Team:KU Leuven/Notebook/History
History
iGEM Competition
iGEM began in January of the year 2003 with a month-long course at MIT during the Independent Activities Period (IAP). Students designed biological systems to make cells blink. The course grew into a summer competition with 5 teams in 2004, 13 teams in 2005 - the first year that the competition spread internationally - 32 teams in 2006, 54 teams in 2007, 84 teams in 2008, 112 teams in 2009, 130 teams in 2010, and 165 teams in 2011. Designs range from a rainbow of pigmented bacteria, to banana and wintergreen smelling bacteria, arsenic biosensors, Bactoblood, buoyant bacteria, etc.
October
The search for a new KU Leuven team has started. Ex-iGEM’mers introduced the iGEM competition showing a movie in auditoria.
November
The ex-iGEM’mers and advisors organised information sessions on the 4th, 5th, 13th and 20th of November at different faculties. Candidates could apply until the 23rd of November by sending their CV and motivation letter.
December
The interviews took place on the 10th and 11th of December and the ‘lucky 13’ team was formed. The first get-to-know-eachother meeting was organized on the 19th of December.
January
‘Exams, Exams, Exams’. January was a quiet month for iGEM, but we had a lovely team and a crazy summer to look forward too.
February
Unleashing the bundled enthusiasm during our first brainstorm session on the 11th of February generated seventeen primary ideas for an unforgettable project. Eventually, we chose eight topics to further research.
March
Researching and discussing those eight ideas enabled us to select three top notch projects. After working out these and with the hints of the advisors in our heads, the final topic was chosen. On the 31st of March, all our excitement converged into that one idea; Pattern formation.
April
On the 21st of April, we shared our topic with the advisors. We also organised ourselves into 11 subteams ranging from "Wet lab" and "Modelling" to "Design, photos and arts".
May
The ’Opening Event’ took place on the 20th of May. Here we introduced ourselves and our topic to the broad public, advisors and potential sponsors.
June
In June, the second exam period required our full attention. Nevertheless, some team members with few exams already explored literature and started looking for sponsors.
July
In July, the 'real' work began and the whole team reviewed literature. We theoretically constructed the plasmids and searched quantification methods for specific proteins. The wet lab team started generating double knockout strains while the first mathematical models were made in the dry lab. More precisely, the colony level model, hybrid model and internal model were developed in parallel. By developing the wiki and using social media, we kept everybody updated about our latest progress. Our sponsor team made a nice brochure about iGEM and our project. The education and outreach team started planning possible collaborations with other teams and was sitting on a bigger plan. On the 21st of July, we met the iGEM-team of Toulouse to discuss our projects. Also practical arrangements for the stay during the Giant Jamboree were made.
August (part 1)
In August, our double knock-outs were confirmed. While we waited for our gBlocks, we started with the InterLab Measurement Study and finished our Lab Safety form. In the second part of August, we started with the assembly of our plasmids and making biobricks. Starting from literature, we composed our own protocols for leucine and AHL detection.
August (part2)
Next to this, we also collaborated with the Toulouse, York, Marseille and the Delft iGEM team. Representatives of our team presented our project in the symposium of Bordeau.We planned to organise our own symposium in Septembre and therefore we searched key-note speakers and panel members for the ethical debate. Besides this, customized bacteria stickers were designed for use in schools. Additionally, to have a view on the perception on synthetic biology of the broad public in Belgium, we held a survey. This month, we also searched financially support by sponsors.
September
This month, we continued with the assembly of our plasmids and making biobricks. On the 7th of September, we organised our symposium where we met up with other iGEM teams. On the 10th and 11th of September we visited schools to teach children about synthetic biology. We also designed our hoodies and T-shirts, our posters and made our presentation to use at the Giant Jamboree. The whole team wrote wiki pages because the deadline for the wiki freeze is at the 18th of September. As little extra to the wiki, we constructed a wiki game. Finally, between the 24th and the 28th of September, we represent our project at the Giant Jamboree!
If you want something you've never had, then you have to do what you have never done
Contact
Address: Celestijnenlaan 200G room 00.08 - 3001 Heverlee
Telephone: +32(0)16 32 73 19
Email: igem@chem.kuleuven.be
