We are a group of undergraduate students who annually compete in a synthetic biology competition where researchers around the world use genetic engineering to address a modern issue. UBC's 2020 iGEM: Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 iGEM team quickly switched from a wet lab-based project to a software-based project that explored the evolution of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. We began with
a recurrent neural network (RNN) approach that we presented at the 2020 Biodesign Summit, an international competition at the intersection of biology and design. We then switched to a Gaussian process and variational autoencoder approach that allowed us to more accurately predict the sequences in question. UBC's 2019 iGEM: The 2019 team built a transcription-based biosensor to detect levels of saxitoxin, a toxin responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans. UBC's 2018 iGEM: The 2018 team used bacterial co-cultures to produce Naringenin and Kaempferol, biochemicals with anti-cancer properties. Distributing biosynthesis between two strains would both lighten the metabolic load and maximize energetic efficiency of the cell. UBC's 2017 iGEM:
The 2017 team engineered Agrobacterium tumefaciens to remove the virulence regions of tumor inducing (Ti) plasmids in the environment, providing the agriculture industry with tools to fight plant pathogens. We equipped our species, aGROW, to express CRISPR/Cas9 and RNA guides targeting the Ti plasmid in the presence of plant wounds. We investigated the conjugative abilities and implemented a plasmid maintenance system to make our solution practical. We built a model to inform CRISPR guide design in modular systems. More information about our experiments can be seen on our wiki: http://2017.igem.org/Team:British_Columbia
UBC's 2016 iGEM:
The 2016 team engineered a surface protein expressed on Caulobacter crescentus to degrade raw wood waste into simple sugars for the purpose of feeding the central metabolism of Caulobacter itself, and a co-culture of Escherichia coli. By including the genetic coding for cellulase enzymes in the genetic code for the Rsa-A surface protein, these cellulase enzymes were expressed on the bacteria membrane and could degrade surrounding cellulose into glucose monomers. More information, as well as experimental results and a proof of concept can be seen on the wiki page: http://2016.igem.org/Team:British_Columbia
UBC’s 2015 iGEM:
The 2015 team created a strain of engineered honeybee intestinal bacterium capable of degrading the neonicotinoid (a widely-used class of pesticides) imidacloprid, alongside an antifungal agent to eliminate Nosema apis (an endoparasite that grows in the midgut of the honeybee following infection). In doing so, they were able to render inoculated honeybees resistant to both Nosema and to common field doses of imidacloprid, allowing its sustained use while reducing the risk of Colony Collapse Disorder. More information, as well as experimental results and a proof of concept can be seen on the wiki page: http://2015.igem.org/Team:British_Columbia
