 | | Here Amária is working RNA free. That's why she wears a mask. | | Wetlab | | After a few negative sequencing results, things started to look up when the TDP module confirmed the sequence of 5 of their genes! Currently, they are taking steps in transforming the plasmid into an expression strain to be able to purify their proteins and characterise them. After TDP set the example, the vesicle module followed by confirming both of their genes. One of these is already transformed into a hyper vesiculation strain to allow for characterisation. The Cas13a module is on the edge of confirming their sequence and will start purification of our MostValuableProtein (MVP) very soon. After easy DNA isolation, the final design module has now started working on experimenting with translating the DNA into RNA without the use of expensive devices. In addition, new detection methods are being developed that will allow for a visible and straightforward read-out. | | | |
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| With everyone gone on holiday, even a couple of our team members, those who stayed behind decided to also reward themselves. After long days in the lab, we would enjoy dinner together or go for some drinks. The highlight of the month was when we went to watch “Dunkirk” in the cinema. It was an impressive movie where you constantly felt the fear of the soldiers. Luckily we got to do this together, so we felt safe and grew closer to each other. A movie not to be missed!
Guess which movie we are going to watch next…. :D |
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| The Department of Science Education and Communication will support iGEM TU Delft this year! The department of Science Education & Communication at the Delft University of Technology seeks to develop competencies and expertise by continuously linking theory and practice in both our research and education. Both master programs provide BSc and (double degree) MSc students with deep knowledge on how people learn, collaborate and communicate. Students apply this knowledge to real-world education and communication problems in the context of technological innovations. The department’s mission is to support and professionalize teachers, communication practitioners, engineers and scientists to get ready for 21st century technology development in which science, technology and society are more intertwined than ever before.
Interested: check the minor and master programs!
MSc Science Education and Communication
Minor Communication Design for Innovation CDI
Minor Educatie |
