| Number | Name | Explanation | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Competition Deliverables | We completed all required competition deliverables, showcasing our commitment to the iGEM community and transparency in our work. Our Wiki provides comprehensive project documentation, including detailed descriptions of our engineering cycles, experimental methodologies, and results. The Presentation Video effectively summarizes our project's goals, processes, and achievements, engaging viewers with our innovative approach. We submitted the Judging Form, which outlines our project’s impact and significance, and participated in the Judging Session, where we presented our work and answered questions to further elaborate on our findings. All deliverables can be accessed through the provided links for your review. | Wiki, Presentation Video, Judging Form |
| 2 | Project Attributions | Our project was a collaborative effort that combined the skills and expertise of our team members and contributions from various external individuals. Each team member played a crucial role in different aspects of the project, from experimental design and execution to data analysis and outreach. Additionally, we received valuable insights and support from synthetic biology and dermatology experts, enhancing our approach and methodology. For a detailed breakdown of contributions, please refer to our Attributions Form and Page, which is linked for your convenience. | Attributions |
| 3 | Project Description | We chose our iGEM project to address the critical issue of parasitic infestations, with scabies serving as our proof of concept. Parasitic diseases pose a significant health concern worldwide, exacerbated by increasing treatment resistance and the limitations of traditional chemical therapies. Recognizing the urgent need for innovative solutions, we were motivated to leverage synthetic biology to develop a more versatile and effective approach. Our project, SkinBAIT, aims to deliver targeted treatments that directly combat parasitic infestations at their source. By focusing on scabies, we are not only addressing an immediate public health challenge but also laying the groundwork for a platform that can be adapted to treat a variety of other parasitic diseases. We believe that our innovative approach will set a new standard for the treatment of infectious diseases, providing a foundation for future advancements in the field. For more insights into our motivations and goals, please visit our Project Description Page. |
Project Description |
| 4 | Contribution | At SkinBAIT, we are committed to enhancing the iGEM community by providing valuable resources for future teams. Our contributions include a comprehensiveintellectual property guide, which outlines the steps for patenting projects based on our own experiences and expert insights, helping teams navigate the complexities of intellectual property. Additionally, we developed a Notion template for agile project management using the SCRUM methodology, enabling teams to organize tasks and track progress efficiently. We also created 21 optimized genetic parts specifically for Cutibacterium acnes, complete with detailed documentation and registry links, which can greatly aid teams in their own project development. To assist with experimental workflows, we designed a visual guide for distinguishing C. acnes from Staphylococcus, addressing a common challenge during our work. Our dedication to education is reflected in the engaging materials we produce, such as a coloring book and a board game, aimed at making synthetic biology accessible to diverse audiences. Finally, we developed infectious disease models to simulate disease dynamics, providing insights that can guide experimental design and evaluate treatment effectiveness. Together, these contributions are designed to support and inspire future iGEM teams in their efforts |
Contribution |
| Number | Name | Explanation | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering Success | Throughout our iGEM project, we followed the engineering design cycle to iterate on our system's design, optimize performance, and address challenges related to safety, efficiency, and functionality. In our Initial Design phase, we carefully selected Cutibacterium acnes as the chassis to produce Cry3Aa toxin, aiming to target scabies mites without harming the human host. Early feedback from stakeholders, such as dermatologists, highlighted concerns about dysbiosis, leading us to incorporate safety measures like an RNA thermometer and endolysin system in the Optimization phase. This allowed for controlled bacterial lysis and toxin release only at body temperature. We also tested additional Cry toxins, including Cry4Ba. In the Final Design phase, we refined our transformation protocols for C. acnes, overcame contamination challenges, and improved expression levels of the Cry toxins. Each iteration through the Design - Build - Test - Learn cycle provided valuable insights, guiding our adjustments and improvements, ensuring a robust, functional system by the end of the engineering cycle. This iterative process highlights our commitment to systematically solving technical challenges and showcases our engineering success. | Engineering |
