As new members of the iGEM community, we pursue collaborations actively with other teams nationwide. This year, we collaborated and interacted with 6 teams from the different areas of China. As a new team, we have received much generous help and practical advice on our project, as a competent unity, we responded to other collaboration invitation enthusiastically and tried our best to contribute to the iGEM community. Through these interactions and collaborations, we have not only improved our project but also gained valuable friendship.
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We also participated in several meetups in different scales domestically, including Beijing iGEM Undergrads Meetup hosted by BIT-China and CCiC hosted by the Institute of Synthetic Biology CAS SIAT in Shenzhen.
<p> As the capital of our country, Beijing harbors many top universities and creates a harmonious environment for academic communications. Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, University of China Academy of Science, Beijing Institute of Technology and our university are all located closely in this city and thus have academic exchanges frequently. After some online communications, together we settled an iGEM Meetup for Beijing undergraduates and BIT as the host. The meetup aims to share the projects, experiences, and insights to make better teams and projects. On August 6th, Peking, Tsinghua-A, Tsinghua, BIT-China, BNU-China, UCAS-China, CAU_China and OUC-China from Shandong Province, we had a joyful moment in BIT campus. Each of us presented our project and the progress we had made, as well as the problems we encountered, which triggered the subsequent lively discussions. This meetup also provided a platform for further co-operation. CAU_China has benefited a lot from other teams' advice (especially the feedback from Peking), and based on their suggestions, we made the final cut of our project. We appreciate this meetup and teams participated!
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See more about our meetup on <a class="myLink" href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:BIT-China/Collaborations">BIT-China's wiki</a>
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<img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/6/60/T--CAU_China--Collab4.png" style="width:850px;height:300px;margin-left: 5%;margin-top: 0%;" class="figure-img img-fluid rounded" alt="A generic square placeholder image with rounded corners in a figure.">
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<h2 class="text-center">The 6th Conference of China iGEMer Community</h2>
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<p>In the largest Chinese iGEM meetup - the CCiC (Conference of China iGEMer Community), we not only shared our project with other teams from other parts of China, but also learned much from other iGEMers' perspectives and feedback. Their suggestions helped us improve our project in diverse aspects such as experimental procedures and HP execution plans. We also found several collaborative partners through this conference.
<h2 class="text-center"><img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/9/90/T--CAU_China--logo2.png" style="width:60px;height:60px">CAU_China x <img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/9/9a/T--CAU_China--Collab16.png" style="width:40px;height:40px">UESTC-China</h2>
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<p> We have collaborated with team UESTC-China and helped each other mutually. Our project this year and their project of last year have similar sections since their project in 2018 was to degrade stalks and produce bio-butanol and hydrogen. We obtained the plasmid piGEM2018-Module001 as a gift from UESTC-China, which was constructed in last year's project and contains parts <a href="http://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K118023">BBa_K118023</a> and <a href="http://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K118022">BBa_K118022</a>. We aimed to improve these parts by fusing the parts with our new part INP-N<a href="http://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K3279006">(BBa_K3279006)</a> respectfully, not only to fulfill the criteria of part improvement but also to test our part. Besides, after knowing UESTC-China also intended to employ INP-NC in their project to improve parts, since learned that their fusion expression of INP-NC-GFP seemed to encounter some problem at first, we provided our part and related procedures, which helped them accomplish the goal.
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See more about our collaboration on <a class="myLink" href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:UESTC-China/Collaborations">UESTC-China's wiki</a>
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<img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/1/10/T--CAU_China--Collab5.JPG" style="width:450px;height:300px;margin-left: 25%;margin-top: 0%;" class="figure-img img-fluid rounded text-center" alt="A generic square placeholder image with rounded corners in a figure." >
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<h2 class="text-center"><img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/9/90/T--CAU_China--logo2.png" style="width:60px;height:60px">CAU_China x <img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/a/ae/T--Peking--logo.png" style="width:120px;height:40px"></h2>
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Geographically close to Peking University, the collaboration between CAU and Peking never stops. Since they have always been a pioneer in this competition, early in this year, to learn more about synthetic biology and iGEM competition from Peking, CAU iGEMers audited their introductive lectures in PKU campus under the permission. Moreover, after the competition officially started, we had frequent communications with Peking due to our first time join this competition, from which we learned a lot about team management and part improvement issues. In the Meetup in Beijing Area, Peking's instructor Cheng Li also provided us with several useful suggestions on pathway construction, according to his guidance, we redesigned our project and made further improvements.
