Team:Newcastle/Meetings/11 June 2009

Agenda

 * Action points from previous meetings
 * Synthesising the DNA
 * Start of lab work
 * Matlab download
 * Edinburgh trip
 * Geneart is now offically an IGEM sponsor
 * June 20/21 is for IGEM workshop at London
 * Review of timetable
 * Other teams

Action Points

 * Model of Metal Intake (Ongoing)
 * Model of sinI Operon (Ongoing, part complete)
 * Model of comK system -> someone to write a brief summary on the model(Hanny?) (Ongoing, part complete)
 * Promotor library -> Write a program (Java) (Ongoing, part complete)
 * Prioritise which bricks to synthesize, pull out individual bits (major, exciting parts that will earn medals) due to limited funds. Example: germination stochastic switch, metal sponge, etc.
 * Coding (JSim) (James) (Ongoing)
 * Write up on Cadmium and the environment (Ongoing, part complete)
 * Decide which awards to aim for, using Matlab would not get a prize, need to use/rewrite models.
 * Lab space -> Need to take turns, therefore need to come up with a proper schedule
 * External wiki photos are to be uploaded instead of placeholder images (James) - Done, but may improve.
 * Jen to email the team photos.
 * Do a new version of the timetable.
 * Plan for a week off before coming back for next teaching year (September-ish), to relax before even more work.
 * Edinburgh itinerary to be emailed to group (Jen).
 * Create an informal talk/presentation for the Edinburgh trip, we will run through this either on the Thursday meeting, or on an extra Friday meeting - this should contain some, but not too much technical detail, eg genes.
 * Phil to be added to the mailing list.

Mintes of the meeting

 * Students present: Goksel, James, Jane, Jess, Matt
 * Students absent: Hanny, Arun, Craig
 * Instructors present: Jen, Phil Aldridge, Dan
 * Chair: Goksel
 * Minute taker: James


 * The group introduced themselves to Phil Aldridge, whose lab we will be working in.
 * The group gave a brief overview of the project, up to the exam period, ran through action points.
 * Promoter library - Hanny in Matlab - prices and problems.
 * Sigma (70) - Phil asked what we were looking for a change of response to, but we clarified that it was the 'strength' of the promoters.
 * Clarified the use of JSim, as a tool for running CellML models, then parsing the output data.
 * Why do we want to clean up Cadmium from the environment? Showed the prepared draft document - "All" wording to be changed to "many" - airborne distribution - batteries in rubbish dumps - what industries use Cd - how big of a problem is it? - university staff located in the Devonshire building may be able to help.
 * Need DNA design before Neil gets back.
 * Push back lab work, due to trip, holidays and exams.
 * Edinburgh - tickets are booked for those who have confirmed that they are going - staying in student accommodation.
 * Lab introduction/tutorial set for Wednesday 17 June 2pm in the Leech building - Students are to meet outside of Medical Building at 1:45pm - L2.4, Offices - Dan M2046, Phil M2107.
 * Ran though what some of the other teams were doing, and had a small discussion about some of them.
 * Lab work to start on Monday 29 June, as there will be free space, as 2 people who normally work there are off. During the 1st week we should not expect to get much work done, as we will be learning - there will be plenty of help if needed, eg 2 PHD students are available until the end of July.
 * Lab refresher (Neil?) - Making media, plasmids, streak strains, ect.
 * We may get together with other teams later on and work with them.
 * Hanny, Goksel and Jen are to work on the promoter library, rest are to work on BioBricks, could use Sequentia.


 * Next meetings:
 * Tuesday 12pm
 * Wednesday 1:45pm
 * Thursday 16:00
 * Friday TBC