Team:GA State SW Jiaotong/Collaborations
05/29/21 CCIC online meeting
CCiC is a non-profit, national-wide annual academic conference initiated by Chinese iGEMers. It provides a platform for iGEMers to communicate and cooperate. Nowadays, CCiC has become one of the largest academic conferences for undergraduate students in China. On May 29, 2021, our team participated in the 2021 China iGEM Online Meetup, which is guided by CCiC committee and co-hosted by Jiangnan_China, SZU-China, Jilin_China, and LZD-China. The meeting lasted for two days. A total of 42 teams participated, and 28 teams presented their projects during the meeting.
Fig1.We introduced "Hnoss" on the CCIC online meeting
At the conference, we introduced our project “HNOSS” to other teams: a novel application of hair loss treatment method using heterologous-expressed human follicle cell growth-related factors. During the meeting, we established further collaboration with Tongji_China, Jiangnan_China, ShanghaiTech_China, and SJTang.
TongJi_China
06/05/21 Online meeting
On June 5th, GA_State_SW_Jiaotong, represented by our team, and Tongji_China had an online discussion about project development and the questionnaires' design.
Fig2. We introduced the plan of our projects in the beginning.
In the beginning, both sides introduced their projects. The central part of the meeting was about the design of the questionnaire survey. We shared some experience with Tongji_China from design, publicity, and methods for ensuring the diversity of questionnaire questions and respondents.
Regarding the existing question setting of Tongji_China's questionnaire, we proposed that the difference of region and residence place could be reflected in the questionnaire. To increase the diversity of respondents, we also suggested offline publicity. In addition, taking the project stakeholders, market conditions, product acceptability, and moderation into account when setting the problems is also recommended.
Fig3. Tongji_China introduced their future plan.
During the communication process, two teams exchanged the opinions thoroughly in designing the questionnaire. Moreover, our team also sought advice from Tongji_China regarding the pathway design and model construction.
06/14/21 Online meeting
On June 14th, GA_State_SW_Jiaotong, represented by our team, and Tongji_China held another online meeting to discuss the experimental design and modeling.
Fig4.GA_State_SW_Jiaotong and Tongji_China 6.14 Online Meeting
Regarding the design of the suicide switch, our team proposed employing the difference between general environment and scalp environment for the bacteria committing suicide and the method of making the strain survive under specific conditions. Based on their experience in designing suicide switches, Tongji_China proposed various forms of suicide switches driven by other factors and some problems that need to be considered for multiple types of suicide switches.
Fig5. Tongji_China introduced multiple types of suicide switches
As for the modeling part, Tongji_China suggested that our team consider more factors that affect protein yield in the yield prediction model. And regarding the economic model that we wanted to apply for predicting the existing market shares of hair loss products, Tongji_China believed that most of the current hair loss products in the market are specific for androgenic alopecia. In contrast, treatment methods for stress alopecia are not very popular, so they may not be very suitable. As for the enzymatic reaction kinetic model applied by Tongji_China, our team shared some model construction experience and results with Tongji_China for their reference.
Fig6 Two teams discussed the ideas of Models
07/18/21 off-line discussion in Shanghai
SJTANG
On July 18th, GA_State_SW_Jiaotong and SJTang had an in-person meeting about the project of iGEM for preliminary learning and communication. At the beginning of the meeting, both sides introduced their projects to each other. After discussion and the exchange of opinions, both sides learned and benefitted from the information that was shared and reached an agreement to cooperate in the following aspects.
Fig7. 7.18 in-person meeting with team SJTang
Firstly, in regards to mathematical modeling, SJTang planned to build a mathematical model for hydrogen production from the co-growth of two kinds of bacteria, while we also need to build a model to account for the growth of multiple bacteria. Therefore, the two teams would cooperate in terms of the exchange of knowledge and resources for the construction of this co-culture model.
Secondly, in regards to the cooperation of HP, both sides would officially present their parts of the project. Some GA_State_SW_Jiaotong team members are in the United States, these students will present explanatory, short promotional videos provided by the SJT during their presentations. Meanwhile, SJTang, which is comprised of senior high schools from all over China, would also give out questionnaire surveys during their presentation. Both teams would make use of each other's resources to promote their projects and at the same time, expand the influence and educational significance of the projects.
In addition, SJTang has rich resources of experts and professors, which can help GA_State_SW_Jiaotong's project in stem cells, protein drugs, and other related fields of the project. Thus, this allowed GA_State_SW_Jiaotong to receive more professional guidance.
Fig8. Member of SJTang provides their ideas
Finally, in regards to the wiki, GA_State_SW_Jiaotong and SJT both have their own advantages. GA_State_SW_Jiaotong would provide technical support to SJTang while SJTang would assist in the graphic design.
SZ-SHD
On July 19th, our team and SZ-SHD had an in-person meeting about the iGEM project. After introducing both projects, the two sides decided to collaborate on the following aspects.
In terms of the product research, the two sides shared similarities in products (SZ-SHD studies facial hair loss while our team studies hair loss). SZ-SHD would research the fragrance and pigment of products, so we proposed that the two teams could further communicate in product design.
Fig9. Two teams communicated with projects, product research, technology and HP
As for the technology, our team would provide emulsion technology to solve the problems encountered by SZ-SHD about enzyme delivery and provide the kinetic model of enzyme reaction to help them build an ideal mathematical model.
Finally, in regards to HP, both sides would display each other's projects in their own Wechat official account to do publicity. At the same time, due to the high degree of overlap between projects, both sides would also introduce related experts to each other to get more professional guidance.
Lambert High School
This year we collaborated with the iGem team from Lambert High School. They sent us their lyophilizer to test out, and we did so using some of the transformed P.Pastoris-Gas6 bacterial samples. This experience proved to be very valuable to our team, as it allowed us to interact with another iGem team and discuss our iGem projects.
On October 14th, we organized a small presentation at Lambert High School. Lambert High School is a prominent High School situated in Suwanee, Georgia. We have been collaborating with them on their iGem project this year, and we got to visit and present our project to them and introduce our college lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and Chandu, China.
Lambert High School has been partaking in the iGEM competition for the last three years, so gaining their feedback and insight into their project was very beneficial for us. We shed some light on how hair loss affects individuals and how we are tackling this problem. At the end of our presentation, we distributed a short survey to gather their opinions regarding hair loss, given what they had just learned from our presentation and discussion. We want our project to be inclusive of all age groups and genders. Therefore gaining Lambert High School's feedback proved valuable for both our survey data and our project idea.
Fig10.Two teams collaborated for experiments
Biogallery
We also prepared a brief introduction and photos of our program for iBowu-China, which they made into biogallery later on.
Fig11.The biogallery page for out team.
