Team:Cornell/ourteam
The Team
Jonlin Chen | Team Lead
The annals of modern history have largely been written by illustrious American leaders, from George Washington to Ronald Reagan. In 2015, Jonlin Chen joined those venerated ranks. As team leader for this year's competition season, she has addressed the multifarious setbacks associated with modern lab work with an admirable aplomb. However, iGEM is only the beginning. Having been born in the giddy years immediately following the much-celebrated demise of the USSR, Jonlin has watched the rise of new threats to American dominance with concern and hostility.With destabilizing challenges to American primacy more pernicious than ever before, she is biding her time, waiting for the moment to seize the ultimate mantle of power. When Jonlin assumes her rightful place at the top of Executive Branch, fires of liberation will envelop the globe. There can be only one.
Michelle Zhang | Wet Lab Lead
The smell of smoke accompanies the light crackle of flames welcomes you into the lab. You look down. Ashes cover the singed earth, burnt protocol sheets tumbling across the barren ground. You look back up. The lab benches have been blackened with soot, with only rectangular patch untouched – the place where a macbook once sat. A small fire is still burning on the farthest chair, and a pen has been left slightly melted on the table top. In the corner, the local pyromaniac cowers and whimpers. Who, or what, could have done this? Her name is Michelle Zhang, and she isn’t here to play games. Don’t let her INFJ disposition fool you - 50% human, 50% goddess, and 73% multitasking unicorn, she’s so awesome her genetic make-up can’t be confined to 100%. So inhumanely efficient and on top of her game, she blazes through work so fast it catches fire. She leaves scorch marks in the sidewalk as she sprints between Weill and Riley-Robb. She lifts 50lb jugs of LB every morning to maintain her towering build, and runs a distance equivalent to two trips around the moon in her daily lab to lab commute. Her meals consist of deviously efficient jars of pasta, shaken together with tomato sauce and the blood of her enemies. Michelle’s here to get work done and make bad puns, and she’s all out of work.George Danias | Dry Lab Lead
See Gargi.
Saie Ganoo | Co-Policy and Practice Lead
Can anyone say no to Saie? Hailing from Tennessee, with a subtle Southern drawl, Saie appears to be cute and collected, but beware: even though she may be slightly on the short side, she’s full of spunk. At night, she lives a double life, staying up until 3AM befriending often clueless high schoolers as a residential advisor and sending cool emails with lots of random pictures off the internet. By day, you can find her snapchatting in wet lab, jamming out to the best of the best (aka High School Musical and the Jonas Brothers. No shame. You can admit that you like them too; she won’t judge.), all while casually inserting genes into plasmids with success. She co-leads the policy and practices subteam as well, determined to save every salmon in upstate New York. So how does she do it all? She may be busy, but don’t fear. She’ll always be there to comfort you with Netflix on those days where you want to stay in bed for 10 hours. Armed with a Starbucks Frappuccino in hand, Saie has no fear in tackling on whatever the world hands her, and she will do it with a smile.Grace Chuang | Co-Policy and Practice Lead
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That miniprepped in the AM for me.
While she is a bubbling spirit in the lab and a friend in our hearts, Grace is not a force to be reckoned with. Whether it’s an adamant army of ants raiding her kitchen or plasmids refusing to cooperate, Chief Chuang is always ready to take on any challenge. An active member of CRU and close friends with Bill Nye the science dude, Grace is basically a manifestation of the positivity and friendliness exuded by a playful breeze on an Ithacan summer’s day. Her loyalty, however, isn’t fickle like the winds of the Northeast; rather, she finds herself at all hours tirelessly working in the lab, often jamming to numerous sick beats, until we have to physically kidnap her and dose her with Starbucks to bring her back to the real world. She co-leads the Policy and Practices subteam and is ready to cure the world’s diseases. A master of photography, you can find this kind soul wandering through gardens and Farmer’s Markets, trying to catch the sunlight in just the right way, before she captures an image only surpassed by a Van Gogh.
Hao Yan
How does one describe Hao? He is an enigma, never here nor there but always present. You’ll often see a shadow in the lab space and wonder, “Is that Hao?” But when you go closer, he’s not there. How did he leave? Through the door? Is that how? Hao is incredibly smart and knowledgable in all things biology, one of the best additions to our wetlab team. He is also very friendly and always willing to give a helping hand. Unknown to most of the team, Hao is also a full-time astronaut gymnast and performs in the outer atmosphere every other weekend. He volunteers at a shelter for underprivileged bears and cooks delicious tortillas. How does he have time for all these hobbies while still being captain of the Yellow Submarine? We don’t know. How, Hao? How?
