We share our many years of experience in IGEM competition with HUST2-China, tell them the points for attention, and send team members to help them with knowledge and technology.In the conception stage, we have sent three team leaders to participate in the HUST2-China project design meeting many times to provide ideas for their experimental design. At the same time, we also take the experience of the past few years as an example to share how we designed, prepared and participated in iGEM in the past. We hope that the fraternal team can learn from our experience, use past achievements as an example, and avoid detours.

Figure 1: Sharing Experience

At the beginning of the project design, our two teams plan to produce related products based on the research results. Our projects are all based on the principles of people-oriented and healthy. We discussed in detail the ideas of business planning and product design, and finally determined the highlights and characteristics of each project, and completed the project with this as a starting point.

At the same time, the similarities between the two teams that used Escherichia coli as the chassis biological expression target to synthesize the final product also provided a lot of help for the communication. Our team was interested in the system used by HUST2-China to induce expressions through light and heat factors. This unique system was expected to be applied to our anabolic pathway: For the engineered bacteria that produce perm and hair dye, we can control the appropriate light and temperature to operate the expression of the engineered bacteria. However, in further communication, we learned about the specific parameters of the expression system. Considering the stability of our pigment products and the viability of the final product, we finally chose a chemical reagent-induced expression system.

In the early stage of the experiment, the brothers expected to build a biochemical model as an experimental guide, but encountered difficulties in the specific implementation process. Coincidentally, the modeling students of our team have more systematic knowledge and more mature methods of building models. In order to verify the universality of this method and help our brother team, the modeling team members of our team discussed and cooperated with HUST2-China members, and helped them to establish an ion channel model to explore the transport of related ions and other substances on the cell membrane and the secretion of proteins. After this exchange, both sides have benefited a lot from it, and HUST2-China has also achieved the expected results, which is helpful to the direction of the experiment.

Figure 2: Model 1

Figure 3: Model 2

After constructing the gene expression pathway, we encountered difficulties in the extraction and purification of the protein: the extracted protein was either impurity or too high. Therefore, we discussed the extraction and purification of protein with our brother team. HUST2-China proposes a good method to extract and purify intracellular proteins using high pressure chromatography system. They have conducted many experiments on the method of high-pressure chromatography system to extract protein, and achieved good results, and they are relatively proficient in the application of this method, so our team learned from them the method of high-pressure chromatography system and applied it at the same time In our experiments, we have achieved ideal results and improved the quality of the extracted protein a lot.

At the same time, we also exchanged in other aspects, such as the operation of gel extraction and the transformation of E. coli and other experimental procedures. Both of teams have gained a lot in this process and encountered many problems. At the same time, the progress of the experiment has also been significantly improved.

In the past year of cooperation, we have maintained close contact with HAZU. During the exchange process, our two teams jointly represented Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Two teams and two projects become a whole. During the period, we maintained close contact. We were responsible for the main planning and contact work. The brother team was responsible for the organization of some activities, providing manpower and material resources, and finally organized a debate and an offline meeting.

Figure 5: Group photo of HZAU&HUST debate and friendly match

Figure 6: HZAU&HUST meet up

In terms of cooperation, we organized a large-scale conference iGEM exchange in China. As the organizer, HUST-China invited iGEM teams from many universities, including HUST2-China, to exchange project experience and participation experience. As our important guest and organizer team, HUST2-China provided us with a lot of help in organizing this large-scale event. During this period, HUST2-China undertook part of the logistics of the conference and helped us contact other schools to prepare for the event. And at the meeting, the brother team shared the basic cooperation between our two teams and a wonderful introduction to their respective project outlines.

Figure 7: A group photo of the teams participating in the Central China Exchange Conference offline

Our two teams participated in the eighth CCIC Competition held by Fudan University. Before participating in the competition, our two teams sent members to discuss and exchange prospects for their own projects. At the same time, they shared their own experimental ideas and methods, and made an in-depth study and discussion on the problems encountered in the process of the experiment. Through this exchange, we have once again clarified the direction and ideas of the experiment, solved the previous problems, and made great progress.

In order to better participate in the CCIC competition, we each sent several members to conduct defense drills, together to prepare the defense PPT, while pointing out each other's problems, mutual promotion and common progress, and finally achieved good results in the competition.

Figure 8: Discussion related issues presented by CCiC

In terms of practice, we gave each other ideas and completed a number of popular science education practices. The two teams supported each other in the courses of Qiming College (innovative talent training institution built by HUST). We sent team members to chair and discuss synthetic biology knowledge, iGEM and introduce our respective projects.

Figure 9: Students participating in the course show the crafts they learned and made in the course

In addition to the Qiming course, our two teams also plan science teaching work outside the province. We sent our team members to give a lecture on synthetic biology at the Beijing Community Youth Conference.

Figure 10: Screenshot of online meeting