Team:CAU China/Partnership

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Partnership

Overview

BUCT: https://2021.igem.org/Team:BUCT/Partnership

In 2021, our team, CAU_China, developed an intimate partnership relationship with BUCT.

We got in touch with BUCT in May and finally decided to develop a partnership between us because the two teams’ projects share a set of similar objectives. While our project focuses on glutamic acid and γ-polyglutamic-acid, BUCT’s project focuses on γ-aminobutyric acid and 5-hydroxytryptophan, which means we are both working on amino acids and can collaborate more in experiments and measurement. In addition, we both want to discover the distribution of our product after its implementation by mathematical modelling, providing chances for us to exchange ideas and methods. Moreover, we are both in Beijing and can achieve offline collaboration or meetup in the pandemic.

We held several online meetings or discussions with BUCT and both benefited a lot in the design of experiments, modeling, and human practices. Besides, we have done an offline education event together to promote synthetic biology.

As we expected, the exchange and cooperation with BUCT facilitated the development of both teams' projects, broadened each member’s ideas through brainstorming, and enabled a close bond and friendship between us.

Fig. 1 CAU_China and BUCT

Partnership stage I：Experiment Improvement

Because the final products of the two teams share similarity, we collaborated in measurement and general experiment design in the earlier stage of our projects.

CAU_China → BUCT: BUCT's project focuses on the production of GABA using E. coli as the chassis organism. For the measurement of the final product, CAU_China suggested trying the colorimetric method first, because it is cheaper and easier compared to HPLC. For detailed measurement, CAU_China suggested centrifuging the supernatant of the sample and then measuring it after decolorization with activated carbon, and shared several articles on the colorimetric detection of bromocresol green.
BUCT → CAU_China： BUCT later carried out their measurement using the colorimetric method CAU_China had suggested and gave valuable feedbacks, reminding us that this method is not appropriate when the concentration of the final product is a bit low. Besides, CAU_China asked BUCT technical questions about the using the restriction enzymes to build circuits, and BUCT gave detailed solutions. For example, they suggested pre-experiments on respective single restriction enzyme digestion efficiency must be carried out in advance, if we plan to do a double-digest, so as to ensure that these enzymes and the cutting points on the plasmid are appropriate for usage.

Partnership Stage II：Model Modification

Because the two teams' projects are similar in metabolic transformation and product metabolic pathway, we have had a profound and extensive exchange in the establishment of model in the middle period of our projects. For the unsolved problems, we also discussed them with BUCT and put forward corresponding solutions.

CAU_China → BUCT: The design of BUCT’s project involves an kill switch sensitive to oxygen concentration. Based on this point, CAU_China provides the model establishment idea and equations of kill switch for BUCT in combination with our own ODE model. We also put forward some modification suggestions for the distribution model of BUCT, including the attempt that the model may be further developed into a two-dimensional model using Cellular Automaton.
BUCT → CAU_China： BUCT introduced their distribution model of bacteria in the intestine for CAU_China. In the distribution model, BUCT considered many properties of the intestine itself and they made some useful suggestions for improving the Cellular Automaton model of CAU_China. In addition, BUCT offered us useful literature on how to characterize the microbial metabolic pathway through ODE model.

Partnership Stage III：Human Practice Inspirations

After the autumn term began in China, CAU_China and BUCT had more chances to collaborate offline and we have carried out several education activities together in the final stage of our projects.

CAU_China → BUCT: CAU_China invited BUCT to conduct education activities at China Agricultural University, and together we promoted synthetic biology applications to undergraduates and introduced iGEM competition in the offline lecture "Introduction of Synthetic Biology and iGEM" we hosted in CAU. Additionally, we suggested more ways to conduct human practice to BUCT.
BUCT → CAU_China： BUCT invited CAU_China to a community science event organized by Uncle Long-Legs Mailbox(a charity project organization that works with left-behind children and migrant children in China), and gave us tips on how to communicate with companies. BUCT also shared the contact information about companies (Yakult and Uncle Long-Legs Mailbox) that BUCT were working with.