IGEM team meeting notes 5/19/14

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May 19th 2014

Agenda

Introductions

Patrik: Bio Jamie: Biotech student at BCC Rebecca: Graduate student. Synthetic biology, science fiction and history of science. Shashank: Studying salt tolerance in plants Advait: Middle schooler interested in biology Mallory on Zoom Fran (not on Zoom, only this document): Nursing student learning about biology.

Brief intro to project for new people

wiki: https://wiki.counterculturelabs.org/index.php/Vegan_cheese

Announcements

Updates from sub-projects

What happened in the last week? A brief overview.

Fundraising

Fran: Video script is written and Craig provided some very helpful initial comments. I will give recording another shot in the morning, and then upload a version with no music soundtrack and one with a music soundtrack to solicit further comments. I am committed to getting this recording done tomorrow. Anybody should feel free to take a crack at it, though, I don't want to hog the project.

In any case, once the next iteration of the recording is done, we will still need a lot of input about photos, stock footage, any captions/titles, etc.

Finding good stock footage has been challenging! Easiest route to good footage to layer into the video might just be to take it ourselves with cell phones or other devices.

Molecular biology

Craig presents on cloning.

Many vectors have multiple cloning sites: A series of restriction endonuclease sites.

You amplify your gene using PCR or cut it out of another plasmid, matching restriction sites and ligate it into the plasmid.

Meh, I can't pay attention and take notes. Here's the presentation: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=forums&srcid=MDQ3ODI0ODE4NDM3NTM4NjIyMzUBMDM5OTQ5MTk5OTAwNDIzOTE2MjcBa0Z0ZTFkd2xycGdKATQBAXYy&authuser=0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCWjJFU1be8

Cheese making

Miyoko Schinner - vegan chef and TV host, has written books on vegan cheese and has signed up on our meetup list. I'll (Ahnon) contact her directly.... just sent her em via meetup.

= Background research

Break out into sub-groups

IP Issues discussion

Marc: should definitely patent, and do defensive license; willing to write up draft asap

Patrik: fastest way to get most people eating vegan cheese would be patent the heck out of it, show it can be made cheaper than cow's milk, and sell the IP to Kraft. - If that is the *only* issue we care about.

Mallory: if you open everything, then groups with most resources will get the upper hand Mallory was basically making the argument that big incumbent corps will take what we made and make lots of profits.

Fundraising

Patrik: If we have a fundraiser we really should put a lot of effort behind it. Ahnon: needs to contact Amyris again Patrik: needs to contact Bruce German to ask about companies working on breast milk nutritional supplements Advait: http://www.ncbiotech.org/research-grants/research-funding/biotechnology-research - too late to apply, maybe next year Advait: http://www.gofundme.com/ http://www.rockethub.com/ http://peerbackers.com/ Jamie and Marc will contact PETA office in Oakland (do they have contact with Patrick Brown as well?P Shashank: Viz. Amyris, saw Greg Warner at BioCurious today. Shashank - please remind Greg to join the iGEM team! I don't think he' son our mailing list yet. Do you have an email for him? Maybe the one I've been using doesn't work -- Patrik He was away on vacation..i have a netcom.com email.will forward a note to both of you...-s gwerner@ix.netcom.com - yeah, the ix.netcom one is the one I've been using

http://www.gofundme.com/ http://scistarter.com/ https://experiment.com/

Molecular biology

iGEM DNA distribution kit: http://parts.igem.org/Help:2014_DNA_Distribution

Proposed goals for upcoming week:

  • Finalize construct design
  • Plan initial experiments necessary to get "band on a gel" verification of casein and kinase expression
  • Make list of all required reagents, tools and other consumables, including gBlocks and primers
  • Reach out to companies asking for donated reagents (and plasmids from DNA 2.0)

Cheese making

Tasks

juul

  • Look more closely at DPL. Follow up with Linda Kahl and Brewster Kahle.
  • Follow up with Rusty to see if he can help with video / equipment
  • Find the best plasmid for us to order from addgene (but check the biobrick dna distribution list first)

Patrik

  • Follow up with Bruce German Re: milk protein companies

Jamie

  • contact PETA and other vegan organization
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