Team:Shanghaitech/Software
Software
Design
In our project, software is one of the key components that allow the public to access synthetic biology without wet-lab experience. It is impossible for everyone to learn how to construct a plasmid or complete a molecular clone in a bio-lab. So our software is designed for who have great ideas on using biological components to fit their needs and want to get rid of doing tremendous works in wet-lab. Furthermore, people with no biological background have access to design their own biological circuits!
To develop our system with the increasing of users, we establish a simple database. The users can submit their parts, add descriptions, retrieve and comment on others’ parts, and they can crawl the relevant parts information on the iGEM website as well. Thus, both users and part contributors can improve their circuit and parts. They can constantly perfect their design and our database.
Also, there is another software for public to design the product like playing a computer game. Users will feel comfortable to use the brief user interface by dragging the elements of the circuit and combining them freely on the computer to build their own bio-products, which really solves the problems close to our life, as well as stimulating new ideas about synthetic biology. As soon as the circuits from the game software are uploaded, they will be automatically programmed through 3D printing machine. The public can confirm the feasibility of the design without engaging the experiments by themselves. Finally, users will get the results of their designs, as well as suggestion on how to improve their circuits. It is critical to ensure the quality of all parts in our database, the comments on used parts are required. Therefore, our users are asked to make comments on the parts they have used after experimental data feedback. According to their comments, we will test mentioned parts whether are worked or not. In summary, our software not only directly interacts with users, but also can achieve self-improvement. Together with hardware, it makes the synthetic biology ideas from non-biologists come true. In a word, we implement the non-biologists’ idea by using the user interface and auto 3D printing program, which improving public participation in synthetic biology and instructing us to perfect our project.
In summary, our software not only directly interacts with users, but also can achieve self-improvement. Together with hardware, it makes the synthetic biology ideas from non-biologists come true.
