Regulating genes and broadening horizons
Freiburg Team wins prize for best foundational advance at iGEM competition in synthetic biology
A universal screwdriver for the cell: The University of Freiburg’s iGEM team has won the prize for “Best Foundational Advance” in synthetic biology at the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, iGEM for short, with a project called uniCAS. Held each year since 2004, iGEM is the largest international research competition for students in synthetic biology. 21 students from Freiburg made the trip to the world championships, which took place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, USA, from 1 to 4 November 2013. They were among 85 finalist teams. Altogether, more than 200 teams participated in iGEM. The Freiburg team booked their ticket to Cambridge with a second-place finish at the European championships in Lyon, France, on 13 October 2013.
The team of 18 bachelor’s and master’s students and their three supervisors, led by Prof. Dr. Wilfried Weber, has been developing the toolkit uniCAS since March. It is designed to enable researchers to control the gene regulation of mammalian cells – more accurately, effectively, and quickly than ever before. The students modified the protein dCas9 and fashioned it into a universal screwdriver for the genome: The toolkit turns the regulatory screws of the genes, determining how much protein each gene produces.
The navigation system the team used to guide dCas9 through the DNA is ribonucleic acid (RNA). Like the genome, RNA consists of chains of sugars, phosphates, and bases with an integrated information code. The RNA sequence code identifies genetic sequences in the genome. As these sequences are easy to arrange and combine in the lab, the protein can be guided to any part of the genome. The new toolkit makes it possible for the first time ever to regulate not just individual genes but also entire networks of genes. In fundamental research, tools like this can help scientists to improve their understanding of the functions of genes in mammalian development. In addition, scientists could use uniCAS to elicit the development of important signaling and structural substances for tissue engineering. The project is being funded by the Cluster of Excellence BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Freiburg.
The prize for Best Foundational Advance is awarded for technologies that could potentially revolutionize synthetic biology, paving the way for new discoveries. The trip and the entire project were a new experience for the students: “iGEM broadened our horizons – both scientifically and in terms of interpersonal experience – and we are happy to have had the opportunity to present our project at MIT. Developing the uniCAS tool was a demanding task for each and every student and brought out the best in us.”
Freiburg iGEM Team 2013
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