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See more about our collaboration on <a class="myLink" href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:Peking/Collaborations">Peking's wiki</a>
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<h2 class="text-center"><img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/9/90/T--CAU_China--logo2.png" style="width:60px;height:60px">CAU_China x <img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/a/ad/T--CAU_China--Collab14.png" style="width:50px;height:50px">UESTC-Software</h2>
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<p> During the CCiC, we communicated with the UESTC-Software team, which is mainly composed of students majoring in <a class="myLink" href="http://www.biomaster-uestc.com">biomedical engineering and bioinformatics.</a> They developed a database called BioMaster, which can make predictions based on iGEM Registry and using BLAST+ to match entries in other databases. Our team members in charge of wiki development and modeling tried the software system and provided our "user experience" as a reference for their iteration improvement. In addition, they taught us some advanced knowledge of web development, which is quite helpful to our wiki designing and played an important role in our follow-up work.
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See more about our collaboration on <a class="myLink" href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:UESTC-Software/Collaborations">UESTC-Software's wiki</a>
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<img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/6/6c/T--CAU_China--Collab1.jpg" style="width:450px;height:300px;margin-left: 25%;margin-top: 0%;" class="figure-img img-fluid rounded text-center" alt="A generic square placeholder image with rounded corners in a figure." >
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<h2 class="text-center"><img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/9/90/T--CAU_China--logo2.png" style="width:60px;height:60px">CAU_China x <img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/e/e1/T--Tongji_Software--picture-logo2.png" style="width:60px;height:60px">Tongji_Software</h2>
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After listening to our presentation on CCiC, Tongji_Software expressed their willingness to help us, as their project is a database of pathway design. They inputted our essential enzymes information involved in the astaxanthin synthesis pathway and retrieved information from the database, including intermediate products and isozymes, which provided reference and <a class="myLink" href="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/b/b5/T--CAU_China--Collab17.pdf">validation</a> of our experiments.
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See more about our collaboration on <a class="myLink" href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:Tongji_Software/Collaborations">Tongji_Software's wiki</a>
<h2 class="text-center"><img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/9/90/T--CAU_China--logo2.png" style="width:60px;height:60px">CAU_China x <img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/a/af/T--CAU_China--Collab12.png" style="width:200px;height:60px"></h2>
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Our collaboration with HUBU-Wuhan started from the issue of DNA Distribution Kit, we were the only two teams who hadn`t receive kits until our team contacted the distribution agent GenScript in China area in the late August. Our team solved this glitch after negotiation with the agent and thus helped HUBU-WUHAN get their kit too. With further communication with HUBU-WUHAN during CCiC, we learned that their project is also dedicated to cellulose degradation pathway, and both of us confronted the problem that the enzyme activities are very low and even undetectable. So we proposed some schemes to help each other such as exchanging enzymes and assaying the activities under the other`s lab condition. We also exchanged experimental procedures to determine if it contributes to the problem.</p>
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See more about our collaboration on <a class="myLink" href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:HUBU-WUHAN/Collaborations">HUBU-WUHAN's wiki</a>
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<h2 class="text-center"><img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/9/90/T--CAU_China--logo2.png" style="width:60px;height:60px">CAU_China x <img src="https://2019.igem.org/wiki/images/7/78/T--CAU_China--Collab13.png" style="width:60px;height:50px">Tianjin</h2>
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We also joined a large-scale collaboration in response to the invitation from team Tianjin and together with the other seven teams, we made a short video for educating more people about the microcosmos – The World of Microbes, which has also become a part of our integrated human practice. Through the video we hope more people would find the miraculous power these tiny creatures present. The full video can be found <a class="myLink" href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:Tianjin/Collaborations">here</a> and we contributed the part which includes three microbial species used in our project: Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Rhodospirillum rubrum, and Pantoea agglomerans. Our video can be found
This year, we have 15 undergraduate students and 2 professors making up our team and dedicated to this project. Some individuals focus on single responsibilities while others are multi-tasks conductors. But everyone has played an indispensable role in the entire project. We had also gained great help form various parties out of our team. Thank you for your effort and your joining made this team better.
