IGEM:IMPERIAL/2007/Ideas/Feasibility

Feasibility Criteria

Level 1

• Application driven
• Sources of knowledge / research
• reuse old knowledge
• novel, no overlap with other iGEMs
• project must be approves (Ethics, Safety)
• scope - needs to be functional in 9 weeks

Level 2

• Application has to be low cost
• has to be portable
• safe, no contamination
• inspire confidence in synthetic biology
• must have a contingency
• use parts in registry
• no heavy metals
• no human testing
• no quantum shift (big change)
• keep to the status quo
• base on a commercialised product
• budget
• equipment

Level 3

• based on reliable, basic parts
• max 3 components
• well documented
• easily modelled
• limited to college grounds
• restricted booking
• easy learning curve

Level 4

• well characterised biobricks and chassis
• use PoPS

Tree Structure

Criterion 1: Project Must Be Application driven

• • Application has to be low cost
  • has to be portable
  • safe, no contamination
  • inspire confidence in synthetic biology
  • must have a contingency

Criterion 2: Project Must Generate Research

• • HRP
    • information processing
      • sensors
      • cleanup
  • must generate data and analysis
  • must generate documentation

Criterion 3: Project Must Reuse Available Sources of Knowledge

• • Literature must be available
  • use parts in registry or past iGEM projects
    • based on reliable, basic parts
      • well characterised biobricks and chassis
    • avoid composite systems
    • standards adherence
      • use PoPS
  • Analogous system ourside synthetic biology

Criterion 4: Project Must Be Novel (no overlap with past iGEMS)

• • must not copy past iGEMs or be similar to them
    • Past iGEM (2006)
    • iGEM 2007
  • must not have been done outside iGEM either (but can do something that has been attempted but failed)

Criterion 5: Project must be approved, Safety & Ethics

• • Imperial College regulations must be satisfied
    • no heavy metals
  • Ethical requirements must be satisfied
    • no human testing
  • legal requirements must be satisfied
  • Safety

Criterion 6: Project Has Constraints on its Scope

• • needs to be functional in 9 weeks
  • no quantum shift (big change)
    • max 3 components
    • well documented
    • easily modelled
  • keep to the status quo
  • base on a commercialised product
  • budget
  • equipment
    • limited to college grounds
    • restricted booking
    • easy learning curve

focus on engineering not science

make something work well - performance.

no exotic protocol requirements