Team:CU-Boulder

The main focus of the iGEM project here at CU-Boulder is to help make synthetic biology more accessible and affordable. We spent the summer developing parts, procedures, and documentation to help make this vision a reality. The original goal was to create the constructs and purification methods necessary to produce and isolate restriction enzymes. Along the way we explored some novel approaches to DNA and protein purification and developed experimentally tested protocols for these and other procedures essential to Biobrick assembly. Our purification methods exemplify the ideal of using common lab materials to make performing everyday lab techniques as accessible and inexpensive as possible. A related aspect of our project was exploring methods of recycling consumables associated with lab work in order to reduce waste and material expenses. We hope that our findings using this "do-it-yourself" approach of synthetic biology help make this type of research more accessible for those where funding is a limiting factor.