iGEM team

October 28, 2009

Featured on Second Life: Genetically engineered E.coli tackles biofilms

U of C undergrad team competes in prestigious international competition at MIT

A diverse team of U of C students has custom-built a bacteria to help break down biofilms that are known to clog oil and gas pipelines. The team of 15 students from the faculties of science, medicine, kinesiology and Schulich School of Engineering will present their creation this weekend at the international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition taking place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston between Oct. 30 and Nov.2.

“Our students have worked extremely hard this year to present a project that not only includes successful experiments in the wet lab, they have worked on new approaches in computer modeling and built Synthetic Biology Interactive, an experiential, virtual learning environment in Second Life,” says Christian Jacob, professor in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program, Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Computer Science. Jacob guided the U of C’s involvement in the project along with Thane Kubik, Bachelor of Health Sciences student, Sonja Georgijevic, Graduate Department of Educational Research PhD student, and biomedical engineer Dr. Anders Nygren.

The annual iGEM competition began in 2003 at MIT to involve undergrads in the emerging field of synthetic biology. iGEM gives the competitors a toolkit of biological parts from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts and the students use these parts, and new parts of their own design, to build biological systems and operate them in living cells.

It is expected that over 120 teams and more than 1,200 students will participate in this year’s jamboree. It is the fourth year that the U of C will compete. Last year, the U of C sent three teams. Two won silver and another took home a bronze. In 2007, the U of C iGEM team won the best poster award with a display of a bacterial plotter. In their first competition, the U of C team brought home the Conquest of Adversity award.

This year, the U of C team has added an exciting element to their project. They have created a virtual world on an island in Second Life: an online, 3D world where everything from molecules to skyscrapers are created by its users.  

“What's unique about Second Life is that it presents materials interactively and lets students play with the systems they're learning about instead of reading off of a page,” says Patrick King, the Second Life team lead.

The Second Life component is intended to help educate high school and undergraduate students about possible future applications for genetic engineering. It demonstrates possible future applications for genetic engineering, informs about present day biology theory and provides a virtual hands-on look at modern laboratory techniques which allows learning to take place at one's own pace.   

Bob Mitchell, co-chair of the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative and also a judge at the Alberta competition which took place in September, says the U of C team will prove to be among the top teams at the event.

“What is really exciting to me is imagining how each member of the team in their careers and further academic pursuits will use all the great knowledge and experience that they gain by working together to do this year's project and by being part of the competition at MIT,” Mitchell said.

To view the U of C’s iGem Synthetic Biology Interactive:

Tutorial http://2009.igem.org/Team:Calgary/Second_Life/Tutorial

Direct: http://slurl.com/secondlife/LINDSAY%20Virtual%20Medicine////