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Team:UANL Mty-Mexico/Synthetic Tunnel
From 2013.igem.org
Synthetic Biology Tunnel
The Synthetic Biology (SynBio) Tunnel is a project to massively inform the crowd. We gave people of all ages accurate information to understand what SynBio is and how it is carried out. In about 90 minutes and across ten interactive modules, we covered topics from basic molecular biology to applications of SynBio and iGEM. Our objective is to educate people in the area in order to promote a founded, critic judgment. Voilà a glance at the tunnel modules:
1: DNA
Topics: -DNA as the information storage molecule in all living things. -Organization of DNA within cells. -Molecular structure of DNA -DNA structure model.
Activity: Puzzle board game to learn how DNA is copied.
2: Genes
Topics: -Genes as functional units of DNA -Organization and parts of a genes -How do the genes work? -Central dogma of molecular biology.
Activity: Puzzle with multiple options to explain gene function through the central Dogma. -Use of common examples.
3: Proteins
Topics: -Proteins as carriers of most biological processes -Types of proteins -Examples of common proteins -The genetic code
Activity: Build a protein from DNA code (translation), Protein models.
4: Genetic Engineering
Topics: -Recombinant DNA technology -Restriction enzymes, ligase and vectors -Examples.
Activity: Build a recombinant DNA molecule with colored cables and transform a cell.
5: Synthetic Biology
Topics: -Universality, modularity and abstraction of bioparts -Synbio as the application of engineering concepts to biology -Advancements in DNA synthesis and sequencing technologies.
Activity: Construct a genetic circuit on a board and estimate time and costs to build it.
6: Biobricks
Topics: -BioBricks as standard DNA parts - Parts of a BioBrick - Types of BioBricks. -Biobrick assembly -The Registry of Standard Biological Parts
Activity: Put compatible bricks together.
7: Biological machine
Topics: -Imagine the possibilities -Addressing high impact problems through biomachines. -Metabolic load -Advantages of biomachines over robots.
Activity: "Labyrinth of metabolism" so that the visitor knows that "parts" must be manipulated to make a organism perform certain function.
8: Applications of SynBio
Topics: -Impact of SynBio in a wide variety of areas - Examples of issues solved through SynBio (How do these projects work?)
Activity: The visitor must correlate a specific genetic circuit to its application area.
9: iGEM
Topics: iGEM as the biggest synthetic biology competition, rules, motivation, scope. - iGEM UANL 2011 and 2012 -CIDEB-UANL 2012
Activity: -Explain our 2011 project -Exhibition of the light-machine used in our project -Explain CIDEB's 2012 project
10: Ethics and Biosafety
Topics: -Ethics definition -Human quality of life -Good and ugly -Impact awareness -Acceptance of SynBio -Potential problems -Precautions taken to prevent them -Biosafety levels
Activity: Dress with biosafety equipment (lab coat, glasses, gloves…) as fast as possible!
Tunnel’s dynamic and logistics Back to top
As regards the structure and accommodation, given the name Synthetic Biology Tunnel, it had a tunnel-like structure and accommodation, making it straight off so visitors began their tour of an end and finished on the other, visiting each module alternately. Likewise, a set of semi-arches structures gave a general form of tunnel, so the visitor could easily be placed in this tunnel that was touring, also allows identify all modules that belong to the same activity.