1. Attributions Outline
This year, we have 15 undergraduate students and 2 professors making up our team and dedicated to this project. Some individuals focus on single responsibilities while others are multi-tasks conductors. But everyone has played an indispensable role in the entire project. We had also gained great help form various parties out of our team. Thank you for your effort and your joining made this team better.
Team Leaders
XUESHAN YAN
General Manager & Collaboration Coordinator
XUQIAN FAN
General Manager
Wiki & Art Design Department
LIHAO LUO
Wiki Developer & Layout Designer
YANG XU
Director of Art Design
XUESHAN YAN
Graphic Designer
SHUJIE LIAO
Graphic Designer
XINRAN DONG
Design Consultant & Translator
Modeling Department
YUQI CHENG
Director of Model Analysis
TIANSHUO HAN
Mathematics & Software Assistant
Cellulose Degradation Department
SIWEN LIANG
Department Manager
NINGYU BAI
JING SHI
XUESHAN YAN
Product Synthesis Department
SHUJIE LIAO
Department Manager
XUQIAN FAN
TIANSHUO HAN
RUOGU LIU
RAN WANG
ZIXUAN LI
YANG XU
Human Practice Department
ZHUONAN LI
HP Manager
YUQI CHENG
Market Analyst
XUQIAN FAN
NINGYU BAI
JING SHI
YANG XU
Other
RUOGU LIU
Lab Purchasing Agent
ZIXUAN LI
Social Media Manager
Advisors
DR. NA WANG
Financial Controller & Project Consultant
DR. JINSHUI YANG
Project Consultant
Acknowledgement
Individuals
JINWANG LU
Former Team Member
ZHENG PANG
Former Team Member/h5>
MENGHAN ZHAO
Banner & Poster Designer
MIAOMIAO LAN
Immunofluorescence Staining Instructor
JIAXIN ZHANG
Supervisor of Our Experiments
MS. XIAOLAN WU
Fundraising Advisor
Advisors for Experimental Techniques
DR. WEI WU
DR. LEI WANG
DR. ZHI CHEN
DR. ZHONGZHOU CHEN
DR. LIANGCAI PENG
DR. XUELI ZHANG
Groups and Departments
CENTER FOR LIFE SCIENCE, COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE
B076 INNOVATION LAB
GONG ZHIZHONG LAB
LOU HUIQIANG LAB
CHEN ZHONGZHOU LAB
MENG QINGYONG LAB
2. Team Attributions Sorted by Individuals
Xueshan Yan is one of our team leaders and she contributes much to the entire project. Apart from managing our team affairs, communicating between our collaborative partners and us, and designing our brochures, she is also a member of the Cellulose Degradation Department and worked on the characterization and measurement of cellulases. All immunofluorescence staining experiments were carried out by Xueshan.
Xuqian Fan is the other leader of our team. She made essential contributions to help us find financial and technical support from our department and other institutions. She also organized and involved in most of our human practice events. As a member of the Product Synthesis Department, she worked on astaxanthin pathway construction and enzyme activities assay.
Shujie Liao is the manager of the Products Synthesis Department. She was devoted to the astaxanthin pathway construction, enzyme expression, and activity assays. Being skilled in art design, she designed our team clothes and cartoons for every team member. She also participated in our HP events - Yanjing Brewery`s visit and Wechat official account operation.
