Accomplishments

- Created a reliable electroporation protocol for Bacillus Subtilis

- Developed a working seed sterilization protocol for our greenhouse control experiments

- Devised a genetic construct to produce phytosiderophores

- Reached over 7,000 school-age children through the ZipTrips program

- Engaged over 100 farmers and industry representatives at Beck's Hybrid's "Becknology Days" event

- Performed engineering and science outreach with urban children at the Christamore House

- Completed greenhouse control experiments with corn and rice to determine growth at varying iron levels

- Submitted five new individual parts and one new device to the iGEM registry

- Fully planned out a final greenhouse experiment using rice and corn plants with control plants, wild-type bacillus, and our engineered microbes.

- Created a full feasibility report and cost-benefit analysis of our Minecrobe solution

- Incorporated a lactose-inducible kill switch as a safety consideration into our project

- Collaborated with academic and industry experts to gain perspective on the problem and our solution

- Developed siderophore assays for characterization of our genetic construct

- Researched growth protocols for greenhouse plants and developed full growing and feeding schedules

- Created an implementation plan that scales up our project for industrial production

- Planned out a farmer-industry forum, with hopes to continue it next year

- Formulated a synthetic biology card game to help educate kids about genetic engineering

- Developed a video game to help educate children about our project and synthetic biology<p> <p>- Hosted a biotech workshop for 4-H high schoolers at our lab and taught them about genetic engineering<p>