The All India iGEM Meet was like a mini Jamboree, and during the judging session, Dr. Lavanya Bhagavatula, Prof. R. Selvi Bharathavikru, Dr. Preeti Srivastava, Dr. Onkar Date and Dr. Shruti Sridhar reviewed our progress. They had an overall positive feedback, but also pointed out certain points on which we could improve, and suggested efficient ways to do so.
They advised us to review the situation of Alzheimer's and dementia in India, and look deeper into the existing myths and misconceptions, as well as social stigma, in society. They encouraged us to increase collaborations with R&D industries, as a lot of work is already being done on aptamers and their commercialisation. They also suggested how we can reach a wider public, and also how we can make a successful business model out of our project.
The judges mentioned that our proposed methodology put them in mind of many diseases which could be cured in a similar way, and hence recommended that we widen our scope and horizons. They appreciated our decision to switch our track from Therapeutics to Foundational Advance, and wished us luck for the Grand Jamboree.