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Cancer is a type of genetic disease which results in an uncontrollable growth of cells; while some cancers are benign, a large number of them are malignant and can lead to death. A large proportion of human cancer is caused by the acquisition of somatic mutations across an individual's lifetime, while germline mutations inherited from parental germ cells contribute to another a small, but significant part. Though contemporary treatment methods, including radiation therapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy, have achieved substantially, they often cause severe side effects. These include fatigue, infection, numbness,nausea, and pain, due to their lack of specificity.
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As part of the TP_CC San Diego Human Practices effort to reach out to others, we created a website dedicated to helping high school students start an iGEM team at their school. Knowing how difficult it is to keep a high-school iGEM team running, the Human Practices group felt that it would be beneficial to give others a basic guide on successfully establishing an iGEM team at their school. On the website, titled “How to Start an iGEM Team at Your High School”, we included information on topics such as starting a team, basic team structure, fundraising, and choosing a project idea. This website makes the process of starting a team much more straightforward and organized and is accessible to high school students around the globe. We feel that iGEM is a great way to increase depth and breadth of knowledge and experience in the field of synthetic biology and want to give everyone a chance to be a part of the organization.
 
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Over the past decade, comprehensive sequencing studies have revealed the genomic landscapes and identified important oncogenic drivers of human cancer. These efforts led to the development of cancer-specific targeted therapy, a way to improve therapeutic efficiency and overcome unsatisfying side effects. Imatinib, a chemotherapy medication which specifically targets BCR-ABL protein, is one of the successful examples for chronic myeloid leukemia treatment. In fact, patients who received imatinib have an overall survival rate of 85%. However, for certain types of cancer, targeted therapy has not shown promising results, with a response rate lower than 10%. Development of novel therapeutic strategy is still urgently needed. <br/> <br/>
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A couple members from the Columbia University's iGEM Team met with our team in order to discuss our projects and share ideas about putting our projects together. The Columbia iGEM Team mentored us by helping write our abstract, edit our writing, and look over our website. One of the Columbia team members is an alum of the TP-CC San Diego Team before going to Columbia University, so he was able to help move our team forward. Our meeting was very informative for all team members and also helped us get a glimpse into an Undergraduate iGEM Team. This was a part of our Human Practices effort to connect with teams from different places across the country.
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Oncogene amplification is one of the most common events in cancer genome and is a frequent driving force behind cancer cell behavior. Before scientists confirmed that human somatic cells carry 46 chromosomes, abnormal chromosome numbers in cancer cell was noticed, termed aneuploidy. With the increase in the expression of certain chromosome, genes that stimulate cell growth might be amplified, eventually leading to uncontrolled cell cycle and malignant transformation.
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Revision as of 04:50, 15 October 2017


Human Practices

Hello World

As part of the TP_CC San Diego Human Practices effort to reach out to others, we created a website dedicated to helping high school students start an iGEM team at their school. Knowing how difficult it is to keep a high-school iGEM team running, the Human Practices group felt that it would be beneficial to give others a basic guide on successfully establishing an iGEM team at their school. On the website, titled “How to Start an iGEM Team at Your High School”, we included information on topics such as starting a team, basic team structure, fundraising, and choosing a project idea. This website makes the process of starting a team much more straightforward and organized and is accessible to high school students around the globe. We feel that iGEM is a great way to increase depth and breadth of knowledge and experience in the field of synthetic biology and want to give everyone a chance to be a part of the organization.

Hello World

A couple members from the Columbia University's iGEM Team met with our team in order to discuss our projects and share ideas about putting our projects together. The Columbia iGEM Team mentored us by helping write our abstract, edit our writing, and look over our website. One of the Columbia team members is an alum of the TP-CC San Diego Team before going to Columbia University, so he was able to help move our team forward. Our meeting was very informative for all team members and also helped us get a glimpse into an Undergraduate iGEM Team. This was a part of our Human Practices effort to connect with teams from different places across the country.

Hello World

In 1965, extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) was discovered; DNA free from its traditional homes in the nucleus was documented. One study taking a look at ecDNA by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization proposed the ecDNA’s unusual number of oncogenes, but it didn’t catch enough attention because it was considered to be a rare event. Not until recently has the importance of ecDNA been revisited. The most recent study revealed that nearly 40% of oncogenes reside on ecDNA rather than the widely accepted notion that all DNA resided only on chromosomes.

Hello World

Similar to chromosomal DNA, ecDNA is composed by double strands of nucleic acid but form a circular structure. More importantly, ecDNA does not have a centromere for spindle fiber binding during mitosis. This unique feature allows rapid DNA multiplication and random segregation to create high heterogeneity in daughter cells during cell proliferation, implying a possible correlative relationship between the development of tumors and a faster resistance to existing treatments.