FreiGEM 2012: on the home straight
Freiburg-based team develops new method for producing TAL effectors
 | Combining synthetic biology research and philosophical debate in a single project, Freiburg’s 2012 iGEM team (FreiGEM) is now entering the home straight. On 5-7 October 2012, students participating in the competition staged by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, USA, will present the results of their projects at the European Jamboree, hosted by the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, in a bid to qualify for the World Championship. |
Nicolas Wyvekens, Student Leader of FreiGEM 2012, explains the background to this year’s project.
What is the focus of the FreiGEM team’s research?
This year we are looking at a newly discovered class of DNA-binding proteins known as TAL effectors (TALEs). These can be manufactured in such a way that they are able to anchor effectors – for example those that can cut DNA or turn genes on and off – at any point in the genetic information. They therefore enable effectors to edit genomes in a precisely targeted manner. As a result, TALEs hold enormous potential for both biological research and gene therapy applications. We have developed a method that allows TALEs to be produced far more quickly, more cheaply and crucially more easily than before using a modular principle. We hope that by doing so, we will be able to make this exciting new technology accessible to more researchers. We have also linked a whole series of new effectors to the ‘DNA anchor’ and are currently in the process of characterising their properties.
What have been the greatest hurdles and surprises when preparing for the competition?
We came up with the idea for the project ourselves and we also devised how best to implement it, which experiments we should conduct and – above all – what to do if things don’t work first time. Then we had to organise everything in the lab – from buying reagents to autoclaving pipette tips. In the lab practicals that form part of the degree course, everything is standardised and prescribed. It wasn’t until we started the iGEM project that we really had to think through our methods. The competition is therefore extremely demanding and stressful on the one hand, but on the other we learnt an incredible amount in such a short space of time and had a lot of fun in the process. It is so satisfying to devise a project, work hard on implementing it and then finally see that the idea really works.
Which subjects do the Freiburg team members study?
The members of our 15-strong team come from a very diverse range of disciplines. Subjects range from biology and medicine, molecular medicine and pharmacy to microsystems technology and philosophy. This multidisciplinary structure is something new for Freiburg’s iGEM team and we all find it extremely enriching. We particularly benefited from the diverse areas of disciplinary expertise within our team when brainstorming ideas.
Which areas of research other than synthetic biology have been incorporated into the project?
Our philosophical lab meetings were a further special feature. Although synthetic biology obviously takes top priority within the project, we meet at regular intervals to discuss ethical issues and topics surrounding the philosophy of language in this new discipline. Our philosophy student usually prepares a short talk to stimulate the debate and we use this as a basis for lengthy discussions.
How do you benefit from working in Freiburg’s Centre for Biological Signalling Studies?
The ‘Toolbox Ladies’ were an enormous help from day one. In contrast to previous teams, we don’t have a supervisor who works with us every day in the lab. It is therefore even more valuable for us to have a team of cloning aces in the Toolbox who are able to give us tips when we can't see the way out of a problem ourselves. In addition, BIOSS offers us excellent working conditions, not only thanks to the outstanding equipment available but also because of the openness and helpfulness of the other groups.
iGEM Team Freiburg 2012
More information is available on the Freiburg team website:
http://2012.igem.org/Team:Freiburg