Increasing Accessibility
After observing how underrepresented mammalian synthetic biology is within iGEM, we hypothesized that a combination of the following factors discourage teams from pursuing mammalian projects:
- Financial Limitations - mammalian synbio is inherently more expensive
- Lack of standard and easily-accessible protocols for synbio with mammalian systems
- Lack of easily-accessible and well-characterized mammalian parts
- Lack of access to necessary equipment
- Increased technical difficulties vs bacterial systems
- Perception of not enough time to complete mammalian project
To test our hypothesis, we conducted an IRB accredited survey on 2019 iGEM teams and their advisers (n=38). Our data revealed that time limitations, adviser influence, and lack of mammalian genetic parts were most often cited by teams who considered using mammalian cells but decided on using different organisms as primary factors in their decision making. Most interestingly, 81% of surveyed teams cited time limitations as least a moderate factor in discouraging them from working with mammalian cells. Other conclusions based on our data can be summarized in the following graphs:
Additionally, the adviser survey revealed some thoughts from advisers on the greater context of mammalian synthetic biology in iGEM. Common themes mentioned by both advisers and teams were the following:
- Perception that there is not enough time to successfully complete a mammalian project
- Concerns over the increased expenses associated with mammalian work
- Concerns over the increased technical difficulty involved with mammalian work
Below are direct statements from advisers:
- “I think the biggest problem with mammalian cells and iGEM is that growing and manipulating mammalian cells takes a lot longer than bacteria/yeast. Given that there is a limited time for the competition, I don't think it is strange that only little teams do/consider working with these cells”.
- “There isn’t enough time or resources to train students to be competent in mammalian culture techniques. Mammalian culture is also more expensive and sensitive to work with than other systems. They die more easily and are less forgiving of mistakes”.
- “Mammalian cells do not have the durability of bacteria, in the hands of the inexperienced. If culturing bacteria is a challenge, it is not time to move into mammalian cell cultures”.
- “Money is the only issue. Just think of media, transfection agents, maxi-preps”.
Our Solution
To address the concerns expressed by the iGEM community, we developed time-saving solutions that allow future teams the ability to rapidly prototype mammalian systems. Our solutions include the following:
- Detailed protocols and best-practices for mammalian culturing and transfection including how to rapidly optimize transfection efficiency of multiple plasmids.
- Multiple measurement methods for determining transfection efficiency
- Software programs that simplify calculations for cell culturing, cell counting, and transfection.
Our contributions to the iGEM community should help future mammalian projects save time by reducing the technical burden of developing new protocols and perfecting measurement techniques. To learn more about our protocols and measurements, see our Experiments and Measurement pages.
Economics Study
Increased costs associated with mammalian synthetic biology appeared to be a constraint to the teams who responded to our survey. To demonstrate the associated costs, we conducted an economics study with the cost of inducing GFP expression in mammalian and microbial systems. Due to the increased difficulties of mammalian transfection and culturing, the cost of GFP expression is much higher. In our study we included industrial and academic prices for a single experiment and the cost to start a mammalian project in a basic lab space.
