Team:CSMU Taiwan/Partnership

Partnership

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In our partnership with the MingDao High School team, we have successfully helped one another on various aspects throughout the entire season of the iGEM Competition 2021. Below is a roadmap documented with every step of our journey, and you can click into the events underlined to know more about every event.
We want to thank the iGEM Team of Mingdao High School for being such great partners along the way, and we hope to continue working together in the future!

 Design 
Amplification Method Choice

Amplification Method Choice

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Through our HP activities, we were well aware that due to UTUC patients not showing symptoms in the early stages of the disease, there is great inertia in opting for pricey options as such to detect a disease that they barely believe they have. Therefore, our team could not use the traditional and pricey methods, and had to find new ways to micro-RNA biomarker level detection.
It was made known to us through our peers that Mingdao High School was a very experienced school in the iGEM competition, and therefore we reached out to them for help. Coincidentally, they were researching on various ways to do signal amplification of their DNA product as well. Through research and careful debates together, both teams ended up with the idea of using Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA) as our mechanism of choice in amplification.

 Design 
Ligase Choice

Ligase Choice

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During the designing of our lab protocols, we needed to do brainstorming in terms of the ideal way to circularise our linear ssDNA probe (parts) . As there were several methods to achieve this objective already present in the field of biology, such as using the T4 ligase and ligation primer combination as well as Circligase , we struggled to pick the ideal one for our experiment.
However, through the collective effort by our team and Mingdao High School, we actively contacted international biological supplies companies , and carefully evaluated the situation. Collectively, we came to a conclusion that due to the lack of experiments conducted using Circligase on similar mechanisms as ours in the field of synthetic biology, we stuck with using T4 DNA ligase and a ligation primer for ssDNA circulisation.

 Design 
DNA Dye Choice

DNA Dye Choice

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Later on in the design of our wetlab experiments, both teams encountered a dilemma with the DNA dye we should use for optimal functioning of our respective kits. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, our team was unable to gain access to the lab. Fortunately, the Mingdao High School team managed to conduct verification experiments to test the effectiveness of the SYBR Gold dye vs Evagreen Dye.
From there and with more research, both teams decided to employ Evagreen Dye for our DNA product dye.

 Wetlab 
Mentoring Mingdao High School
in lab skills

Mentoring Mingdao High School
in lab skills

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In this next stage of our respective projects after project planning, we took it upon ourselves to provide mentorship to the iGEM team of Mingdao High School in lab skills. We recognised that High School students were not as adequately equipped with the relevant lab skills needed for procedures in the field of synthetic biology as compared to undergraduates. Therefore, we provided the iGEM team of Mingdao School with a three day workshop in their school lab where we taught them the relevant lab skills that they needed for the execution of their project, such as using pipettes and gel electrophoresis. Through the course, though we dare not say they had achieved complete mastery in biology related lab skills, there were definitely more prepared to embark on their project than before and performed a smoother execution of their lab protocols as a result.

 Drylab 
Modeling

Modeling

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For the Drylab compartment, we have also provided help to the Mingdao High School team with their mathematical modelling.
As their team started on their modelling later than ours, by that time we have already almost finalised our modelling. Therefore, especially in terms of mathematical modelling, we assisted them in terms of the direction of their modelling most appropriate for their project as well as how to employ mathematical equations into biological environments.
We have also assisted them with formulating their assumptions to fit their models into their projects, as this is an aspect that might be forgotten or missing in the circumstances of inadequate expertise in the area of study. The Mingdao High School Team was very receptive to feedback and quick to pick up on the relevant skills, so we had a blast working together in this aspect.

 Education 
Video Feedback

Video Feedback

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Especially in times like this with the Covid-19 pandemic, it was harder for our team to collect large amounts of data without in real life interactions. Thankfully, we had our Mingdao High School partners to assist us in this aspect. As our team was set on communicating to the public in the most effective way possible, we sought feedback on contents we planned out for our Youtube channel (Education) . Through their generous input, we fine-tuned the content to the middle school and high school population in our society, delivering information in an understandable yet concise way.

 Education 
Assistance in Educational Games

Assistance in Educational Games

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As Mingdao High School started planning their education activities later than our team, we also managed to take part in their brainstorming process with the help of our prior experience and know-how. We worked together with them in an attempt to come up with an optimal game for young children to know more about phage action. Though educating young kids about phage action does sound like stretch, it was then decided that a variation of monopoly will be used, which was an excellent idea to educate with a twist of a current children favourite.

 Entrepreneurship 
Final Words

Final Words

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We have also provided guidance to the Mingdao team in terms of writing proposals on their project. As we did delve into the entrepreneurship aspect for our own project, we were fairly experienced in formulating proposals. As they required help in coming up with one of their own to provide the school and stakeholders they interviewed with, we helped them along the way in doing so as well.

 Conclusion 
Formulating Proposals

Formulating Proposals

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As seen from the above, our team provided them help in the execution of their project, while they provided us help in the idea generation of our project. Through this, both teams have managed a smoother journey throughout the one-year course of the competition preparation.
As seen from the above, our team provided them help in the execution of their project, while they provided us help in the idea generation of our project. Through this, both teams have managed a smoother journey throughout the one-year course of the competition preparation.

About us

We are the 2021 iGEM Team of
CSMU Taiwan.

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CSMU_Taiwan iGEM Team　
No. 110, Section 1, Jianguo North
Road, South District, Taichung City, 40201,Taiwan

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