Creation of SynBio facility at our University

In our second year as iGEMers, we decided to have as part of our outreach (and for our safety) something that could last for other iGEM teams in our University. So, the question was: how to leave a legacy to the next iGEMERS (SynBio lovers) for the years to come? The second question: how to have an lab with biosafety level to work with MeHg? The first thing that came to mind was: a nice and exclusive place to work – by the way this is the desire of all iGEM team throughout the world. But, we all knew how bureaucratic and time consuming is to find a place in a crowded university in Brazil.

We got famous; going to newspaper and web sites due to our project divulgation. Of course we took advantage of being exposed in the media by the Mercury Bacter project and used this visibility to our benefit. So, being known in the higher university administration we could ask for a lab space for SynBio. We did it! And now UFAM has its own DNA hacking space! All under biosafety requirements and standards from CTNBIO (Brazilian Biosafety Authority) and the University commission for Biosafety (CIBIO). We wanted to have a place where we could work, talk about high tech biology, and work at a competition level. We worked on the strategies needed and also helping to build the structure which gave us extreme excitement and a sense of being part of the university, working together with professors and technicians and the most important in a safe place for SynBio.

Big time! And we all could sing along: “…

Because I'm happy

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof

Because I'm happy

Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth

Because I'm happy

Clap along if you know what happiness is to you

Because I'm happy

Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do”