IGEM:The Citadel/Notebook/13 April 2010

From the Meeting on April 13th, 2010

Homework to Do For the Meeting

 * Be thinking about project ideas.
 * Review all project information for the following teams:
 * Berkeley 2007
 * Cambridge 2009
 * MIT 2006
 * Groningen 2009

Question to ask ourselves: How can we drive these forward?

On the Agenda

 * Brainstorm project ideas -- DONE
 * Divide into iGEM research category groups -- FAIL
 * Get everyone signed up on OWW. -- DONE (except John and Cy)
 * Teach everyone how to operate a wiki. -- FAIL (until everyone has an account, no point)
 * Make plans for April Training. -- DONE (see below)
 * Arrange for future meeting times -- DONE

Timeline

 * Narrow project ideas down to three or four goodies (April 19-23)
 * Select project deadline (April 27)
 * Project planning and research (April 27-mid May)
 * Begin project (early May)

Project Ideas

 * UV detection and reporting (applications for sunscreen and tanning oil)
 * Color output? Intensity dependent on UV levels?
 * How does this drive the field forward? What elements of the project would be new and interesting?
 * Trailing pond remediation.
 * A "complete package" bacteria.
 * Timekeeping mechanism, probably via Hasty et. al's quorum sensing
 * Event log
 * Multiple biosensing targets (we can go with elements already done with iGEM and look to some new ones). Plug-and-play variability.
 * Quantitative reporting that is easily obtained (no special equipment) by the researcher (think Cambridge 2009)
 * Synchronized data reporting across the colony
 * Minuscule input produces amplified, whole colony, response. (must be unique and rare!)
 * Sequestering or other remediation measure.
 * Continued reporting.
 * Bacterial timekeeper. Hours and Date.
 * Hasty et al. as a starting point.
 * Display capacity? (light, pigement)
 * Bacterial location awareness within the colony
 * Shifts to reflect passage of time (light from Hasty appears to be 5 cycles every 8-9 hours)

April Training Session

 * I will be drafting an outline of the training to be done. Brian D. Burnley 03:38, 15 April 2010 (EDT)
 * Training will cover
 * Biobrick Assembly
 * PCR
 * Transformation (chemical competency)
 * GFP Measurement (maybe)
 * Cell Culturing and Plating
 * People will be able to comment on the outline by early next week (April 19 or 20). Requesting any and all comments from professors and students.
 * End of April in the target for conducting the training session(s).