A team of six undergraduate students, led by Virginia Bioinformatics Institute Associate Professor Jean Peccoud, will compete in the 2007 International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition, sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Tech’s team does not have a specific focus as of yet, but plans to announce its research entry at a later date.
“This type of competition is not as restrictive as similar projects in other sciences like engineering,” said molecular biologist and laboratory manager Brian Hartnett, who is associated with Jean Peccoud’s research group.
This year is the first time Virginia Tech has sponsored a team. The opportunity to join was advertised campus-wide last September and interested students were asked to submit a resume with ideas for possible research projects. After interviews, a selection committee chose the six undergraduates.
“The reason we focused on undergrads is to perhaps help them make choices about grad school,” Peccoud said. “We also looked for a balance between majors, male/female, etc. when we selected the final team.”
Outlined as a three-phase project, the team has already begun preparation for the competition. Meeting twice a week, the students interact with researchers in Peccoud’s lab, as well as brainstorm potential topics.
During the second phase, members of the team will conduct experiments as well as the actual designing of the entry in the summer. By fall, the team will focus on practicing its presentation and detailing the logistics of its entry on the web.
“The competition asks student teams from around the world to engineer a living machine out of standard DNA parts, said freshman engineering major and iGEM team member Blair Lyons. “It's kind of like how we use standard sizes of screws and bolts to make mechanical machines, except we will be using chemicals and a living system. The VT team's project will involve creating and implementing models of epidemics using E. coli bacteria and lambda phage.”
Estimated costs for the competition start at about $10,000 per student. Peccoud plans to raise the needed money through solicitations from individuals and companies within the state. Virginia Bioinformatics Institute has provided some funding, as well as lab space, for the team.