Jane Liao
Our ever loving sweet Jane has a subtle yet undeniable charm. On a blue sky, lazy Saturday afternoon, you can see her strolling down campus with her BB sidekick on the lookout for birds and squirrels terrorizing sidewalks. After saving the day and bringing smiles to countless passerby, you can find her tinkering away diligently at CUiGEM. Not just cloning, but Corning-bots that run and twirl and...wait, did it just pass gas? Ahem, well, where did Jane come from? How did she end up at CUiGEM? Rumors have it that she was a young duckling with amazing wit and intelligence, but nobody noticed it. One day, she was zipping through the rapids of Canada when she saw something fishy glimmering in the water. A rainbow trout was stuck under a rock. Using her bill as a lever, she saved the rainbow fish and in return, was given a wishing scale. Jane turned herself into a girl. Finally, everyone would not see her as a quack. She established a tech company tech for saving lost ducklings and became an international idol. But one day, she looked into the water and saw her rainbow friend again. The trouts were in trouble, and this time, it was more crushing than a little rock. Jane embarked on an adventure to CUiGEM in search for a solution. Or so rumors say.Arun Chakravorty
Most avid Cornell iGEM followers will recognize the baby-faced Arun from all the way back in 2013 when he took Boston by storm with his red polo shirts and dazzling good looks. Now, two full years later, Arun has emerged from his cocoon of boyhood as (suspense) a similar-looking child with gelled hair! Those all-nighters Arun spends in lab can’t be for the iGEM team: he must be working on some miracle anti-aging cream because while the rest of us are losing our hair, his continues to grow in lush. It’s a good thing Arun has remained dedicated to the team, however; at this rate, the Cornell iGEM team in 100 years will still be consulting Arun. Maybe then he’ll be having his first shave.
Kevin Hui
Kevin Hui is a snowflake clownfish. He’s always quick to crack a joke, and his unique sense of humor is always good for a laugh. A very amiable fish, he was the perfect choice for the Cornell iGEM team’s social chair. Kevin created new team events and put his own clowny twist on some Cornell iGEM classics to make sure the entire team enjoyed their time outside of the lab. Kevin resides in a sea anemone (obviously), so he’s immune from the harmful effects of BCWD. He was the perfect choice to lead the crusade against Flavobacterium, and he worked this year to characterize the effects of ecnB proteins on that nasty bacteria. We thank Kevin for his sacrifice. It takes a lot of effort to wage two simultaneous battles: one against a deadly bacteria, the other against our team’s desire to never leave lab.Casey Zhang
If Casey were a Pokemon, she would be Jigglypuff. Found in the lush green plains between Route 115 and Ithaca, Casey’s charm is super effective against any foe. Her special abilities include captivating bystanders with her huge round eyes, and lulling the manliest of men to sleep with her gentle lullaby. Her friendly nature makes her the ideal Wetlab team member. After a tragic accident covered the floors of Weill in blue loading dye, legend has it that she spent countless nights scrubbing the mile long hall with a single paper towel. Casey draws her positivity from her diet consisting of baked goods and bibimbap burritos. On one unfortunate occasion, she was poisoned with a Jalapeno pepper hidden deep within an enchilada. Witnesses say that she swelled to a round pink ball and to this day she maintains a deep-seated aversion to anything spicy. Although this remains her sole weakness, Casey’s copious strengths allow her to lead a team of less evolved Igglybuffs, all of whom would be nowhere without her.
Neema Patel
import java.awt.List;
public class Neema {
private String year,subteam;
private List languages;
private int MagicNumber;
public boolean csld; // Can she legally drink?
