The Cambridge iGEM2012 Team presented their “Sporduino” project at the European iGEM Jamboree in Amsterdam, Oct 6-7th. The Sporduino project is a combination of open source biological tools, Arduino based instrumentation and Android phone based software - to provide a free platform for field use of standardised biosensors. The team members were: Andreas Petirdes, Charlotte Bransfield-Garth, Emmy Tsang, Jolyon Martin, Oliver Meacock, Paul Mallaband, Stuart Bell and Tom Whittaker. For more information, please see: http://2012.igem.org/Team:Cambridge/Team.

Fernan Federici, in collaboration with Tim Rudge and PJ Steiner, continued his winning streak in scientific imaging competitions. The three shared two awards at the annual Wellcome Trust Imaging Award ceremony at the Wellcome Trust headquarters in London. The gallery of winning images can be found at: http://www.wellcomeimageawards.org/index.htm

Fernan Federici has returned from helping to set up and run a course in Synthetic Biology at the Universidad Catholica in Santiago, Chile. Fernan received his undergraduate degree from the Universidad Catholica, before heading to Cambridge to take up a Gates Foundation studentship. In Cambridge, Fernan has been involved in the development of protocols for teaching DNA construction using advanced Gibson assembly techniques and visible markers for gene expression and transformation in the form of biopigments and fluorescent proteins. He returned to Chile to introduce these protocols and help run the experimental course. The students did brilliantly, building multi-part DNA assemblies, and setting up the first Chilean team for the iGEM2012 competition.

INDEX: is a Danish-based, non-profit organization that was established in 2002 and coined the concept “Design to Improve Life”. They work globally to promote and apply both design and design processes that have the capacity to improve the lives of people worldwide. INDEX: is widely recognized for the global biennial design award, the INDEX:Award, which is the largest monetary design prize in the world, worth €500,000 and encompassing the five categories of INDEX:: Body, Home, Work, Play, and Community.

The E. chromi project has been nominated for an award in the Body category in this prestigious competition.



E. chromi
Body category

An inexpensive personalized disease monitor
Synthetic biology is a new approach to genetic engineering that could lead to new medical technologies, energy sources and foods. A team of young synthetic biologists studying at Cambridge University spent the summer of 2009 creating E. chromi — a set of DNA parts, or BioBricks, that can be inserted into E. coli bacteria. Each BioBrick contains genes selected from existing organisms, enabling the bacteria to produce a color: Red, yellow, green, blue, brown or violet. By combining these with other BioBricks, the bacteria can be programmed to do useful things.

130 films from 25 countries were submitted to the Bio:Fiction synthetic biology film festival in Vienna. In a first selection phase those entries were selected that fit the topic of the festival and fulfilled minimal technical requirements. Finally, 52 films were shortlisted and judged by an international jury that selected winners in 4 award categories. The E. chromi video won the prize for best documentary film. (see video here: http://bio-fiction.com/videos/?p=73)

A symposium on Synthetic Biology was the third in a series BioCentre is hosting during 2010-11 entitled "Revolution, Regulation and Responsibilities: Technology and democracy in the 21st Century". The first symposium sought to introduce the theme and overall context for the series with the second focusing on the specific area of advances in nanotechnology. Both events were held in the House of Lords, Westminster with speakers including Andrew Miller MP, Chair of the Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology, Dr. Steven Hill, Head of Strategy, Research Councils UK, Dr. Peter Hatto, chair of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee for Nanotechnologies and Trevor Maynard Deputy Head of Exposure Management at Lloyd’s of London. The third symposium on synthetic biology explored the general ethical, legal and social implications of this new emerging field and also looked at issues concerning security and what has been termed the “bioterror and bioerror” implications. Speakers were: Dr. Jim Haseloff, Dr. Catherine Rhodes, Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation, University of Manchester, Melanie Duffield, Team Leader - Advanced DNA and Protein Technologies, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (an agency of the UK Ministry of Defence) and Alexandra Daisy Ginsbery, artist/designer involved in the ethical, social and cultural implications of synthetic biology.

BioCentre is a UK think tank based in Westminster focusing on emerging technologies and their ethical, social and political implications. Established in 1984 in response to public concern over fresh challenges to ethics and policy resulting from emerging technologies, BioCentre was one of the earlier centres active in the world of bioethics and biopolicy. Its first public event was a major conference convened to address the Warnock report (which became the basis for UK policy on in vitro fertilisation and embryo research) shortly after its publication. BioCentre has published various reports and books, developed partnerships, networked various academics, policy makers and political leaders as well as hosted various conferences and symposia.