The IOD band idea is really a mix of two amazing concepts used by nature to engineer new cells: sexual conjugation and pheromone based signalling. Starting from the very first iGEM discussions in winter, the team has been fascinated by these systems and from the get-go wanted to use them to do amazing engineering. It so happened that during some unofficial yet regular beer-meetings with students and researchers from the Biomedical centre the problem of CTC diagnosis was raised. It did not take long before input-output blocks from engineering courses became IODs that work together to solve complex problems, such as diagnosis of CTCs.

Team

The team include a mix of complementary expertise. In the end the work was naturally split between the members. All team members participated on writing the content of our wiki.

Jan Bejvl

Jan Bejvl assisted with modul 2 experiments, processed data for the Interlab Study and helped with the technical editing of wiki.

Martin Ciencala

Martin Ciencala was responsible for modul 3. He and Veronika Kolejaková designed, assembled and experimentally validated ........... Martin Ciencala also executed microfluidic experiments.

Hynek Kasl

Hynek Kasl was responsible for modul 1. He designed and assembled MATa and MATx synthetic loci, reporter plasmids and 3 biobricks, performed validation experiments and assays. He was in charge of mathematical modeling and found, prepared and explained the models used by the CeCe simulator for their implementation. Hynek made the presentation for young engineers and assisted during the Interlab Study experiments.

Veronika Kolejáková

Veronika Kolejaková worked in modul 3. She and Martin Cienciala designed, assembled and experimentally validated ........... She is also co-author of the interview with cancer specialist.

Jiří Louda

Jiří Louda performed search of provided literature for modul 2 and fabricated the microfludic chips.

Filip Nemcko

Václav Pelíšek

Václav Pelíšek extended the CeCe simulator by features crucial for IOD simulations: stochastic reactions, cell-cell communication and agglutination. He did all work on coding wiki design into HTML and CSS and fabricated the microfludic chips. Václav assisted during the Interlab Study experiments and with the lab's maintenance.

Anna Sosnová

Anna Sosnová was responsible for modul 2. She performed cloning, BioBrick construction and validation of the constructed parts. She was also responsible for performing the Interlab Study including construction of devices, measurements and processing of data. Anna was coordinator of collaboration with team Chalmers Gothenburg and responsible for collecting surveys.

Advisors

The advisors kept the work on track and helped answer the tough questions. They also checked wiki pages related to their field of expertise.

Jiří Fatka

Jiří Fatka is the original author of the CeCe simulator. He helped with understanding of the simulator architecture and extensions implementation. Jiří was also helpful in solving some complex HTML and CSS problems on wiki.

Pavel Fikar

Pavel Fikar tought students the basics of microfludics and showed them how to use specialized equipment. He is author of team pictures.

Kateřina Pěchotová

Kateřina Pěchotová was advisor of module 2. She helped with the experimental setups. Kateřina also taught students how to operate with measurement devices. She is the person responsible for the lab's maintanence.

Tereza Puchrová

Tereza Puchrová was advisor of modul 1. She helped to answer all question related to yeast mating pheromone pathway, synthetic loci and reporter plasmids design and performance of validation experiments.

Pavel Zach

Pavel Zach was advisor of module 2. He provided literature and advices regarding chimeric receptors and synthetic pheromones. Pavel also supervised the Interlab Study experiments and the BioBrick contruction.

Instructors

MSc. Daniel Georgiev, PhD

MSc. Daniel Georgiev, PhD is the king of vector graphic, but that is not his most valuable quality. As our leader he keeps the great mood in the lab and his accurate questions leads everyone to the result without any need for explanation.

Doc. Ing. Eduard Janeček, CSc.

Doc. Ing. Eduard Janeček, CSc. provided us organizational support.

External help

Biomedical center

Thanks to all employees of Biomedical Center of Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen for filling our GMO survey.

Special thanks belong to

• Ing. Lucie Vištejnová, Ph.D. for helping us to collect all the surveys and for providing us missing chemicals and laboratory equipment
• Mgr. Pavel Pitule, Ph.D and Mgr. Pavel Ostašov, Ph.D. for helpful advice and interesting information they provided us during our interview

Faculty of Applied Sciences

Thanks to all our colleagues at the Faculty of Applied Sciences for their support during our research.

Special thanks belong to

• Prof. Ing. Miloš Schlegel, CSc. for enabling us to present our project and synthetic biology at his lecture

Team Chalmers Gothenburg

We want to thank team Chalmers Gothenburg for initiating the GMO survey, processing and evaluating the data and useful advice they provided us during our collaboration.