Monthly Roundup

Hey McMaster! Here’s what we’ve been up to this month. ⚙️🌏

Catch up on everything that’s been happening with McMaster SynBio! Each month, we bring you a curated summary of team updates, event highlights, research progress, outreach efforts, and important announcements. Stay informed, stay connected, and see how we’re building the future of synthetic biology.

What’s On The Agenda?

• August Breakdown

• Sterosaurus: Project Description

• Meet The Design Team

• Members of the Month

August Breakdown 🌿💫

• Waterloo Collaboration: Blueprints of Biology

  • A successful event on July 26th regarding computational pathways in synthetic biology

  • The applications of machine learning, protein modelling and design, and bioinformatics in synthetic biology were explored by student experts.

• High School Internship: High school students are preparing for their research poster symposium, where they will be presenting to an audience of their peers and undergraduate SynBio students. With regards to programmable cell-differentiation to copper-binding genetic circuits in therapeutics, the students are receiving mentorship in designing research projects with considerations towards experimental design and science communication.

• Lab Progress: We are working under Dr. Todd Hoare in the Biointerfaces Institute and officially ramping up in lab!

• Sponsorship: Thank you to Tazo Tea for their generous sponsorship in iGEMulate. Unwind after a long day of iGEMulate with Tazo Tea!

• Promo Video: Currently being filmed and edited together - keep an eye out!

Our project: Sterosaurus 🧠⚙️🌱

With global emissions rising, there is a call for new and innovative solutions to pressing environmental issues.

Our project aims to develop a system that addresses the current climate crisis by repurposing carbon dioxide (CO2) waste from manufacturing industries and turning it into fuel for our algae bioreactors. The energy is harnessed from CO2 and used by the algae, which is genetically engineered to overproduce ergosterols.

Ergosterols are an active pharmacological precursor to many steroid hormones like progesterone, cortisone, and Vitamin D2. By overproducing this precursor, we aim to make the first fully sustainable pharmaceutical, promoting a circular economy. By upcycling the waste of industrial operations to fuel the production of clinically relevant biomolecules, like ergosterol, Sterosaurus turns waste into wealth and health!

Sub-team Spotlight: Design

Behind The Planning Powerhouse 🧬

Once project ideation shifts into project research, Design steps in to map out how we will build a functioning biological circuit. Using tools like Benchling, the team plans and optimizes key parts of a plasmid, which are circular pieces of DNA that can be inserted into a chassis like a host organism. A plasmid involves components like promoters, terminators, linkers, and our gene of interest (GOI). Through collaborative research, Design lays the groundwork for the rest of the iGEM project. Altogether, plasmid design facilitates the shift from concepts into tangible, wet-lab testing.

To learn more about what goes into designing a plasmid, check out this resource from Stanford BIOME!

Shining the light on our incredible team!

Member Spotlight 👀🫶

Meet Lovejeet and Reem!

Reem is a member of our outreach team who has brought spirit, energy, and thoughtfulness into the high school internship. Reem has spent time behind the scenes making sure the high school internship runs as smoothly as possible. Whether it is hosting events, organizing lesson plans, or responding to questions, Reem has made a great impact on our internship alongside our outreach team and lead, Mike.

Lovejeet is not only a critical part of our human practices team but also has shown a lot of initiative with our initiatives for the iGEM awards. From market analysis to sociological analysis, Lovejeet and the HP team have been working diligently to understand the human impact of our project. Outside her main tasks, Lovejeet has been taking initiative in helping organize the upcoming iGEMulate and taking on extra leadership tasks.

Support McMaster SynBio 💙🧬

Help us bring our synthetic biology vision to life! Your support goes directly toward research materials, competition costs, and outreach efforts—including student-led programs like our high school internship and iGEMulate.

Every contribution makes a difference.
[Donate here → GoFundMe Link]

Thank you for supporting the next generation of innovators!