public Neema() {
year = ""Class of 2016"";
subteam = ""Dry Lab"";
languages.add(""English""); // hello
languages.add(""Gujarati""); // હેલો
languages.add(""French""); // Bonjour
MagicNumber = Integer.MAX_VALUE; // Neema's leg length
csld = true;
}
public boolean doesNeemaHaveCoffeeWithHer(){
if (HaveCSClass == true || LookEnergetic == true){
return true;
}
else if (HaveCSClass == true || AlmostFallAsleep == true) {
return false;
}
else if (NeedToMeetSomebodyAtLabspace){
return false;
}
else{
return null;
System.out.println(""Depends on how I feel today!"");
}
}
}
Neil Chitrao
Neil Chitrao is truly the towniest of all Ithacan townies. That’s right...don’t be fooled by his so termed “frattire” consisting of Vineyard Vines button downs and salmon shorts. Beneath it all is a true Ithacan native who enjoys sharing historical tidbits about the rise of America, knows just about every species of bacteria, and can successfully accelerate his vehicle from 0 to 20,000 mph in just a little under 3 seconds. When he's not driving around town jamming out to the authentic music of his people (ie.“Indian Summer", "Star Spangled Banner”, or Ithaca’s famed rap song "Our Town"), Neil can be found working hard in the iGEM wet lab, bringing bacterial cultures to life simply by charming them with stories pertaining to the joys of living in America (and more specifically Ithaca, NY). So whether it be planning a fun-filled iGEM All-American BBQ or putting in late hours in lab (has anyone really ever seen Neil sleep?), Neil Chitrao is our resident iGEM superhero who can simply do it all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-kcdpW0ME
Reed Geisler
See Alan.Rishabh Singh
"Captain's Log
Entry #421-1
Sector: 2814
Coordinates: 42.4433° N, 76.5000° W
Many moons ago, my crew and I were ordered by high command to hunt and capture a mythical
creature named ""Rishabh"", though they say his true name of power remains lost to the eons. For
decades, we studied his patterns, learned his ways. Rishabh, despite an eternity of wisdom, had
devolved into a creature of habit, frequenting a small nearby establishment named ""Taco Bell"". The
creature also displayed a certain affinity towards ""rap"" music, though our research team had yet to
deciphering its meaning. When the time had come, our scouts tracked his last known location to Ithaca,
where he had blended into the student populace; more specifically, the Cornell iGEM team. Tracking
down Rishabh's lair was mere child's play; our crew commanded the best hunters in the known
quadrant. And so we infiltrated and laid in wait, hoping to find the perfect moment to strike.
But so was he.
In my hubris, I underestimated the might of the ancient powers, at the cost of my crew's lives. One by
one, we were slaughtered. I am the sole survivor. Even now, I am being hunted. My days left are
numbered. It is coming for me. He is coming for me. If anyone receives this message, please send he"
Ritvik Sarkar
What is the Ritvik? I'm glad you asked. Ritvik used to be our team's secret secret nonlethal weapon, until a series of not completely unrelated explosions and earthquakes alerted national media to its existence. Ritvik is the original prototype for our project, with its 20 micron filter hair outperforming all competition. We are still struggling to develop a successor that has even half the ability to make wet things into dry things. Capable of building models to ensure our team's success as well as other smaller ventures such as hostile takeover of midwestern states, Ritvik is an essential component of our team. Without its capabilities as a replacement pump system, we would be incapable of surmounting the one foot of head that stalls our team's inevitable victory.Sachiye Koide
A legend has been foretold. When joy and fortune met, when they sought to sew together their ideals, they encoded their essence into their perfect set of nucleotides, and their story gave birth to this girl of the highest caliber. As she emits her radiant demeanor, all hints of evil contaminants shall be vanquished from her LB. As she exudes her joyous energy, all traces of negative emotions shall simply dissipate. Yes, her mere presence will be the sun that illuminates the darkness and fills the void that threatens to swallow the Cornell iGEM lab. Be it her unique tastes in music, or her peerless and impeccable cloning techniques, or her complete calmness in the presence of dangerous flying insects, she will imbue us with hope and strength to obliterate the peptidoglycan fortresses that stand against our mission. However, all of this conceal her true talent as a visionary and creator. With those animations so dynamic, so vibrant, she will surely lead us to victory. She is Sachiye Koide, and may her legend be forever carved into iGEM history.
Gargi Ratnaparkhi
See George.Tara Chari
package CUiGEM;
public class Tara extends CS2110Crew {
private String location;
private int amtOfHate;
private String year;
private boolean hatesGnomes;
static int hrsInDuffield;
public Tara() {
hrsInDuffield = 0;
amtOfHate = 0;
hatesGnomes = false;
}
public String WhereInTheWorldIsTaraChari() {
if ( hella && avocados ) { location = "California"; }
if ( problemSets && hillsOnHillsOnHills ) { location = "Ithaca"; }
return location;
}
public void TrappedInDuffieldForever() {
if ( psetDue ) { hrsInDuffield += 3; }
if ( prelimSoon ) { hrsInDuffield += 6; }
while ( finalsWeek ) { hrsInDuffied = Integer.MAX_VALUE; }
}
public void gnomeStatus() {
if ( tookCS2110ThisSummer ) { hatesGnomes = true; }
}
public void HowMuchDoesTaraHateTheSightOfWeillToday() {
if ( has20MiniprepsWaitingForHer ) { amtOfHate = 9; }
if ( cravingGrilledCheese ) { amtOfHate = -3; }
if ( sequencingCameBackRight ) { amtOfHate = -100}
if ( constructsDueTomorrow ) { amtOfHate = 10000; }
}
}
Wenjia You
public class Wenjia {
private String hometown;
String yr;
private String bedtime;
boolean isSnowing = false;
private int hrsWatchingKDramas; // per week
static int stress = 0;
public Wenjia(){
hometown = "Nanjing";
yr = "Sophmore";
bedtime = "1 am";
hrsWatchingKDramas = 5;
}
public void addClass(Class newClass){
if(newClass.type.equals("CS")){
bedtime = "4 am";
stress += 3;
hrsWatchingKDramas++;
}
else{
stress += 1;
}
}
public void findWenjia(){
if(isSnowing && stress < 4){
System.out.println("Gone skiing");
}
else if(isSnowing){
System.out.println("Watching K Dramas or TBBT");
}
else if(stress < 5 && !isSnowing){
System.out.println("Barbecuing and picnicking ");
}
else{
System.out.println("Somehow managing to get all my work done in an infinitesimally small amount of time!");
}
}
}
Yi Fan Chen
This man has been ingrained with Confuscious virtues since the day he was born. He works hard, hardly ever plays, gets barely any pay, yet never complains about the hardship to his bosses. In fact, he does not even regard his daily tribulations as difficulties. He merely sees them as challenges that builds character. (Hell, he evens cooks his meal, and he cooks it better than my mom does, whats up with that?) He knows that one day the mountains will be moved, the foes will be vanquished, and the sea departs to make way for him toward that stockpile of Nobel prices that is his birthright. And so he waits. He pipets. He autoclaves. He transforms. He only sleeps during the few hours of incubation. When he sleeps, he dreams:"when that day comes, I am going to give 10% of every one of my Nobel Price money to my buddy_____" (Yeah he better, because that buddy of his does not have a pension plan).
