Team:ECUST/HP/SUIS Alpha Shanghai
SUIS_Alpha_Shanghai
Instructor
In this year’s iGEM competition, we instructed and assisted the high school team SUIS_Alpha_Shanghai to help them design their own experiment and helped them to complete their Interlab measurement.
We are glad to be there instructor and friends, although they are just high school students, the intelligence they presented and the diligence they held are the things that we college students should learn to.
Lacking in experimental instruments and experiences, they faced with lots of problems on their way to iGEM. We’d like to share our iGEM Lab. More importantly, after we showed them around in our lab, they decided to build up there own BioLab, not only for this years iGEM competition and years to come for their own use, but for the local community.
In the early days of the experiment, we introduced them to microbial skills, taught them about the extraction and transformation of plasmids, standardized aseptic manipulation, the extraction and purification of DNA, and how to operate various instruments and so on.Last but not least, we required them to perform laboratory safety obligations. It is during our doing summer experiments that they observed and then learnt these skills that is mentioned above all. After a week or so, we started a formal Interlab on August 8.
We measured OD600 Reference point and fluorescein fluorescence standard curve according to the protocol, including preparing the fluorescein stock solution, the serial dilutions of fluorescein, and operating microplate reader. At the next day, we prepared the medium and sterilized it, as well as the centrifugal tube, pipettes, and the conical bottle. Prior to performing the measurement on the cells, we suggested that they should performed the calibration measurements. This would ensure that they understand the measurement process. When the cell measurement were performed for the first time, we extracted eight plasmids and transformed them. But the next day, device 1 and device 4 were transformed successfully. So we made a second transformation, and successfully obtained the target colonies growing on the chloramphenicol plates. After all the devices have been transformed, we picked 2 colonies from each of plate and inoculated it. The next day, cell growth, sampling, and assay. Unfortunately, we forgot to use the same instrument settings that we used when measuring the fluorescein standard curve. We fight repeatedly after suffering repeated defeats. And we cultivated the bacteria overnight again, and measured it. On the last day we took a group photo with the high school team in the lab.Thus, they successfully finished their Interlab measurement.
Moreover they helped us to check part of the English usage presented on our wiki, they were earnest and patient.And we were delighted to be their friends and instructor. What made this period of time interesting as well meaningful was that we learned from each other and had a great time together.
