Last spring, University of Minnesota undergrads formed a team to participate in iGEM, an international competition to design and develop modular molecular building blocks known as BioBricks and assemble them to create microorganism-based systems for manufacturing useful products. Here's what happened.

1. Students
go
“synthe.c”
What
be(er
way
to
make
complex
molecules
than
to
enlist
the
help
of
living
things
that
do
it
all
the
;me?
That’s
the
idea
behind
synthe;c
biology,
a
rapidly
growing
field
focused
on
modifying
microorganisms
to
produce
biofuels,
medicines
and
other
chemical
compounds
to
meet
human
needs.
And
what
be(er
way
to
expand
our
ability
to
do
so
than
to
enlist
the
crea;ve
thinking
and
energy
of
undergraduate
students?
That’s
the
idea
behind
iGEM,
an
interna;onal
compe;;on
that
challenges
teams
to
imagine
a
need
that
could
be
met
through
synthe;c
biology,
then
carry
out
the
lab
work
to
make
it
a
reality.

2. Last
spring,
University
of
Minnesota
undergrads
formed
a
team
to
par;cipate
in
iGEM,
an
interna;onal
compe;;on
to
design
and
develop
modular
molecular
building
blocks
known
as
BioBricks
and
assemble
them
to
create
microorganism-­‐based
systems
for
manufacturing
useful
products.

3. The
project
they
chose
was
proposed
by
students
from
a
spring
semester
synthe;c
biology
course
who
suggested
developing
BioBrick
parts
that
could
be
used
to
transform
a
yeast,
Pichia
pastoris,
into
an
insulin-­‐producing
powerhouse.
The
group
proposing
the
project
included
Jake
Tenold,
a
fourth-­‐year
microbiology
student
who
was
inspired
by
family
members
with
diabetes
and
by
the
growing
need
in
developing
countries
for
insulin.

4. In
addi;on
to
producing
synthe;c
biology
systems
and
products,
iGEM
teams
are
challenged
to
teach
others
about
synthe;c
biology.
The
UMN
iGEM
team
decided
to
develop
a
curriculum
to
introduce
middle
school
students
to
synthe;c
biology.
Team
members
Basem
Al-­‐Shayeb,
a
fourth-­‐year
biology
student,
and
Suzie
Hsu,
a
fiQh-­‐year
biochemistry
and
opera;on
management
student,
worked
with
graduate
mentor
Aunica
Kane
to
develop
the
presenta;on.

5. The
lab-­‐based
part
of
the
project
consisted
of
two
goals.
The
first
was
to
create
two
BioBrick-­‐based
“shu(le
vectors”
that
can
move
DNA
coding
for
two
proteins,
human
insulin
and
a
helper
protein
needed
to
ac;vate
insulin,
from
bacteria
into
P.
pastoris.
The
second
goal
was
to
assemble
a
“shipping
vector”
for
each
of
the
proteins
that
would
allow
it
to
become
part
of
the
BioBrick
parts
library.
Cell
biology
and
computer
science
fourth-­‐
year
student
Stephen
Heinsch
was
involved
in
both
projects.

6. The
team
made
progress
on
the
shu(le
vectors
but
was
not
able
to
fully
assemble
them
by
the
project
deadline.
“Science
is
kind
of
a
jerk—no
respect
for
people’s
schedules,”
says
team
member
Niko
Le
Mieux,
a
fourth-­‐
year
chemistry
and
Mandarin
student.

7. Even
as
the
lab
team
scrambled
to
assemble
the
BioBricks,
the
outreach
team
headed
to
Salk
Middle
School
in
Elk
River,
where
they
enthralled
more
than
150
students
with
three
days
of
hands-­‐
on
explora;on
of
synthe;c
biology
principles,
prac;ces,
and
ethics.
“7th
graders
say
bacteria
are
“SO
COOL,
but
smelly!”
graduate
advisor
Aunica
Kane
tweets
as
she
watches
the
middle
school
students
in
ac;on.

8. Meanwhile,
back
at
the
lab
-­‐
good
news!
The
team’s
efforts
to
assemble
a
shipping
vector
for
insulin
was
a
rousing
success.

9. The
gallant
race
to
the
finish
in
the
lab,
along
with
an
exemplary
effort
by
the
outreach
con;ngent,
earned
the
University
of
Minnesota
iGEM
team
a
bronze
medal
at
the
North
America
championship
in
Toronto
in
October.
More
than
50
teams
competed
in
the
event.

10. Postdoctoral
mentor
Jimmy
Ellinger
is
glad
he
got
a
chance
to
work
with
the
UMN
iGEM
team.
“It’s
been
both
rewarding
and
a
learning
experience
for
everyone
involved,
both
students
and
instructors,”
he
said.
“I’m
absolutely
looking
forward
to
doing
it
again
next
year.”