Advisors
Dr. Shivaun Archer - Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Shivaun Archer is a Senior Lecturer in charge of the Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Instructional Laboratories. She designs and teaches undergraduate instructional labs for five biomedical engineering courses: BME 131, BME 301, BME 302, BME 401, and BME 402. The labs are designed to illustrate the course material and bring research to undergraduate education whilst exposing students to cutting edge technology and research methodology. A significant emphasis in all the labs is biomedical nanotechnology. Each of the five courses has a hands-on lab module that focuses specifically on nanobiotechnology. Overall, the lab modules enhance the hands-on training of Cornell students in the areas of microfabrication, microfluidics, biosensors, nano/microbiotechnology, and drug delivery. In recognition of her efforts in undergraduate education, Dr. Archer has received a prestigious College of Engineering Teaching award.
Before coming to Cornell, Dr. Archer worked for five years at Lynntech, Inc. a small research company specializing in biotechnology, biomaterials, chemical and biological sensors, medical biotechnology, and environmental remediation. Her work on wastewater treatment for long term space missions resulted in her receiving two NASA Inventions Space Act Awards. She also holds a joint appointment as a Research Associate in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Her research interests include nanobiotechnology and tissue engineering.
Dr. Shivaun Archer is a Senior Lecturer in charge of the Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Instructional Laboratories. She designs and teaches undergraduate instructional labs for five biomedical engineering courses: BME 131, BME 301, BME 302, BME 401, and BME 402. The labs are designed to illustrate the course material and bring research to undergraduate education whilst exposing students to cutting edge technology and research methodology. A significant emphasis in all the labs is biomedical nanotechnology. Each of the five courses has a hands-on lab module that focuses specifically on nanobiotechnology. Overall, the lab modules enhance the hands-on training of Cornell students in the areas of microfabrication, microfluidics, biosensors, nano/microbiotechnology, and drug delivery. In recognition of her efforts in undergraduate education, Dr. Archer has received a prestigious College of Engineering Teaching award.
Before coming to Cornell, Dr. Archer worked for five years at Lynntech, Inc. a small research company specializing in biotechnology, biomaterials, chemical and biological sensors, medical biotechnology, and environmental remediation. Her work on wastewater treatment for long term space missions resulted in her receiving two NASA Inventions Space Act Awards. She also holds a joint appointment as a Research Associate in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Her research interests include nanobiotechnology and tissue engineering.
Dr. Rod Getchell - Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Rod Getchell is an aquatic animal health specialist at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine. After earning his M.S. in 1983 for research on salmon diseases at Oregon State University, Getchell spent many years in the field of aquatic health, studying diseases of crustaceans and mollusks in Maine as a Marine Pathologist. Coming to Cornell in 1990, Getchell earned his PhD while doing research and diagnostic work in several different labs. He eventually landed in the lab of Paul Bowser, where he has since contributed to research on a variety of fish diseases. Getchell has worked on independent fish disease research projects as principal investigator on grants he has written. In his new role as Associate Director of AQUAVET, Getchell unites his research credentials with his experience in several of the world’s leading aquatic immersion-learning programs, including the SEA Semester field program in marine studies, Shoals Marine Lab programs in marine science, and the AQUAVET program itself.
