The rise of antibiotic resistance among bacteria has become a critical global issue, with the rate of resistance outpacing the discovery of new antibiotics. This alarming trend has led to severe problems with chronic wounds and bacterial infections, necessitating urgent action to identify effective alternatives. In this regard, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as a promising solution. Antimicrobial peptides are essential components of the innate immune system found in various organisms and demonstrate a remarkable inhibitory effect against bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses.
The potential applications of antimicrobial peptides extend beyond medicine and encompass diverse fields such as food production, animal husbandry, agriculture, and aquaculture. Given the promising potential of antimicrobial peptides, we anticipate that they will receive increased research attention and find frequent utilization in the future. It is likely that other iGEM teams and researchers will also explore this topic. To support these efforts, we have made all detailed information regarding our project available, with the aim of facilitating further research and collaboration in this area.
One of the antimicrobial peptides— DLP4 has been experimentally proven to be antimicrobial. Through modelling, we constructed a phylogenetic tree and found that DLP1, DLP2, DLP3, CLP1, CLP2, CLP3 are highly similar to DLP4. Therefore, in this project, our team focused and did research on DLP4 and these six antimicrobial peptides. In order to contribute to the iGEM community, we uploaded the plasmid design and experimental steps related to these antimicrobial peptides on the wiki page. This information is available for other iGEM teams working on projects related to antimicrobial peptides. They are welcome to view the wiki page to gain insights into our experiments if needed.
Apart from this, we also made contributions to the part registry by uploading information regarding expressing antimicrobial peptides. We have designed a total of eight basic parts and one composite part to express seven antimicrobial peptides in our expression system. T7-His-SUMO tag-intein-defensin-like peptide 4(DLP4) [BBa_K4794008] includes T7 promoter [BBa_I719005] for the start of expression, His-tag [BBa_K128005] for purification, SUMO-tag [BBa_K2342001] for the increase of expression rate and solubility of antimicrobial peptides, intein to inhibit the antimicrobial peptides during expression and antimicrobial peptides itself. [BBa_K4794000] is the intein-DLP4. [BBa_K4794001] - [BBa_K4794006] and [BBa_K47940011] are DLP1-3, CLP1-3 and DLP4 respectively. If any team is interested in accessing the information about these antimicrobial peptides and the expression system, feel free to view and make use of it.
Belows are the parts numbers:
Our team is dedicated to raising awareness about synthetic biology within the general public. We have organised a diverse set of educational activities that are specifically tailored to promote iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) and its significance to the broader community. Through our campaigns, we have effectively established iGEM as a recognized and respected entity among the communities we engage with.Building upon our achievements, we now aim to focus our efforts on shaping the future of synthetic biology and advancing the well-being of humanity as a whole.
We have created a pamphlet aimed at educating individuals of all ages, including students from primary and secondary schools, as well as adults, about synthetic biology and the fundamental concepts of DNA. Our goal is to increase awareness and understanding of synthetic biology, while showing the recombinant DNA technology which is used in our own project. Through this pamphlet, we aim to introduce synthetic biology to those who may be hearing about the field for the first time, especially children, adolescents, and some adults. We provide brief explanations on how DNA relates to synthetic biology and highlight the application and technology made possible through this field. By reaching out to a diverse audience, we hope to inspire curiosity and excitement about synthetic biology and its potential to improve our world. We believe that by equipping individuals with knowledge about synthetic biology, we empower them to make informed decisions and actively contribute to the field's further development. We are proud to share this pamphlet as a valuable resource for education and engagement in synthetic biology, fostering a greater understanding of its significance and the possibilities it holds for the betterment of society.
We understand that students often prefer recreational content over lengthy educational material. Kahoot, a popular game among students, offers a highly interactive and enjoyable platform for kids and teens to learn through competitive gameplay, which can enhance their motivation to learn. We are excited to share our Kahoot link with fellow educators and students as a tool to facilitate the teaching and learning of synthetic biology.
Our Kahoot game features questions designed to enhance students' understanding of DNA and synthetic biology, progressing from basic concepts to more challenging ones. The game includes multiple-choice and true/false questions that help students grasp the concepts and acquire knowledge more effectively.The questions cover the basic structure of DNA and its function,some basic methods and skills we use in synthetic biology and so on.
they hold immense potential to shape the future and drive positive change. Our goal is to inspire them to explore the captivating world of synthetic biology and make meaningful contributions to both the industry and the wider community.
Click to see our kahoot!We also organised a number of workshops to target different groups of people. Examples are open days for the public, synthetic biology workshops for primary school students, morning assemblies for secondary school students. These workshops were created according to different people with different backgrounds. The contents of these workshops or assemblies were slightly different. In open days, we hoped to provide some general concepts about synthetic biology to the public, since they are from different work groups, they might never have a chance to be acquainted with synthetic biology. In the primary schools’ workshops, we organized a number of hands-on experiments to kindle their interest and curiosity, hoping that they can delve deeper into synthetic biology in the future. In the morning assemblies, since we targeted students with a higher education level, we talked more about the biotechnology used in our project to deepen their understanding on synthetic biology.
The above are some of the activities we organized in order to promote iGEM and enhance students’ understanding and knowledge about synthetic biology.
You can click here to view the education.