Team:Yale/practices

<!DOCTYPE html> Yale iGem 2015: Human Practices

Human Practices

Sharing knowledge with the community

To err is human, to forgive divine

Synthetic Biology Documentary

Put some sort of appropriate caption here. Shoutout to Dr. Isaacs.

SSRI

Sour Salamanders Routinely Irrigate

Biofilm formation on surfaces is an issue in the medical field, naval industry, and other areas. We developed an anti-fouling peptide with two modular components: a mussel adhesion protein (MAP) anchor and LL-37, an antimicrobial peptide. MAPs can selectively attach to metal and organic surfaces via L-3,5-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), a nonstandard amino acid that was incorporated using a genetically recoded organism (GRO). Because this peptide is toxic to the GRO in which it is produced, we designed a better controlled inducible system that limits basal expression. This was achieved through a novel T7 riboregulation system that controls expression at both the transcriptional and translational levels.

LGBTQ Survey

In August, Yale iGEM sent out an anonymous survey to the iGEM community to gauge how open and welcoming the iGEM community is to LGBTQ individuals. iGEM is an ideal organization to survey as it is a small community with members who come from various backgrounds. The results of the survey show a large distribution in how members perceived their work environment. While the number of respondents (n = 12) is not enough for the data analysis to be significant, the responses still point to a general desire to improve the iGEM community in terms of its treatment of LGBTQ members.

The questions asked where the following: 1. I consider my sexual orientation or gender identity to be an important aspect of who I am. 2. I would prefer to be open about my sexual orientation or gender identity to my team. 3. I have felt uncomfortable disclosing my sexual orientation or gender identity to members of my team. 4. I feel like my team is supportive and welcoming to LGBTQ+ members. 5. iGEM provides a safe environment for LGBTQ+ identified participants. 6. iGEM adequately addresses the needs of LGBTQ+ identified participants. 7. iGEM can improve its dialogue on marginalized identities, including race, gender, sexuality and socioeconomic status. In a recent New York Times article titled “Why Is Science So Straight?” Manil Suri points to some cultural standards which lead people in STEM to avoid or ignore issues concerning LGBTQ and other identities. He writes: “L.G.B.T. workers in STEM-related fields report significantly lower job satisfaction, both when compared to other STEM workers and to L.G.B.T. workers in other fields. Such discontent — and invisibility — can contribute to a field’s reputation for being unwelcoming. As a result, young lesbians and gays might sell themselves short, aiming for occupations with little use for their talents, but in which they see more people like themselves.” The results of the survey support his statement. From the graph, more than 50% of respondents feel their sexual orientation is an important part of their identity, and likewise more than half of respondents also want iGEM to improve its discussion on how identity impacts one’s scientific career. When asked what would foster a more accepting community, one respondent answered, “General community support is one of the best things to foster inclusion (but maybe is the hardest to achieve)…For iGEM specifically, I think talking about these issues and bringing it out in the open will help make a supportive environment overall and at the Jamboree.”