Difference between revisions of "Team:Georgia State/Collaborations"

Our interest in our topic began when we were researching possible projects. What we found most interesting was a research paper from the Journal of Pakistan Medical Association that tested the efficacy of microwaving LB rather than autoclaving. Also, a project that inspired us was the project from the University of Calgary (2014) that tested the efficacy of a homemade wash for competent cells. From these projects, we asked ourselves: Could one conduct a synthetic biology project without access to a professional laboratory?

This summer, we created a cost effective alternative to lab grade Luria Broth (LB). To compare our homemade broth, J-Broth, and lab grade LB we compared optical densities of liquid cultures and transformation efficiency of competent cells. For each method of testing, we compared autoclaved LB, microwaved LB, and microwaved J-Broth.

We grew XL1-Blue E. coli cells in liquid culture of lab grade luria broth and J-broth. The media was either autoclaved or microwaved for 8 minutes at 650 Watts before the cells were added.
We then made competent cells using XL1-Blue e. coli cells that were grown in each type of media following the Inoue method (Inoue, 1990) and calculated the transformation efficiency for comparison.

The Atlanta Science Festival consisted of over 100 events strewn across Metro Atlanta. This event brought together science lovers and the curious together to learn more about science. Events included nature walks, scientific movie breakdowns, and even a lecture from Neil deGrasse Tyson himself at the Fox Theater. This year, GSU-iGEM participated in two events to help educate the public about synthetic biology. The first event, Discovery Day, was held at Georgia State University. The team met hundreds of guests and unveiled our fun and educational game we called “BioBricks.” We also answered questions about bioethics and concerns people have regarding synthetic biology. Both the parents and their children learned a lot with us that day!

For the second event, we collaborated with GTech’s iGEM team to greet thousands of people in Centennial Park for the Exploration Expo. Once again, we hosted the BioBricks game and connected with people from all over the city. We answered questions and raised awareness for science literacy. We explained what iGEM is and how the program is beneficial to not only undergrads, but to everyone on the planet!