Westminster iGEM 2012

Westminster iGEM 2012

iSTEM – Intelligent Synthetic Tumour Eliminating Machine.

Presents

• unique assembly of around 50 trillion human cells interacting with much more bacterial cells.

• Coming from around the world, at University of Westminster

The Team

• University of Westminster

Intelligent

Synthetic

Tumor

Eliminating

Machine

Our project

• University of Westminster

The Problem

Importance of Cancer

Comparison of Mortality rates of Diseases http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/search/index.html?newquery=series+dr

Who we are

“When I get up from my chair , ten times more bacterial cells get up than human ones"

Cancer Stem Cell Theory

• University of Westminster

Diagnosis

• University of Westminster

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase

• Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH): • ALDH1A1, ALDH1A3, ALDH3A1 (Most prevalent

forms)

• ALDH2 (ethanol-inducible control)

• University of Westminster

ALDEFLUOR Assay

• One way of identifying Cancer Stem Cells (CSC)

• Does not identify all the isoforms

• University of Westminster

Project Design

• Sequence identification and primer design

• Design of experiment plasmids

• Assembly strategy

• Transfection optimisation with PEI

• Wet lab

• Outreach

• University of Westminster

Genetic Sequence Determination

• University of Westminster

Sequence Identification

• EPD (European Promoter Database)

• Promoters experimentally verified

• Illegal sites

• RFC10 compatible

• University of Westminster

Constructs (1)

• University of Westminster

Constructs (2)

• University of Westminster

Constructs (3)

• University of Westminster

Assembly System

Plug-n-Play

• University of Westminster

Linker Design

• University of Westminster

In the Lab

• University of Westminster

Transfection Optimisation

Optimisation for transfection of mammalian cells using Polyethylenimine (PEI).

Who we are

“When I get up from my chair , ten times more bacterial cells get up than human ones"

Outreach

Setting up iGEM Society Promoting iGEM on Freshers’ Fair

Interview with a cancer research specialist.

UK iGEM meet up

• University of Westminster

The Survey

• University of Westminster

Challenges

• University of Westminster

Conclusion

Achievements This Year

• Designed genetic construct to identify, isolate and target CSC

• Submitted 4 mammalian parts

• Designed plug-n-play to be compatible with the Parts Registry

• Defined a protocol for identifying mammalian promoter parts

• Identified new resources (EPD and Serrano)

• iGEM in UoW

• University of Westminster

Thank you!

Supervisors: Mark Clements Howard Boland

PhD students and supervisors in Room 5.05