Our members come from different schools, cities, and countries, but we have gathered together because of our passion for biology, forming a team. This is a “quirky yet loving” team. We have the most cheerful and generous Anna, as well as the shy and introverted Tony. In the lab, you can always find Hugo fermenting, and of course, there’s Kitty, who often forgets to put protein back to the fridge. Besides that, we are also always present in the discussion room, with Alyssa, who has the “worst temper” but always gets the job done, and Elodie, who may be quiet but is always reliable.
The relationships among our members have changed over time, evolving from initial awkwardness to an open and communicative bond, and our project has developed in a similar fashion. From antibacterial surgical sutures to antibacterial first-aid kits, our ideas have gradually developed through constant interaction with the outside world, ultimately evolving into today’s CuraPack.
In this process of evolution, failures and mistakes are inevitable. Just in terms of experiments, the mistakes we’ve made are countless, with no exaggeration. Our notebook even has a dedicated section for “improvements,” specifically for everyone to record their moments of error to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
Speaking of the most common mistakes, shaky hands always come to mind first. It’s hard to imagine how much higher the concentration of our DNA segments would be if we didn’t shake during gel electrophoresis. Aside from minor errors, we’ve also made mistakes at critical moments. Once, during protein purification, a classmate mistakenly added the elution buffer instead of the wash buffer due to misremembering the color of the cap, resulting in an unrecoverable experimental failure. If you see four people awkwardly standing around a table in the lab, it’s definitely a sign that a key experiment has failed.
Of course, aside from providing material for making fun, these mistakes have taught us unforgettable lessons and granted us distinct learning opportunities. Just like the Design-Build-Test-Learn cycle of engineering, we revitalize our project via repeated cycles of attempts and revision, comparably, we improve ourselves via repeated cycles of endeavors and adjustments. We are exploring, growing, and becoming more skilled and independent throughout the project.
For us, iGEM is a platform for personal growth. Here, we can collaborate with classmates from different backgrounds, to spark ideas and cooperate; here, we can expand our understanding of biology, to explore and learn; here, we can let our imaginations run wild, to create and achieve.
Go, CuraPack!
Go, LINKS-CHINA 2024!