Siwen Liang is the manager of the Cellulose Degradation Department, who was the key force throughout the whole cellulases section. She contributed to the vector constructions, cellulases expression, activities assay as well as parts characterization, and conducted most activities assay experiments with other group members. She also communicated with team HUBU-WUHAN about our project. As an amateur photographer, she took the portraits for every team member.
Lihao Luo is our wiki developer who in charge of the wiki design and layout settings. He coordinated with our Art Design Department and members who provided written material to complete our wiki sites. He also played a role in collaborating with UESTC-Software and testing their software system.
Yang Xu is our graphic design manager and in charge of the illustration designing on posters and wiki sites. As a member of the Products Synthesis Department, she contributed to the pathway construction and enzyme expression. She also participated in our HP event - Interviewing with the experts in the Tianjin Institute of industrial biotechnology CAS.
Yuqi Cheng & Zhuonan Li are the managers of the Modeling Department and the Human Practice Department respectively. Together they organized various HP events and public engaging activities, including the lectures in our school introducing synthetic biology and iGEM competition, a class about fundamental biology and workshops given to the middle school students, making educational videos with our partners and interviewing with the company and market investigation. Yuqi is also the main force of model designing
Xinran Dong is our translator and experimental record reviewer. She was dedicated to translating and reviewing our written materials for wiki sites. She is also responsible for providing advice to refine our project and giving presentations about the project
Jing Shi attributes to the Cellulose Degradation Department. She put her effort to molecular cloning and enzyme activity assays. She also participated in interviews with experts and companies. Besides, she helped in sorting the experimental records
Ningyu Bai is our lab safety officer as well as a member of the Cellulose Degradation Department. She not only worked on wetlab of the cellulases section but also taught us (especially sophomores) about lab safety and specific experimental techniques. She also participated in our interviews with experts and companies
Tianshuo Han is a member of the Modeling Department and assistant on wetlab works. Apart from his duty on modeling and mathematics, he also contributed to the experimental record translating and reviewing
Ruogu Liu is our lab purchasing agent. She is in charge of making orders for all DNA synthesis services, the reagents and consumable materials we need. As a member of the Products Synthesis Department, she mainly worked on molecular cloning. She also contributed to our human practice - Yanjing Brewery`s visiting, interviews with experts and video dubbing
Zixuan Li attributes to the Products Synthesis Department as well as social media operation. In the wetlab section, she mainly worked on molecular cloning and pathway construction. As our social media manager, she operates our public account on various platforms including Twitter, Gmail, and Wechat. She posts updates about our project and responds to followers or emails regularly. She is also responsible for our questionnaire distributing and data analyzing
Ran Wang is a key member of the Products Synthesis Department. He contributed his effort to the molecular cloning for the genes involved and enzymes activities assay. He also provided many laboratory photographs caught with perfect timing for our wiki embellishment and materials for our Wechat official account posting
3. Acknowledgement
We would also like to express our gratitude to everyone outside our team who contributed to this project and each of them has made our project better.
We want to thank:
Jinwang Lu and Zheng Pang for their past contributions to this team as former team members
Menghan Zhao for designing our banner and final poster
Miaomiao Lan for being our immunofluorescence staining instructor
Jiaxin Zhang for supervising our experiments
Ms. Xiaolan Wu for giving our team general and fundraising advice
Dr. Wei Wu, Dr. Lei Wang, Dr. Zhi Chen, and Dr. Zhongzhou Chen for providing advice on experimental techniques of protein expression and purification
Dr. Liangcai Peng for providing advice on cellulose degradation pathway
Dr. Xueli Zhang for providing advice on astaxanthin pathway construction
We would also like to express the special thanks to these Groups and Departments
Center for Life Science, College of Biological Science for being our fund sponsor and experimental venue provider.
B076 Innovation Lab for being our hub of the wetlab works
Gong Zhizhong Lab for providing the antibody for immunofluorescence staining
Lou Huiqiang Lab for providing partial venue and facilities for our wetlab works
Chen Zhongzhou Lab for providing the cell disruption instructions
Meng Qingyong Lab for providing facilities for immunofluorescence staining