IGEM:MIT/2005/Intro of project


 * *Our team wanted to build systems that could be applied to solve real-world problems.
 * *Realized that the systems we wanted to design had vast learning curves and minimal scope.
 * altering protiens can be intimidating, especially with deadlines.
 * *Decided that some functional infrastructure could be designed to make more complex system design possible / easier.
 * in any system - biological or not - what functionaility is crucial to (complex) systems?
 * an interface with the surroundings; a system with that reacts to (the correct) outside signals is a more adaptable, more capable system.
 * but surroundings change?
 * Vision is to have a single mechanism that can be altered to allow a system to react to any particular situation.


 * It is not easy enough to build complex biological systems. The tools are not in place. With the correct tools in place, building systems in this field becomes less of "what can I build that I have any control over?" and "gosh, I hate assemblies" and "____," to "here's a bunch of functions that I know work; what system do I need to build today?"


 * We want to make an "off the shelf" functional group. So we tried to solve a single challenge posed in the building of a complex biolgocial system: A mechanism a system could use for simple reaction to a molecule's presence in the surroundings; designed to be adaptable to a (hopefuly infinite) library of possible molecules.

carry on...