| 2 | Human Practices | In our Human Practices work, we took a puzzle approach, ensuring that each part of our project was informed by different societal, ethical, and real-world considerations. This approach allowed us to see how various pieces of feedback from stakeholders, experts, and the public shaped the development of SkinBAIT into a responsible and impactful solution for parasitic infestations, starting with scabies as a proof of concept. We consulted experts in dermatology, synthetic biology, intellectual property, and business strategy to ensure that our approach was scientifically sound and commercially viable. Conversations with dermatologists like Dr. Gemma Martín-Ezquerra informed our safety mechanisms, while input from stakeholders such as Cinta Díez helped us refine our project’s marketability and ethical viability. Public engagement and interviews provided valuable feedback on the social perceptions of scabies, shaping how we communicated and framed our solution. Through these actions, we continuously adapted and improved SkinBAIT, aligning our project with real-world needs and ensuring it is safe, ethical, and beneficial to both local and global communities. |
Human Practices |
| Number | Name | Explanation | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best Model | Modeling was crucial to designing and optimizing SkinBAIT, allowing us to predict its behavior before moving to wet lab experiments. We started with a deterministic ODE-Based SIS model to simulate scabies transmission and assess SkinBAIT’s impact on reducing parasite spread, identifying key parameters for disease eradication. Next, we employed stochastic SIS models to capture random variations in transmission and recovery rates, providing a deeper understanding of how SkinBAIT performs under uncertain conditions. To further explore individual interactions, we built agent-based network models, simulating real-world social connections and variations in treatment application. Additionally, we developed a Lotka-Volterra model to evaluate how effective SkinBAIT must be in directly combating scabies infestations, analyzing the predator-prey dynamics between the scabies mites and toxin-producing bacteria. These models allowed us to gain a comprehensive understanding of the real-world impact our project could have, helping us determine strategies to improve SkinBAIT’s effectiveness and optimize its distribution in different populations. |
Modelling |
| 2 | Best Education | Education is a cornerstone of society, and we were eager to contribute in every way possible. To address the diverse learning needs of different age groups, we designed an inclusive educational plan with tailored activities. These ranged from school talks and workshops to creative resources like a coloring book, a storybook, a board game, and a bioethics workshop. We also developed a plan to destigmatize skin infestations. Engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds allowed us to exchange knowledge and perspectives. Through interactive activities and open communication, we not only shared our expertise but also gained valuable insights from the community. At SkinBAIT education is and continues to be a priority as we hope that all of our work and dedication can be useful for future iGEM teams to come. | Education |
| 3 | Best New Basic Part | SkinBait encountered numerous challenges during the iGEM competition, primarily due to its use of Cutibacterium acnes as a novel chassis, which is not yet well characterized. Among these, optimizing and adapting genetic parts for this specific bacterium has been one of the most complex tasks. Nevertheless, our team successfully designed, built, tested, and learned from a variety of genetic constructs specifically optimized and characterized for C. acnes. One of our proudest achievements is the design and implementation of Part: BBa_K5311006. This genetic part encodes for a protein derived from a C. acnes bacteriophage, making it a unique and innovative contribution to the competition. Our project marks the first time that the functionality of this putative protein has been experimentally validated, demonstrating its ability to regulate C. acnes growth. The characterization includes testing its impact on C. acnes proliferation, which we believe can serve as a safety mechanism in SkinBait by controlling the growth of the bacterium in our final product. Additionally, we confirmed its expression using Western blot analysis across different chassis, comparing both cell pellet and supernatant samples. Thanks to the results obtained with this part, we have been able to draw meaningful conclusions for our entire project and outline future research directions. We believe that this part not only embodies the core of our team’s efforts and project vision, but also reflects the spirit of the iGEM competition itself. Throughout its development, we have iteratively gone through each stage of the engineering cycle, refining our design and experiments multiple times to achieve results that we are truly proud of. |
Parts |