Dr. Rod Getchell is an aquatic animal health specialist at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine. After earning his M.S. in 1983 for research on salmon diseases at Oregon State University, Getchell spent many years in the field of aquatic health, studying diseases of crustaceans and mollusks in Maine as a Marine Pathologist. Coming to Cornell in 1990, Getchell earned his PhD while doing research and diagnostic work in several different labs. He eventually landed in the lab of Paul Bowser, where he has since contributed to research on a variety of fish diseases. Getchell has worked on independent fish disease research projects as principal investigator on grants he has written. In his new role as Associate Director of AQUAVET, Getchell unites his research credentials with his experience in several of the world’s leading aquatic immersion-learning programs, including the SEA Semester field program in marine studies, Shoals Marine Lab programs in marine science, and the AQUAVET program itself.
Dr. Matthew DeLisa - Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Dr. Matthew DeLisa received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1996; his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland in 2001; and did postdoctoral work at the University of Texas-Austin, Department of Chemical Engineering. DeLisa joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University as an assistant professor in 2003 and was promoted to associate professor in 2009. He recently served as a Gastprofessur at ETH Zürich in the Institut für Mikrobiologie.
Professor DeLisa's research focuses on understanding and controlling the molecular mechanisms underlying protein biogenesis -- folding and assembly, membrane translocation and post-translational modifications -- in the complex environment of a living cell. His contributions to science and engineering include the invention of numerous commercially important technologies for facilitating the discovery, design and manufacturing of human drugs and seminal discoveries in the areas of cellular protein folding and protein translocation. DeLisa has received several awards for his work including an NSF CAREER award, a NYSTAR Watson Young Investigator award, a Beckman Foundation Young Investigator award, an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator award, and a NYSTAR Distinguished Faculty Award. He was also named one of the top 35 young innovators (TR35) by MIT's Technology Review in 2005 and was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Wiley-Blackwell Biotechnology and Bioengineering Daniel I.C. Wang award, which honors a distinguished young researcher in this field. Most recently, he was honored with a Cornell Provost's Award for Distinguished Scholarship and was the recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the American Chemical Society's BIOT division.
Dr. Matthew DeLisa received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1996; his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland in 2001; and did postdoctoral work at the University of Texas-Austin, Department of Chemical Engineering. DeLisa joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University as an assistant professor in 2003 and was promoted to associate professor in 2009. He recently served as a Gastprofessur at ETH Zürich in the Institut für Mikrobiologie.
Professor DeLisa's research focuses on understanding and controlling the molecular mechanisms underlying protein biogenesis -- folding and assembly, membrane translocation and post-translational modifications -- in the complex environment of a living cell. His contributions to science and engineering include the invention of numerous commercially important technologies for facilitating the discovery, design and manufacturing of human drugs and seminal discoveries in the areas of cellular protein folding and protein translocation. DeLisa has received several awards for his work including an NSF CAREER award, a NYSTAR Watson Young Investigator award, a Beckman Foundation Young Investigator award, an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator award, and a NYSTAR Distinguished Faculty Award. He was also named one of the top 35 young innovators (TR35) by MIT's Technology Review in 2005 and was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Wiley-Blackwell Biotechnology and Bioengineering Daniel I.C. Wang award, which honors a distinguished young researcher in this field. Most recently, he was honored with a Cornell Provost's Award for Distinguished Scholarship and was the recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the American Chemical Society's BIOT division.
Dr. Bruce Land - Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. Bruce Land is a Senior Lecturer in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell. He teaches three courses in ECE and advises masters of engineering projects in ECE and Biomedical Engineering. When time allows, he does some neural modeling and spike train analysis. He has been in this position since 1998.
Land received a BS in physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1968 and a Ph.D. in neurobiology from Cornell University in 1976 . He was a Muscular Dystrophy Association postdoc in NBB at Cornell for three years, then a lecturer in NBB for seven years. During this time he worked with Miriam Salpeter on the coupling of activity at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction, both experimentally and by computer modeling. In 1987 he moved to the Cornell Theory Center as a computational research associate, then started supporting graphics and animation. He was visualization project leader at the CTC from 1989 to 1998. From 1992 to 1998 he taught an introductory computer graphics course in Computer Science at Cornell. From 1998 to 2007 he taught computer programming and electronics courses in NBB and was a Senior Research Associate in Neurobiology and Behavior.
Dr. Bruce Land is a Senior Lecturer in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell. He teaches three courses in ECE and advises masters of engineering projects in ECE and Biomedical Engineering. When time allows, he does some neural modeling and spike train analysis. He has been in this position since 1998.
