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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
