Team:University of Alberta/1 July 2009

iGEM meeting minutes June 29th

Travel plans: will be leaving on the 30th because iGEM doesn’t start until the evening. Practice sessions and set up during day are optional 8:15am we leave to 6:15pm we arrive in Boston Could leave on 2nd at 6pm, could leave on 3rd instead, probably 6pm as well. Need groups of 10 or more for a group rate. Accomodations: 4 people fit in room with 2 beds – would be ~$170 a night/ room, really close to MIT. If stay extra day, you pay for the accommodations (unless Max can convince them the jamboree is 5 days not 4 and we could get other people to pay for them…) People wanting to stay an extra day: Dan, Eric, Steve Undecided (ie will stay extra day only if its free…): David, Max, Mitch, Justin Unless you are on the other lists, we assume you’re leaving on the 2nd New plan: we could leave night of the 29th and get that night funded as a practice day and have more time in Boston without missing more class. Then leave on the 2nd. This sounds great, but depends on how long travel is (long stop overs…) Dan will check.

Lab updates: Kalon: not much new, plasmid done. Getting lots of plasmid, now working with the bead team. General notes: fridge was left open a bit overnight – make sure its closed. Its fixed now. Make sure the door to Gary’s door is closed. Make sure our lab door is locked.

Justin: beads: tried and didn’t work, but it was just something trivial that can be fixed

Bioinformatics: running a program that takes a long time. Lots of things to do such as remaking PstI primers with spf1 instead, getting genes into operons and determining orders. Making Life Bytes kits (should have all the essential genes plus extra cool stuff…such as repressor proteins). Should vote on gene order concept.

Max: reboot: oligos in to test reboot, but cells aren’t competent…waiting for new versions of the cells to come in. DNA was integrating into chromosome but don’t know where. Do inverse PCR. Add more homology so it goes where its supposed to.

To communicate science better: have one group give 15-20min presentation with powerpoint every one or two weeks – diagrams to help us understand! Or do a half day retreat once a month for science presentation. Do on a weekend. Record the presentations for later viewing if not everyone can make it and post powerpoints. It will reduce work later if we prepare presentation material as we go.

Informatics: website is back up and functional. Still modifying minor things. Wiki template still being worked on. Calendar up within two weeks, format like NINT team from last year – can update it as soon as its up.

Tell Youness to give Dan a bio. Mike Ellison will write one too. Wayne is withdrawn, will remove from list of advisors.

Business: Pharmacology is giving us $1000. Mike: co-mingling of funds is like eating ice cream and ground up liver and letting it roll around in your mouth…somethings are compatible and some aren’t….Mike will figure it out. Emera will coordinate corporation contacting with the business teams Ethics: could be a wide range of things…outline and detail a new approach – safety, security, ethics, ownership sharing and innovation – do-it-yourself science issues… What does your family think, safety, ownership.

Also requirement to help another university – actually with science, not just giving them money. Find parts from registry to turn into our parts, and characterize them – as a consequence of incorporating parts, we characterize them. Can it be past years parts or just this years? Help U of L, they could use it…they might help us to try to get gold too. Capitalize on education – in high schools – have a couple high school student be taught and video tape it – edit it to show sweetness and light. Plate Ecoli in patterns of unicorns…

Mike now wants to make mini people….

Round table: Dan’s video will be up in the next week.