Land received a BS in physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1968 and a Ph.D. in neurobiology from Cornell University in 1976 . He was a Muscular Dystrophy Association postdoc in NBB at Cornell for three years, then a lecturer in NBB for seven years. During this time he worked with Miriam Salpeter on the coupling of activity at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction, both experimentally and by computer modeling. In 1987 he moved to the Cornell Theory Center as a computational research associate, then started supporting graphics and animation. He was visualization project leader at the CTC from 1989 to 1998. From 1992 to 1998 he taught an introductory computer graphics course in Computer Science at Cornell. From 1998 to 2007 he taught computer programming and electronics courses in NBB and was a Senior Research Associate in Neurobiology and Behavior.
Dr. Julius B. Lucks - Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Julius B. Lucks is Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University, and a James C. and Rebecca Q. Morgan Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellow. After attending the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics for high school, he became an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he performed research in organic synthesis and the application of density functional theory to studying the electronic properties of atoms and molecules as a Goldwater Scholar. After graduating with a BS in Chemistry, he spent a summer working with Robert Parr before obtaining an M. Phil. in Theoretical Chemistry at Cambridge University as a Churchill Scholar. As a Hertz Fellow at Harvard University, he researched problems in theoretical biophysics including RNA folding and translocation, viral capsid structure and viral genome organization, under David R. Nelson. As a Miller Fellow at UC Berkeley in the laboratory of Adam P. Arkin, he engineered versatile RNA-sensing transcriptional regulators that can be easily reconfigured to independently regulate multiple genes, logically control gene expression, and propagate signals as RNA molecules in gene networks. He also lead the team that developed SHAPE-Seq, an experimental technique that utilizes next generation sequencing for probing RNA secondary and tertiary structures of hundreds of RNAs in a single experiment.
Professor Lucks’ research combines both experiment and theory to ask fundamental questions about the design principles that govern how RNAs fold and function in living organisms, and how these principles can be used to engineer biomolecular systems, and open doors to new medical therapeutics.
Julius B. Lucks is Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University, and a James C. and Rebecca Q. Morgan Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellow. After attending the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics for high school, he became an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he performed research in organic synthesis and the application of density functional theory to studying the electronic properties of atoms and molecules as a Goldwater Scholar. After graduating with a BS in Chemistry, he spent a summer working with Robert Parr before obtaining an M. Phil. in Theoretical Chemistry at Cambridge University as a Churchill Scholar. As a Hertz Fellow at Harvard University, he researched problems in theoretical biophysics including RNA folding and translocation, viral capsid structure and viral genome organization, under David R. Nelson. As a Miller Fellow at UC Berkeley in the laboratory of Adam P. Arkin, he engineered versatile RNA-sensing transcriptional regulators that can be easily reconfigured to independently regulate multiple genes, logically control gene expression, and propagate signals as RNA molecules in gene networks. He also lead the team that developed SHAPE-Seq, an experimental technique that utilizes next generation sequencing for probing RNA secondary and tertiary structures of hundreds of RNAs in a single experiment.
Professor Lucks’ research combines both experiment and theory to ask fundamental questions about the design principles that govern how RNAs fold and function in living organisms, and how these principles can be used to engineer biomolecular systems, and open doors to new medical therapeutics.
Graduate Advisors
Aravind Natarajan - DeLisa Lab
Daniel Kolbin - Clark LabSponsors
Team attributions can be found here
Attributions
Alfa Aesar
Part of the Johnson Matthey group of companies, Alfa Aesar is a leading manufacturer and supplier of research chemicals, metals and materials in a wide span of applications. For more than 50 years, scientists have relied on Alfa Aesar to supply high purity raw materials for a variety of research and development applications. Today they offer over 45,000 products in stock, in sizes from gram-scale catalog items to semi-bulk and bulk production quantities. With custom manufacturing capabilities to supply many more specialized items, they are a one-stop source for research chemicals, metals and materials. We thank Alfa Aesar for their molecular biology product donations.
Part of the Johnson Matthey group of companies, Alfa Aesar is a leading manufacturer and supplier of research chemicals, metals and materials in a wide span of applications. For more than 50 years, scientists have relied on Alfa Aesar to supply high purity raw materials for a variety of research and development applications. Today they offer over 45,000 products in stock, in sizes from gram-scale catalog items to semi-bulk and bulk production quantities. With custom manufacturing capabilities to supply many more specialized items, they are a one-stop source for research chemicals, metals and materials. We thank Alfa Aesar for their molecular biology product donations.
Bio Basic Inc.
Bio Basic Inc. is a privately owned dynamic biotechnology company. The company was founded in 1990 in Toronto, Canada. From 1990 to 1995, Bio Basic Inc.’s primary focus was in the field of biochemicals. Starting in 1995, Bio Basic Inc. began manufacturing various Life Science Products. Over the past two decades, the company has developed rapidly and now serves as a one-stop-shop to researchers in the life sciences field. To date, Bio Basic Inc. has approximately 600 employees, seven laboratories, three factory buildings, 40 international distributors and over 10,000 customers worldwide. The team is grateful for Bio Basic's molecular biology services.
