Team:UCL/Notebook/February

Initial thoughts regarding project ideas were put forward. A speed discussion of ideas took place for brainstorming and basic development of ideas. The following ideas were favoured and put forward as possible project candidates:

• Weight control yoghurt

• Anti-cancer yoghurt

• Zebrafish water cleaning system for Third World

• Athletic Drug testing

• Clean Urban Air

• Neural network with glowing bacteria and fibre optics

DIY SynBio group at The Arts Catalyst were visited for feedback on the project ideas. Posters which the team had created for the group were set up within the space in order to generate feedback from members of the public during SynBio workshops. Overall the anti-cancer yoghurt idea was favoured by the majority of public and previous iGEM candidates. In general the public found the medical projects more appealing, partly because they tried to solve tangible problems that could not be mitigated soley by 'electrical' or 'mechnaical' technologies. The 'neural networks' idea gathers interest with scientists at Cancer Reserach UK and members of the public alike because applying synethtic biology to study neuroscience seems both innovative and relatively original. The zebrafish idea gathered interest due to the novel chassis. The remaining ideas did not generate as much interest as they tend to be common themes amongst iGEM team projects.