Our team has worked on several key contributions to help advance synthetic biology, making our project a valuable resource for future iGEM teams. Here are the main highlights:
A Versatile Protein Design Pipeline
In developing B.A.R.B.I.E. 4.0, we created a pipeline that enables in silico design of proteins capable of binding to specific pollutants. Much like how the Barbie doll has many careers and is versatile, our pipeline is designed to adapt to numerous challenges, offering a flexible and innovative approach for the creation of proteins with affinities for a wide range of ligands. A gene library containing over 10,000 proteins designed by this pipeline has already been synthesized, and these proteins will be cloned and screened in the near future (unfortunately, not in time to present in the competition). This flexibility can be leveraged by future teams interested in designing proteins for various applications, such as water and air filtration systems or the development of novel biosensors. We believe this tool can empower others to tackle environmental challenges through custom protein engineering.
Expanded Documentation on the spidroin Nt2RepCt
As part of our work, we revisited and expanded the documentation for the part (BBa_K3264000), originally submitted by the GreatBay_SZ 2019 team. We conducted a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art research surrounding this protein, focusing on its broad biotechnological potential across diverse fields and its capability to create different types of filtering matrix. This enhanced documentation provides future teams with a deeper understanding of Nt2RepCt biophysics, facilitating its use in various projects. Our updates ensure that this part and the created variations continues to contribute to advancements in numerous applications.
Comprehensive Experiment Documentation
One of our team's core values is transparency and sharing knowledge. To support future iGEM teams, we have meticulously documented every experiment in our lab notebook. This includes the methods, challenges, and results of each step in our project. By providing such detailed documentation, we aim to offer inspiration and learning opportunities for other teams, helping them build on our successes and navigate similar challenges. You can check them here!