Bio Basic Inc. is a privately owned dynamic biotechnology company. The company was founded in 1990 in Toronto, Canada. From 1990 to 1995, Bio Basic Inc.’s primary focus was in the field of biochemicals. Starting in 1995, Bio Basic Inc. began manufacturing various Life Science Products. Over the past two decades, the company has developed rapidly and now serves as a one-stop-shop to researchers in the life sciences field. To date, Bio Basic Inc. has approximately 600 employees, seven laboratories, three factory buildings, 40 international distributors and over 10,000 customers worldwide. The team is grateful for Bio Basic's molecular biology services.
Cornell Institute of Biotechnology
The mission of Cornell’s Biotech Institute is to promote research, education and technology transfer for applications of biotechnology for the benefit of the environment, agriculture, engineering and veterinary and human medicine. We would like to thank the institute for their monetary support to the team for the purchasing of laboratory supplies and equipment.
The mission of Cornell’s Biotech Institute is to promote research, education and technology transfer for applications of biotechnology for the benefit of the environment, agriculture, engineering and veterinary and human medicine. We would like to thank the institute for their monetary support to the team for the purchasing of laboratory supplies and equipment.
Corning
Corning Incorporated is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 160 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. Corning graciously supported our team through donations of laboratory supplies and has been a strong supporter of Cornell iGEM for the past few years.
Corning Incorporated is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 160 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. Corning graciously supported our team through donations of laboratory supplies and has been a strong supporter of Cornell iGEM for the past few years.
Geneious
Geneious is a DNA, RNA and protein sequence alignment, assembly and analysis software platform, integrating bioinformatic and molecular biology tools into a simple interface. We thank Geneious for their donated software which helped us design primers and plan our cloning.
Geneious is a DNA, RNA and protein sequence alignment, assembly and analysis software platform, integrating bioinformatic and molecular biology tools into a simple interface. We thank Geneious for their donated software which helped us design primers and plan our cloning.
Genscript
Genscript is the leading gene, peptide, protein and antibody research partner for fundamental life science research, translational biomedical research, and early stage pharmaceutical development. Since their establishment in 2002, GenScript has exponentially grown to become a global leading Contract Research Organization that provide services and products to scientists in 86 countries worldwide. During their tenure they have built the best-in-class capacity and capability for biological research services encompassing gene synthesis and molecular biology, peptide synthesis, custom antibodies, protein expression, antibody and protein engineering, and in vitro and in vivo pharmacology – all with the goal to Make Research Easy. We thank Genscript for their cloning services to help us realize our research goals.
Genscript is the leading gene, peptide, protein and antibody research partner for fundamental life science research, translational biomedical research, and early stage pharmaceutical development. Since their establishment in 2002, GenScript has exponentially grown to become a global leading Contract Research Organization that provide services and products to scientists in 86 countries worldwide. During their tenure they have built the best-in-class capacity and capability for biological research services encompassing gene synthesis and molecular biology, peptide synthesis, custom antibodies, protein expression, antibody and protein engineering, and in vitro and in vivo pharmacology – all with the goal to Make Research Easy. We thank Genscript for their cloning services to help us realize our research goals.
Hardy Diagnostics
Hardy Diagnostics manufactures culture media, and rapid identification kits for microbiological testing in clinical, research, and industrial laboratories. The team is grateful for Hardy Diagnostic's support in molecular biology products.
Hardy Diagnostics manufactures culture media, and rapid identification kits for microbiological testing in clinical, research, and industrial laboratories. The team is grateful for Hardy Diagnostic's support in molecular biology products.
Integrated DNA Technologies
Integrated DNA Technologies specializes in DNA synthesis, gene construction, antisense oligos, molecular beacons and a variety of molecular biology products. We thank IDT for being an official sponsor of the iGEM competition and providing teams with a discount on gene fragments.
Integrated DNA Technologies specializes in DNA synthesis, gene construction, antisense oligos, molecular beacons and a variety of molecular biology products. We thank IDT for being an official sponsor of the iGEM competition and providing teams with a discount on gene fragments.
MathWorks
MathWorks is the world's leading developer of technical computing software for engineers and scientists in industry, government, and education. The team thanks MathWorks for sponsoring the 2015 iGEM competition, providing software and technical support to all iGEM teams.
MathWorks is the world's leading developer of technical computing software for engineers and scientists in industry, government, and education. The team thanks MathWorks for sponsoring the 2015 iGEM competition, providing software and technical support to all iGEM teams.
