Our achievements

Team:	Goettingen
iGEM Year:	2014
Judging:	Judging forms
Track:	Health & Medicine
Project Name:	A small change for man, a giant pain for germkind.
Project Abstract:	Our aim is to develop a diagnostic technique capable of detecting the presence of fungal pathogens in a sample collected from a patient. Briefly, our approach is as follows. Through a yeast two-hybrid assay we will select a set of peptides that show affinity towards surface proteins from different fungi (Aspergillus nidulans, A. fumigatus, Candida albicans and C. glabrata). After confirming the interaction between the surface proteins and a given peptide, we intend to attach a molecule to the peptide marker. In our project, this molecule will be a fluorescent protein, but in principle can also be an immune system activator which is then recognized by the immune cells or other chemical moiety that adds novel functionalities or increases the peptide stability.

What we have done:

1- Identify, within a million peptide library, a group of peptides able to interact with specific cell wall proteins from different fungi, by means of yeast two-hybrid assays.
2- Perform in vivo experiments to demonstrate and ensure on one hand, that the binding of the peptide is being to the cell wall protein, and on the other hand, that this binding is being to a specific fungi strain.
3- Attach a marker molecule to the peptide in order to simplify its visualization using fluorescent microscopy.
4- Develop new standard Biobricks.
5- Develop our team Wiki which represents all the dimensions of our project, and establish it as one of the main tools to inform people all over the world about our vision and accomplishments.
6- Establish our own youtube channel, in which the videos show an introduction towards the team and simplify the techniques used in the lab.
7- Be in contact with other iGEM teams.
8- Make our community aware of iGEM, Synthetic Biology and our project through presentations, social media, press contact and other activities.