Our team consists of 5 undergraduate students, mentored by a post-doc and advised by two faculty members. Our team has a variety of strengths, which are well spread out across the sciences.
Kostya Borisov is a triple major in Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh. He has excellent knowledge in all three fields; however, his passion, and what he hopes to work on later in life, is molecular biology. iGEM allows him to work on an interesting project and experience the day to day difficulties of working in a molecular biology lab, an experience which many undergraduate students never have. Further, the competition relies heavily on the interconnected nature of the various fields of science, which will give his various areas of expertise the chance to shine.
Robert Donahoe is a Junior BioEngineering major at the University of Pittsburgh participating on the 2015 iGEM team. He intends to use this project to learn more about synthetic biology and apply it to his future career in bioengineering research.
Garrett Green is a Chemical Engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh. His interest and talent in the sciences and mathematics push him towards a career in engineering, but his passionate curiosity edges him to constantly explore developments in the natural sciences ranging from quantum mechanics to ecology. He joined the iGEM competition to learn about genetic engineering, diversify his knowledge and potentially incite progress in the realm of synthetic biology.
Alexander Szul is a Computer Engineering major at the University of Pittsburgh. This competition gives him a broader perspective on the different, interwoven fields of science. In the future, he plans to apply what he learns and experiences during iGEM to every challenge in his career.
Apurva Patil is a double major in Molecular Biology and Economics and a minor in Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. He joined iGEM in order to expand his knowledge within the field of synthetic biology and further understand the industry of biotechnology which backs both research institutions and clinical establishments.
Dr. Jason Lohmueller post-doc who received his PhD from Harvard University in 2013. He has participated in iGEM teams in the past, and helped bring iGEM to the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Alex Deiters is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. His lab's research interests are in Synthetic Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Synthetic Biology, and range from organometallic chemistry and natural product synthesis to the discovery of small molecule modifiers of biological pathways as well as cell, protein, and nucleic acid engineering.
Dr. Hanna Salman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh. His lab studies biophysics -- specifically relating the the response of bacteria to thermal and chemical stimuli. They utilize various optical microscopy techniques to observe the swimming pattern of bacteria under different conditions.
