Several University undergraduate researchers are spending their summer playing with Legos, in simplest terms.
Actually, they are not exactly Legos, but BioBricks. These standardized building blocks are used by undergraduate students from around the world to design synthetic biology projects for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology international Genetically Engineered Machine competition.
The group of rising third- and fourth-year students that make up the University's Genetically Engineered Machine team isn't exactly playing with biological toys. This November's annual iGEM Championship Jamboree, where teams will present their research and compete for prizes, will be the culmination of the nearly year-long efforts. Perhaps more significantly, it will also mark the University's first time as a competitor.
The importance of making a strong first impression on the other participating schools, which include top American research universities such as host MIT, Harvard and University of California-Berkeley, is not lost on the team.
"I hope that we're one of the teams that people will look at next year and ask, 'What are they doing?'" said Emre Ruhi, VGEM undergraduate member and fourth-year College student. "We want to start off strong. We can't botch this one."
Getting started
George McArthur, VGEM director and fourth-year Engineering student, is the person responsible for introducing iGEM to the University.
"It's kind of my baby," McArthur said.
Inspired last fall by recent news and literature in the field of synthetic biology and spurred to action by the fact that the University's rival, Virginia Tech, had already formed a team, McArthur wrote a six-page proposal and began a search for faculty and departmental support.
To jumpstart VGEM, McArthur said he hand-picked fellow researcher and fourth-year Engineering student Kevin Hershey. The two-man team sent out an open call for additional members through the Biology, Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering mailing lists. After McArthur and Hershey reviewed applications and conducted face-to-face interviews, three out of the 16 undergraduate applicants were chosen.
Erik Fernandez, VGEM faculty advisor and chemical engineering professor, was one of McArthur's first faculty contacts and said he is excited about VGEM's prospects, especially as a team built from the bottom up.
"This is a unique set of individuals that aren't just sticking to the books," he said. "They serve as an example of the initiative taken by [the University's] students."
Five undergraduates, three faculty advisors, one lab specialist and a graduate student mentor make up the VGEM team.
A nod to the very definition of synthetic biology -- the process of engineering biological systems -- VGEM's combined education and experience cuts across three University schools: the Engineering school, the College and the Medical School.
Amy Schell, VGEM member and fourth-year Engineering student, said the competition isn't simply "goggles, lab coats and test tubes," adding she wants people to know that "it's very much about cooperating with people from all over the world."
A collaborative effort
Like tiny plastic Lego bricks used to craft much bigger things, the BioBricks can be sequenced together to generate complex but often practical systems in living cells. During every iGEM competition, BioBricks and existing systems created from them are reused and built upon to produce entirely new systems. By the time this fall's iGEM Jamboree weekend is over, VGEM's own unique BioBricks will be added to the pre-existing registry.
For this year's competition, VGEM is attempting five projects. The technology behind one project out of the ambitious lineup could potentially set the stage for making drug delivery internal and automatic.
The team plans on engineering two past systems together. One of the systems is MIT's iGEM project from last year and the other is a renowned structure developed by Princeton scientists. They will use the two systems to create a "synthetic biological clock."
Uncommon research
Synthetic biology, or the design and engineered construction of predictable systems using biological cells and molecules, is not a well-known field.
"The first time I heard of it was through VGEM," admitted Ranjan Khan, VGEM member and third-year Engineering student.
McArthur added the subject is virtually non-existent at the University.
"No card-carrying faculty members are studying it," he said, thought he added that the newest faculty hires do bring with them related research in the field.
Considered an important step in increasing synthetic biology's visibility, the iGEM competition is only in its third year. With 57 teams competing this year, it will be the first year that participation hasn't doubled from the previous year.
IGEM 2008 will most likely move from MIT's facilities due to the need to accommodate the growing number of participants.
"We don't know where we'll be," said Mac Cowell, who helps run iGEM and the Registry of Standard Biological Parts.
As an observer of past iGEM teams' intense commitment to the competition, Cowell said he is not surprised by the attraction between undergraduates and the growing field of synthetic biology.
"Undergraduates have a sixth sense for what's cool," he said. "They know that [synthetic biology] is starting off at ground level and going up."
Read More
Four lessons from my grammas to help you lead the good life
By Grace Scott | YesterdayFollow these four lessons from my grammas to make your life — at college and beyond — as deeply gratifying as theirs have been.
Top 10 ways to do Halloween right
By Sam Saks | 2 days agoHere are some of the best ways you can honor ghosts, ghouls and goblins alike and enjoy this Halloween.
Third Year Ceremony honors halfway point for Class of 2026
By Mia Tan | 3 days agoBeyond presenting students with their class rings, the Third Year Ceremony brought together students and families in joyous celebration.
