Difference between revisions of "Team:Munich/Gold Integrated/KeithPardee"

Regarding his recent study (Pardee et al., 2016)

We read your paper from last year titled “Rapid, Low-Cost Detection of Zika Virus Using Programmable Biomolecular Components” and we wanted to know, what led you to use β-galactosidase as a colored readout?

Dr. Pardee: At that time, we hadn’t considered using C2C2 (Cas13a). So, one of the reasons was because of the enzyme activity. Single molecule of reporter could serve amplification, rather than just fluorescence. The other (reason) was just for practical use. No need (to use) UV lights, electronics, camera, and could be done in a simple piece of paper. Tried 10 different enzyme options with other based reporters.

Regarding our project

What do you think about the problem of antibiotic resistance and the ways to prevent it?

Dr. Pardee: This is probably the biggest question and it is not my area of expertise. We should continue the advocacy of responsible use in agriculture and in patients. With tools that we both are building where we can identify resistance early and contain it and treat individuals that have resistance is also going to be important.

We have some problems getting the Cas13a lyophilized into paper. Do you have any low-cost suggestion for us?

Dr. Pardee: I have never done that but there was a new paper published (Kikuta et al., 2017) that uses trehalose as a cryoprotectant, that lets you dry cell free-reactions at room temperature. The trehalose is present in water bears and seeds, and helps keeping things dry. It is an inhibitor of cell free-reactions at high concentrations.

Regarding the Synthetic Biology field

What difference can Synthetic Biology bring to the world? How significant or relevant can it be for future generations?

Dr. Pardee: As synthetic biologists we have a real responsibility to be transparent and to communicate with the public actively, not just waiting for the public to come to us but we need to see that the public knows what we are doing why we are doing it. Especially because there are real tensual concerns and also perceived concerns. I think being ahead of those and managing them responsibly is important. Otherwise there will be a repeat of what happened with genetically modified plants in the 80s-90s.

I think Synthetic Biology really has tons of potential to solve a lot of the big challenges of the day and I think probably the biggest one is inequity. We are very fortunate in the parts the world where we live, we have access to high quality food, sufficient, quality health care and energy and large parts of the world don’t have. I think that synthetic biology and biological engineering and science in general can sort of rate /change this inequality by creating tools that are low cost and sort of spread that the wealth that is in present in one part of the world, not in others to any other part world. I think synthetic biology can address energy food, and health. The work that we are doing in our lab addresses some of those aspects. The fact that our work and your work is cell free is also trying to address concerns of biosafety. Cell-based technology can also be safe if implemented in responsible ways. In our case, we are working in diagnostics and access to drugs and there are million other ways to use Synthetic Biology. The nice part from a scientist perspective, it´s (that we are in the) early days and the space is wide open, so whatever drives you and wherever your creativity takes you. That´s exciting.

"As synthetic biologists we have a real responsibility to be transparent and to communicate with the public actively, not just waiting for the public to come to us but we need to see that the public knows what we are doing why we are doing it."

Dr. Pardee: I think it´s exciting, distributed thinking, engaging young people or anyone to solve problems is really what we need. We don’t need all solutions to come from institutions or companies. Think about how Apple or Microsoft started. But there are risks and so there needs to be regulations. What are the sequences being synthesized, and just ensuring that there needs to be some insights

" We don’t need all solutions to come from institutions or companies"

"I am very aware that some people are very concerned about GMOS and in some cases, there are ways just like any technology that it could be misused. But that is something that is shared with pretty much any technology. I think the benefits of the potential for this technology vastly outweighs the risks."

There are ethical issues for the use of genetically modified organisms irrespective of the severity and area of research. Do you think this should change and if yes how could we overcome the ethical issues better?

Dr. Pardee: Almost all scientists actively support some practices of containment of GMOs during development of technologies and the evaluation of safety. Policies and place are doing good jobs and many people are following them. But I am very aware that some people are very concerned about GMOS and in some cases, there are ways just like any technology that it could be misused. But that is something that is shared with pretty much any technology. I think the benefits of the potential for this technology vastly outweighs the risks. When used in a well thought regulatory framework. What is really important in our jobs in communicating to the public is, just like other big issues of our time like climate change, vaccine and safety isfacts, in long step with responsible use, really need to drive policy, fact based policy rather than emotional responses.