Abstract
The iGEM HP team has been privileged to establish a strong and long-standing collaboration with National
Tsing Hua University (NTHU). The formation of this collaborative relationship is the result of multiple
resonating factors aimed at achieving common scientific goals, while also benefiting from geographical
advantages.
First and foremost, NTHU, as one of Taiwan's top academic institutions, boasts exceptional research and
teaching teams, particularly in the fields of biological sciences and synthetic biology. Through our
collaboration with NTHU, the iGEM HP team has been able to harness these strengths to elevate innovative
synthetic biology projects to higher levels. NTHU's expertise and research foundation have provided us with
invaluable guidance and support, ensuring the successful realization of our scientific endeavors.
Secondly, past collaborative experiences have forged strong partnerships for our team. This long-term
collaboration has facilitated the transfer of knowledge and experience, enabling us to build a solid foundation
for cooperation. Professors and researchers from NTHU regularly offer valuable advice, assisting us in
overcoming various challenges and continually enhancing our scientific competence.
Lastly, geographical factors also play a crucial role in our collaboration. NTHU is located in Taiwan, a
geographical location that provides us with abundant resources and opportunities, enabling us to participate in
international synthetic biology competitions and showcase our innovations and achievements on a global scale.
January
In January of this year, we hosted a foundational laboratory course for undergraduate students and
invited members from NTHU to participate, providing both parties with an exceptional learning
experience. The course aimed to impart fundamental knowledge of laboratory skills, assist in
mastering the intricacies of laboratory procedures, and cultivate scientific acumen. Our curriculum
covered a range of crucial experimental techniques, including laboratory sterilization, bacterial
cultivation, gel extraction, colony PCR, and more. Through these experiments, we not only exchanged
numerous laboratory techniques but also gained inspiration from each other's projects, initiating a
long-term collaborative relationship for the year 2023.
June
In June, we had our first online meeting where we engaged in discussions with representatives
from National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) regarding potential long-term collaborations. During this
exchange, we delved into our respective strengths and areas of expertise, discovering many shared
interests and goals. We explored possible avenues of cooperation, including research projects,
academic exchanges, and resource sharing. This meeting provided us with a valuable opportunity to
establish a strong collaborative foundation and work together to achieve our mutual objectives in
the future.
July
In July, we organized a significant in-person exchange event. The primary focus of this
exchange was to present our team projects in Chinese and share the work achievements related to
models, experiments, and hardware platforms in group settings. We actively participated not only in
presentations from other teams but also in discussions, where we offered constructive suggestions
and ideas for collaboration. This exchange event was highly beneficial to all of us.
First and foremost, it helped us gain a deeper understanding of each other's work, including
the project goals and methods of different teams. This deeper understanding contributes to better
collaboration among us. Furthermore, through this exchange, we were not only able to share our own
experiences and achievements but also learn from the successful experiences of other teams, further
improving the quality of our work.
August
In August, our team collaboratively recorded a very special podcast, which marked the first
episode of the "nycu-formosa education podcast." In this episode, we were dedicated to introducing
the origin, historical background, and the various challenges we encountered when participating in
the iGEM competition, as well as how we adapted and overcame these challenges.
The primary purpose of this podcast was to enhance public understanding of the iGEM
competition. iGEM, which stands for the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, is
an international competition aimed at promoting innovation and scientific research in the field of
synthetic biology and genetic engineering. Through our podcast, we aimed to provide listeners with
detailed information about the competition, including its background, competition structure, and its
highly competitive global nature.
Furthermore, we shared the challenges we faced during our participation in the competition and
how we dealt with and overcame these difficulties. This will be highly beneficial for teams
interested in participating in the iGEM competition in the future, as they can gain valuable lessons
and inspiration from our experiences to better prepare for and address various challenges they may
encounter during the competition.
This is our podcast, click to listen and
subscribe us!!
September
In September, we held an important online conference with the aim of reporting our team's
progress over the past month and sharing the data we had collected. This exchange was a part of our
team's collaborative efforts to ensure the smooth advancement of our project and the achievement of
our goals. We presented our work progress for August, including experimental results, research
findings, and any completed tasks, as well as shared data. Importantly, we also planned for an
English presentation conference scheduled for September.
October
In October, to add a more engaging dimension to our collaboration, we incorporated IG Reels,
combining them with the popular movie "Barbie" and accompanying its theme song for promotional
purposes on our social media platforms.
This
is the link to the interesting IG Reels!!
