Team:Czech Republic

Sponsors GeorgievLab

Find where a tumor is from and where it's headed...

  • The first clinically relevant tumor mobility test.
  • Designed to be engineered by the non-synthetic biologist.

Zero diagnostic tests for general tumor mobility

One tumor cell per 5 million blood cells

Localization of tumors and analysis of metastasis is critical to survival...

as low as 4% survival for metastasized cancer

56% survival for lung cancer detected before metastasis

These Are The IODs

intelligent Input-to-Output Diploid units that work together to solve complex problems

Receive

orthogonal receptors and signal transduction modules

Transmit

complementary signal generators with tunable range

Localise

locational tags target communication to specific IOD pairs

  • IOD systems utilize location limited communication and simple signal processing to generate powerful decision networks.
  • IODs interface with each other and with the environment using three types of technologies: receptors, local signals, and locational tags.
  • IODs are naturally insulated from one another by their membranes and hence their design and engineering presents a greater degree of modularity.

this Is How They're Made

a unique clone-free assembly feature brings limitless design flexibility to the non-synthetic biologist

Input Haploid Library

a library of input haploids is constructed to detect various signals at specified locations

Conjugation

input haploids and output haploids are of opposite mating types permitting their easy conjugation and thus making an IOD

Output Haploid Library

output haploids interface with input haploids and generate various intercellular signals

the IOD assembly feature is similar to the solder-free breadboard used by electrical engineers. Conjugation and IOD amplification are complete in a single day. Quick prototyping and optimization are possible using INPUT and OUTPUT libraries that encompass unique and differentially tuned elements akin to collections of resistors, capacitors, and transistors.

This Is What They Do

IODs use group logic to find in blood samples and make visible tumor cells with a given marker profile.

Agglutination test

IOD bands do in a test tube what normally requires days and expensive equipment to do in the lab.

Procedure*

  1. combine two part IOD powder with a prepared sample of peripheral blood.
  2. incubate for 60 minutes at room temp.
  3. analyse the sample for visible solid clumps.

The number of round clumps of at least 5mm in diameter indicates the number of circulating tumor cells of type matching the package label.

* sample protocol

Tumor Cell

circulating tumor cells are denoted by a combination of expressed surface markers indicating their origin and destination

Positive Signal

affirmative identification of target triggers coordinated IOD clumping that quickly becomes visible without further instrumentation

Group Logic

Antigen recognition and intercellular communication create a logical network by which a single cell with a given surface marker profile is identified in a background of millions.

These are the IOD inventors

The first Czech iGEM team

The IOD inventors