New England Biolabs
Founded in the mid-1970s as a collective of scientists committed to developing innovative products for the life sciences industry, New England Biolabs is now a recognized world leader in the discovery, development and commercialization of recombinant and native enzymes for genomic research. The team is grateful for NEB sponsorship of the iGEM competition, which has provided teams with the BioBrick® Assembly Kit and other products such as DNA ladders and enzymes.
Founded in the mid-1970s as a collective of scientists committed to developing innovative products for the life sciences industry, New England Biolabs is now a recognized world leader in the discovery, development and commercialization of recombinant and native enzymes for genomic research. The team is grateful for NEB sponsorship of the iGEM competition, which has provided teams with the BioBrick® Assembly Kit and other products such as DNA ladders and enzymes.
SnapGene
SnapGene offers molecular biology software that offers a fast and easy way to plan, visualize, and document molecular biology procedures. The team would like to thank Snapgene for providing us with licenses that we have used to help visualize our genetic constructs.
SnapGene offers molecular biology software that offers a fast and easy way to plan, visualize, and document molecular biology procedures. The team would like to thank Snapgene for providing us with licenses that we have used to help visualize our genetic constructs.
Thermo Fisher Scientific
The mission of Thermo Fisher Scientific is to enable their customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. They help their customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Through their four premier brands – Thermo Scientific, Life Technologies, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services – they offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive support. We thank ThermoFisher for the donation of research materials.
The mission of Thermo Fisher Scientific is to enable their customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. They help their customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Through their four premier brands – Thermo Scientific, Life Technologies, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services – they offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive support. We thank ThermoFisher for the donation of research materials.
VWR International
VWR provides an expansive choice of premiere products, such as chemicals, furniture, equipment, instruments, apparel and consumables, to the world's top pharmaceutical, biotech, industrial, educational, governmental, and healthcare organizations. VWR has generously supported Cornell iGEM with necessary research supplies.
VWR provides an expansive choice of premiere products, such as chemicals, furniture, equipment, instruments, apparel and consumables, to the world's top pharmaceutical, biotech, industrial, educational, governmental, and healthcare organizations. VWR has generously supported Cornell iGEM with necessary research supplies.
DNA 2.0
DNA2.0 is the leading bioengineering solutions provider. Founded in 2003, DNA2.0 offers an integrated pipeline of solutions for the research community, including gene design, optimization, synthesis and cloning, as well as platforms for protein and strain engineering. It is the fastest provider of synthetic genes—based in the US with a global customer base encompassing academia, government and the pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural and biotechnology industries. DNA2.0 is by far the most published synthetic gene vendor, providing expert support to and collaboration with scientists. DNA2.0 explores novel applications for synthetic genes and is exploiting the synergy between highly efficient gene design and synthesis processes and new protein optimization technologies. DNA2.0’s tools and solutions are fueling the transformation of biology from a discovery science to an engineering discipline.
DNA2.0 is the leading bioengineering solutions provider. Founded in 2003, DNA2.0 offers an integrated pipeline of solutions for the research community, including gene design, optimization, synthesis and cloning, as well as platforms for protein and strain engineering. It is the fastest provider of synthetic genes—based in the US with a global customer base encompassing academia, government and the pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural and biotechnology industries. DNA2.0 is by far the most published synthetic gene vendor, providing expert support to and collaboration with scientists. DNA2.0 explores novel applications for synthetic genes and is exploiting the synergy between highly efficient gene design and synthesis processes and new protein optimization technologies. DNA2.0’s tools and solutions are fueling the transformation of biology from a discovery science to an engineering discipline.
Krackeler Scientific
Krackeler Scientific is a leading, full-line distributor of general laboratory supplies, large and small equipment, chemicals, chromatography consumables, tissue culture products, sophisticated biological kits, media and reagents, lab safety products, and just about anything else you’d want to find in a scientific space. Their comprehensive product line represents all of the leading scientific manufacturers and can be ordered through our print catalog or website. They now serve academic, governmental, and private sector customers in the biotechnology, nanotechnology, life science, pharmaceutical, biomedical, environmental, and industrial sectors.
Krackeler Scientific is a leading, full-line distributor of general laboratory supplies, large and small equipment, chemicals, chromatography consumables, tissue culture products, sophisticated biological kits, media and reagents, lab safety products, and just about anything else you’d want to find in a scientific space. Their comprehensive product line represents all of the leading scientific manufacturers and can be ordered through our print catalog or website. They now serve academic, governmental, and private sector customers in the biotechnology, nanotechnology, life science, pharmaceutical, biomedical, environmental, and industrial sectors.
Mendeley
Starting a research project can be overwhelming. Mendeley simplifies every step in the process, from search and discovery to reading and analysis.
Starting a research project can be overwhelming. Mendeley simplifies every step in the process, from search and discovery to reading and analysis.
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