Team:Bonn-Rheinbach/Partnership
Social
Partnerships - Success through long term collaboration
iGEM Calgary
Wet and dry labs
Early during the iGEM year, Team Calgary got in contact with us about our project and as it turns out we had the same initial concept of using Lanmodulin (LanM) to extract Rare Earth Elements (REEs) from various sources. Initially, we met and discussed how we can differentiate and more importantly provide support for each other. An easy solution was to simply focus on different feedstocks with iGEM Calgary concentrating on using LanM to recycle REEs from electronic waste and iGEM Bonn extracting new REEs from raw minerals. Each project has its own problem-solution-fit but the similarities of our process and both teams using the same protein allowed for mutual troubleshooting and advice throughout the next months of lab work.
In the first project phase, the teams developed their projects individually. This should ensure that different experimental approaches are developed to tackle REE extraction from different feedstocks. Until September, we (iGEM Bonn) made strong progress in the lab. We were able to recombinantly produce LanM and already developed different approaches to rapidly purify high amounts of this protein. In addition, the first design of the REE extraction process, applying ores as substrate, was tested.
Since the teams agreed to meet after sufficient time to reflect progress and exchange experience, an online meeting was scheduled on September 13th. During the session, iGEM Calgary reported that they were highly successful in dry lab development and refined their experiment design to a high level. However, wet lab progress was hindered because the generated LanM production E. coli strain did not generate the desired protein. The troubleshooting meeting focused on identifying potential reasons for absent productivity and options to solving the problem. We sent our vector sequences to Calgary and provided further advice.
Shortly after the meeting, iGEM Calgary was successful in heterologously producing LanM. We provided them with our designed protocols for rapid and high-throughput purification of LanM (acidification approach). This aimed at accelerating the workflows for iGEM Calgary to enable rapid progress during limited time.
In addition, analytical techniques for REE detection were the second aspect in discussions between the teams during the final experimental phase. For rapid determination, iGEM Calgary had established an Arsenazo III-based approach, while iGEM Bonn applied the xylenol orange-relying method. We exchanged experiences with respect to advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we concluded that Arsenazo III was not suited for REE detection in downstream processes from apatite since iGEM Calgary reported that Arsenazo III reacted strongly to Ca2+ - the main cation in apatite. Since we experienced difficulties in access to ICP-MS instrumentation at this time (mid of September), iGEM Calgary recommended some analytical options to replace this technique with another one.
Calgary advanced very quickly in regards to dry lab procedures and gave a detailed oversight into their tools and their documentation concerning various approaches. This happened over the course of multiple meetings dedicated to dry lab procedures. Most interesting and relevant for our project were the following. Calgary developed a workflow for using Autodock to model the binding affinity of LanM to specific targets and has tested this process. This could be used in modeling actinide binding affinities and seeing how LanM works in more complex minerals containing not just lanthanides but actinides. Dry Lab specialists from iGEM Calgary were available and gave us an overview of using other software such as AlphaFold and PyMol to test out other aspects of LanM concerning our side of the projects.
Social Media
This year we coincidentally worked with the same protein as iGEM Calgary. While iGEM Bonn is working on constructing a workflow encompassing the extraction process from ores including the recyclability of Lanmodulin, iGEM Calgary’s project, Neocycle, involves the extraction, separation, and measurement of Rare Earth Elements from e-waste. Due to the similarity of our projects iGEM Bonn and iGEM Calgary decided to work together closely in both Dry Lab and Social Outreach for the benefit of both our projects. The Social Outreach collaboration of our teams included a series of educational posts about Rare Earth Elements, their application, and scarcity.
For more information on iGEM Calgary's project, Neocycle, visit their wiki here:
iGEM Kaiserslautern
iGEM is not only a competition but an opportunity for young scientists from all over the world to exchange ideas and iGEM Bonn has always celebrated that aspect of the competition – for example with the Spring festival in 2019, to which we invited iGEM Teams from all over Europe. In relation to the Covid19-pandemic and restrictions that came along with it at the beginning of the iGEM season, we were unsure on whether we would get the opportunity to connect with other iGEM teams in the ways we had enjoyed so much in the previous years. Luckily our worries were dissolved fairly quickly. We originally met with iGEM Kaiserslautern to get advice on our then difficult financial situation, but we quickly came to appreciate them as much more than just an advising team. We started our first Collaboration in March, planning our first event – the German Meetup (read more about this: Collaborations) – together and we immediately got along. During our almost weekly meetings throughout the iGEM season besides planning several Social Outreach projects (read more about this: Collaborations), we discussed the competition and the progress on our projects. Since those projects were very different, we were always fascinated to hear about iGEM Kaiserslautern and their work with Leishmania. It allowed us once again to appreciate the width and manifoldness of the field of biotechnology in general and the diverse solutions iGEM provides for all kinds of challenges specifically. On the other hand, these differences in our projects made it difficult for us to collaborate with iGEM Kaiserslautern in the Laboratory. Regardless, we exchanged protocols for certain specific steps in our processes, like the Western blot, and conversed about our experiences.
Our variable means of communication with one another, including direct contact via Whatsapp and a common discord server, allowed for easy and smooth communication and we used those means to remind and advise each other on competition deliverables, guidelines as well as to exchange about our collaboration progress and how to proceed. A good example of this is the promotional video, during the production of which we supported each other when both of our teams faced problems while uploading the subtitles. Furthermore, one of our Spanish Speaking team members translated iGEM Kaiserslautern’s subtitles to Spanish, therefore, allowing them to reach a broader audience.
Apart from our communication and time invested into the competition we also met up privately at an online team building event during which we played games available online. Regardless of our regret of not having been able to meet in person with iGEM Kaiserslautern yet, we are grateful to have had a partner during this very different iGEM season to reach out to in case of difficulties and challenges and be likewise able to provide support. Our special thanks go to iGEM Kaiserslautern for their hard work, creativity, cordiality, and team spirit.
written by Annika Hanraths and Robin Axt