Introduction
During the preparation for the iGEM competition, our project extended beyond just experimental operations and data analysis. To confirm the feasibility of our project, we consulted many experts from various fields. Through discussions with these experts, we refined the initial scope of our project. Whenever the team faced obstacles, we not only reviewed relevant literature but also actively sought assistance from experts. We are committed to making a significant impact on society with our project. Next, we will share the journey we've undertaken step by step.
Project Establishment
After our project was initially confirmed, we visited Professor Chang-Hsien Yang and Associate Professor Wei-Ming Leu from the National Chung Hsing University's Graduate Institute of Biotechnology. In-depth discussions with the professors helped us realize there were many additional considerations for our project. Subsequently, we met with Professor Yau-Heiu Hsu, also from the Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, and after several discussions, we formalized a collaboration with Dr. Ying-Wen Huang, a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Hsu's lab.
Experimental Planning - Biosynthesis of Levodopa (Discussing with Dr. Ying-Wen Huang)
Dr. Huang is a postdoctoral researcher at the National Chung Hsing University's Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, specializing in virology, molecular plant virology, molecular biology, and biotechnology. After hearing about our project, Dr. Huang expressed significant interest and generously offered assistance. We decided to pursue the biosynthesis pathway for producing Levodopa by utilizing the pathway in beets that produce betaine. We used a viral vector to transfer ADH and AD6 into tobacco plants to produce Levodopa, and then monitored the yield using HPLC.
Experimental Validation - Comparing Our Levodopa to Chemical Synthesis (Discussing with Professor Ting-Hsuan Wu)
After achieving considerable success with the tobacco experiments, we wanted to understand the advantages of our biosynthetic Levodopa compared to chemically synthesized Levodopa available on the market. We consulted with Assistant Professor Ting-Hsuan Wu from the Department of Biomedical Science at Chung Shan Medical University. Professor Wu specializes in embryotoxicology, developmental biology, precision medicine, and food toxicology. After discussing with Professor Wu, we decided to use MPTP to induce Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms in zebrafish and observe the protective and therapeutic effects of adding L-DOPA.
Experimental Validation - Designing Hardware for Zebrafish Movement (Meeting with Professor Ming-Yi Chou )
Following the induction of Parkinsonttrtzezsrerrztrtz’s disease-like symptoms in zebrafish, we needed to design a hardware setup to allow the fish to swim. After reviewing previous literature and discussing with Professor Ming-Yi Chou from National Taiwan University, we designed a swimming tunnel with precise water flow control to enable microscopic observation.
Commercial Viability - Understanding Market Trends (Discussing with Professor Ying-Jui Ho)
After achieving success in our experiments, we sought to understand the current market trends for Levodopa production and the future development potential of our project. We had a meeting with Professor Ying-Jui Ho from the Department of Psychology at Chung Shan Medical University. Professor Ho has extensive experience in Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and epilepsy, with multiple patents related to Parkinson’s disease treatment. Our discussion with Professor He provided deeper insights into the current market landscape and potential future directions for our project.
Commercially Viability -Realizing other Factory (Visiting Pharmaceutical Company SCI PHARMTECH INC.)
After our conversation with Professor Ying-Jui Ho, he introduced us to a remarkable company in the chemical pharmaceutical field—SCI PHARMTECH INC. We had an interview with General Manager Wen-Chih Chou , who holds a PhD in chemistry and is also a researcher at the Biotechnology Development Center. After our discussion with him, General Manager Zhou expressed his approval of our efforts to standardize this production method and looked forward to applying it to the production of other compounds in the future.
Realizing the Advantages of our Project (Discussing with Professor Shiang－Suo Huang)
To better understand which highlights of our project we can emphasize and what improvements we can make for the competition, we consulted with Professor Shiang-Suo Huang, the Director of the Department of Pharmacology at Chung Shan Medical University. Professor Huang specializes in pharmacology, neuroscience, cardiovascular physiology, and cardiac science. During our discussion, Professor Huang not only helped us identify the current strengths and challenges of our experiments but also provided valuable suggestions for the future implementation of our project or product. His insights offered important guidance, particularly regarding the feasibility and market application of our plan, which clarified the direction for further improvements and key highlights to emphasize in the competition.
Understand the protection of animal rights and breeding welfare in animal experiments (Join the lecture delivered by Wen-Jun WuPh.D.)
To better understand animal rights and welfare in animal experimentation, our wet lab members attended a seminar led by Associate Professor Wu Wen-jun, Director of the Laboratory Animal Center at Chung Shan Medical University. During the seminar, we learned about the ethical guidelines our team must follow, including the "Three Rs" principle (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) to minimize the use of animals and their suffering.
Teamwork is essential in maintaining a proper environment for the animals, ensuring they have sufficient space, food, water, and regular health checks. Each member is responsible for safeguarding animal welfare. This seminar helped us better understand our collective responsibility to protect animal rights in scientific research.
Project Dissemination
While continually discussing our project with experts, we also planned a series of activities to increase public awareness about our project and to educate them about synthetic biology and Parkinson’s disease. The following sections will cover our team’s themed sharing sessions and iGEM Week events.
Team Themed Sharing Sessions
During our team’s themed sharing sessions, most of the participants were high school students aspiring to study medicine-related fields. Our goal was to introduce synthetic biology to them and explain the competition aspect of iGEM. We hoped to spark their interest in participating in the competition. We also presented our team’s project to them. After the presentation, we conducted a survey and found that the participants were highly receptive to the synthetic approach used in our project.
iGEM Week
We set up a booth at Chung Shan Medical University for two days. Our main goal was to introduce our team’s projects and provide an overview of synthetic biology. During these two days, we planned three short talks covering topics such as our team’s experimental projects, the HP project, and education in synthetic biology in specific time. We hope this helps everyone better understand us and iGEM. We set up a booth at Chung Shan Medical University for two days, with team members taking turns to attend. Our main goal was to introduce our team’s projects and provide an overview of synthetic biology. During these two days, we planned three short talks covering topics such as our team’s experimental projects, the HP project, and education in synthetic biology. We hope this helps everyone better understand us and iGEM.
