Description

Tell us about your project, describe what moves you and why this is something important for your team.

The International Genetically Engineered Machine (IGEM) foundation encourages work inside and outside the lab to create sophisticated projects using standard biological parts. This project for the IGEM competition is geared towards creating a system that detects chemicals by way of scent for potential health and military use. We propose to develop a controlled environment where neurons with enhanced olfactory receptors can be exposed to certain olfactants and a voltage signal can be read from them. In order to achieve this, we obtained a multi electrode array to seat the neurons and read a signal, and designed a bioreactor and perfusion system to expose the neurons to media and olfactants while maintaining a closed system. A program was developed to convert the signal output by the neurons into a digital voltage signal. From this signal, we determined how the neurons react when exposed to certain odorants. This data is important to the progression of this project by helping develop an easy, inexpensive method for neuronal research and establishing more information about the constraints of neurons and olfactory receptors.

What should this page contain?

• A clear and concise description of your project.
• A detailed explanation of why your team chose to work on this particular project.
• References and sources to document your research.
• Use illustrations and other visual resources to explain your project.

Advice on writing your Project Description

We encourage you to put up a lot of information and content on your wiki, but we also encourage you to include summaries as much as possible. If you think of the sections in your project description as the sections in a publication, you should try to be consist, accurate and unambiguous in your achievements.

Judges like to read your wiki and know exactly what you have achieved. This is how you should think about these sections; from the point of view of the judge evaluating you at the end of the year.