Attributions

Members

Clodagh Healy

Role: Biology, Bioinformatics, Art, Genetics
Clodagh’s contribution to the team included being the main parts designer. She used bioinformatic tools to design primers and improve upon existing parts from team Exeter’s project in 2018. She was in charge of registering basic and composite parts. All biology and part progress was tracked under biology design. In addition to this, she worked alongside Mei, the technology expert, to produce the artwork of Martina you see around the wiki page. Clodagh produced a literature review on the current Biosafety rules and regulations in regards to extra-terrestrial travel.

Justin Hayes

Role: Growth Studies, Biology, Genetics, Sequence Alignments, Biofrag Design, BIU Design, Judging Form, Safety Form.
Justin was the primary contributor to the growth studies through designing and implementing all protocols performed. He was instrumental in initial sequencing/genetic works before Clodagh took over that section and was involved with all aspects of the Biofrag design through its many iterations including eventual testing of the Biofrags ability to present a suitable environment for seed growth. In addition to these, Justin was involved heavily with both the safety form and judging form being filled in and ensured both were uploaded before deadlines. As well as the aforementioned involvement, Justin was a constant source of help across all aspects of the project and was always eager to offer help and guidance with others’ work throughout.

Mei Chen

Role: Wiki-lead, Design, Communications, Collaboration activities
Mei was in charge of the social media for the team alongside Alannah. She was in charge of the team’s Instagram account and made posts and stories keeping other teams updated on our team’s progress. She also helped create posters and edit images for the wiki. She was in charge of creating the wiki for the team. She was in charge of reaching out to other teams and sharing our collaboration project: The Martina Project which consisted of our teams Martina and other teams Martinis’. She helped incorporate Clodaghs’ artwork onto the wiki. She was also in charge of writing content for a few of the wiki pages. She was in charge of the team’s email inbox which included communicating any important emails to the team.

Josh O’Brien

Role: Biology, Genetics, Sequence Alignments, Biofrag Design, BIU Design, ASYV collaboration, Safety Form, Art, Project overview, Hardware modelling
Josh O’Briens contributions to the team included being a main part of the Biofrag and BIU design and implementation. He used creative thinking and innovative approaches to find the best design for each mechanism. Josh, Justin and Clodagh were in constant talks throughout the wet and dry laboratory sessions to ensure they had developed the most optimal sequences and optimal Biofrag and BIU designs. Josh also worked heavily on the Safety form by working with Justin to ensure they had thought of everything to do with SOPs and Biofrag implementation. As well as the aforementioned, Josh was involved in Art design when the initial team poster was constructed and continued to talk with Clodagh and Mei when designing the Martina cartoon comic and the Wiki to help with some of the creative thinking. Josh provided a constant source of motivation and acted as a support for each of his teammates throughout the iGEM project.

Rachel Holmes

Role: Biology, Bioinformatics, ASYV Collaboration, Biofrag Design & Growth Studies
Rachel was involved in the initial bioinformatic work of our project and worked on improving the existing parts of the Exeter 2018 teams previous work to aid in our progress. She worked heavily on each aspect of the Biofrag design, being a part of many design ideas and suggestions along the way. She also took part in the growth testing aspect of the Biofrag, assessing its capability of plant growth by planting seeds of choice in soil, inside the Biofrag, and recording the results obtained. In addition to these, Rachel both prepared and presented presentation slides for the ASYV collaboration event.

Alannah O’Flaherty

Role: Communications, Media, Design, Admin
Alannah worked on promotional videos and other artwork. She managed the team’s twitter and did general admin such as announcing deadlines and taking notes during meetings.

James O’Connell

Role: Team Member
James was involved with ASYV and attended wet lab discussions. James did background literature research for the team. He was also a part of the UK-Ireland meet up.

Support Team

We would like to thank our mentors, PIs’, supervisors for all their guidance. Their knowledge is vast and they have provided us with great advice throughout our journey as the first iGEM team from Munster Technological University. We would like to thank our sponsors for helping us with funding and believing in us. Special thanks to Dr. Venkata Vamsi for taking the initiative in organizing and finding people who were interested to join this team. It has been a fun and exciting journey full of learning and new friendships.

Dr. Venkata Vamsi BY

Role: Instructor
Vamsi offered technical advice on the engineering side of the project when creating the BioFrags. In addition to the aforementioned, he provided bioinformatic support and education.

Dr. Chinna Devarapu

Role: Secondary PI
Chinna helped our team with 3D printing support. He showed the team how to use the 3D printing machinery. Without Chinna’s help, team MTU_Cork would not have been able to create the BioFrag. Chinna designed the BioFrag and the BIU.

Dr. Uday Gowda

Role: Support Member
Uday provided the team with insight on videography and the technology involved for creating the promotional video. Uday was also involved with the setting up of the Raman spec.

Susan Enright

Role: Instructor
Susan provided support and advice to the team throughout the competition. She acted as a representative for MTU and always made herself available for contact and a chat.

Dr. Liam Lewis

Role: Financial Support Advisor
Liam helped the team to receive the funding from the college along with donated funds.

Audrey Masi

Role: iGEM provided mentor
Audrey provided the team with support from within the iGEM program. She kept the team on track with deadlines and answered any questions we had about the competition process.

Jim O’Mahony

Role: Academic Advisor
He played a key role in organising fundraising for the team and made himself available throughout the project’s duration to give advice and support.

Dan Keaney

Role: Team advisor and wet lab mentor
Dan provided support on the experimental ideas and overall topic choice as it is a topic he is interested in.

Dr. Eilish Broderick

Role: PI, Academic Advisor
Eilish was responsible for the integration of MTU Kerry students into the iGEM team. She was also responsible for additional entrance fee funding from MTU Kerry.

Other supports

Exeter

Role: Previous iGEM team in 2018
Team Exeter provided team MTU_Cork with parts that were improved upon. The genetics outlined by team Exeter were modelled and adapted in order to create the ideal engineered bacteria for the BioFrag.

NOVA_LxPortugal

Role: iGEM team 2021
Team NOVA met with MTU_Cork and offered information about their iGEM experience in 2020. Team NOVA provided us with much appreciated moral support and motivation on our journey through the iGEM competition.

Emily Chedhomme and Deidre Kingston

Role: Previous iGEM member of MTU-CORK iGEM Team 2021
Initiated the initial project promotional poster

Alex Gordikovs

Role: Previous iGEM member of MTU-CORK iGEM Team 2021
Helped communicate the ASYV event to the team.

Team:MTU-CORK/Attributions