Spring Break
Genetic Engineering team wins bronze medal
Issue date: 11/20/08
As a newly created team, the Hopkins iGEM team experienced lots of difficulties. They noticed that they were different from other teams that were participating in the competition.
"While we had only a few graduate students, who mostly acted as advisors to us, most teams had a lot more graduate students who were active in the project," said Rick Carrick, another junior engineering student in the team. "The other teams had graduate students directing and organizing the team, while our team was led by undergraduates."
The Hopkins team's lack of funding also manifested itself in other ways outside of the lab.
"While other groups slept in hotels, we slept at Rick's house with sleeping bags. We were a grassroots team," Spielman said.
Most teams at iGEM consisted of five to six people, according to Spielman. The 14-person Hopkins team had nearly three times as many members many others.
"You might think that having a lot of people would have helped us a lot, but we were less focused, especially after school started, because everyone had different things to do and we had to work individually," Spielman said.
For better funding and higher results, the iGEM team may change their organization next year. Instead of letting everyone who was interested in the team, the team may begin to screen the members.
"Maybe we will have to let just the BMEs in. Because they are just really good students," DiCarlo said. "We could have more professors and graduate help. That could help in funding. It would be really sad though," Spielman said. "I really liked that there was no screening for students this time. Everyone could be a part of the team."
To participate, teams must register and are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts.
Teams work at their own schools over the summer using the given parts and their own newly designed parts to formulate biological systems and operate them in living cells.
During the past years, projects ranged from banana and wintergreen smelling bacteria to an arsenic biosensor to Bactoblood and buoyant bacteria.
"I really want to do it again next year," Spielman said. "The iGEM is really exciting. It's about being an expert . . . at whatever your topic is.
To quote this guy who participated in the competition, 'Of course you are an expert in modeling. But with other models, you have no clue.'"
"While we had only a few graduate students, who mostly acted as advisors to us, most teams had a lot more graduate students who were active in the project," said Rick Carrick, another junior engineering student in the team. "The other teams had graduate students directing and organizing the team, while our team was led by undergraduates."
The Hopkins team's lack of funding also manifested itself in other ways outside of the lab.
"While other groups slept in hotels, we slept at Rick's house with sleeping bags. We were a grassroots team," Spielman said.
Most teams at iGEM consisted of five to six people, according to Spielman. The 14-person Hopkins team had nearly three times as many members many others.
"You might think that having a lot of people would have helped us a lot, but we were less focused, especially after school started, because everyone had different things to do and we had to work individually," Spielman said.
For better funding and higher results, the iGEM team may change their organization next year. Instead of letting everyone who was interested in the team, the team may begin to screen the members.
"Maybe we will have to let just the BMEs in. Because they are just really good students," DiCarlo said. "We could have more professors and graduate help. That could help in funding. It would be really sad though," Spielman said. "I really liked that there was no screening for students this time. Everyone could be a part of the team."
To participate, teams must register and are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts.
Teams work at their own schools over the summer using the given parts and their own newly designed parts to formulate biological systems and operate them in living cells.
During the past years, projects ranged from banana and wintergreen smelling bacteria to an arsenic biosensor to Bactoblood and buoyant bacteria.
"I really want to do it again next year," Spielman said. "The iGEM is really exciting. It's about being an expert . . . at whatever your topic is.
To quote this guy who participated in the competition, 'Of course you are an expert in modeling. But with other models, you have no clue.'"
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